Creative writing with the tarot

Weekly Creativity Prompt – The Hanged Man

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Prompt: “Pull the card from your deck(s) that matches the card posted below. Compare the imagery between the card provided below and the card(s) from your own deck(s). How would you read them differently and why?“

Tarot of the Hidden Realms - The Hanged ManTarot of the Hidden Realm – Eyes open and body relaxed, he hangs inverted and sees the world from this vantage point.  As the green grows up around him, coiling in his hair, a butterfly comes to whisper secrets for him to hear.    In this imagery I see patience, but also a hint of determination in his features. He does not hang for the heck of it, but with purpose.  He is a seeker, and he wants to see this alternate view. Thus, I would see this card as an encouragement to actively seek out new perspectives.

The Stormlight Archive Tarot, Darkened Dreams Tarot, The Kitchen Tarot

The Stormlight Archive Tarot – In this card the figure is bound by one wrist, pierced by an arrow, and run through by many blades, one of which also pierces through his free hand.  He hangs with his head bowed, brought to a knee in his pain, bound through not just ropes or twine, but by punishing pain as well.  As the Hanged Man, this card reminds me that the world looks different to everyone.  Chronic pain, pessimism, punishment, or misfortune can all create a skewed view of reality.  A skewed view we then carry with us as we move through life.  I see this card as a reminder that we must pull out the (metaphorical) blades that keep our past wounds open and raw so that we can heal and begin to rise, straighten from our kneel, and see the world from a better perspective.

Darkened Dreams Tarot – In the imagery of this card we see a figure that ascends as if defying gravity, their wrist anchored to a barren tree as they are pulled upward, defying gravity.  This imagery speaks to me of astral projection while the colors of the card speak to me of enlightenment.  As the body is anchored to a tree, it makes me wonder if it is not the tree’s soul that floats above, seeking new adventures and perspectives that it cannot experience when rooted to the ground. I see this card as an encouragement to explore and try new things, seek out new experiences and allow them to expand one’s perception of the world.

The Kitchen Tarot – In this deck, the Hanged One is named the Kitchen Timer with the added input of the words “miracle worker” etched into the arms of the chef with their third eye open and the other two eyes closed. There is something to be said for the old adage “time heals all wounds” and, in a way, this is true…. -if- you are willing to be open to the healing that time offers us.  I would see this card as an encouragement to wait.  To wait and to watch, and to keep an open mind.  Allow yourself to move past your own first impressions, and look deeper.

DECK USED: TAROT OF THE HIDDEN REALM, THE STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE TAROT, DARKENED DREAMS TAROT, THE KITCHEN TAROT

Weekly Creativity Prompt – The Feels

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Prompt: “Draw a single random card from (one of) your favorite decks and share how the card’s imagery makes you feel.”

The Pinokkio Tarot by Sagittis - The FoolDisgusted. I mean honestly, that was my first reaction when I saw this card. Disgust.

Pinokkio has decided to lay among the grass and flowers, and because he’s not paying attention to his surroundings and has lain himself down in an inadvisable place, he’s going to get pissed on by a dog.

Interestingly, my feeling of disgust concerning this card are very similar to the feeling of disgust I get when I find people who are willfully ignorant and choose to do stupid shit without thinking about it first. So the feeling is very accurate for the Fool where I am concerned, as the Fool is often quite irresponsible and oblivious to their surroundings in most cases.

My disgust in this picture would turn my perspective on the meaning of the Fool’s placement in a reading into something slightly more cautionary or negative. Ie: a warning about not paying attention, taking care to do not do foolish things, or a message about thinking before you act.

DECK USED: PINOKKIO TAROT BY SAGITTIS

Weekly Creativity Prompt – Memories

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Prompt: “Draw (at least) three cards and use them to describe the first memory that the card combination brings to mind.”

Storytelling with the Don't Starve TarotThe Wolf and The Fox
(The story of Gideon and Twist)

There was once a young fox that was fiercely independent and thought he had everything he needed in life (The Magician). He went through his days doing what he wished without commitments (The Fool), running his life with efficiency and single-minded focus.

One day this fox met a great big wolf who stirred up things within his soul that he didn’t understand (The High Priestess). It made the fox uncertain, as he felt unbalanced in the wolf’s company, and so he often ran away from the wolf (The Moon) even while at other times he was irresistibly drawn to be in the wolf’s company again and again (The Devil).

There came a time in the wolf’s life when everything he knew fell apart and those he trusted turned on him (The Tower), upsetting not just his current life but what he saw as his future (Judgement).

In kindness, the fox reached out to the wolf to make sure that he was okay (The Empress). In the conversation that ensued, the fox provided insight (The Hierophant) and perspective to the wolf that the wolf had not considered, and which changed his outlook on his situation entirely (The Hanged Man).

The wolf found the fox to be a breath of fresh air into his life (The Star), and recognized the great amount of joy the fox provided for him not just in his time of darkness but in all the time they’d known each other (The Sun). He began to earnestly pursue a relationship with the fox (The Chariot), and eventually the fox stopped running (Temperance).

Now the wolf and the fox travel as one (The Lovers). They take care of each other and support each other through thick and thin (Strength), facing life’s path together side-by-side as they move forward into the future (The World).

DECK USED: DON’T STARVE TAROT

Weekly Creativity Prompt – Music Lovers

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Prompt: “Have you ever listened to a song and suddenly realized “This song is such a Tower/Emperor/Hanged Man song!”? This activity is based off of a love for music and how we associate music with the world around us. Pick (or randomly draw) five cards from your deck. Then, for each card, pick (or find) a song that you feel fits that card perfectly.”

Fate | Flower Tarot Cards

Four of Cups – Only Happy When It Rains by Garbage
https://youtu.be/GpBFOJ3R0M4

Six of Cups – Walk On the Ocean by Toad the Wet Sprocket
https://youtu.be/12bM1CqHoBY

The Sun – Don’t Worry Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin
https://youtu.be/d-diB65scQU

The Devil – Not an Addict by K’s Choice
https://youtu.be/JT2SsWOCoEw

Fate | Flower Tarot Cards

Knight of Wands – Firestarter by Prodigy
https://youtu.be/wmin5WkOuPw

Judgement – Ain’t No Rest For the Wicked by Cage the Elephant
https://youtu.be/HKtsdZs9LJo

Knight of Cups – I Will Possess Your Heart by Death Cab for Cutie
https://youtu.be/PsCV61zsdtA

Nine of Swords – X Amount of Words by Blue October
https://youtu.be/X_jY7wILH-E

DECK USED:  FATE | FLOWER TAROT CARDS

Weekly Creativity Prompt – Wrong Number

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Prompt: “Draw (at least) three cards and use them to tell us a real or fictional story about a call that was the wrong number.”

I Gatti di Kuniyoshi - Il Meneghello EditionThe Magician (l’Bagatto):

Antonio was sure that this was the job for him. He’s been trained well, going through all the company’s courses, and sailing through it all with flying colors.

Now, this morning, he walks into the office for his first day at work with his back straight and his shoulders strong.  He moves to his new desk and unbuttons his suit jacket as he sits down in the comfortable ergonomic chair.  He looks over all the buttons on the console, and he’s pleased that he feels not just professional and prepared, but filled with confidence.

The Tower (La Torre):

Putting on the head set and tucking the little speaker against his ear, he settles in and hits the button to make his very first call, and when the line is answered on the other side, he smoothly goes into his spiel. “Hi there! My name is Antonio and I’m calling to speak to Ms Dixie Rect. If you could give me a moment of your time, I have an amazing opportunity for you!”

The woman on the phone then immediately goes into an enraged tirade. She calls him a horrible person. A degenerate!  A pervert!!  She screams at him, telling him that she is going to call the police on him and have him arrested for harassment, and she took him so off guard that he ends up breaking the very first rule he’d learned in training.  He hung up on her!

The Hanged Man (l’Appeso):

After hanging up, he sits there shell-shocked and shaking. His heart thunders and he’s near tears as he sits still and quiet in his chair.  Swallowing as he battles with his embarrassment, he looks around to see if anyone in any of the other cubicles had seen what had happened, and assures he was not observed. He takes a slow, deep breath and a few minutes to calm down.

Rising, he then takes a moment to step into the bathroom and splash water on his face before returning to his cubical and sitting down.

The Sun (Sole):

It is as he is sitting down at the desk and prepared to begin again, that he looks up to his customer list on the computer screen and sees it… and starts to laugh.  His gaze resting on the name on the screen.  The name he’d just called.

Dixie Rect.    Dicks Erect.

And as he laughs, his co-workers popped up around the walls of his cubical with a loud “GOTCHA!” The number had been that of one of his co-worker’s wives, and the entire thing had been a practical joke. And as all laughed and welcomed him into the fold, he felt truly at home and welcomed, and his confidence was restored.

DECK USED: IL GATTI DI KUNIYOSHI – IL MENEGHELLO EDIZIONI

Weekly Creativity Prompt – Temperance

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Prompt: “Pull the card from your deck(s) that matches the card posted below. Compare the imagery between the card provided below and the card(s) from your own deck(s). How would you read them differently and why?”

Tarot of the Hidden Realm - TemperanceTarot of the Hidden Realm – For me this card’s imagery is all about gentle energy and a great deal of focus. She pours carefully, after all, in order to not spill a drop.  The dragonfly in the lower left corner speaks of change. I would read this card as a need to instill more patience and focus into one’s life, redirecting impatience and chaos into healthier and more peaceful alternatives.

Oriental Fantasy Tarot, Gold Moon Major Arcana, Il Meneghello's Tarocco Musica

Oriental Fantasy Tarot – The imagery in this card is closest to that of a standard RWS deck.  There is a balance between earth and water that speaks of connecting emotions to a grounded energy, creating a stability to the unpredictability of one’s emotions. The star in the sky offers guidance, while the budding tree behind the standing figure speaks of the sweet burst of new life beginning to awaken. The imagery here speaks to me about time, and how growth is not immediate but takes time to accomplish as well as a combination of different factors coming together to create the right environment for things to flourish.

Gold Moon Major Arcana – Here I do not see the “connection” aspect that I see in the Oriental Fantasy Tarot’s imagery. Nor the gentle touch that is seen in the Tarot of the Hidden Realm. Instead what I see is that the figure in the card seeks to connect to the viewer.

In the traditional tarot, as well as in the Hidden Realms deck, the figure connects to both earth and water through their feet, signifying a connection between two realms of experience. Here in this card’s imagery it is purely about moderation, steadiness, and balance as the figure pours water from one urn to another without looking… and, the glance towards the viewer seems to hold expectation, as if to say that the viewer also has the ability to use these traits when necessary.

Il Meneghello’s Tarocco Musica – This card is designed to be a of Monteverdi’s Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, where a knight battles a mysterious foe that he thinks is a known enemy, but who refuses to reveal their identity behind their armor until that foe is defeated and the knight then realizes he’s slain the woman he loves. In this operatic story, the woman is then baptized by her love just before her final breath. Knowing the source of the card and what it represents brings special meaning to this card for me and I would read this card as being a word of caution against assumptions and rash action.

DECK USED: TAROT OF THE HIDDEN REALM, ORIENTAL FANTASY TAROT, GOLD MOON MAJOR ARCANA, IL MENEGHELLO’S TAROCCO MUSICA