The Tarot as a Magical Writing Tool (Part 2)

Welcome to part two of using the tarot as a writing tool. If you’ve read part one, then hopefully you have tried some of the exercises and familiarised yourself with how to use the tarot as a writing tool. In this blog we’ll be exploring the different tarot spreads you can use. From getting to the heart about what you really want to write about to overcoming writer’s block, you’ll discover how enlightening and useful these spreads can be. Let’s start with writer’s block, something that every writer dreads. What is it and how do we experience it? If you’ve ever felt uncertain about what to write and where to start, so much so that you can’t even put pen to paper, then you are experiencing writer’s block. One minute, the words might be flowing and the next, you find yourself staring at a blank page. Sound familiar? We often associate writer’s block as a negative thing, but I’ve come to see it as simply information, and that’s when I know I need to get my tarot cards out to see what my block is telling me. Sometimes it can be that I simply need to take a break, but other times it shows me that there is something missing in my story or article. This can range from not getting clear about why I am writing, to not going deeper into my character’s motivation. The following spreads are really useful in getting to heart of the matter. Three-Card Theme Spread Card 1 – Theme Card 2 – How you want your reader to feel Card 3 – Why this theme is important Sample Reading: Here’s what the cards had to say about the real reasons for me writing this blog. 1.Theme – Ten of Swords The Ten of Swords really got to the heart of what happens to writers when they feel blocked. The sense of suffering, overwhelm and feeling stuck is a very real experience for writers. It can be extremely frustrating when you feel unable to get what you want to say onto the page. In this instance writers often feel like failures and become a victim to their critical minds and judgements. This might be why only 3% of the 81% of people who want to write a book complete their first drafts. 2.How you want your reader to feel– The Sun I want to support writers in navigating those dark times, so not surprising that I pulled The Sun card. Clearly, by writing this blog I want to offer readers a solution that will bring them out of persecuting themselves and into a space where they can access their creativity and inspiration. 3.Why this theme is important – Six of Wands Finally, the Six of Wands reveals that this is an important theme because it helps writers to succeed in overcoming writing challenges and share their talents with the world.   Character Transformational Spread This is a great spread to do when wanting to explore the internal journey that your protagonist goes on. Remember that what makes compelling reading is the outer and inner arch of your character – meaning, their physical journey and their inner emotional one too. Card 1 – Beginning The first card explores your protagonist’s starting place. Who are they at the start of your story? Card 2 – Middle The second card explores the challenges they face. In this section of the story, your character is presented with huge obstacles and they are also resistant to change. In this section they may be full of turmoil due to the challenges they face. Card 3 - End Finally, your protagonist reaches their destination, their ultimate transformation or shift in their lives. With any good story, your protagonist needs to undergo challenges so that by the end they no longer resemble who they were at the beginning.   Two Card Spread You can use this spread to take a closer look at your character’s obstacles and challenges in any part of your story. 1. Card number 1 shows who your character is in that moment in time. 2. Card number 2 shows you the internal conflict/ or resistance they feel to things happening in the story. Now that you are armed with these tarot spreads, you can reach for them anytime you feel stuck or uncertain rather than staring at a blank page. Experiment with creating your own spreads for your characters and plot. The tarot is a powerful conduit for you to access your creativity, imagination and intuition and is a wonderful addition to any writer’s toolkit. Happy writing until next time, Naz x   Want to learn more about navigating the path to becoming a spiritual and wellbeing author? Grab your tickets for Naz's workshop here when booking a festival ticket use code BELTANE20 for 20% off and a further discount on Naz's workshop with the code NA10.  For part 1 of this series click here     Follow for more content on our Instagram, or Facebook pages.