Three Cards

A game of practicing your craft and growing your coven.

Introduction

Materials

Finding a Coven

Hedge Witch (Optional Rule)

Making an Altar

Before You Play

Phase One: Learning Divination

Setup

Play

Phase Two: Practicing Your Craft

Setup

Play

Phase Three: Teaching Divination

Setup

Play

Appendices

Appendix 1: Tarot Card Meanings

Appendix 2: Tarot Rank and Suit Meanings

Suit Meanings

Rank Meanings

Sources

This is designed as a game, but it is a game about Tarot, divination, witchcraft, and spirituality. As such, it might fit into your existing spiritual practice. Game is perhaps an inaccurate word, but as a game designer it is the one i know. This is a set of rules and rituals with a desired experiential outcome. But the tricky thing about game (experience?) design is that as a designer, i can only provide structure for an experience. You, the player (participant? witch?), are actually having the experience. i cannot control how you feel; i cannot control how you act; i cannot control how you interpret this game (set of rituals).

Introduction

This set of rituals is designed to help you learn how to use Tarot as a method of divination. This game is split into three phases: Learning Divination, Practicing Your Craft, and Teaching Divination. In the Learning Divination phase, you will practice reading Tarot cards—often with the assistance of a table or your Covenmates. In the Practicing Your Craft phase, you will be on your own building and reinforcing your divinatory skills. In the Teaching Divination phase, you will practice explaining your understanding of the Tarot cards to your Covenmates.

Part of learning is teaching and sharing what you have learned. It is through this process that we internalize our understanding of the topic we are studying. We only become experts when we are able to teach others and share our knowledge and understanding.

Part of practicing your craft is building and maintaining a habit. It is encouraged for you to aim to do daily Tarot readings and meet with your Coven at least once per lunar cycle. It is okay if you aren’t able to do a reading every day or meet with your Coven every lunar cycle.

Materials

• A Coven
• An Altar
• A standard 78-card Tarot deck
• Two Knucklebones (six-sided dice [2d6])
• A Grimoire (your notebook)
• A writing implement

Finding a Coven

Finding a Coven can be as easy as asking a friend or two to play this game with you. Or you can join an existing group playing this game. Your Coven does not have to practice witchcraft; this is simply the game’s term for a group of players.

Hedge Witch (Optional Rule)

If you are unable, for any reason, to find or make a Coven, that is okay! You can learn and practice your craft by yourself. Hopefully by the time you finish Practicing Your Craft, you will be able to find or make a Coven.

Making an Altar

An Altar is a place for you to perform rituals. The best Altar for this game is one with a flat surface large enough for you to place your Tarot cards, roll your Knucklebones, and write in your Grimoire.

Before You Play

1. Sit at your Altar by yourself or with your Covenmates.
2. Shuffle your Tarot deck.
3. Open your Grimoire and start a new entry.

1. Write today’s date.
2. Write the current phase of the moon.

4. Interview your Tarot deck by asking the following questions and then drawing a single card as the response.

1. What work are we meant to do together?
2. What are you here to teach me about myself?
3. What are you here to teach me about the world?
4. What card best describes you as a deck?
5. What card best describes me at this time?

5. Write each question, the card you drew for it, and a reflection/interpretation of the card in your Grimoire.

This may be your first time reading Tarot cards; that is okay! Consult Appendix 1: Tarot Card Meanings for interpretation or Appendix 2: Tarot Rank and Suit Meanings to derive your own interpretation.

Phase One: Learning Divination

Setup

1. Sit at your Altar with your Covenmates or by yourself.
2. Shuffle your Tarot deck.
3. Place three cards face down in front of one of your Covenmates or yourself if you do not have Covenmates.

1. The person you placed the cards in front of is the Querent.
2. Do not reveal these cards.
3. The cards should be adjacent to each other.
4. They represent (from left to right) the Past, the Present, and the Future.

4. Open your Grimoire and start a new entry.

1. Write today’s date.
2. Write the current phase of the moon.
3. Write a label for the Past, Present, and Future cards.
4. Write a label for tracking your energy.
5. Write a question the Querent has for the deck.

Play

1. Roll your Knucklebones and add up the result.

1. You may swap individual rolled dice with your Covenmates if they are present.
2. If your total is between 2 and 4, subtract one energy point to your total to a minimum of 0.
3. If your total is between 5 and 9, your energy total remains the same.
4. If your total is between 10 and 12, add one energy point to your total.

2. You may spend your energy to reveal cards in the Spread.

1. The Past card costs 2 energy.
2. The Present card costs 1 energy.
3. The Future card costs 3 energy.

3. When you reveal a card, write its name next to its label in your Grimoire.
4. Write a brief interpretation of the card’s meaning in your Grimoire.
5. Roll your Knucklebones and reveal cards until you have read the entire spread.

Phase Two: Practicing Your Craft

Setup

1. Sit at your Altar by yourself.
2. Shuffle your Tarot deck.
3. Place three cards face down in front of you.

1. Do not reveal these cards.
2. The cards should be adjacent to each other.
3. They represent (from left to right) the Past, the Present, and the Future.

4. Open your Grimoire and start a new entry.

1. Write today’s date.
2. Write the current phase of the moon.
3. Write a label for the Past, Present, and Future cards.
4. Write a label for tracking your energy.
5. Write a question you have for the deck.

Play

1. Roll your Knucklebones and add up the result.

1. If your total is between 2 and 4, subtract one energy point to your total to a minimum of 0.
2. If your total is between 5 and 9, your energy total remains the same.
3. If your total is between 10 and 12, add one energy point to your total.

2. You may spend your energy to reveal cards in the Spread.

1. The Past card costs 2 energy.
2. The Present card costs 1 energy.
3. The Future card costs 3 energy.

3. When you reveal a card, write its name next to its label in your Grimoire.
4. Write a brief interpretation of the card’s meaning in your Grimoire.

1. Consult Appendix 1: Tarot Card Meanings for interpretation or Appendix 2: Tarot Rank and Suit Meanings to derive your own interpretation.

5. Roll your Knucklebones and reveal cards until you have read the entire spread.

Phase Three: Teaching Divination

Setup

1. Sit at your Altar with your Covenmates.
2. Shuffle your Tarot deck.
3. Have a Covenmate place three cards face down in front of you.

1. You are the Querent.
2. Do not reveal these cards.
3. The cards should be adjacent to each other.
4. They represent (from left to right) the Past, the Present, and the Future.

4. Your Covenmate should open their Grimoire and start a new entry.

1. Write today’s date.
2. Write the current phase of the moon.
3. Write a label for the Past, Present, and Future cards.
4. Write a label for tracking their energy.
5. Write a question the Querent has for the deck.

Play

1. Roll your Knucklebones and add up the result.

1. You may swap individual rolled dice with your Covenmates.
2. If your total is between 2 and 4, subtract one energy point to your total to a minimum of 0.
3. If your total is between 5 and 9, your energy total remains the same.
4. If your total is between 10 and 12, add one energy point to your total.

2. You may spend your energy to reveal cards in the Spread.

1. The Past card costs 2 energy.
2. The Present card costs 1 energy.
3. The Future card costs 3 energy.

3. When you reveal a card, your Covenmate writes its name next to its label in their Grimoire.
4. Your Covenmate gives a brief verbal interpretation of the card’s meaning.
5. The Querent provides constructive and supportive feedback for the Covenmate
6. Roll your Knucklebones and reveal cards until the Covenmate has read the entire spread for the Querent.

Appendices

Appendix 1: Tarot Card Meanings

Appendix 2: Tarot Rank and Suit Meanings

Suit Meanings

Rank Meanings

Sources

Buckland, Raymond. Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft, Llewellyn Press, 2002.

Caponi, Stefanie. Guided Tarot, Zeitgeist, 2020.

Esselmont, Bridgit. Everyday Tarot, Running Press, 2023.