For the past two years I’ve been enjoying the art of a daily draw. Many tarot teachers use the daily draw as a way for students to not only learn the meanings of cards, but to also work with the cards as a practice. I use the daily draw to give my days perspective and focus. The practice gives me a written record of how tarot interacts throughout my day.
It took me years (and I mean years) before I could keep a consistent draw up. What changed? Understanding when I operate best and giving myself permission to swap out decks every month. Now I look forward to getting ready for bed each night. I also get to play with a new deck each month which gives me greater insight into how the deck works and what types of readings or clients it’s best suited for.
Having these two boundaries gave me the foundation to keep a chain of daily draws going. Drawing tarot cards every day doesn’t need to be elaborate. A quick one or two card draw is all that’s needed. Sometimes, I’ll draw my card and then wait until I have a moment to record my thoughts down.
It’s also helpful to have a simple page pre-printed for you to record your thoughts. That’s where this free Daily Draw Record enters play. This form is my attempt to appease the most timid of readers who don’t use a daily draw. It contains three spaces for you to get the most out of your daily draws. It contains three boxes, one for morning pulls, one for evening pulls, and a box to record expanded insight.
This post gives you insight and an example of how you can use each of the three spaces in your tarot practice.
Before you start drawing cards, keep up with good record keeping practices by recording the date at the top. You can also record the time you pulled the cards, or the weather if it pleases you. I also suggest keeping track of which deck you used. Especially helpful if you go back and look over your records after a while. Some decks portray meanings differently than others (or have different symbols than the standard Swords, Wands, Cups, or Pentacles/Disks).
Morning Intention Setting
Are you a morning person? Do you have a slow routine when you wake up and give yourself space to breathe and draw cards before you dive into work? Then the morning international setting space is perfect for you. Use this box to record the name of the card you pulled and any thoughts as to how the card might become an intention for your day. I view negative cards, if you believe in bad cards, as a warning to keep my eyes out for something. You can then continue with your day, as planned.
For example, I used the Triple Goddess Tarot, and pulled the 3 of Swords. Yikes! Not a good start to any day. However, because this card is giving me space to deal with personal pain, I’m setting the intention and reminder to be gentle with myself. And to bring in various self-care techniques to deal with the sting of what is going on.
Evening Lesson Learned
Night owls rejoice! You can also use the Daily Draw Record to record thoughts about your day. I love knowing if I’ve learned something during the day. Right before I fall asleep, I pull my daily card. This card, the lesson learned, applies to something I did, thought, or didn’t expect through my day. I record the card title, and then some statements.
In the image example, I drew the Knight of Pentacles from the Triple Goddess Tarot. This knight knows when to slow down and what to do in order to get the job finished. While I accomplished items from the to-do list, I also drank a lot of water, took breaks to enjoy some shows online.
Insights and Review
This space is for those who are feeling ambitious. Want to draw both a morning and an evening card? Go for it! Record your thoughts in the spaces provided, then use this Insights and Review box to jot notes on how the cards challenged or reflected your day. If you’re feeling especially advanced, you can draw a third card that attempts to blend the two cards together in a final message.
In the example I wrote about how I managed to keep the 3 of Swords card present in my mind by giving myself some gentle love reminders. I wasn’t as hard on myself as I normally can be, and I was able to call on the help of the knight of pentacles to be a gentle force of nature and slow down.
Do you have a daily practice of your own? Let me know what you do in the comments below? I’d love to know how you use the Daily Draw Record. Help me make it better by using it. (Want to see the whole form as a PDF example? Download it here.)