The Living Writer's Cross. If your group has at least eleven members, you can work together to create a living Writer's Cross-a life-size version of the storytelling spread pictured earlier in this guide. Draw one card to serve as the basis of a story, then shuffle the deck and deal one card each to eleven people. As the cards are dealt, have the players stand in the positions of cards in a Celtic Cross spread-and have them assume the roles and personas of the cards they hold. Each participant should offer his or her take on the story, in character, and in light of their position in the spread. Other players can ask for elaboration or choose more participants to stand in as clarification cards.
The "Castle of Crossed Destinies" Game. Novelist Italo Calvino based his book The Castle of Crossed Destinies on tarot cards. In his story, a group of travelers find themselves in an enchanted castle, mysteriously deprived of their ability to speak. They begin to share their life stories by laying tarot cards on a table. This game for writing groups is based on the spreads in Calvino's story:
• The first player should shuffle the deck, lay down a single card to represent the subject of the story, and then deal eight "storytelling" cards in two rows of eight cards each. As deftly as possible, that player should weave the cards into a story. The cards can be read up or down, forward or backward, or even diagonally.
• The second player follows suit. He should lay one new card to represent the subject of his story, and add two rows of new cards for the story itself.
• The design should play out like a crossword puzzle. Players can start their stories by building on the cards that are already on the table, or they can establish entirely new rows of their own. Either way, every player in the game should ultimately be working with two rows of eight cards.
. If there are a lot of players in your group, you can use fewer cards. There are no hard and fast rules in tarot-or in writing-so you can adapt the game to suit your needs.
The Castle of Crossed Destinies Spread
Take My Advice. As your meeting concludes, have everyone draw an advice card to keep in mind as they go back out into the world.
Poetic Inspiration
Tarot cards can inspire your poems. You can use the tarot for new ideas, or to add depth to a work in progress. You can go into a card to find symbols, metaphors, and motifs for your work. You can also use the cards to find vivid descriptions and concrete imagery. Here are some ideas for tarot-based poetry:
Swinging Singles. Base a poem on a single symbol, image, or card.
Mirror Image. Base the shape, structure, or framework of a poem on a physical image.
The Body Knows. Play with the physical impact or emotional experience of a card.
Say Again? Repeat the name of a symbol or image from a card.
Juxtaposition. Compare and contrast two cards, images, or symbols.
Set the Timer. Write for five, ten, or fifteen minutes without stopping, and then review what you've written and circle the parts you like. Turn those segments into a poem.
First Impressions. Write down the first thing you think of when you look at a card. Don't hold back; what comes to mind may or may not be directly related to the illustration.
Nonsense. Write a nonsense poem based on a card.
Mixed Metaphors. Use metaphors, and mix them any way you like.
A Little Alliteration. Use words that start with the same sound.
Be Sensible. Use all of your senses-sight, sound, smell, taste, touch-and write a poem based on the sensation in each card.
The Sound that Sounds the Sound. Imagine the sounds you would hear within a card, and use onomatopoeias-words like "pop" or "buzz"-that sound like the image they represent.
Abstract Art. Use the concrete imagery of the cards to describe an abstract concept.
Gone, but Not Forgotten. Write an apostrophe-a poem addressed to someone or something that is absent from your life, but might be present in the cards.
Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis. Pull three cards, then play them against each other in a poem about opposition and unification.
Label Maker. Label objects in the card, and use those words in a poem.
Be Brief. Write a one-sentence poem based on a card, but spread that sentence out over several lines.
Write Who You Know. It's an old writer's maxim that you should write what you know. In this case, however, you can write about who you know. Pull a card to represent someone you know, then write a poem about that person based on the specific concrete imagery and symbols in the card.
Psychic Poetry. Turn a card facedown, and base a poem on your psychic impressions.
Narrative Poetry. Tell a story, in verse form, based on a card. Include the setting, characters, conflict, plot, and resolution.
Prose Poetry. Write a poem in the form of a paragraph, not lines.
Past Tense. Use a card to describe something that happened to you in the recent past.
From Bad to Verse. Write the worst poem you can muster, based on the card you dislike the most.
The Five Ws. Begin a poem with the words who, what, when, where, or why.
Big Picture. Use a Major Arcana card as the theme of a poem.
Twenty-two. Write a twenty-two-line poem about the twenty-two Major Arcana cards.
Mystery Date. Pull a card, write a poem about that card, but make the description vague, so the reader will have to guess what it's about.
Parts of Speech. Write a poem based on four cards: the first for the subject of your poem, the second for adjectives that describe your subject, a third for an action, and a fourth for the location of your subject.
It's Insignificant. Find what you believe is the least important symbol in a card, and write about it.
"Years ago, when I was young and foolish, I believed I already knew all the answers. I butted heads with everyone I met-especially my teachers. They were like tiresome old goats, bleating and blocking my path. As I advanced in years, however, something changed ... and somewhere along the way, I turned into an old goat myself. Now I know better. These days, I don't want to block anyone's progress. I just want to show them a shortcut."
-WRI'riNC SAMPLE BASED ON THE HERMrr CARD
illions of people have turned to tarot cards for insights and advice into their personal lives. It probably won't surprise you to learn that the cards can serve as a source of wisdom and advice in your writing life, too.
Writing Coach
Some people call tarot cards the poor man's psychiatrist. They serve equally well as a poor man's writing coach. When you're in the process of editing and revising your story, you can consult the cards for suggestions and advice.
Try pulling cards to answer the following questions:
How does your story relate to other stories?
Are you retelling an ancient myth or legend?
What element of the story should you drop?
What early idea should you resurrect?
Which sections of your story should you delete?
Which sections should you expand?
Did you overlook any important plot points?
What details should you add?
What should be your writing goal for today?
Where can you look for additional insights, inspiration, and information?
What alternate route can you take through your story?
What are you underestimating?
What are you overemphasizing?
How can you be more comfortable as you write?
How can you be more productive?
Advisory Board. Separate the Major Arcana cards from the rest of the deck. Put them in order, from 0 through 21-the Fool to the World. Now, as quickly as you can, flip through all of the cards. Your goal should be to glean a single piece of advice from each one. Don't think too hard. Don't dwell on any one card for too long. Write down the first thing that comes to mind, even if it doesn't make sense. Alternatively, you can turn to the sixteen Court Cards for an ersatz advisory panel.
Personal Assi
stant. Tarot cards can help you stay on top of the routine tasks you face as a writer. For example, you ask the cards to give you friendly reminders.
What should you work on today?
Whom should you call?
Whom should you e-mail?
How should you approach that person?
What should you discuss?
What should you hold back?
Whom should you visit?
Whom should you remember?
What are you forgetting?
What should you remember?
Submissions. If you'd like to try your hand at divination, conduct a reading for yourself to:
Analyze the publication you're considering.
Assess the publisher.
Divine what type of material the publisher is looking for.
Determine how your submission will be received.
Predict how you'll feel when you hear from them.
Pitch. Use the cards to craft a thirty-second summary of your story that will interest readers, editors, and agents. Structure it like a program description from a television guide.
Critical Opinions. If you've ever put pen to paper, you've probably met your inner critic-the hissing little demon that stands behind you, always just out of sight, looking over your shoulder as you write. It's his voice that tries to keep you from writing, change what you write, and make you question and doubt your own experiences. With tarot cards, you can evade your inner critic-and you can even outsmart him. Choose a single card to represent your inner critic. If you choose the card on purpose, he might look like the Devil, the duplicitous Five of Swords, or the glowering Four of Pentacles. You might also choose a card at random. Consider the possibilities. What if your inner critic is the beatific Empress? Is she hiding a dark side? What might that say about you?
Now write back to your critic. Answer his criticisms, tell him where he's wrong-and let him know when he's right. After all, most critics just want someone to agree with them. You can also open a dialogue with your critic. Question, interview, and challenge him. If you like, find an advocate in the cards: simply choose a tarot card to represent your champion, and let that character duke it out with your inner critic. Imagine, for example, choosing the King of Swords as your advocate. Put them head to head, and watch the sparks fly.
Ultimately, you could decide to go all out and choose a card to represent your inner writer, struggling to achieve and accomplish. You could also choose a card to represent your most vocal critic-and a card to stand up for you as a fan and supporter. Eventually, you could even find a card who would represent an inner editor, one who will come out for a gentle, supportive rewrite. The cards that play each role could change from day to day. Just watch the interaction and record the results.
Shelf Appeal. Start planning now for the day your story hits the bookstore shelves. Pull a few cards to get a sense of what the cover of your book should look like. Use the same techniques you used to develop your story to devise compelling back-cover copy for your book. And just for fun, ask a few characters from the cards to write endorsement blurbs for your cover.
Self-Determination
You might want to think of your story itself as a character in its own right, with wants, needs, goals, and objectives. Pull cards to divine the answers to the following questions:
. How do your characters feel about you as their creator?
. How do your characters want their stories to end?
. Which ending do your characters fear most?
. Why do your characters want you to tell their story?
. Why is this story worthwhile?
. What advice would each character give you?
Writing Practice
Human beings often spend much of their lives thinking about God, wondering about their creator, trying to visualize a god or a goddess, and imagining what their Higher Power was thinking when earth was created. When you write a story, you become the god of your own universe. All that power prompts the question: What do your creations think of you? Pull the cards to find out what your characters imagine your thought process to be. You might discover some holes in your descriptions, implausibility in your logic, or a lack of clarity in your thinking and descriptions.
Question (to the Seven of Cups): What do you think of the book I'm writing?
Answer: I think there are a lot of hidden gems in your writing. There is some really good material in there. Organization seems to be a problem, though. Have you thought about consolidating some of the chapters? I think you could winnow it all down into seven main points.
In the next section, you'll learn more about individual cards, so every card in the deck can unleash a torrent of creative possibilities in your writing.
THE FoOL IS THE LEAD player in the drama of the deck. He represents every man, woman, and child fortunate enough to find themselves in the cards. He's the happy wanderer on the journey of life, and he knows that half the fun is getting there.
Some people think of the Fool as both the first and last card in the Major Arcana; like the Greek letters Alpha and Omega, the Fool represents both the beginning and the end. No matter how many times the Fool has run his course, he remains perpetually innocent and pure, unblemished and unspoiled by previous experience, untarnished by disappointment, and unscarred by experience. He's never concerned about his final destination.
In most versions of the card, the Fool is perched on the edge of a cliff-a not-so-subtle allusion to disaster and destruction. According to the mystical tradition that equates the Fool with the element of air, however, he won't fall when he steps off the cliff. Instead, he'll float, or fly, or soar on the wings of his imagination.
Of course, there's always a chance that he could be embarking on a fool's errand-a fruitless mission or an impossible task. Just to be on the safe side, he might want to look before he leaps.
In a story reading, the Fool may represent an explorer, adventurer, hero, or traveler-and in writing, almost every hero or protagonist can be represented by the Fool.
Key Symbols
Leap of Faith. Symbolically, the Fool is a metaphor for the soul, plunging from a heavenly spiritual existence into physical form on the earthly plane. In fact, Arthur Edward Waite-the original designer of the cards in this book-called the Fool "the soul in search of experience." In that sense, the Fool is willing and able to take a leap of faith, to put theory into practice, and dive headlong into a new life.
Cliffhanger. The cliff is a chasm, a void, a sharp, clear division between one world and the next.
Guard Dog. The little white dog in the card is a loyal companion, defender, and guide. He may represent instinct, a primal form of intuition; the Fool's conscience, a cautioning inner voice; or the social mores and expectations that keep our most outlandish behaviors in check.
Feathered Cap. A feather in one's cap is a sign of honor and accomplishment.
Patterns of Nature. The circles on the Fool's tunic represent spheres on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life.
Cinch It. The Fool's belt is made up of the seven planets of ancient astrology, which in turn correspond to the seven days of the week.
Red Rose. The red rose in the Fool's left hand symbolizes passion.
Walking Stick. The walking stick in his right hand represents balance.
Karmic Baggage. The bag tied to the end of the walking stick could hold memories, lessons, and souvenirs of a previous life-which makes it, in effect, karmic baggage. Some tarot readers suggest that it holds the breath of life, which the Fool uses to animate the world around him. Many say the bag contains tokens from the four suits of the Minor Arcana-a wand, a cup, a sword, and a pentacle-which will serve as the tools for his journey.
The Eye of God. The sun symbolizes light and energy from a higher power, and guidance from a consciousness that's greater than our own
A Range of Possibilities. Snow-capped mountains represent obstacles to be overcome, new heights to be scaled, new challenges, and the promise of accomplishment
.
Numeric Significance. The Fool is the "zero" card. In everyday terms, most of us think of zero as a starting point, from which we count our way up-or down, into negative numbers. It's not, however, a "natural" number. We don't use zero for addition, subtraction, or any basic mathematical operations. Simply put, zero doesn't count for anything. Since zero falls outside the sequence of ordinary numbers, it is unbound by rules of order. It floats freely, outside of time and place. In fact, the concept of zero implies a sort of non-existence, a netherworld, a no man's land between presence and absence. It is the great divide, the vaporous border between two parallel universes. Zero can step into either world with equal grace and ease. It's not compelled to take its place in a lineup with other numbers. That concept dovetails nicely with the thought of the Fool, free to come and go throughout the rest of the cards at will.
Keywords
Upright: New beginnings, fresh starts, innocence, freedom, originality, eccentricity, adventure, idealism, youth, enthusiasm, excitement, daring, bravery, spontaneity, initiative, invention
Reversed: Folly, foolishness, mania, ineptitude, carelessness, stupidity, negligence, distraction, aimless, flighty, unfocused, unmotivated
Astrological Associations
The Fool is an original, a freethinker, and a rebel-which aligns him closely with the planet Uranus, the planet of innovation and revolution.
Uranus rules the eleventh house of the zodiac, where astrologers look for information about social causes and groups. Uranus also rules Aquarius, the sign of futuristic thinking.
On a related note, Aquarius is associated with the Star card.
Myth and Legend
Back during the time of kings and castles, the fool was the inverse counterpart to the king. While everything the king said was automatically the rule of law, everything the fool said was a joke. Fools had no social status, no respect, and no place in high society. They were simpletons, beggars, the objects of mockery and abuse. And yet, they were sometimes the only people who could speak truth to power, concealing their wisdom in the form of a jest. A fool could confront the king when his advisors couldn't speak freely.
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