Blog | Venelestis

Here I store my thoughts

Contemplations about Tarot: Introduction

What I want to talk about is the way I personally do it. Not that I believe there is anything special about my way of reading - some might even call me intuitive. Except that I'm not, not really. I abandoned the traditional style of doing readings almost ten years ago.

Divination as Dialogue

At its core, divination is a method of communication. If something is communication, it implies a dialogue. And dialogue implies language.

On Venelestis, Divination, and Meaning

I do not believe divination exists solely as a tool for self development. It can be used that way, but reducing it to that is like using a plumbed kitchen sink to store water you carry in from outside. At its best, divination is communication with forces, entities, intelligences, or spirits that are not you or the very least are your higher, divine self.

How to Use Botanical Oracle Decks?

A botanical oracle deck offers a particularly rich language for that communication, because plants themselves are layered beings. If you are new to botanical oracle decks, I want to gently dismantle the idea that you must first earn the right to use them by studying herbalism, folklore, magical correspondences, or Latin taxonomy. You do not need prerequisite knowledge in order to begin.

Do You Need to Be an Herbalist to Work with Plant Oracles?

The question is: Do you need to be an herbalist, educated in magical or medicinal herbalism, in order to work with plants or use botanical oracle decks in your practice? The answer is simple: No.

Reflections on my Presentation and Meanings

For me, working with plants, and increasingly all living beings, is not only about immortalizing them in art. It is about offering a shift of perspective. Working with them on a symbolic or spiritual level, even if you do not call it magic, is about finding a way to create your own symbolic system or a language. It is about discovering a personal method for building meaning in your life and within the world around you.