Fated mates: Tarot and Creative Writing
Plot?
Characters?
Over-arching themes and symbols?
Here’s why, to me, a tarot deck and creative writing are a perfect pairing.
First, a mini-history lesson…
There are many different theories on the origin of the tarot - from Indian, to Arabic, to Romany, to Italian. In the late 1700s French occultist Etteilla is the first person on record to give readings connecting the tarot to astrology, elements, and spirituality.
In 1910, Arthur Edward Waite, a poet and scholar commissioned Pamela Colman Smith to illustrate a tarot deck to accompany his knowledge on the subject, published by the Rider Company in England. It is now referred to as the Rider-Waite-Smith deck that we know today. Laden with symbols, it was intentionally created for divination purposes.
The 3 of Cups card (Lightseer’s Tarot by Chris Ann) rests on a white background, surrounded by amethyst, clear quartz, white crystals and lavender buds.
So, how can this apply to my creative projects?
Instead of using it to predict the future, I like to use tarot cards for personal reflection. I enjoy taking a pause, sitting with a question, and thinking about it from all different angles. Like someone might journal or meditate with a specific conundrum, I enjoy the visuals and the literal perspective of the images in front of me.
I, rarely, light a candle. I don’t have a fancy altar (no shade if you do), and I can never quite remember when the full moon is to leave the deck out.
But I do like to use the tarot as a quiet moment, while chaos reigns around me, to drink my tea and shuffle the cards before starting my day - or in many cases, beginning writing.
Because to me, the tarot and creativity go hand in hand. I pull some cards, and they tell a story - about me, my publishing career, or about the characters I’m writing about.
General concepts:
Major arcana - when I flip over a card from the first 22 in the deck, these ones are especially poignant. To me, we’re either dealing with major themes or important archetypes. They depict universal aspects of the human experience. These are the WHY.
Minor arcana - these are the makings of great plot points. The minor arcana are the day to day things that happen - in life, or a story - that have an effect and propel the story forward. They show decisions, actions and feelings. These are the WHAT.
Court cards - depending on their placement, these can show up in two ways - either as personality traits the character needs to embody - or as another character or important relationship that will impact them. They are the WHO.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll share some spreads, tips and tricks to explore this connection further. No experience needed - just an open mind is all that’s required.
