Tarot for Writers

by Corrine Kenner

  Writing Practice

  Develop a character based solely on the cards, and compile a detailed character sketch. Consult as many cards as you like to develop your answers-and use your imagination, too.

  Here, for example, is a physical description for "Tony," a fictional character based on the man in the Nine of Cups:

  . Age-Late 30s

  . Ethnicity-Greek

  . Height-5'1 I"

  . Weight-260 pounds

  . Hair-Brown, curly, shoulder-length

  . Eyes-Brown

  . Skin-Olive

  . Glasses or contact lenses-No

  . Birthmarks, scars, tattoos-No visible marks, but he does have hairy arms.

  • Clothing style-Casual and comfortable. Tony sets himself apart just a bit by wearing jaunty hats.

  . Health issues or concerns-Tony's weight may be a problem; he looks like he's sedentary, and he might drink too much.

  • General appearance-Cheerful, good-natured, larger than life

  . Most distinguishing feature-Size. Tony is a gentle giant.

  Casting Call

  If you're planning a large-scale work like a novel or a screenplay, you might want to develop a full cast of characters based on the twenty-two Major Arcana cards.

  Consider Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, for example: its players fall neatly into Major Arcana roles.

  0. The Fool. The Clown, a servant of the Capulet family, isn't the hero of the story-but he does bring the hero into play. As the drama begins, Juliet's father tells the clown to invite a list of people to a banquet. The clown can't read, however, so he stops a stranger on the street to help. That stranger happens to be Romeo, a teenage Montague. When Romeo learns that the lovely young Rosaline is supposed to attend the party, he decides to go, too-in disguise, because the Montagues and Capulets are enemies.

  1. The Magician. Mercutio, one of Romeo's best friends, is named for Mercury, the god associated with the Magician card. Like his tarot counterpart, Mercutio is a trickster who loves to pepper long speeches with puns and double entendres.

  2. The High Priestess. The Nurse, Juliet's surrogate mother, is also her closest confidante. While she believes in love, she's practical, too. She can't believe that Juliet would sacrifice herself for a man.

  3. The Empress. Lady Capulet, Juliet's mother, married young and gave birth to Juliet when she was just fourteen.

  4. The Emperor. Lord Capulet, Juliet's father, is loving and generous-but he's also commanding and controlling. He demands that Juliet marry Count Paris, and he's furious when she refuses.

  5. The Hierophant. Friar Lawrence, a Franciscan monk, secretly marries Romeo and Juliet in the hope that their union will eventually bring peace to Verona.

  6. The Lovers. Romeo and Juliet are, of course, the star-crossed lovers whose dramatic story has thrilled audiences for centuries. They fell in love at first sight on the night of the Capulet ball.

  7. The Chariot. The Chorus drives the narrative and directs the audience's attention to milestones along the way.

  8. Strength. Tybalt, Juliet's hot-blooded cousin, challenges Romeo to a duel for daring to appear at the Capulets' dinner party. Later, Tybalt kills Mercutio with a low blow.

  9. The Hermit. Rosaline, the beauty whom Romeo pursues at the beginning of the drama, never actually appears onstage. Other characters say that she has taken a vow of chastity.

  10. The Wheel of Fortune. Friar Lawrence's friend, Friar John, is supposed to tell Romeo that Juliet is planning to stage her own death. Friar John runs into bad luck on the way to deliver the message, however, and Romeo never learns that Juliet isn't truly dead.

  11. Justice. Escalus, the Prince of Verona, orders the Montagues and the Capulets to end their fight; he demands order in his city.

  12. The Hanged Man. The Apothecary is the poverty-stricken druggist who sells Romeo a poisonous elixir of death, against his better judgment. He will be hanged for his crime.

  13. Death. The unseen hand of Death looms large in this story, striking down a staggering seven characters. Tybalt kills Mercutio, Romeo kills Tybalt, and Lady Montague dies of grief. Romeo kills Paris, and then kills himself. In the end, Juliet commits suicide and the Apothecary will be executed.

  14. Temperance. Benvolio, Romeo's cousin, tries to distract Romeo from his obsession with Rosaline, and he tries to keep the other young men in the play from fighting. His name means "goodwill" or "peacemaker."

  15. The Devil. Gregory and Sampson are the Capulet servants who fuel an atmosphere of hatred and revenge by inciting a brawl with a series of insults and gestures of one-upmanship.

  16. The Tower. Balthasar, Romeo's servant, brings him the devastating news that Juliet is dead. He also escorts Romeo to the dungeonlike tomb where Juliet lies.

  17. The Star. Count Paris, a handsome, self-absorbed member of royalty, wants to marry Juliet for her wealth and social status. When Juliet's father agrees to the wedding, Paris reveals his arrogant and presumptuous nature.

  18. The Moon. Lady Montague, Romeo's mother, is a dark and distant figure in the play. When Romeo is exiled from Verona, Lady Montague dies of grief.

  19. The Sun. Montague, like his wife, is a relatively distant luminary. He's mated to the moon, however, and he rises to enlightenment at the end of the drama.

  20. Judgement. The play concludes with an elegy from Prince Escalus, who also serves the role of Justice. "For never was a story of more woe," he recites, "Than this of Juliet and her Romeo."

  21. The World. The setting of any story can be considered a character in and of itself. In Romeo and Juliet, the setting is the Renaissance world of Verona, Italy.

  Typecasting

  Another easy way to develop characters is to think of the Major Arcana cards as archetypes. Archetypes are prototypes and models-cosmic stereotypes that transcend the limits of time and place. They are the symbols and images that regularly appear in our dreams, our myths, and our stories. They're also the figurative heroes of fable and legend. In fact, many societies and cultures throughout history have shared similar stories and made use of the same symbols.

  Here's an extensive list of well-known archetypes. You might want to bookmark this page, so you can refer back to this list when you're working with individual cards.

  The Alchemist transforms base metals into gold, while seeking the elixir of life.

  The Amazon, a strong, self-reliant, independent woman.

  The Anima, the expression of a man's female or feminine qualities.

  The Animus, the expression of a woman's male or masculine qualities.

  The Artist, who expresses himself through his creations.

  The Creator, constantly giving birth to new worlds, new life, new projects, and new ideas.

  The Destroyer, who clears away anything that has outgrown or outlived its usefulness.

  The Dictator, the domineering, controlling ruler.

  The Divine Child, a newborn who rings in a new beginning and offers salvation.

  The Earth Mother, Mother Nature, the source of all creation.

  The Enchantress, a woman who charms and fascinates others during the course of her magical workings.

  The Father, a leader and voice of collective authority; a provider and protector who can also be stern, powerful, and controlling.

  The Fool, an innocent, inexperienced person, carefree but easily duped and misled.

  The Gatekeeper or the Guardian, one who guards an entrance and controls passage from one area to the next.

  The God, the ruling force of the universe.

  The Goddess, the source of life.

  The Guardian Angel, an agent of divine protection.

  The Guide, an aide to travel in an unfamiliar area.

  The Herald, a messenger who brings important news from an ambassador or a member of royalty.

  The Hermit, a recluse whose solitude inspires others to join him.

  The Hero or the Heroine, a ready stand-in for any mythic character who undertakes a mission
or a quest; a rescuer and champion who is moral, ambitious, and highly respected.

  The Innocent Child, a pure, spontaneous, trusting soul, optimistic and uncorrupted.

  The Jester, a playful, fun-loving clown with just a hint of darkness.

  The judge, the enforcer of the rule of law.

  The King, a sovereign ruler.

  The Knight, the rescuer, the defender of the weak and innocent, and the man on a mission.

  The Love Goddess, an intimate companion, but not a wife or mother.

  The Lover, who burns with passion.

  The Magical Helper, a supernatural being who bestows magical gifts and powers.

  The Magician, who can bend the laws of nature to his own use.

  The Magus, a wise man, magician, sorcerer, or astrologer.

  The Maiden, innocent and inexperienced.

  The Martyr, who sacrifices himself for a cause.

  The Matriarch, a woman who heads an extended family.

  The Medium, a psychic who channels messages from the dead to the living.

  The Mentor, an older, more experienced guide, willing to share his or her knowledge and advice.

  The Messenger, who carries information from place to place.

  The Messiah, a savior put on earth to rescue his people.

  The Midas, the successful businessperson.

  The Miser, who would rather live in squalor than part with his money.

  The Mother, the caring nurturer who loves her children unconditionally.

  The Dark Mother, the mother who systematically destroys her children.

  The Mystic, who has been initiated into the world of cosmic mystery.

  The Outlaw, a rebel and a nonconformist.

  The Patriarch, a man who heads an extended family.

  The Poet, the Writer, or the Scribe, who transforms reality with the power of words.

  The Priest, ordained to perform religious rites and qualified to make sacrificial offerings; an authority on matters of faith, with the power to speak and act on behalf of God.

  The Priestess, the intuitive teacher, healer, and guardian of hidden wisdom.

  The Prince or the Princess, the heir apparent to wealth and power.

  The Prostitute, a woman who debases herself by selling her virtue for money.

  The Psychic, who can tap into supernatural forces.

  The Psychopomp, a spirit who guides the souls of the dead to the Otherworld.

  The Puer Aeternus, Jung's eternal boy; a "Peter Pan" personality.

  The Queen, a monarch who nurtures and protects her realm.

  The Rebel, who questions his or her society and culture.

  The Rescuer, who rushes into danger to save others.

  The Ruler, the authority who creates a structure that others can use as a framework for their creative endeavors.

  The Seeker, who searches for answers to the mysteries of life.

  The Self, an individual connected to the universe and to a higher power.

  The Shadow, the dark side most people project onto others, denying that it really stems from themselves.

  The Shaman, someone who journeys between the physical and spiritual worlds.

  The Son, a youthful rebel who simply wants to be his own person.

  The Sorcerer, who harnesses the power of spirits and demons for his own ends.

  The Student, who pursues learning as a vocation.

  The Syzygy, Jung's "divine couple," the perfect union of masculine and feminine.

  The Teacher, who passes knowledge on to successive generations.

  The Thief, who steals from those who are not watchful when their guard is down.

  The Trickster, who uses his power to manipulate and deceive.

  The Ubermensch, the heroic superman, bigger and better than any mere mortal.

  The Virgin, pure, untouched, and self-possessed.

  The Visionary, who sees a brighter, better future for humanity.

  The Wanderer, who leaves the known world to explore new horizons.

  The Warrior, who trains and lives for battle.

  The Whore, a woman who has compromised herself and her principles.

  The Wise Fool, the inverse counterpart to the king; one of the privileged few with the freedom to speak truth to power, but only in the form of a joke.

  The Wise Old Man, a scholar, teacher, sage, and philosopher, willing to share his knowledge, guidance, and advice.

  The Witch, the dangerous woman who knows too much.

  The Wizard, the wise old man who can transform reality.

  The Wounded Healer, who uses the wisdom gained during his own illness and suffering to treat and help others.

  Writing Practice

  Decide which Major Arcana cards you associate with the most common archetypes. The Fool card, of course, falls neatly into the corresponding archetype of the Fool-but you might also see a parallel with the archetypes of the Divine Child, the Mystic, the Outlaw, or the Wounded Healer. Take some time to review the possibilities of your favorite cards.

  Minor Characters

  As a writer, you can find clues to your characters' personalities in Minor Arcana cards, too-especially through elemental associations. Remember that wands are the fiery cards of spiritual life, cups are the watery cards of emotional existence, swords are the airy cards of intellect and communication, and pentacles are the earthy cards of physical reality.

  Writing Practice

  You can gain a quick overview of a character's personality by using a four-card spread based on the four suits of the Minor Arcana-wands, cups, swords, and pentacles. The four suits correspond to spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and physical life. Here's a randomly generated spread for a fictional wife and mother we'll call "Reina."

  Spiritual Life

  Emotional Life

  Intellectual Life

  Physical Life

  Spiritual Life-Eight of Wands. Reina processes information quickly-like the fast-moving missiles in the Eight of Wands. The card also symbolizes communication, which indicates that Reina is open and receptive to messages from the spirit world.

  Emotional Life-Six of Pentacles. Reina is emotionally giving, like the generous benefactor in the card. She probably derives a lot of personal satisfaction from charity work; she might volunteer at a church, hospital, shelter, or school.

  Intellectual Life-Page of Cups. Like the child in the card, Reina has not matured intellectually. She may have abandoned her formal education in order to marry and have children.

  Physical Life-The Devil. This may come as a shock, because it stands in such contrast to the placid cards before it, but Reina is surprisingly sensual. She enjoys all of life's "guilty pleasures," including gourmet food, fine wine, and sex. She might even be tempted to abuse drugs and alcohol.

  Bear in mind that your character's motivation and goals will blend seamlessly into your storyline-which we'll cover in chapter six. As the story unfolds, your character's conflict will become a crisis, which will lead to a climax, which will only resolve itself in the conclusion.

  The Private Lives of Public Personalities

  Behind the obvious personality traits of your characters are the psychological needs and desires that propel them into action.

  Goals and motivation. Realistic characters have dreams and desires, just like real people. They don't move through their fictional lives in a random direction; they have goals and aspirations that guide their choices, for reasons that make sense to them. As a writer, you'll want to explore the motivations that drive your characters, and you'll need to be aware of the concrete objectives and rewards they hope to achieve.

  Stakes. While we all have hopes and dreams, most of us don't face utter ruin if we fail to reach our goals. Fictional characters aren't so lucky. If they're interesting, they spend their fictional lives immersed in do-or-die moments. Their stakes are high. What's at risk for your characters if they fail to reach their goals?

  Internal conflict. Most fictional characters also f
ace nearly insurmountable obstacles in reaching their goals-and the conflict they experience is a key component of any story. Conflict can come in many forms, but the most telling conflict is often internal.

  Internal conflict grows out of a character's background, personality, motivations, and goals. It's based on two opposing needs or desires. Think, for example, of the internal conflict you'll find in almost every workplace: a modern woman's desire to have both a career and a family.

  Writing Practice

  Pull three cards for your favorite character: the first to determine his primary goal and motivation in your story, and the second for the loss he'll face if he fails to achieve that goal. Use the third card to explore the internal conflict he'll have to conquer along the way. Here are three cards for a fictional character we'll call "George."

  Goals and Motivations

  Stakes

  Internal Conflict

  Goals and motivation-The Magician. George is a naturally shy person-a trait that has led, so far, to a life of loneliness and despair. He lives in a rented room, works in a cubicle, and eats by himself in a run-down diner every night. He desperately wants to learn how to talk to other people, make friends, and find someone to love.

  What's at stake-Ten of Swords. George already knows what will happen if he doesn't turn his life around. He'll experience death by a thousand cuts, as each day he continues to hide from the people around him.

  Internal conflict-Eight of Swords. George might not realize it, but he's actually trapped in a situation of his own making. He harbors a secret martyr complex, and his reluctance to open up to other people doesn't stem solely from a desire for self-protection. He's also a little bit selfish, a little bit superior, and a little unwilling to share his innermost self with others. He'll have to rethink his selfimage to break free of his past.

  Hopes and Fears

  While external forces play a role in every drama, there's nothing more compelling than characters who prove to be their own worst enemy-and there's no more satisfying story than that of a character who transforms himself from the inside out. Tarot readers see a parallel drama in almost every tarot reading. In fact, tarot readers commonly choose a single card to represent two closely linked concerns: hopes and fears. That's because the two issues are virtually inseparable, like two sides of the same coin. Many people have at least one goal they fail to reach, not because it's unobtainable, but because they're afraid of change.