Hi all! Although I originally wasn't planning on reading a witchcraft related book together immediately, and instead had plans for some non-fiction reads (which we will still get to), I just started reading Ancestral Tarot and it is a perfect book for discussion.

A practical, hands-on guide for using tarot to connect with your ancestors and gain access to their insights for healing, self-protection, and personal powers.

With a tarot deck in hand, readers will learn how to identify and access ancestral gifts, messages, powers, protectors, and healers.

Tarot expert Nancy Hendrickson guides readers through the basics of finding recent ancestors, and navigating the confusing maze of DNA and ethnic heritage. As a longtime tarot enthusiast, she shows readers how to incorporate a metaphysical tool into a world of tradition.

Ancestral Tarot spreads are included in relevant chapters. Each chapter includes three journal prompts that lead readers into self-discovery around ancestral gifts, wounds, and patterns they may have inherited. The better we know our ancestors, the better we know ourselves.

I've already read the first few chapters and there are a number of spreads that aren't overly complicated. I'd love to hear what others' experiences are with it. The readalong schedule will coincide with the seasons, as that is how my life is operating these days, but you can read at your own pace, with the seasonal outlines being a guide or deadline if that helps keep you on track.

Now through March 20: through Chapter 2

March 21 - May 1st: through Chapter 4

May 2 - June 21: Chapter 5

June 22 - August 1: Chapter 6

August 2 - September 22: Chapter 7

September 23 - October 31: Chapter 8 & 9

November 1st - December 21: Chapter 9 & 10

December 21 - February 1: through the end

There will be a discussion channel in Discord so join there if you haven't already and would like to discuss as you read. I will also be making posts about my own experiences as I read.

There is a bit in the book about choosing which ancestors to work with first, so some chapters may be read only for information vs completing exercises, so with that in mind, we may finish the book sooner than this above timeline depending on how people work through it.

Looking forward to discussing this one with you!

Hey all - I am no expert in the Chinese zodiac and do not claim to be. I have been seeing a lot of talk on this year's transition between the zodiacs, as the themes of 2025 into 2026 have resonated for a lot of people. There are a ton of resources out there on the Chinese zodiac that I recommend you look into if you'd like more information. But for today, I wanted to share the discussion that happened at my local witchy space on the new moon in discussing this transition, and the tarot reading I pulled that night, as it may resonate with a lot of you.

My very broad and basic understanding of the themes of the last year into this year has been that 2025 was the Year of the Snake, specifically the wood snake. The Chinese lunar year was from January 29, 2025 to Feb 16, 2026. The themes of the snake are about introspection, transformation, and rebirth - think shedding skin! Wood is an Earth element, so it brought extra grounded energy to these transformations but could have also left some people feeling more stuck. Tangentially, I was born in a Snake year, so even though 2025 was A LOT, I feel I managed the transitions and the shedding that was happening in my life pretty well. But moving out of the snake year into a horse year is definitely rejuvenating. A Year of the Horse following a Year of the Snake is great, as we are taking all of that introspection and turning it into action. Horses are about movement, adventure, and momentum. And because it is a Fire Horse this year, it adds even more energy to this year. We discussed in circle that you can't control fire - it is going to go where it wants to go. So this year is about taking the lessons of 2025, the things we shed, that wood that we shed, and burning the wood and the lessons to create momentum and forward movement.

During our meeting on the new moon, we were asked to journal about the following questions and I felt called to pull a card for them. Here is the message I received:

What is the transition from Wood Snake to Fire Horse about?

Eight of Swords - feeling stuck in a trap possibly of your own making. In many Eight of Swords art, there is a loose blindfold on the figure that can easily be removed. The message I received here was this transition is about releasing self-imposed limitations.

How can we move into Fire Horse energy?

Judgement & Queen of Pentacles

Judgement is about self-reflection, awakening, and renewal while Queen of Pentacles is about comforting, luxurious, and nurturing energy. The message here was to apply those lessons from the Wood Snake year in order to experience a rebirth. Reflect on what isn't working and what needs to be left behind, and then do that. Doing so will lead to the comfort that the Queen of Pentacles brings.

I hope you are responding well to the energy that this new year is bringing. Let me know if this reading resonated with you or if you've been having any thoughts about this transition.

xo Sam

Hi all! Our poll for this year's readalong came up as a tie (once the votes from Bindery and Patreon were combined) so we need to do a tie breaker round!

Hello friends! I hope the beginning of your year is going better than mine - I have now been sick back to back for the majority of January. Just one week of not being sick before I got sick again. So I am over here struggling and not feeling very refreshed and ready for the newness that Imbolc brings (for the northern hemisphere - southern hemisphere, don't worry, we'll talk shortly!)

In case you missed it, go check out my earlier post about how this year's reading challenge is going to go.

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE: IMBOLC

For this season, starting February 1st, in the northern hemisphere we have Imbolc (which also goes by a number of other names and celebrations but for the sake of brevity, let's not get lost in the weeds). This is the very very beginning of Spring. At Yule, we celebrated the very start of the light coming back and the days getting longer. Now, we are really starting to feel it if we are paying attention. I know I am - I count down to the day when the clock jumps forward again and the days are longer! Depending on where you are in the world, the very first of the plant life may be coming back as well. Here in Chicago, there is a layer of snow on the ground and there will be for a few months to come, but some of you may be seeing early season plants like snowdrops. During this season is usually when I start to see crocuses, one of my favorite flowers, start to emerge and then I really know spring is coming.

For this season, extending from February 1st until the Spring Equinox, the focus is not quite yet on the rebirth (which comes at the equinox) but rather the slow and gentle building of light. We are still focusing on the hearth and home, and feeling cozy. There is lots of imagery around this time of the womb or seeds. Think of this time as nursing and growing the potential for the rest of the year.

Reading wise, for both fiction and non-fiction (often these prompts will be different each season but this is so similar), I prompt you to read something foundational. Something that was the origin or inspiration for many other things. For fiction, maybe turn to some classics that inspired your favorites. Or if you love mythology retellings, now is a time to go back and read the original myths. For non-fiction, read a formative work in the subject you are interested in. I'd still recommend it be something recent enough that it hasn't been completely debunked. I don't recommend going back to read Freud if you are studying psychology for example, but maybe Carl Jung instead!

Outside of reading, the focus is still staying cozy at home. Continue to envelope yourself in the things that nurture and ground you. But start to think of those seeds you want to plant for the spring and beyond, and if there's anything small you can do now to light the candle of inspiration.

As mentioned, I've been sick so I have not been able to give this my full attention, but I have done a few things to set myself up for the spring. I contacted my local community garden and asked to be put on the waiting list to have a plot this year, as I'd like to grow some medicinal herbs and maybe a few veggies. I also have been slowly planning a few business changes for my full time job that will launch likely in March.

I'd love to hear either here in the comments or on Discord what you are planting this season.

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE: LAMMAS

For my southern hemisphere friends, you are entering the season of Lammas, which is the beginning of the harvest season. The summer and long days are winding down. Lammas is traditionally a wheat festival - all the breads! It is also associated with the Celtic sun god Lugh, who is a god of games. He is a god that dies and is reborn in the spring, so we see the connections to things slowly starting to wind down.

For this season's reading, I recommend fiction books that have to do with some kind of tournament or game to symbolize Lugh. There are books aplenty with this theme! The games can be seen as a celebration of vitality before we really have to start turning more inward in the coming seasons. For non-fiction reading, I recommend something about baking, bread, or harvesting in general. It doesn't have to be how to's on any of that; you can get creative. The history of bread, studies of the fungus in bread that may have caused more hysteria with the witch trials, there's even some history around the French revolution involving bread!

In daily life, the focus is on absorbing the last of the light before we really start getting into full harvest season. Enjoy the last remains of summer. Stay outside and soak up the sun if you can. Bake bread with friends. Make the first of your plans for how you are going to hunker down for winter.

I'd love to hear either here in the comments or on Discord how you are celebrating the start of the harvest season.

Next prompt will be released on the Equinox! Enjoy the season :)