Book of Intuitions - What It Is, How To Create One, And Divination Tips

Last Updated: September 24, 2022

A book of intuitions is simply a planner or journal in which you write down your divination rituals and findings. It can be used as a way to keep track of your progress, record repeating patterns or symbols, as well as to store helpful tips and tricks that you may come across while divining.

It can also be used as a personal journal that is used to record your thoughts, feelings, and ideas about intuition. In this blog post, we will discuss how to create your own book of intuitions, as well as some tips for conducting successful divination rituals.

How is it different to a Book of Shadows or a Grimoire?

A Book of Shadows is like a book of your progress as a witch with your magick. It typically hosts a large range of themes or topics, such as herbalism, the elements, spells you want to try, spells you have tried, magickal properties you just discover as you are just figuring it all out. You may notice that at the beginning of a book of shadows there’s a large range of topics, but then towards the end, it gets very niche as your interests, your passions and your magick all combine further. A Book of Shadows is a place to explore, grow, test and try.

A Grimoire, on the other hand, is a Book of Shadows that has been passed down for generations in your family or something to that mind – it is the universally accepted truth to your magick according to your style of practice. I’m of the mentality that a book of shadows was around before modern neopaganism, and before Wicca as a religion. Remedies, recipes, charms and spells have been passed down by word of mouth for as long as people can talk, and I truly believe that there have been notes and amendments along the way.

These notes gathered would be a Grimoire. If you are completely new to witchcraft then this may be a set list of properties and correspondences that never change. You may be the first witch you know, so it’s a wonderful thing to create your own Grimoire. This book would usually contain spells and magickal practices that have been tried and tested by yourself or many people over a long period of time, but it would also be with your unique spin and additions too.

Colour correspondences you’ve updated, new Constellations that have been discovered, and Mythological notes for deities that are updated with a feminist modern kiss. The book would be more like an encyclopedia of magick, and would be used as a reference book rather than a book to grow in. You’d find lists of magickal properties, of Sabbats & holidays, etc

So a Book of Intuitions is more like a Book of Shadows in the sense that it is something you create and add to over time as your practice progresses, a workbook versus a textbook, but it is specifically for your divination practice. Much more than just tarot readings, it’s the repeating patterns and signs that you see or recurring symbolism that comes into your daily life.

It can come through dreams (oneiromancy), tarot (cartomancy), astrology (like when travel is completely disrupted for you? And you check the date, and it’s a very literal Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius) or numerology (all these 11:11am’s & £11.11’s gotta mean something).

TLDR; A Book of Shadows is a workbook of your magickal progress through spellwork and your practice. A Grimoire shapes up to be a magickal textbook or reference book to come back to. A Book of Intuitions is a workbook record of your intuitive readings and findings. All of these can be secular, they do not have to be Wiccan or religious, and they are completely personal to you and your journey.

How to create a Book of Intuitions

What goes into a Book of Intuitions will be distinctly individual and special to you. You may have a preference for using pendulums for readings or crystals for a lithomancy reading. Where you keep it is also a personal preference. There are so many beautiful journals out there you can buy, but you can also just use a plain notebook, and craft it up with washi etc if you like!

My ultimate hack for a Book of Intuitions (and for any books in my codex; Book of Shadows, Grimoire, Herbiary etc) is to have a secret board online. Since we spend about 60% of our day online anyway, you’ll come across a lot of your daily stuff there too.

Screenshot and pin to boards on Pinterest any “free tarot pulls in my stories”, any specific websites that have fantastic symbolism research, any apps or resources that support divination learning (like this page!) or any information regarding what’s happening for you astrologically.

Here’s a list of suggested content for you to try, play with, and enjoy.

Tarot readings (yourself or from others)
Tarot meanings and symbolism
Dream symbolism
Animal correspondences (for the sudden appearance of peculiar moments, like multiple crows or a deer walking by.. what they mean, what is going on in your life right now, where you need guidance etc)
Pendulum readings
Crystal readings (lithomancy)
Cleromancy reading results (casting of lots or a collection of charms cast)
Astrological events that also are having a key effect on your day to day
Astral travel, meditation or visualisation imagery symbolism
Numerology (lucky numbers, number sequences you see often)
Angel card readings (or any other oracle deck!)
I Ching readings and results
Dice or bone readings and results (astragalomancy)
Rune readings, meanings and results
Tea leaf readings in your cup
Scrying results with a black mirror, crystal ball, water bowl or flame
Smoke scrying, smoke symbolism (capnomancy) or using incense as part of the divination ritual process (libanomancy)

There are so many different divination methods out there that this list isn’t exhaustive (and you just know I’m writing a big chunky book about them if you’re looking for more inspiration!).

You probably wouldn’t be surprised to hear I have a Book of Moons, which works specifically with the Moon phases. Other elements of Astrology I have a book for too, which goes into a sort of Lunar, Stars & Space section of my Grimoire (such as key themes for retrogrades or constellations or planetary correspondences), but anything that I feel that massively affects me more so than the standard stuff.. it goes into the Book of Intuitions! Astrology is still a massive part of divination.

Divination tips for your Book of Intuitions

Divination is clearly my bread and butter, and my one true love with magick. Having a Book of Intuitions is almost like self-care, as it deepens my relationship with my own magickal instincts and helps flex that magickal muscle. I’ve written about how to start a divination practice before, but here are some things you can do with your book once you’ve started collecting readings, and symbols.

Go through your book every few months or so, and re-read everything. You’ll be surprised at how much has changed for you in such a short time!
Cleanse yourself, your space and your day when you’re cleansing your Book of Intuitions. You’d be surprised what we can carry over! Incense, sound and fresh air are lovely ways to do so.
Keep track of any patterns you see. Are there any tarot cards that keep popping up? Any numbers? Colors? Animals?
Use your book as a reference for any new decks or new divination methods you try out. What did you think of the reading? Was it accurate? What did you like/dislike about it? How does it compare to other readings?
Set up a little altar dedicated to your book or a specific dedication space/storage box, with any crystals, candles or other tools that help you to connect with your intuition. I keep selenite with my own!
Write down any big life changes in your book, as these will be key moments to look back on. See at a later date when you have the energy if something indicated the change in your own readings beforehand.
Chat with other witches or even your friends about the symbolism (if you’re in the broom closet, you’ll be able to discuss it as if it’s dream symbolism.. “I keep having these dreams about …. what do you think it means?”) as different folks have different experiences and different perspectives. It’s great if you are feeling stuck or not able to articulate whatever is going on for you!

I absolutely loved sharing with you about a Book of Intuitions. I may in the future even share some of the other books in my codex! Let me know what you would add to your Book of Intuitions by joining me over on socials, I’d love to hear from you!

Until next time xox