What I Really Want
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What I Really Want
Hemlock Lane Design’s *What I Really Want* journal offers a practical framework for interrogating the self, particularly when Tarot or Oracle readings feel muddled. The journal’s strength lies in its directness; it eschews verbose spiritual platitudes for six precisely honed questions intended to cut through indecision. For instance, the prompt structure encourages users to identify "fears that are in your way," a concept often glossed over in casual readings. However, the journal’s utility is entirely contingent on the user’s existing familiarity with divination; it provides the questions but not the interpretative skills. A significant limitation is its brevity; the prompts, while well-conceived, might feel insufficient for deeply complex personal issues without supplementary journaling. The work is essentially a scaffolding for introspection, not a complete edifice. Ultimately, *What I Really Want* is a functional tool for refining divinatory inquiry, best suited for those already conversant with Tarot and Oracle cards.
📝 Description
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Published in December 2019, 'What I Really Want' is a guided journal for Tarot and Oracle users.
This journal, created by Hemlock Lane Design, is a tool for self-inquiry focused on divination practices. It contains six structured questions designed to be used alongside Tarot or Oracle card readings. The aim is to help users uncover their underlying motivations and any obstacles that cloud their understanding of their desires when they feel uncertain.
The journal is for divination practitioners who are at a point of indecision. It assists those who struggle to name their deepest needs or identify the fears that hinder their personal growth. This guide is for individuals who have experience with Tarot or Oracle systems and want a more organized method for self-exploration. It is especially useful for those who understand that the way a question is phrased directly impacts the clarity of the answers received from a reading.
Emerging in late 2019, 'What I Really Want' arrives in a period of widespread digital journaling and self-help resources. While divinatory tools like Tarot have ancient roots, this journal offers a modern, specific application of these practices. It connects with a current interest in introspection and personal development, often supported by structured questions. It differs from older esoteric books that might present broad philosophical ideas, instead acting as a direct tool for self-analysis, reflecting a shift toward practical spiritual engagement.
💡 Why Read This Book?
• Gain clarity on personal desires by using the journal's six structured prompts, specifically designed to uncover "real reasons" behind your choices. • Identify specific "fears that are in your way" through focused inquiry, a concept central to the journal's approach to self-discovery. • Enhance your Tarot or Oracle card readings by learning to ask more precise questions, a skill honed by the journal's practical, question-based methodology.
⭐ Reader Reviews
Honest opinions from readers who have explored this book.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary purpose of the 'What I Really Want' journal?
The journal's primary purpose is to guide users in asking more effective questions when using Tarot or Oracle cards, helping them uncover their true motivations and underlying fears.
How does this journal differ from a standard blank journal?
Unlike a standard journal, 'What I Really Want' provides six specific, pre-written questions designed to structure inquiries during divination readings, focusing on desires and obstacles.
Who is the intended audience for this journal?
The journal is intended for individuals who use Tarot or Oracle cards for self-exploration and are seeking a method to gain clearer answers about their desires and fears.
When was 'What I Really Want' first published?
The journal 'What I Really Want' was first published on December 4, 2019.
What is the core benefit of using the six questions in this journal?
The core benefit is achieving greater self-awareness by identifying "real reasons" and "fears that are in your way," leading to more insightful divinatory readings.
Does this journal teach how to read Tarot or Oracle cards?
No, the journal assumes the user already has some familiarity with Tarot or Oracle cards and focuses on refining the questioning aspect of the reading process.
🔮 Key Themes & Symbolism
Targeted Divinatory Inquiry
The central theme revolves around the principle that the quality of questions directly dictates the clarity of answers received from divinatory tools like Tarot and Oracle cards. The journal posits that vague or poorly formulated questions lead to ambiguous insights. By providing six specific prompts, it aims to guide users toward asking questions that penetrate superficial concerns and address core motivations, thereby facilitating a deeper understanding of their "real reasons" and the "fears that are in your way."
Self-Awareness Through Structured Reflection
This work emphasizes structured self-reflection as a pathway to enhanced self-awareness. It moves beyond passive introspection by offering a concrete framework for examining personal desires and anxieties. The journal acts as a catalyst, prompting users to confront and articulate internal conflicts. This process is designed to bring subconscious blockages, such as fears, into conscious recognition, enabling users to address them more effectively.
Bridging Intention and Insight
A core theme is the intentional use of divination to bridge the gap between a person's conscious desires and their subconscious drivers. The journal encourages users to approach their readings with a clear intention to understand conflicting impulses. It highlights how the combination of user intention, the symbolic language of Tarot/Oracle cards, and the journal's guiding questions can create a powerful synergy for uncovering hidden truths about oneself.
Navigating Internal Conflict
The journal specifically addresses situations where an individual feels "torn in different directions." It provides a methodology for dissecting these internal conflicts by prompting users to explore the underlying desires and fears associated with each conflicting path. This systematic approach aims to clarify the source of indecision and empower the user to make more informed choices by understanding the roots of their ambivalence.
💬 Memorable Quotes
Direct passages from the work, attributed to the author.
“we don't always know the right questions to ask to get the answers we are looking for.”
— This statement highlights a common challenge in divination and self-help: the assumption that asking any question will yield useful results. It underscores the journal's premise that formulating precise questions is crucial for obtaining meaningful and actionable insights.
“This journal is designed with 6 crucial questions to ask with your Tarot / Oracle cards when you are torn in different directions.”
— This directly explains the journal's function, emphasizing its practical application for specific scenarios of internal conflict and its integration with divination practices.
“It's design is to help you see your real reasons and your fears that are in your way.”
— This concisely states the journal's intended outcome: to reveal underlying motivations ('real reasons') and obstacles ('fears') that may be hindering personal progress or clarity.
“This question journal gives the 6 prompts for each situation that comes up for you to investigate furt”
— This implies the journal offers a structured, repeatable method for exploring various personal dilemmas, suggesting a systematic approach to self-discovery through guided questioning.
“when you are torn in different directions”
— This phrase captures the specific psychological state the journal aims to address – a state of indecision or conflicting desires that requires deeper exploration to resolve.
🌙 Esoteric Significance
Tradition
This work aligns broadly with the Western Esoteric tradition, particularly its modern manifestations focused on practical application of psychological and divinatory tools for self-understanding. It doesn't strictly adhere to a single lineage like Hermeticism or Kabbalah but draws from the general principle found across many esoteric paths: that self-knowledge is paramount and can be accessed through focused inquiry and symbolic systems like Tarot. It represents a secularized, accessible entry point into introspective practices previously confined to more specialized schools.
Symbolism
While the journal itself doesn't look at complex esoteric symbolism in its text, its primary tool, the Tarot/Oracle, is steeped in it. The 'six crucial questions' implicitly engage with the archetypal journey often represented in Tarot spreads, prompting reflection on the 'real reasons' (inner motivations) and 'fears' (shadow aspects or obstacles). These concepts echo the alchemical process of separation and purification, aiming to distill truth from confusion, much like separating the gold (truth) from the dross (fear and illusion).
Modern Relevance
Contemporary practitioners of modern witchcraft, intuitive development, and self-coaching often utilize structured journaling alongside divination. *What I Really Want* appeals to this trend, offering a tool that enhances the efficacy of readings for individuals seeking practical guidance. It complements modern psychological approaches that emphasize self-reflection and identifying cognitive biases or emotional blocks, making its principles relevant to a wide audience interested in personal growth.
👥 Who Should Read This Book
• Tarot and Oracle card enthusiasts seeking to deepen their practice by moving beyond simple readings to structured self-inquiry. • Individuals experiencing internal conflict or indecision who want a practical tool to clarify their motivations and identify underlying fears. • Beginners in divination who wish to learn the importance of precise questioning and desire a guided method to start their journey.
📜 Historical Context
Published in December 2019, *What I Really Want* emerged during a period of heightened interest in accessible self-help and personal development tools, particularly those leveraging digital or structured formats. While the use of divination for self-inquiry dates back centuries, this journal represents a modern, pragmatic approach. It arrives in the wake of movements like the New Age spiritualism of the late 20th century, which popularized practices like Tarot reading for personal insight, moving them from more esoteric circles into mainstream consciousness. Unlike academic occult studies or dense philosophical treatises on the psyche, Hemlock Lane Design's work offers a direct, actionable tool. Its publication predates the significant increase in online spiritual communities and remote learning spurred by the 2020 pandemic, yet it taps into the growing desire for introspective practices that could be engaged with independently, reflecting a cultural shift towards personalized spiritual and psychological exploration.
📔 Journal Prompts
Your "real reasons" for pursuing this path, as revealed by your cards.
The "fears that are in your way" regarding this decision.
The hidden desires underlying your current dilemma.
The potential outcomes of following each direction you are torn between.
What support systems or inner resources can help overcome your fears?
🗂️ Glossary
Tarot / Oracle cards
Systems of divination using decks of cards, each featuring symbolic imagery. Tarot typically has 78 cards (Major and Minor Arcana), while Oracle decks vary widely in size and theme, often focusing on specific spiritual or psychological concepts.
Real reasons
The fundamental, often subconscious, motivations or desires that drive a person's choices and actions, distinct from superficial justifications or societal expectations.
Fears that are in your way
Internal obstacles, anxieties, or limiting beliefs that prevent an individual from achieving their goals or making clear decisions, often operating at a subconscious level.
Divination
The practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means. In this context, it refers to using tools like Tarot or Oracle cards for self-understanding and guidance.
Question journal
A type of journal specifically designed with prompts or questions to guide the user's reflection and inquiry, as opposed to a blank notebook for freeform writing.
Torn in different directions
A state of indecision or internal conflict where an individual is faced with multiple choices or desires that seem mutually exclusive or equally compelling.
Prompts
Specific questions or statements designed to stimulate thought, reflection, or creative output. In this journal, they guide the user's inquiry during divination readings.
This book appears in 1 collection
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