Tarot Grimoire: Spreads and Spells for a Magical Life

Praise for Tarot Grimoire

"Ethony is magical, so it’s no wonder that she has created my favorite book blending tarot and magic. Filled to the brim with spells and exercises that will deepen both your witchcraft and tarot practices, you will find the Tarot Grimoire is both joyful and profoundly transformative, as all the best magic is! This is sure to be at the front of your tarot and magic bookshelf, as it is on mine."

—Madame Pamita, author of Magical Tarot and The Book of Candle Magic

"Tarot Grimoire is essential for anyone following a path of tarot, witchcraft, and magic. The way in which Ethony shares her spells, spreads, and her own magic in this book so openly, authentically, and generously makes it feel Ethony is right there with you. … She is the real deal, a huge inspiration to the tarot and witchcraft community, and a beautiful person who cares so deeply about the work she does for others. This book is a true gift to her ever-growing community and to all those witches looking for a guide as knowledgeable and experienced as Ethony."

—Victoria Vix Maxwell, author, soul reader, and Kundalini yoga teacher

About the Author

Ethony Dawn has been reading the tarot for clients all over the world for more than twenty-five years. She is the creator of the Cosmic Wisdom Tarot, the Modern Love Tarot, and two other tarot decks. She has also created three oracle decks. Ethony is the headmistress of the Tarot Readers Academy, where she teaches the art of reading the tarot. Since 2016, she has been involved with an online coven, the Awakened Soul Coven, where she shares her decades of experience working with modern magic. Ethony lives in Vancouver, BC, with her family and three dogs.

Llewellyn Publications | Woodbury, Minnesota

Copyright Information

Tarot Grimoire: Spreads and Spells for a Magical Life Copyright © 2024 by Ethony Dawn.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any matter whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd., except in the form of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

As the purchaser of this e-book, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. The text may not be otherwise reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, or recorded on any other storage device in any form or by any means.

Any unauthorized usage of the text without express written permission of the publisher is a violation of the author’s copyright and is illegal and punishable by law.

Photography is used for illustrative purposes only. The persons depicted may not endorse or represent the book’s subject.

First e-book edition © 2024

E-book ISBN: 9780738777276

Book design by R. Brasington

Cover art by AlbaBG

Cover design by Shannon McKuhen

Editing by Marjorie Otto

Card illustrations in the interior are from the Tarot Original 1909 Deck © 2021 with art created by Pamela Colman Smith and Arthur Edward Waite. Used with permission of Lo Scarabeo.

Interior card spreads and other illustratons by Llewellyn Art Department

Llewellyn Publications is an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the Library of Congress

ISBN: 978-0-7387-7704-7

Llewellyn Publications does not participate in, endorse, or have any authority or responsibility concerning private business arrangements between our authors and the public.

Any Internet references contained in this work are current at publication time, but the publisher cannot guarantee that a specific reference will continue or be maintained. Please refer to the publisher’s website for links to current author websites.

Llewellyn Publications

Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

2143 Wooddale Drive

Woodbury, MN 55125

www.llewellyn.com

Manufactured in the United States of America

Other Books by Ethony Dawn

Your Tarot Court (2019)

For my

magical bumblebees.

Inhalt

Foreword by Benebell Wen

Einführung

Chapter 1: Magic and Casting Spells

Chapter 2: Reading the Tarot Cards

Chapter 3: The Major Arcana

Chapter 4: The Suit of Cups

Chapter 5: The Suit of Wands

Chapter 6: The Suit of Swords

Chapter 7: The Suit of Pentacles

Fazit

Appendix 1: List of Tarot Spreads by Need

Appendix 2: List of Spells by Need

Recommended Resources

Bibliography

Foreword

E

thony and I became instant friends when we met in 2018 at the Tarot Readers Studio in New York. Prior to that I had served as faculty at her Tarot Readers Academy, joining in the inaugural year of her online tarot summer school, the first cartomancy program of its kind. A powerhouse thought and people leader, Ethony commands a talent for bringing together diverse ensembles, and you see this throughout all aspects of her work.

Her tarot philosophy is one of open arms, compassion, and inclusivity, integrating eclectic Paganism with whimsy and sass. Take what resonates and leave the rest has become her signature motto, one that has inspired students of tarot and witchcraft to embrace that same permissive, benevolent, and personally curated approach. Ethony fosters community while encouraging individual expression.

This is a book that unabashedly embraces the magic and mystery of tarot. It is a functional collection of spreads for readers of all capacities and a primer for a new generation of modern witchcraft. Covering the basics in divination, spellcasting, and ritual work, guided by seventy-eight tarot archetypes, Tarot Grimoire will be an essential reference in your magical library.

You will be guided on a self-empowering journey to revealing the mystic within, narrated by a voice of reason, of humour, and rich with the wisdom of your fairy godmother. Start with the tarot spread for the Magician to problem-solve, then boost your powers for tackling challenges with an empowerment tea spell. Receive the High Priestess’s calling through her six-card spread, then craft psychic power anointing oil.

Explore the four elements through the minors. Cultivate self-mastery in the realm of the heart and emotions by way of the Cups. Reinvigorate yourself, your vitality, and explore pursuits of passion through the Wands. Come into full knowledge of your mind and fine-tune your communication skills with the Swords. Conclude the journey with appreciation for your body and surroundings by way of the Pentacles. Learn how to manifest prosperity, clear creative blocks, improve mental clarity, achieve both short-term and long-term goals, and embrace the many facets of love through seventy-eight beautiful, practical, and potent spells.

You’ll work with river stones, charm bags, poppets, herb crafting, candle magic, crystals, essential oils, and so much more. These spells nudge you to see the magical potential in the everyday mundane. Before you throw out those oyster shells, pause to see how they might help you to harness the blessings of the Lovers. Master the metaphysical correspondences of spices in your kitchen pantry. Fully understand the power of the petition.

Ethony is a tarot spreads master, and I have enjoyed implementing many of her well-constructed spreads into my reading practice. To help confront and dispel bias so that I might see a situation with greater clarity and objectivity, I work with the Queen of Swords spread. The Tea of Peace recipe for the Ace of Cups is the perfect, delicious blend to sip on as I work with its accompanying Tap into Your Emotions five-card reading. Amplify your goal-setting with the Star card’s Make It Happen spread, then on the next Full Moon, follow the affirming Make a Wish spell.

For months I kept pulling the Knight of Wands card, no matter which deck I used or the context of the reading—what tarot readers often call a stalker card. So I consulted the Tarot Grimoire and looked up the Knight of Wands’ associated spread. As the Grimoire offers, perhaps this stalker card is guiding me to actualize my soul’s passion. With that stalker Knight of Wands as my significator card, I worked with the six-card spread, revealing what was missing from my life, what it was my soul wanted to explore at this time, and what first steps to take to embrace my soul’s passion. Then I tried out the Winner Winner Spell. I can attest that the spell helped to achieve hard-won victories.

Death’s Mediumship Spread, whether you believe in an afterlife or not, is a beautiful way to make sense of difficult endings, to experience closure through the spirit of what once was here with us in body. Work with Key XV: the Devil card to finally end self-destructive cycles. You’re going to love the Tower card’s Shock Absorption Talisman, a malachite macramé necklace to help you navigate the aftershock of sudden change. You’ll love making the Ten of Swords incense time and time again to help you eradicate malignant energies in your vicinity.

In so many ways, Ethony reminds me of a twenty-first-century Etteilla. Her Tarot Readers Academy, spiritual business coaching through her Business Beehive, and her Awakened Soul Coven are not unlike Etteilla’s New School of Magic. She is a deck creator like Etteilla, becoming an independent publisher of decks just as Etteilla had done. She has certified many an incredible professional tarot reader, teaching tarot to innumerable students like Etteilla, and exhibits the business savvy of Etteilla. She was one of the first to showcase pick-a-card collective readings on social media, spearheading that trend, and one of the first to take coven work global and online. Reflecting on her many achievements and contributions, Ethony has become a living fixture in the world of tarot, as Etteilla was in his time.

Tarot Grimoire is a compendium that will quickly expand your knowledge and experience in the Craft, all while deepening your relationship with the tarot. Card by card, spread by spread, spell after spell, acquiring recipes, learning rituals, and fostering personal growth, this handbook charts a tried and true path into the sacred dimension.

—Benebell Wen

[contents]

Einführung

Welcome to Tarot Grimoire , a peek into my personal magical books and practice. This is a book that you can use in your daily life to read for yourself and others and to embody your readings for positive change well after the reading session is done.

The tarot has been a cornerstone of magical practice for centuries. Its adaptability and evolution have made it a go-to tool for diviners, coaches, teachers, and creatives, and that’s just the tip of the tarot iceberg. I discovered tarot at the age of fifteen through my spiritual training in Wicca. Since then, I’ve been deeply connected to the tarot, and now, I’m passing on this wisdom to you. Over the years, I’ve explored various forms of divination, including oracle decks, runes, pendulums, charm casting, Lenormand, and more. Yet the tarot remains my steadfast companion. There’s never a time when a deck is out of arm’s reach.

Through building my relationship with the tarot and reading for thousands of people, I now have the honor of teaching the tarot. I’ve journeyed into each card and cast spells with all of the arcana. I’ve written books and helped others with this fantastic system.

I have notebooks full of custom tarot spreads that I’ve created for clients, my coven, and myself. I’ve got magical notebooks, grimoires, and Books of Shadows lining my shelf full of my favorite spells. So, it felt natural to combine all of this into one book. It’s designed to be a comprehensive guide for tarot readers, witches, and magical practitioners eager to intertwine the realms of tarot and magic.

Throughout my magical journey, I’ve been lucky to have teachers and mentors share their knowledge with me and explain why an ingredient is used or give me a tip on the best item for what type of magic. I’m doing the same throughout Tarot Grimoire. The book has boxes with tips on tarot interpretation, art magic, herbs and spices, magical tools, and much more to give you some magical shortcuts and suggestions.

By working with the tarot spreads dedicated to each of the tarot cards and their companion tarot spell, you’ll be living the magic of the tarot. You’ll become the embodiment of the arcana, giving yourself the gift of living an intentional life. You’ll embrace your inner strength and talents, build mindfulness and resilience, and learn about yourself and your place in the world.

Are you ready to dive in? Let’s get the magic started!

Using The Tarot Grimoire

This book is meant to be used to bring the energetic vibration, lessons, and magic of the seventy-eight tarot cards to life. This is a book of practice. You can come to this book when you have a need and look up the corresponding tarot spread and spell or allow your tarot readings to lead you on your magical journey. Bend the spine, write in the pages, and highlight your favorite parts. The Tarot Grimoire can be used as a metaphysical blueprint for deepening your work with the tarot.

Here are some ways you can use this book, but remember that these are only suggestions. Your magic, your tarot, and your path are more important than someone else’s way of doing things. Always remember that this is your journey. Take what resonates with you and leave the rest.

We all face difficult situations in life when something comes up that starts to disempower us. This is a great time to work with the spells and spreads in this book. Arming yourself with as much information and foresight as possible is never a bad idea. Knowledge is power, and when you give yourself the gift of careful consideration and reflection through a personalized tarot reading, you empower yourself to make the most out of the opportunity and avoid pitfalls. Let’s face it: no one wants to hit unnecessary roadblocks that could’ve been avoided.

There will be seasons in your life when you pull the same tarot card over and over again in readings for yourself and others. Even when you think you’ve learned the lesson or you feel you know what the universe is trying to tell you, the card keeps showing up! When this happens, it’s the perfect opportunity to sit with the many facets of the tarot card offered in its spread section to further understand why a specific card is making itself known. If the card still keeps showing up, it might be a hint that it’s time to carry out its corresponding tarot spell. By moving your energy and focus from the intellectual knowledge of the cards to practice, you bring the knowledge down to earth. It becomes part of you and, therefore, easier to integrate its lessons in your life.

Magic is harnessing the natural flow, energies, and vibrations to bring lasting and influential change into your life. There are various techniques and skills a practitioner can use to achieve this. Many of these are presented in this book, and this is where you can find, through application, what works for you.

All magical users will agree that when you’re ready and have a deep desire to create a life you genuinely love, magic is an excellent tool to aid in your evolution. Working with the spells within this book will ensure that you’re keeping your vibration where you want it to be. They will help you to stop worrying about the future possibilities of co-creating your future with the universe and focus on the here and now.

By using the tarot spreads in this book, you’ll be able to look at every angle of your journey and personal growth, ensuring that it will generate lasting and powerful change. You can also look up any of the tarot spreads when you are carrying out a tarot reading for someone else to help them on their path.

There are many spells and tarot spreads that focus on healing, and for good reason. When you want to heal from something and move on from the past, having supportive tools for your recovery and revival are incredibly empowering. Healing is an ongoing journey. Once you’ve decided you’re ready to take it on, you’ll find your tarot deck can be a priceless tool to guide you. The spreads and spells presented within can be used as a supplement to all of your healing, whether it’s spiritual, physical, mental or emotional. While this book, the tarot spreads, and the spells within it can be powerful agents of transformation, this is not a complete healing system. Please acknowledge your limits and always seek medical treatment when needed. We all require help at times, and we don’t know what we don’t know. Holistic healing requires you to look at healing your mind, body, energy, and soul.

If you’re a student of the tarot, the spreads and spells within can be used throughout your studies as a way to comprehend the different aspects of the individual cards. You can do this by working through the deck, starting at the Fool and ending at the King of Pentacles. Or you can use it as a supplement for your card-a-day draws.

You don’t have to use the spells in this book to access the magic and meaning of the tarot cards. Not every tarot reader will be into casting spells. There is no one right way to work with the tarot. That’s the beauty of the tool. Know, however, that they’ll be there if you ever want