Orientation: Tarot for Writers
Day ~1~ in the Tarot Tent
Welcome to The Tarot Tent, a special five-day event brought to you by The Shuffle.
Each day, as part of this virtual summer camp experience for writers, I’m bringing a Tarot-for-Writers workshop out of my archives to share with you!
Recordings will be available free for everyone for 24 hours, and then they’ll live in The Shuffle library for full-access subscribers forever! PS: full-access subscribers can find details on book a complimentary mini-spark session with me at the bottom of this email!
The opening card of the tarot is the Fool, and if any card in the deck gives first-day-of-camp energy, it’s this one: The Fool is lightly packed and ready for anything.
An adventurer to the core, The Fool is the embodiment of moving boldly through the world, trusting that they have what they need to keep themself safe. I’ll ask you to bring that same energy with you over the next five days.
Like the Fool, we’re going to be diving off some deep ends as we explore ways of unlocking writing magic through the tarot.
Speaking of what to bring with you on our Tarot Tent journey….
One of my favorite details about the Fool is the rucksack — this small but critical bag signals to me that this character knows they’re off on a journey, and they aren’t heading out completely unprepared. They’ve been clever enough to pack the essentials, and leave everything else behind so that their heftiest pre-conceptions, judgements and fears don’t weigh them down.
Before you dive into today’s materials, I’d love for you to curate your own rucksack.
Let’s start with what’s absolutely required to make the most out of what’s to come this week:
Something to write with
Something to write on
A tarot deck
A pinch of: imagination, curiosity, and playfulness
Meanwhile, there’s one thing you’ll definitely have to leave behind:
Your inner-critic (it’s simply too heavy to take where we’re going! But don’t worry, you’ve got pen and paper. You can write the old inner-critic a letter if you’re missing it 😉)
Take a moment now, with that same pen and paper you’re planning on bringing along with you, to jot down a few more things you’ll definitely need for the journey, and a couple of things you can ditch to lighten your load.
And while you’re at it, why not reflect on paper about what you hope your Tarot Tent experience is going to be like? Ask yourself:
What do I hope to learn?
How do I hope to grow?
What questions about my projects and/or the tarot do I want to explore?
How can I be adventurous this week?
Alright campers, now that you’re packed and your intentions are set, it’s time to to go. The Tarot Tent is officially open, so come on in and choose a bunk.
Below you’ll find our first pre-recorded workshop. Think of today’s Tarot Tent experience as a first-day-of-camp orientation. Consider it your chance to get a lay of the land, and learn the foundations you’ll be returning to all week as we explore the many facets of using tarot as a writing tool.
We cover:
What makes tarot a brilliant storytelling tool
How to start using tarot in your writing today, even if you've never touched a tarot deck before
How to read a tarot spread like a writer
What tarot decks and tools I recommend for writers
NOTE: This workshop was first recorded in October 2023, as part of my TAROTWRIMO workshop series to help writers prepare for NaNoWriMo.
Wherever participants have been invited to share in the chat, I encourage you to share in the comments below.