#3 Ink, cycles & heart notes

Journals & planner update: a glimpse into the tools that help me stay organized, inspired, and aligned

May 11, 2025

Happy Sunday dear ones!

About a year ago, I wrote a post about the journals, planners, and project notebooks I was using at the time. Back then, I shared how my system worked for me, but just like life itself, my journaling practices evolve as I grow and change. Looking back at that post, I realize how much has shifted since then; in my tools, in my habits, and in myself.

I believe it's important to share these kinds of updates because the journals we keep - including the number of them, the way we use them, and even how we think about them - are a reflection of who we are (becoming). We are always in motion —> learning, adjusting, and becoming, and this is reflected in our journals too. They are a mirror for our inner world, and that world never stays static.

One thing that has remained constant for me is this: I simply cannot have one journal for everything.
I have a lot going on - mostly inside my mind & heart, but also outside with my surroundings - and if I tried to fit all of it into a single notebook, it would quickly become chaotic. Thoughts, feelings, ideas, projects; they would all blur together until I wouldn’t be able to find anything when I needed it most. Separate journals help me create boundaries and give each part of my life the space it deserves.

⚠️However, having multiple journals also comes with a responsibility: I need to be extremely clear about what each one is for. If I’m not, I run the risk of forgetting about some of them, or losing track of their original purpose after a few weeks or months. You see, I don’t use them all on a daily basis. So for me, it’s crucial to name them, and sometimes even writing an intention on the first page has been essential.

Having a Gemini sun sign and clearing my head regularly are non-negotiable. Having different places to sort my thoughts, feelings, plans, and dreams is my way of decluttering internally and creating clarity. Without that, things build up too fast, and everything starts to feel tangled.

My current journal and planner line-up

At the moment, I’m mainly working with four journals and one life planner, aka life binder. Each of them has a distinct purpose, and together they form a complete system that helps me stay connected, organized, and creatively inspired. Here’s a look at each of them:

1. Seasonal life binder

This is my heart space and practical compass all at once. My seasonal life binder is an A4 disc-bound binder that holds my deepest seasonal intentions, goals, dreams, and self-care plans. I create a fresh version of this binder for each new season, allowing it to evolve and grow alongside me as the mo(o)nths shift.

Inside, I weave together the personal and the practical:

I start by setting seasonal intentions: where I want to focus, how I want to feel, and the themes I want to embody.
I include self-care rituals, sources of inspiration, creative goals, and hopes for the coming season.
I integrate the moon cycles into each season. These pages are both mystical and pragmatic for me: I use the moon phases to map out timelines, make decisions, reflect, and track what matters most to me during that cycle. The Lunar Journaling kits, which I offer every mo(o)nth for free, come from this section.

This binder isn’t just functional; it’s a living, breathing, creative space. I take time to make it visually beautiful in advance, decorating it with care, but I also spend significant time updating it organically as the season unfolds. It’s both a planning system and a sacred connection to my inner and outer worlds.

2. Everything journal

If the seasonal life binder is my steady seasonal map, then my everything journal is my on-the-go safe space. This is an A5 notebook that I carry with me everywhere. Anytime I need to vent, brainstorm, explore, or simply braindump, I turn to this journal immediately.

Sometimes I’ll stop what I’m doing to scribble something down; other times, if I can’t write right away, I’ll jot a quick note on a sticky note and return to it later that day.
This journal is a true collection point; a catch-all for raw thoughts, sudden ideas, emotional waves, and everything in between. Often, what starts here in rough form will later be developed more deeply in one of my more specialized journals or in the seasonal life binder.

It’s messy, and includes only writing, and it’s essential for my peace of mind.

3. My book of cauldron

My book of cauldron is my creative powerhouse. This is a massive A4-sized notebook dedicated entirely to everything related to my creation of journal pages, Substack writing, my online presence, and my future dreams and goals.

Whenever I’m brainstorming ideas for posts, fleshing out drafts, planning series, or setting intentions for the future of my creative work, it happens here first. It’s also where I work out all the journaling pages I eventually share on Substack.
This notebook allows me to dream freely, think out loud, and refine my thoughts without pressure. Once I feel that things are clear and solid, I’ll collect and organize them into my seasonal life binder for longer-term planning and alignment.

This book feels like a true cauldron: a bubbling, evolving place where ideas are brewed, stirred, and brought to life.

4. Spiritual journal

This A5 notebook is my spiritual journey journal; a sacred space where I pour out everything related to my spiritual life and personal purpose.
Whenever I’m processing deep feelings, exploring spiritual questions, or simply wanting to reflect on my connection with the greater cycles of life, this is where I write. It’s raw, personal, and unfiltered. It’s a mirror to my evolving spiritual path.

I also use this journal to brainstorm and map out ideas for practices, studies, or themes I want to work on more deeply. If a particular topic or idea sparks my interest and feels like it deserves a more creative, magical exploration, I will then develop it further in my book of alchemy ⬇️.

5. Book of alchemy

The book of alchemy is my most intentionally creative and magical journal. It’s an A4-sized notebook where I dedicate focused, mindful time to blending writing, creative expression, and spiritual theory.

Here, I document and visually depict my personal philosophies about cyclical living, magic, and living a purpose-filled life.
It’s a deeply intuitive process, almost like creating a handmade personal grimoire, filled with reflections, experiments, and evolving beliefs. This journal isn’t something I rush through; it's a space where I slow down and honor the connection between my inner world and the wider mysteries around me.

Because these spiritual insights are so important to my overall life design, I also make sure to organize summaries or key reflections into my seasonal life binder, ensuring that the insights I gain here don't get forgotten but instead become part of my living practice.

The core of my system

At the center of all my journals and planners are two key pieces:

My everything journal
My seasonal life binder

The everything journal is my entry point; it’s where ideas, emotions, and spontaneous thoughts first land. It’s raw, immediate, and essential for clearing my head and capturing the moment before it slips away.

But it’s my seasonal life binder that truly holds everything together.
The binder is not just a planner; it’s the living glue that binds all parts of my life into one coherent, evolving story. It's the space where my plans take structure, where my dreams are honored with timelines, and where my personal evolution is made visible season after season.

More than just a tool for time management and planning strategy, the seasonal life binder is a visual map of my inner and outer growth, a dynamic journal of becoming.

Through it, I honor the natural rhythms of the year, stay connected to my deeper purpose, and weave together all the fragments of life - creative, practical, and spiritual - into a meaningful, unfolding whole.

Sharing my current journal and planner set-up feels like opening a window into my inner world, and just like life, it’s always evolving. What works today might shift tomorrow, and that’s the beauty of it —> our journals grow with us too.

Whether you’re someone who thrives with multiple dedicated journals or you find freedom in keeping everything in one place, the most important thing is that your system feels like yours = supportive, inspiring, and reflective of who you are right now.

I hope this glimpse into my system sparks some inspiration for you, too.
Maybe it’s a reminder that it’s okay to have lots of notebooks, or just one. Maybe it’s permission to let your journaling practice be as flexible, expansive, and alive as you are.

I'd love to hear from you! What does your current journaling set-up look like? Has it changed over time?

Feel free to share in the comments ⬇️ I always love connecting with fellow journal & cyclical living lovers, and hearing about the beautiful, unique ways we all record the magic of our lives.