The first things that really pushed my spiritual journey into high gear were astrology, crystals, and tarot. I have Tik Tok; I was constantly having videos come up on my FYP about spirituality, witchcraft, and divination. This past year has been a crazy ride of personal growth, and I thought I would share some of my personal observations and tips that I’ve picked up. I’m in no way giving advice. My favorite thing so far is picking something up, seeing if it feels right, and continuing to learn about it.

1. Astrology

The first thing that I learned about astrology was my sun sign. I’d say it’s a safe assumption to make that most people start there. It’s the placement you can figure out just from your birthday alone. Horoscopes are everywhere. Even those who don’t follow astrology will say “I’m a Scorpio.” or “I’m a Leo!” when you ask what their sign is.

My sun sign is Sagittarius. For years, when I considered the qualities of a Sagittarius, I just didn’t know if I aligned with those things. When I think of textbook Sagittarians, I think of outgoing, energetic, free-spirited people who are always on the go and have no problem going after their desires. In certain situations, I can absolutely be that way. I also have a more reserved side. It wasn’t until I looked at the entirety of my natal birth chart that I started to see how everything fit together.

2. Divination

The first form of divination that I proactively tried was the tarot. I bought the Jane Austen-themed tarot deck from my local bookstore. This deck only had 53 cards and could double as playing cards. I saw some of my favorite Tik Tok creators do three-card spreads, so that’s how I started. It wasn’t long before I used Pinterest to find tarot card spreads that others had shared. Two months later, I have three more decks and have gotten into a groove of reading for myself.

I finally realized that a standard tarot deck had 78 cards, so those are the main ones that I stick with when I look for something new. I’m not a fan of the cards having two functions in the 53 card deck. I feel like there’s more guesswork on my part. I love the challenge of using my intuition to figure out what’s going on. I try not to memorize the card meanings too closely because I like to use different resources to arrive at an answer.

Currently, my favorite deck is the Modern Witch Tarot Deck. As far as using the deck to steer me into self-development and connecting with my higher self, it’s been the best. From what I’ve seen at bookstores and on social media, it’s also one of the most popular.

3. Crystals

I’ve only just started learning about crystals and their benefits. I’ve noticed that I am more drawn to crystal bracelets and necklaces. One of my first pieces was a black obsidian pendant that I mainly bought for grounding purposes. The most recent bracelets I purchased are smoky quartz, carnelian, and rose quartz. All three have different uses. I like being able to stack bracelets and have a splash of color, too.