Spelloween 2025: Day 5

Don’t mind me. Trying to get back into the groove of habits left behind. Today is October 5, 2025, and it’s time to have some fun. Each day of the month of October, I’m going to put together a little spell that involves one of my favorite tools: Tarot cards.

None of this is meant to be taken seriously, unless you want it to be so. All of this is in fun and with good intentions. All of this is meant to bring me joy. If you get some of that joy-juice as well, then all the better.

Day 5: 8 of Wands – Herding The Winds

Gather the following:

• The 8 of Wands from your preferred tarot deck. If you prioritize elemental systems, use the suit that corresponds to Air.
• Eight slips of paper. Each one should be large enough to write a phrase or short sentence on, but small enough that you can toss them into the air and they flutter as they descend.
• A writing utensil.
• A still space away from drafts, fans, or other sources of blowing air.

The spell:

1. The idea for this spell is to help you corral scattered thoughts or to help focus with a decision where each item is of the same priority as the other. On the eight slips of paper, write a phrase or short sentence that represents something you are trying to focus on, or are trying to make a decision on, but are unable to make a decision and/or take action on. If you do not have eight items, you may repeat one or two if they are of more importance than the rest of the items. You may also fill the blank slips with “Take a 1 Hour Break”, “Ask Tomorrow”, “Talk to a Friend”, “Get Ice Cream”, or other alternative actions. But all actions must be reasonable, achievable, and within your means of accomplishing.
2. In your still space, take the 8 of Wands and hold it to your face with the card facing you. Study the card. If you are able, imagine yourself as being embodied by the card. If you are not able to imagine such, declare the card to be a reflection of your inner turmoil.
3. Place the card on the floor, face up. (You may place another cloth or object under the card if you are concerned about dirtying or sullying the card.)
4. Place yourself over the card in such a way that your feet are not touching the card. You may stand an arm’s length away, or sit with your chair to the side of the card.
5. As you hold the eight slips of paper over the card, make a declaration (sound optional) that “that which is most important” or “that which I must act on first” or “that which is decided” (or whatever is relevant to your need at the moment) be drawn to the card.
6. Release the hounds the slips of paper.
7. The slips that land face up are the ones you are going to pay attention to. The face-up slip that is closest to the card, or if there are several, that is closest to the center of the card, is the primary answer. This is the topic that you should focus on first. (If your card has a figure, then you can use the head of that figure as The Most Important Spot for the slips to reach.)
8. If you need a prioritized list, look at what other slips landed face up. Order them in order of closeness to the target spot. Don’t concern yourself with the slips that landed face down at this time as you now have a trimmed order of instructions that is more manageable than what you started out with. You can add the topics that landed face down to your prioritized list, but they are to be completed after everything else. (Unless you need one of those done to finish a priority task.)
9. Pick up your slips and dispose of them unless keeping them to dispose of as you complete the described work is a boon for you.. Pick up your card and put it back with your deck.
10. Optional: Make yourself a nice cup of tea because adulting is hard work sometimes and a ten minute break is helpful.

If your first reaction to seeing the primary answer is to argue with it, ask yourself why. What is it about that primary answer that you are willing to throw yourself back into the winds about? Why are you upset that the card’s first choice isn’t your first choice? What are you not admitting to yourself about the task, your capability, or the reasonableness of the request?