For this project, you will need your Grimoire.

The rest is what you have on hand.

This can include: pencils, crayons, markers, collage and ephemera, glue, craft paint, acrylic paint, watercolor paint, pens, pastels, and whatever else you can create and make marks with.

I was once told that before you begin a project, you create a touchstone or a piece of art. Or a piece of art as a touchstone.

We are not going for a self-portrait. We are not looking to create a realistic anything. This should be symbolic, abstract. It should speak to your spirit. It should speak to your soul.

This is all subjective.

Before you begin, splash some cool water over your face. It’s to begin you into your body. Wipe your face dry.

Now, go to wherever you will be working on your Grimoire.

Make sure you have enough room to work. Cover your desktop or tabletop if you are using paints, using newspaper, or whatever you have on hand. If you need to tidy your space beforehand, do so.

Keep some paper towels, rags, or baby wipes nearby to clean up any messes that may happen. If you are using paints, a cup of water to rinse your brushes is a good idea to have as well.

Light a candle if that makes you feel good. Light some incense if that feels right to you.

Open your Grimoire to a page. It does not need to be the very first page of your Grimoire. It can be any page at all.

Lay your tools out so that you can randomly grab one without having to look.

Obviously, don’t do this with your paint.

If you are using paint, perhaps set the tube or bottle out with your other mark-making tools. Perhaps put out different sizes of brushes so you can just grab one without looking.

If you have paint, put out small amounts of colors you love the most or that you are most called to on a palette, or even on a paper plate.

Close your eyes. Focus on your breath. If you want to put your hands on your Grimoire, or hold your Grimoire in your hands or on your lap, do so.

Take slow deep even breaths, Ask your Intuition, your Higher Power, or even your Grimoire itself to give you the inspiration you need to create the piece that best speaks to your upcoming endeavor, whether it be working in your journal or some other task.

Don’t get too in your head about this. Let things flow. Let your breath flow, slowly, in and out.

Once you feel ready, set your book on your work space and randomly grab a tool and start making marks.

This is all there is to it.

Make marks. Add colors. Scribble. Doodle. Glue things down.

Don’t think about making things look ‘right’ or ‘good’ or anything.

Let the page reflect the kaleidoscope of your subconscious.

This isn’t supposed to mean anything in and of itself.

This is opening a doorway.

This is inviting things in.

Continue to work until you feel done.

So what if you have only a single color on the paper.

So what if you have covered every inch of space and it looks like a riot exploded in your book.

So what if you use two or three or four pages and you worked over the piece for days or weeks.

If you used glue or paint, or any wet media, let your journal dry thoroughly before closing.

We will discuss various ways to seal the pages without them sticking in a later tutorial.

Let the piece sit for a few days.

Then come back to it. You might want to write your feelings on a separate piece of paper that you tip in to your Grimoire, or tuck into a pocket or envelope in your book.

Here are some prompts to get your writing about your Touchstone piece.

What is this piece saying to you?

What is it telling you?

How does it make you feel?

What do you see in this piece?

Do you see shadows of imagery?

Is there a bunny hopping through the glen…or a wolf in a cave waiting out a storm?

What does this piece make you think of?