Ink For Tarot Notebook

[BradGad]

Hello all... so here's an oddball one for you...

 

I'm interested in tarot. I had dipped into tarot before, but it just didn't "stick". This time it seems to be sticking nicely, and I feel I am learning a great deal about myself (I use the deck as a tool for self-discovery... I've never really had any interest in tarot as divination, and -- at this point at least -- don't feel comfortable doing readings for others).

 

I'm about to start making a tarot notebook: a long-term tool I'll use to record meanings and insights for each card, both those that are shared (i.e. discussed in books about tarot, etc.), and personal ones that develop as I work with the cards. I'm going to be using a Seven Seas Standard notebook, which should give me plenty of room: the last time I tried to get started with tarot, I used a Moleskine and quickly ran out of room.

 

I'm not quite ready to start the notebook, but one thing I'm pondering at this point is what ink to use for the main body text.

 

So, I'll just toss this out there, to see if anyone has suggestions that click with me. What's an ink that, for you, would be suitable for this project? An ink that, besides just being good ink, might have an affinity or fitness for tarot?

 

One big limitation I'm working around: I keep my journal in a Seven Seas Writer, and I find most inks smear rather badly on that Tomoe River paper when I handle the journal, even when they've dried for more than a day. So, I really need an ink that won't do this. The one's I've found so far that meet this criterion are the three basic Pilot/Namiki inks, Blue, Black, and Blue black, Iroshizuku take-sumi, and Noodler's Hunter Green. J. Herbin Perle Noire is border-line acceptable. I imagine it will be the same on the white TR paper in the Seven Seas Standard. I will need to handle this notebook a lot.

 

If I just have to -- if I hit on the perfect ink but it doesn't like TR paper -- I would consider switching to a different notebook and using this Seven Seas for something else.

 

Perhaps something like this, if I could find it with unruled pages:

https://www.amazon.com/Miquelrius-Bound-Journal-Black-SHEETS/dp/B011SC3ATG/ref=s9_simh_gw_g229_i1_r?_encoding=UTF8&fpl=fresh&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=&pf_rd_r=G1K5TR1JRRFMF76CDKCW&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=1cded295-23b4-40b1-8da6-7c1c9eb81d33&pf_rd_i=desktop

 

Thanks!

 

Edited March 21, 2017 by BradGad

[amberleadavis]

Noodler's KTC.

Noodler's Proctor's Ledge (1. If you can get it and 2. If you don't think it would draw the bad stuff).

Or Another Noodler's ink, but add Ghost Blue.

[PaganArcher]

I use Tsuki-yo and Syo-ro for my notebooks on Runes. I've also been testing Platinum carbon black, but I find that Tsuki-yo is my ideal ink. I haven't had smearing issues, and I find the dark blue to be somber enough to keep my mind focused on the content, without the feeling of strict formality that black brings.

[BradGad]

Noodler's KTC.

Noodler's Proctor's Ledge (1. If you can get it and 2. If you don't think it would draw the bad stuff).

Or Another Noodler's ink, but add Ghost Blue.

 

Ha! Blue Ghost! I should have thought of that. I have that.

Edited March 20, 2017 by BradGad

[BradGad]

I use Tsuki-yo and Syo-ro for my notebooks on Runes. I've also been testing Platinum carbon black, but I find that Tsuki-yo is my ideal ink. I haven't had smearing issues, and I find the dark blue to be somber enough to keep my mind focused on the content, without the feeling of strict formality that black brings.

 

 

Tsuki-yo has been on my short list to try for a while... I love the look of it. Thing is, plain ol' Pilot Blue Black is my go-to ink. I have a 70 ml and 350 ml bottle and use it all the time. I thought tsuki-yo might be too close to my beloved PBB.

 

Syo-ro looks interesting. It reminds me of Sailor Jentle Yama-dori, which as of yesterday got on the short list for next inks to try.

[PaganArcher]

 

 

Tsuki-yo has been on my short list to try for a while... I love the look of it. Thing is, plain ol' Pilot Blue Black is my go-to ink. I have a 70 ml and 350 ml bottle and use it all the time. I thought tsuki-yo might be too close to my beloved PBB.

 

Syo-ro looks interesting. It reminds me of Sailor Jentle Yama-dori, which as of yesterday got on the short list for next inks to try.

I'd have a hard time calling Tsuki-yo a blue black. A blue grey, maybe. To my eyes at least, it's the color of a well worn pair of denim jeans.

 

Also, I think the link in your first post is broken.

[JayHomeBody]

You could always buy a pack of blotting sheets. Not the strips, the full sheets. Take one sheet and stick it in your tarot bos, almost like a bookmark. So when you close the book or flip a page, the wet ink gets on the blotting paper instead of smearing. It's what I do in my bos, my tarot bos, my actual journal, etc.

[BradGad]

You could always buy a pack of blotting sheets. Not the strips, the full sheets. Take one sheet and stick it in your tarot bos, almost like a bookmark. So when you close the book or flip a page, the wet ink gets on the blotting paper instead of smearing. It's what I do in my bos, my tarot bos, my actual journal, etc.

Hi Adriel... I do use blotting paper. The Seven Seas notebooks come with a sheet, in fact. But, I'm talking about when I handle a dry page two or three days later.

Edited March 21, 2017 by BradGad

[BradGad]

Also, I think the link in your first post is broken.

Link fixed

[Ghost Plane]

What deck are you using, the classic Ryder or something else? If it's the Ryder, consider matching ink colors to the cards - High Priestess blue or Queen of Swords gray or red.

[Flaxmoore]

What deck are you using, the classic Ryder or something else? If it's the Ryder, consider matching ink colors to the cards - High Priestess blue or Queen of Swords gray or red.

Great call! I use the R-W-S deck, and in my journey through the 78, I matched suits to colors as well as the arcana. Swords was 54th Mass., Cups Skrip Blue, Wands Diamine Sherwood Green, Coins Tuski-yo. Arcana were whatever seemed to fit. Strength was a deep red from Tekker, Death, Heart of Darkness, The Magician, Habañero.

 

I need another run through. Need to recenter myself.

[BradGad]

Interesting idea Ghost... I have the classic Ryder but right now I'm finding Robin Wood's deck speaks to me a lot more. Thought about picking up the Centennial edition of the Ryder the other day.

[JayHomeBody]

Interesting idea Ghost... I have the classic Ryder but right now I'm finding Robin Wood's deck speaks to me a lot more. Thought about picking up the Centennial edition of the Ryder the other day.

I have the Robin Wood deck, it was my very first deck. I got it when i turned 16. And coincidentally, it's my only deck now. Bad house fire ruined my other decks, but thank goodness I had that deck with me at the time of the fire.

[PaganArcher]

I have the Robin Wood deck, it was my very first deck. I got it when i turned 16. And coincidentally, it's my only deck now. Bad house fire ruined my other decks, but thank goodness I had that deck with me at the time of the fire.

Sorry to hear about losing your decks. I lost my cherished Rune set some years ago to flames, though mine were thrown in a fire by a so called friend. Suffice to say that we've never spoken again.

[BradGad]

Noodler's KTC.Noodler's Proctor's Ledge (1. If you can get it and 2. If you don't think it would draw the bad stuff).Or Another Noodler's ink, but add Ghost Blue.

I've found myself rather intrigued by Proctor's Ledge. I don't have a brown ink... this looks like it could be really good or really awful. They have it in stock at goldspot.com, so I'm trying it.

 

The witch connection is fortuitous, interesting, but I'm thinking that if I can find a pen that doesn't make this look too black it might be just right for my tarot journal. Use other colors for annotations and such to bring some life to the page, and this for the main body text.

[_R_]

I don’t have any suggestions re: quick-drying ink, but one thing you may want to consider before starting to write up a bunch of notes is colour-coding based on citation.

For example, if you intend to include quotes and DMs or definitions and so on from various books and authors, then it could be an idea to use the same ink consistently for one particular book or author you quote from, and then write the details on the last page for reference.

I did this some years back and it’s been a great help. (Instead of having to figure out what came from where and was written by who, or writing academic style referencing…)

Plus it’s always a great excuse to be able to use all manner of weird and wonderful inks!

[BradGad]

 

Plus it’s always a great excuse to be able to use all manner of weird and wonderful inks!

*Always* a good thing... right now I only have established uses for four different inks!

[_R_]

Not to fret, that will all change soon enough, I'd say!

 

I too only use a relatively small amount of bottled inks in rather conservative shades: Blue, Black, Blue-Black, Purple and Red, by Diamine, Herbin, Pelikan. Throw in a couple of bottles of Herbin's more unusual offerings (1670 Red; Poussiere de Lune) and that's about it.

 

The rest are usually those handy J. Herbin tins with 5 or 6 cartridges - great for testing out inks I wouldn't otherwise have much use for.

 

And I also use different pens and nibs and writing hands for the different entries - everything from F-BB and all manner of italics. It makes writing and reading the notebooks all the more pleasant.

[Inkantadora]

What deck are you using, the classic Ryder or something else? If it's the Ryder, consider matching ink colors to the cards - High Priestess blue or Queen of Swords gray or red.

You beat me to it.

 

Since the age of 13, I was very much into Tarot to understand myself better and also understand the relationship society and people around me had to the unknown. Though I do not use them regularly, I still do readings sometimes and I had the luxury to learn from elders who have been using tarot cards for various uses in South America and in Europe.

 

You can use colors in three ways:

 

A. Intuitively to accompany your introspection. Choosing a color that feels right to you is a means to affirm yourself without external influence. In this case, it can be a color for the whole journal or a color per mood/subject, etc.

 

B. You can use colors in coherence with the long tradition that is tarot since the Middle Ages.

In this case:

Major Arcana / a rich strong color/ Purple or Brown or Black/ Something Neutral charged with Intensity (could also be a dark red).

Minor Arcana: Dark cool color such as a dark blue or Gerry for Swords (represents the executive warrior branch of power), Orange, Brick or fire reddish color for Wands (represents fire / peasants / common folk), Gold or brownsish earthy colors for coins (represents merchants and business), and for cups a turquoise/lilac/ bright green or other water inspired color (Robert Oster Turquoy or Noodler's Navajo Turquoise always comes to mind to represent Hearts / Spirituality).

 

C] Each tradition adds another layer of meaning to colors which may be interesting to perceive. In many cultures in South America, you would avoid Black or red for this exercise and favor calmer blues or greens. In Asia, Golden colors may be favored... up to you.

 

Let us know what you chose. Sounds like a good project you are planning there!

[Noihvo]