Tens represent the culmination of the energy of each suit, and the Ten of Swords is the associated with the intellect, and with air. In Lisa Sterle’s illustration, the black background is abyssal, cosmic, but the human figure lies comfortably on rocky ground, the mineral creep of her stone-grey hair blending with the terrain. The streak of pink in the sky, a symbol of the breaking dawn, echoes her clothes: there is a symbiosis between her body and the landscape. Her face is impassive as she withstands piercing blows that have already passed. This card is about processing trauma and finding a way through. We can also see how her body craves rest, but her mind is still active as she scrolls through her phone.

Of all the court cards, the page is the youngest and has the most raw and childlike relationship with their suit. Cups are the symbol of emotion, and the Page of Cups has an unfiltered relationship with their intuition. In this illustration, the Page of Cups stands on solid ground, with the choppy sea behind them, they have laced-up trainers, but instead of running they stand in an elegant, balletic pose. They are holding a pink chalice, from which a fish emerges. The Page of Cups looks at the fish with curiosity, not fear or discomfort, and accepts the surprise without judgment. This card asks us to consider where in our lives we feel like a fish out of water, or where we might recieve an unexpected visitor from the deep.

Casting a spell is a combination of ritual and will. The ritual supports the magic, and that is why it is necessary to use specific herbs, objects, incantations, tools, and so on. But without the concentrated force of will, the spell will be hollow and ineffective.

A sigil is a powerful symbolic representation of your magical will. Traditionally, a sigil might be a pictorial symbol, a runic image, or a shape. A sigil can be anything that clearly signals your intention to your unconscious that you are performing a powerful, magical act.

Intuition and divination are key to practical magic. The individual magician’s intuition will dictate the results of their magic, even if they follow precisely the same rituals as someone else.

Witchy writers know that this is true for their writing, too. They are open to channelling cosmic messaging, and they never look to others’ external results to dictate their own work.

Writing is an act of devotion, the same as any other magical practice.

The work of writing is as integral to their lives as any other form of ritual, ceremony, or prayer, and their devotion produces magical results in their writing.