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Shorthand Symbols For Tarot Journal Winners

8/27/2015

26 Comments

 
FYI Circa Dec. 2018:

I've improved on these symbols after several years of working with them and I will be releasing a more elegant, more gender-neutral 2.0 set with less overlap between pre-esxisting occult symbols very soon, along with a surprise. Stay tuned!

​Now onto the content . . .

Shorthand Glyphs For Tarot Journal Winners

One of my favorite tarot journaling tricks is having a set of symbols to represent each card when I’m writing out readings and spreads. It saves time and energy, and makes my journals look better. Win and win.


Google image search “symbols for tarot cards” and you’ll find an array of charts to pick from. Tarot cards have classic correspondences to astrological signs and Hebrew letters. If those click with you, you can use them to stand in for the card title in your notes. If you’re a numbers person, you can simply write down the card number for the majors and number/letter combos for the minors. For instance, the Wheel of Fortune can be written as “X” or “10,” the two of swords can be written as “2/S,” and the King of Pentacles can be written as “Ki/P.” Nice and simple, and no need to memorize a new system.


As a visual thinker and a proponent of making everything look witchier, I couldn’t rest until I found sufficiently occult-looking glyphs to stand in for my tarot cards. While astrology and alchemy have well established symbols, tarot lags behind with a smattering of personal symbol sets offered by a smattering of graphically inclined tarot nerds. Today, I’ll offer you one more set and teach you how to design your own while we’re at it.


You might recognize these from the graphics on this site. I came up with them when I needed some clean line art to deck the pages of my blog, then realized how useful they are for journaling.


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When drawing up symbols for any kind of shorthand, it’s important to pick images that are a) quick and easy to remember and b) quick easy to draw. Connecting images to personal likes and references helps you remember them. Draw on pop-culture symbols, astrological or occult symbols that you already know, and your own intuition. What single picture reminds you most of a given card’s core meaning and keywords? 


Once you have a symbol in mind, grab some scrap paper and get doodling. Reduce the image or shape to its simplest components or outline. Think, how would I draw this in a stick figure universe? Once you’ve got something pretty simple, ask yourself if there’s anything more you can remove or delete while still capturing the image. Stop once you’ve got the simplest way to draw that picture - an easy and memorable glyph.
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Some of mine could be reduced even further, but I like a little flair. 


Here’s a quick breakdown of which symbols I chose and why:

The Fool - A stick figure. An everyman, everywoman, everyperson. A stand-in for the querent.

The Magician - Two arrows. A mirror of the magician’s arm placement. “As above, so below.”

The High Priestess - A crescent moon. A symbol of intuition and the unconscious. There is usually a crescent at the priestess’s feet, and she’s sometimes seen with a crescent headdress.

The Empress - Female symbol/Venus symbol representing the feminine archetype.

The Emperor - A crown. This card is just as much about worldly power and rule as it is about the masculine archetype. (Because the patriarchy. Sigh.)

The Hierophant - A key with a lemniscate, representing the keys to divine knowledge and secrets, and the connection between the finite and infinite.

The Lovers - A heart. Because lurve.

The Chariot - An arrow. I associate this card with progress, mastery, purpose, and direction.

Strength - A lemniscate. The traditional image is a woman with a lion, often with a lemniscate above the woman’s head.

The Hermit - A candle. The hermit usually holds a lantern or candle, searching for the truth in the dark.

The Wheel of Fortune - A wheel.

Justice
 - Scales.

The Hanged Man - A cross/inverted 4. The Hanged man is usually shown with a crooked leg, forming the shape of an inverted 4. The cross resonates with the card’s themes of sacrifice, enlightenment, and martyrdom by referencing the world tree and the Christian cross.

Death - An hourglass. A classic memento mori, a symbol of change, and easier to draw than a wee skull and crossbones.

Temperance - A couple wavy lines for water flowing between two cups.

The Devil  - A pitchfork.

The Tower  - A lightning bolt. This card usually shows a tower struck by lightning. Suddenness and destruction are both major themes.

The Star  - A star.

The Moon - A moon.

The Sun - A sun.

Judgement - A spark of light rising from the dark. This one was the hardest to come up with. The card often shows a group of people rising up from a grave.

The World - A compass rose.

What works for me won’t work for everyone, but you’re welcome to use these symbols for your own journal.  (If you blog with them, I’d love a link back. No commercial use, please and thank you. And by commercial use I basically mean, don’t sell these or publish them and say you did them. Just ask if you have any questions.)  Feel free to start with these and alter them to your liking, too. Send me a link in the comments if you come up with your own set so I can see what you do! 


Now go doodle up your tarot books! Besides saving time on shorthand, diagramming spreads with symbols looks badass.


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Copyright Update 12/15/18:

I've had some copyright issues with this post--each instance I know of has been settled amicably, so no worries, but I figured I better refresh y'all on my copyright policies. This stuff can be confusing, and different authors have different boundaries and policies, so here goes. 

TL/DR: I post original work. This entire site, unless otherwise noted, is copyright Evvie Marin 2018 All Rights Reserved. The graphics in this post are original works, protected by copyright.

My day job is illustration and graphic design. Copyright's a big deal in that field, so I have to keep tabs on it with any graphics-based stuff here.  I did not invent the idea of occult symbols, and you are welcome to create your own tarot glyphs. There are even design tips on how to do that in this article. This set of glyphs is my own work, and I'm sharing it for personal use and inspiration only. They're not up for grabs!

You must obtain written permission from me, and possibly pay a licensing fee, before using these symbols as promotional materials on your own website and in your tarot courses. Do not copy some or all of these symbols and present them as your own work!

Some of these are pre-existing occult symbols/cultural. No one owns the stick figure, heart, star, astrological, or gender symbols. Other glyphs are original graphic designs, and ascribing each of these to the major arcana as a complete set--that is my own work. It took time, thought, and skill, and I explain my  design choices right here in this post.

If you have questions about usage and derivative works, drop me a line. I am friendly, reasonable, and fair, and I don't mind answering copyright/usage inquiries. There is no good reason to copy without asking.

The Nitty-Gritty


As of 12/15/18, there are only three exceptions to my All Rights Reserved copyright:

1. I published the Eight Useful Tarot Spreads eBook, under a Creative Commons, attribution, non-derivative-works, non-commercial license. This gives you the right to share that ebook and the spreads within, as long as you give credit and cite the author and source (attribution), do not cut and paste bits of it into your own projects (non-derivative-works), and do not use it commercially or promotionally, re-sell it, or charge for access to it (non-commercial.)  
2. I occasionally use historic images and art in the public domain, always with sources cited.
3. Guests and interviewees may share artwork and bio photos with us. These are shared with those artists' permission, and protected by those artists' own copyright.

You May:

Blogs are for sharing, and I write this blog to help people learn tarot better for themselves. When I post content here, you may use it for your own personal enrichment at home. You may print diagrams for personal use in your private journals. You may share diagrams with friends, with attribution, as long as you're not charging them money. You may link to my articles and websites, and you may repost social media posts, again, with attribution. You may quote short passages from this blog, with credit and a link back. So many fun and reasonable things you may do without asking! Hooray!


You May Not:

You may not use my illustrations or graphics as promotional material on your own website. You may not repackage my work and sell it. You may not copy chunks of my work and present them as your own. If you have a blog or a tarot business, you must obtain written permission before posting my work on your website, especially in conjunction with products and services you offer for money. You must cite and credit the source of your material if you create derivative works, and you must obtain permission before including copies or segments of my work in published projects inspired by my articles.

Spread Honor Code:

Occultists are magpies, tarot culture is pretty open, and the internet is the internet. I've had a few spreads go viral on social media, and that means there are certainly people out there using them with paying clients, with or (mostly) without my knowledge or permission. This is impossible for me to keep tabs on as an indie artist, since it happens in a scattered way, behind closed doors.

So I have an honor code system with my spreads. They weren't written for readings with paid clients, but if you use them that way, simply make a proportionate donation to the blog, so I can keep releasing free spreads for all to use. This doesn't have to be extravagant, but I expect anyone profiting off my work to pass the hat back. If you share my spreads on your websites, in your blogs & vlogs, or with clients, you must give credit.

Do enjoy the tarot spreads. Do not pass my original spreads off as your own work.

Many thanks to all the folks who have donated and shared with attribution! Y'all are the loveliest, and you are helping keep these resources coming for all.

I do not endorse psychic readers. I do not take responsibility for the quality or content of others' readings. Receiving donations does not constitute affiliation or endorsement. If you see folks using my spreads with clients, there's a very good chance I don't even know about it. But unless they're doing something awful like pairing them with hate speech, there's an equally good chance I don't mind.

Illustration Nope:

I make my living as an artist/illustrator, so I have to be much stricter about how my art and graphics are used. I do not grant permission to use my illustrations or custom site graphics commercially, including as promotional materials and give-aways on tarot blogs and business. For instance, if you're using one of my spreads with paid clients, you need to create your own cover image for your website, shop, or Etsy listing image.

Again, non-commercial re-posts and links back on social media are absolutely fine. 

This set of symbols is a graphics project, which is why I have to be a little stricter about it.

If you have any questions about usage, just ask me! I'm friendly, and actually pretty easy-going about granting licenses to people who A) ask first and B) cite their sources! I do reserve the right to politely decline projects and uses that aren't a good fit. I'm not scary about it, though.

If you've goofed up and used something inappropriately, just get in touch and we'll work it out. Most of my policies are common sense based off fair usage for blogs, but I get that some people see stuff out of context on Pinterest or Tublr and don't realize what the policies are. I'll be adding this all to my copyright section on the About page over the next couple days.

If You Think Someone Has Copied My Work

Please don't assume anything, and never contact another blogger, author, reader, or maker on my behalf. If you see work out there that looks like mine and you think something might be off, just drop me a line. I'll check it out and see if it needs a follow up myself. I have and do occasionally grant commercial licenses to use my graphics work, including with these symbols. For instance, I have personally approved their usage in both free and paid tarot courses. So chances are fair it's above board, but I do appreciate tips, and I will look into them and handle them myself. Thanks!


26 Comments
Marianne link
8/30/2015 12:35:23 pm

This is a seriously GENIUS idea! I usually use the much more boring 5oC for Five of Cups, HP for the High Priestess, and so on. Pretty little glyphs are so much nicer! I think I'll be printing this puppy out and sticking it right into my journal for future reference!

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Evvie
8/31/2015 06:56:12 am

Thanks Marianne! That's great!

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Fiona link
12/26/2015 06:47:48 pm

This is so awesome, Evvie. I need to implement this into my tarot journal for sure- I'm gonna share this page with the Tarot Journaling group!

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Evvie
12/27/2015 09:38:57 pm

Thanks, Fiona! I'm delighted. Cheers!

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Larsen Hughes link
12/28/2015 01:25:14 pm

Reminds me of notes I've seen in alchemical journals. I like the stick-figure idea better. Allows for more personalizing. Very nice...

Reply
Evvie
1/2/2016 11:00:48 am

Thanks, Larsen! Sometimes if you want something done just right, you've got to personalize and do it for yourself.

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kallisti link
12/29/2015 11:19:07 am

Great symbols! (I saw this via Fiona's Tarot Journaling group.) Very much agree that it's reminiscent of alchemical journals ...

Reply
Evvie
1/2/2016 11:03:03 am

Thank you, Kallisti! I can't manage to get my head around old alchemical texts, but 'm a big fan of their symbols and artwork.

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Katie link
1/2/2016 01:21:53 pm

I discovered your blog earlier this week via this post and I just love everything you've posted! Also, that sign for The Magician - "as above, so below" - is brilliant!

Thank you so much for sharing this!

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Evvie
1/3/2016 09:50:49 am

Thanks so much, Katie! I'm delighted!

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Alex link
3/10/2016 12:23:22 pm

I love these symbols so much that I used them to make my own set of tarot cards, they were easy to remember the meanings, and I could name them right off the bat. What's your reasoning for the minor cards though? (Wands, swords, cups, and pentacles)

Reply
Evvie
3/10/2016 07:27:32 pm

Hi Alex. That's great! Since there are so many minors, and we know them by number and court title, I found it simplest to draw a little symbol of the suit itself (a pair of crossed wands, a simple cup, a simple sword, and a pentacle) next to the pip number, or an abbreviation of the court title. "P" for Page, "Kn" for Knight, "Ki" for king, and "Q" for Queen. It seemed too much to memorize custom symbols for each minor card.

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Shaz link
3/28/2017 09:36:39 pm

This is awesome and yes...so badass! Thanks! Will build on the idea a bit more to personalize

Reply
Evvie
3/31/2017 08:59:27 am

Thanks Shaz! That's great. Have fun personalizing!

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QA link
8/18/2017 01:27:15 pm

this is awesome! I was trying to come up with symbols and might borrow some from you, I really like what you've done :)

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Evvie
8/18/2017 05:19:25 pm

Thanks, QA! Glad to hear you like them. Cheers!

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Gaia link
9/19/2017 08:57:36 pm

Thank you, very helpful!

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Kristina
4/30/2018 06:14:10 pm

I really love this! Its going to save me a lot of time, and space in my journal! Thank you for sharing this strategy with everyone.

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Evvie
5/1/2018 05:05:42 am

Thanks Kristina! That's great to hear! <3

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Amanda
2/28/2020 04:03:26 pm

Hi! Did you end up making your updated version? This is great! Just curious to see what you might have changed. :)

Reply
Evvie
2/29/2020 08:23:11 am

Hi Amanda, thanks for asking! I did and I'll be releasing them soon through the Interrobang Tarot Deck and guidebook. They've basically grown into a book that I'm still finishing up, so stay tuned! I've has so much trouble with people copying the first chart without citing credit that I am leaning against blogging the revised version now, but there will be an affordable ebook version that explains them in full detail!

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Alexandra link
4/17/2020 09:30:31 pm

it's a great job! Thank you for your dedication, for the hours you have dedicated and showing it to all of us. you are really incredible. Thank you, from the heart, thank you 🌹

Reply
Evvie
4/18/2020 12:04:31 pm

Hi Alexandra,

Thank you for your kind and encouraging words! Glad to hear you're enjoying the blog. Be well!

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Josie
5/28/2020 04:20:29 am

I absolutely love this I’ve been looking for cute symbols cuz I want to make a cute simple deck for personal use thank you for the inspiration when I figure out how I’m going to do it I’ll definitely have to show you

Reply
Evvie
6/1/2020 04:04:14 am

Hey that's great! So long as it's just for you, rock on and have fun! I'll enjoy seeing what you do. :) If you're looking for a printed one down the line, I have an official poker-size deck with the 2.0 version of these symbols coming out as soon as I get the guidebook done! Cheers!

Reply
Kody Lawson link
11/22/2020 06:28:51 pm

Greeat reading your post

Reply



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    Author

    My name is Evvie Marin. I'm an artist,  writer, and ever-loving sucker for the woo arts, especially  tarot. I have a B.A. in fine art and theatre and I've been reading tarot cards for about nineteen years.

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Unless otherwise credited, all works on this site are by multimedia artist Evvie Marin (they/them/she/her). Check out my sibling site, www.evviemarin.com, for interdisciplinary art inspired by folklore, natural history, and subconscious fantasy. Join me on Patreon to support my work and receive rad, exclusive content! © 2023 Evvie Marin. All Rights Reserved.​