Snakes, flames, and wings of change – the signs that growth is underway

Transformation is at the heart of every spiritual path — and every good reading.
Whether we’re shedding, blossoming, rising, or releasing, we’re constantly moving through cycles of becoming. And in divination, those shifts don’t always come with words… sometimes, they come in symbols.

Butterflies. Snakes. Phoenixes. Spirals. Fire.
These images are more than pretty metaphors — they’re archetypes that speak to the soul. When they appear in your cards, your spreads, your dreams, or your energy work, it’s often a clear sign:

✨ Change is happening — or it’s about to.

Let’s look at some of the most powerful transformation symbols and what they might be saying when they show up in your readings.

🦋 Butterfly – Metamorphosis, Joy, Fragility & Emergence

The butterfly is a universal symbol of transformation, especially the kind that begins in darkness. It speaks of:

• Personal growth through time and patience

• Letting go of who you were to become who you are

• The beauty and vulnerability of showing up as your true self

In readings, butterflies often symbolise the final stages of a cycle — the becoming after the breakdown.

Ask: What am I ready to emerge into?

🐍 Snake – Shedding, Rebirth, Healing & Power

The snake carries deep, primal energy. In many traditions, it represents sacred knowledge, sexuality, death, and rebirth. When a snake appears:

• Something is being released at a core level

• You may be invited into shadow work or deep healing

• A cycle of shedding and rising is underway

Snake energy doesn’t rush. It coils, waits, and strikes when the moment is right.

Ask: What skin am I outgrowing?

🔥 Phoenix – Death, Resurrection, Purpose & Sacred Fire

The phoenix doesn’t just change — it burns to change. This legendary creature dies in flame and rises from ash, stronger and wiser. When the phoenix shows up:

• A full spiritual reset is near (or already in motion)

• Old beliefs or identities are falling away

• Your soul is ready for something far more aligned

It’s a symbol of destruction as initiation — and rebirth as destiny.

Ask: What am I being asked to rise from?

🌀 Spiral – Cycles, Deepening, Evolution

The spiral is found in shells, galaxies, fingerprints — and our own spiritual growth. Unlike linear paths, spirals invite us to revisit familiar places from a deeper level of awareness.

When a spiral appears:

• You’re evolving through experience

• You may be in a repeating cycle with new insight available

• It’s time to go inward, again — and then move outward, anew

Ask: What’s changed within me, even if the pattern looks the same?

💫 Fire – Purification, Energy, Initiation

Fire transforms. It devours what’s dead, refines what remains, and energises the new. In divination, fire might be:

• Literal (candles, flames, heat in the body)

• Symbolic (suit of Wands, fiery colours)

• Emotional (passion, anger, urgency)

Fire calls for boldness. For release. For reclaiming your power.

Ask: What needs to burn away — and what is being forged in its place?

When Transformation Symbols Appear…

…you are not being told to “fix” yourself.
You are being shown that you are in motion. You are in process. You are becoming.

These symbols may appear:

• In the art of tarot or oracle cards

• As repeating motifs in dreams, visions, or journaling

• Through animal signs, altar pieces, or intuitive flashes

They are signposts.
Reminders.
Invitations.

To surrender. To rise. To keep becoming.

Because transformation isn’t always neat or linear.
But it is sacred.

With deep roots and an open heart,
Sarah x

The objects that hold our intention, focus our energy, and link us to the unseen

When we light a candle, ring a bell, or burn incense before a reading, we’re doing more than setting the scene — we’re opening a doorway.

Ritual tools have always played a role in spiritual and divinatory practices. They ground us. They raise energy. They help us shift from the ordinary to the sacred. But they also carry deep symbolic meaning, woven from centuries of magic, prayer, and presence.

In this blog, we’re exploring how some of the most common ritual tools — candles, incense, and more — function as symbols of connection, not just in ceremony, but within your divination work.

🔥 Candles – Light, Focus & Elemental Fire

Candles represent illumination, transformation, and intention. Lighting a candle marks the beginning of sacred time — a symbolic spark that opens the way for spirit and self to meet.

In divination, candles can:

• Represent clarity, truth, or spiritual presence

• Be colour-coded for intention (e.g., blue for truth, green for growth)

• Serve as a physical anchor while you journey through a spread

The flame also reminds us of the element of fire — the energy of action, willpower, and divine spark.

🌫️ Incense – Prayer, Atmosphere & the Breath of Spirit

When incense rises, it carries your intention with it. Across cultures, smoke has been used to cleanse, bless, and create a bridge between worlds.

In a reading, incense might:

• Clear the energy before and after divination

• Help set the mood or align with a specific element (e.g., frankincense for air/spirit, sandalwood for grounding)

• Symbolise the presence of ancestors or guides

The element of air lives here — in the breath, the scent, the invisible movement.

🧿 Other Ritual Tools – Symbols Made Tangible

✨ Chalices – The womb of the divine, representing water, emotion, and receptivity
✨ Athames or Wands – Tools of direction, focus, and energetic intention
✨ Bells or Chimes – Sound used to clear, seal, or signal sacred space
✨ Crystals & Stones – Anchors of earth energy, chosen for their symbolism and vibration
✨ Cloths, statues, feathers, salt, bones… — Every item you choose carries a story and an energy

Each of these tools is a living symbol, helping you hold space, shape energy, or invite in specific support. They don’t have to be fancy or traditional — they just need to be meaningful to you.

Ritual Objects as Symbols in Readings

Even when they’re not physically present, ritual tools show up symbolically in readings. Think:

• A card featuring a chalice, flame, or incense burner

• A client mentioning a candle they lit before your session

• A sudden desire to pick up a specific tool during your reading

These aren’t just aesthetic or coincidental — they’re messages.

Ask:
What is this tool inviting me to pay attention to?
What element or energy is asking to come through right now?

Everyday Ritual, Everyday Magic

You don’t need a full ceremonial setup to honour the symbolism of ritual tools. A single candle. A breath over your deck. A soft cloth laid down with care. These small gestures say: I am here. I am ready. This moment is sacred.

Because in divination, the ritual tools are never just props —
They are companions, catalysts, and conduits.

With deep roots and an open heart,
Sarah x

Sacred shape, grounded wisdom, and the fivefold path of spirit

The pentacle is more than just a five-pointed star within a circle.
It’s a symbol of balance, embodiment, and protection — a visual prayer carved into countless tools of divination and spiritual practice.

You’ll often see it on tarot cards, altar tiles, pendulums, and jewellery… but its meaning runs far deeper than decoration. When the pentacle appears in your readings or rituals, it’s calling you to connect with earth energy, honour the whole self, and remember that you are already held.

What Is the Pentacle?

At its core, the pentacle is a five-pointed star enclosed within a circle. Each point of the star represents one of the five elements:

• 🔥 Fire – Will, action, transformation

• 🌬 Air – Thought, clarity, communication

• 💧 Water – Emotion, intuition, connection

• 🌍 Earth – Grounding, stability, the material world

• ✨ Spirit – The divine spark that flows through all

The enclosing circle symbolises unity, wholeness, and protection — it binds the elements together, reminding us that nothing exists in isolation.

When used in divination, this shape becomes an anchor — a reminder to stay balanced, grounded, and attuned to both the physical and spiritual realms.

The Pentacle in Tarot

In the tarot, the suit of Pentacles (also known as Coins or Disks in some decks) is linked to the element of Earth. It deals with:

• Physical health

• Work and money

• Home and security

• Sensory experience

• Growth over time

Cards from this suit often carry the image of a pentacle, stamped onto coins or floating in the air — and each time it appears, it’s a reminder of practical magick: the everyday sacredness of tending to your body, your resources, your roots.

A single pentacle might symbolise a gift or opportunity. A group might suggest shared resources or legacy. But always, it carries the steady hum of Earth beneath it.

Pentacles as Protective Symbols

Beyond tarot, the pentacle is often used as a symbol of spiritual protection. It acts like a circle of intention — keeping your energy safe, your tools aligned, and your space sacred.

You might:

• Place a pentacle on your altar to hold space for grounded magic

• Use it as a focal point during readings to create energetic boundaries

• Visualise a pentacle beneath your feet to root and protect you before divining

In some traditions, the pentacle is also drawn in the air as part of a spell or ward — a seal of intention and sovereignty.

Reclaiming the Symbol

Despite centuries of misrepresentation, the pentacle has always been a symbol of harmony, protection, and sacred alignment. It connects heaven and earth, spirit and form. And when it shows up in your divination work — whether in cards, charms, or intuition — it asks:

✨ Are you grounded in your practice?
✨ Are all parts of you being honoured?
✨ Do you feel safe to open to guidance right now?

The pentacle doesn’t just guard — it reminds.
You are already whole. You are already sacred.

With deep roots and an open heart,
Sarah x

Ancient letters, wild wisdom, and the sacred language of beasts

The runes aren’t just symbols — they’re stories. They hold the energy of the Norse and Germanic peoples who used them not only to write, but to divine, invoke, and connect with the unseen.

Each rune is more than a sound or shape — it’s an archetype, a movement of energy. And in many rune traditions, each one is also connected to an animal spirit — a creature whose energy mirrors the essence of the rune itself.

When you bring animals into the runes, you don’t just read them.
You feel them.
You walk with them.

Why Animals Matter in Rune Work

In ancient times, animals were seen as kin, guides, omens, and protectors. They lived alongside the people who cast the runes — in body and in myth. Associating an animal with a rune can:

• Deepen your understanding of its meaning

• Add intuitive, instinctual layers to your reading

• Help you connect to the rune’s energy in a visceral, grounded way

So let’s meet some of these wild companions…

ᚠ Fehu – Cattle

Symbolising wealth, nourishment, and prosperity, Fehu is linked to cattle — a symbol of status and survival in early societies. This rune speaks to material gain, but also asks: Are you tending what you already have with care?

Animal energy: Abundance, stewardship, grounded strength.

ᚢ Uruz – Aurochs (Wild Ox)

Uruz brings the raw, untamed power of the wild ox. It represents vitality, instinct, and primal endurance. This rune calls you to reclaim your strength and stand solid in your truth.

Animal energy: Wild willpower, resilience, ancient masculine force.

ᚦ Thurisaz – Thorn / Giant / Goat

Connected to the primal force of giants (and sometimes the stubborn goat), Thurisaz is about boundaries, challenge, and the sacred force of destruction. This rune protects, but it also provokes.

Animal energy: Fierce defence, sacred provocation, brute power.

ᚨ Ansuz – Raven

Ansuz speaks the language of the gods — and is often linked to Odin’s ravens, Huginn and Muninn. This rune is about communication, insight, and divine inspiration.

Animal energy: Thought, memory, divine messages, watchful wisdom.

ᚱ Raidho – Horse

The rune of the road. Raidho represents travel, rhythm, and right timing, and is linked to the horse — a symbol of partnership, progress, and sacred movement.

Animal energy: Momentum, synchronicity, soul journeying.

ᚲ Kenaz – Torch / Cat / Snake

Kenaz is the rune of fire, creativity, and illumination. Sometimes associated with cats or serpents — creatures that move through darkness with grace — this rune is a light in the dark and a spark of transformation.

Animal energy: Mystery, insight, inner fire.

ᚷ Gebo – Hawk

A rune of gift, exchange, and sacred balance, Gebo is linked to birds of prey, especially the hawk — focused, honourable, and far-seeing.

Animal energy: Honesty, reciprocity, vision from above.

ᚹ Wunjo – Swan

Wunjo means joy, harmony, and bliss. The swan represents emotional depth, beauty, and the grace that comes from inner peace.

Animal energy: Emotional healing, elegance, soulful joy.

ᛉ Algiz – Elk

Algiz is a rune of protection, divine connection, and guardianship. The elk — tall, proud, sacred — holds the energy of spiritual authority and the space between worlds.

Animal energy: Shielding, higher sight, sacred leadership.

ᛟ Othala – Wolf

Othala symbolises ancestry, inheritance, and homeland. The wolf represents loyalty to lineage, the wisdom of the pack, and knowing when to walk alone.

Animal energy: Ancestral connection, survival, deep knowing.

Reading the Runes Through Animal Eyes

When casting or drawing runes, pause and ask:

• What animal walks with this rune?

• What qualities does it lend to the message?

• Is this energy wild, protective, solitary, or social?

Let the animals in. Let them speak. Let them guide.

Because the runes were never meant to be read like letters.
They were meant to be felt like footsteps in the forest.

With deep roots and an open heart,
Sarah x

Reading the patterns that shape the universe

There is a language older than words — one written in spirals, circles, and stars.
It’s the language of sacred geometry — the visual, vibrational blueprint of all creation.

In divination, sacred geometric shapes are more than decoration. They are keys to understanding, resonating with the deep, archetypal parts of us that remember. They show up in tarot and oracle artwork, pendulum boards, crystal grids, runes, and even in the way we lay out our spreads. And when they do, they add an entirely new layer of meaning.

These shapes carry universal truths — not just metaphysical, but deeply personal.

What Is Sacred Geometry?

Sacred geometry refers to patterns, ratios, and forms found throughout nature, the cosmos, and spiritual symbolism. These aren’t just pretty designs — they’re energetic maps. They help us understand how energy moves, creates, connects, and returns.

When these shapes appear in your readings, they act as powerful symbols of energy flow, intention, and transformation.

Common Sacred Shapes in Divination & What They Symbolise

🔘 Circle – Wholeness, unity, eternity
The most fundamental of all shapes. A circle represents the cycle of life, the soul, the infinite. It may point to completion, oneness, or a need to return to your centre.

🔺 Triangle – Balance, transformation, integration
The number 3 in visual form — often representing mind/body/spirit, past/present/future, or creation/preservation/destruction. Upright triangles are active; inverted triangles are receptive.

🌸 Flower of Life – Connection, creation, divine pattern
Made of overlapping circles, this ancient symbol is believed to hold the blueprint of all existence. In divination, it often points to sacred alignment, universal truth, and the interconnection of all things.

🌀 Spiral – Growth, evolution, the journey inward
A spiral shows up in shells, galaxies, and energy fields. When this shape appears, it often symbolises unfolding, expansion, or the process of spiritual awakening.

🔷 Hexagon – Harmony, community, natural balance
Six-sided forms appear in honeycombs and crystals. The hexagon links to the heart, service, and sacred geometry like the Merkaba and Seed of Life. It suggests a pattern of support or harmony forming in your life.

🔳 Square – Stability, foundation, structure
While often overlooked, squares are vital in reading spreads or layout symbolism. They represent grounding energy — the “building blocks” of a situation or question.

✨ Vesica Piscis – Intersection, divine feminine, insight
The almond-shaped space formed when two circles overlap — this is the gateway between worlds. It may suggest an important choice, an emergence of truth, or the sacred balance between dualities.

How Sacred Geometry Shows Up in Divination

🔮 Card Art – Many tarot and oracle decks include geometric symbols. Pay attention to them — they often carry an unspoken energy behind the card’s meaning.

🧿 Pendulum Boards & Casting Mats – Shapes like mandalas, stars, and spirals help guide energetic flow and intention.

💎 Crystal Grids – Built on sacred geometry patterns to direct energy and manifest intention. Each shape amplifies the purpose of the stones placed within it.

📜 Spread Layouts – The number and arrangement of cards create their own geometry. A triangle spread might symbolise growth, while a circle suggests wholeness or a cycle.

Working with Sacred Geometry in Your Readings

Next time you sit down with your cards or tools, try this:

• Notice any sacred shapes in the artwork — what energy do they bring?

• Create your own divination spread using a triangle, circle, or spiral layout

• Meditate on a sacred symbol and ask: What message do you have for me today?

Because sacred geometry doesn’t just show you something —
It attunes you to something.

And in divination, that attunement is everything.

With deep roots and an open heart,
Sarah x