Writerly Tarot for the Week: The Page of Wands

Oh, thank goodness! After all the wreckage of the Tower (see last week's post), it's nice to have such a clean, straightforward card to point our way. Because the Wands are the suit of inspiration and passion, of using our will and our enthusiasm to . . . well, whatever ends and purposes we choose. The Pages, however, aren't about the ends -- Pages herald beginnings -- and when you have two fired-up energies combined together in one dynamic card, best find a project to channel that fire and drive, and be quick about it.

Ah, but here's the tricky-tricky about fresh starts -- they can be hard for those of us with our identity bound up in some idea of proficiency. Oh, not you, of course. You understand that ten-thousand-hour arc to experthood. You know beginner's mind like the back of your hand.

But the rest of us -- sometimes anyway -- feel like we just strapped on roller skates for the first time whenever we try something new. That feeling of graceless precariousness can be a bit unsettling. But take a page from our Page -- those boots are made for walking. And that Wand is made for adventure.

This week, look at whatever you might be avoiding because you don't feel quite adequate at it. Is there a query letter you're putting off sending? A proposal you're avoiding? A phone call that needs making? A manuscript that needs feedback? A new skill that's still in the squeaky-hinge stage?

This week, try doing the thing that scares you. You know what they say -- what doesn't kill you makes for a good story.

Writerly Tarot for the Week: The Tower

Oh jeez. It looks like it's going to be one of those weeks. Mercury retrograde and now this disaster.

Because let's face it, nobody wants to see The Tower rearing up from the deck. Other cards may look scary -- Death, The Devil, The Ten of Swords -- but nothing delivers that sinking feeling of "aw crap" like The Tower.

So let's take a deep breath before proceeding, shall we?

Okay.

Here we go.

The Tower shows up when imminent destruction is on the horizon, and not just any ol' random destruction -- something you have crafted and assembled, something that has value and substance, is tumbling lightning-struck into the sea. And you're tumbling with it (or some part of you is, some piece of your identity). Down down down.

Here's the thing, though -- whatever it is that's crumbling right now, it's outlived its usefulness. Maybe it seemed a good idea at the time. Maybe it was. As writers, our curiosity is voracious and cosmopolitan, free range and full steam. We join this group, sign up for that workshop. We agree to this event, that blog tour. All of these create our authorial "platform," our professional presence in the world. It's a necessary part of being a professional writer . . . but it's not writing. And it's the writing that makes a writer. Neglect that foundational part of your platform and . . . ka-blam.

It's all too easy to create a pretty version of who we are as writers, and then live that version as if it were the reality. Our version is often well-designed and structurally sound. It makes for comfortable living. But no matter how pretty, it's a copy. And this week, it begins its crumble into dust.

What's beginning to fall apart in your life? Is it something you built? Might it have a large chunk of your ego bricked up in one of the load-bearing walls?

If so, the Tower reminds you that you can only forestall the inevitable for so long -- best stay out of the way and let it tumble. Afterwards, you can take a deep breath and go through the rubble. You can try to see to the clear horizon behind, the clean plot of land below.

But for now . . . watch for falling rocks.


 

Mystery Writing and Tarot on Booklover's Bench

I'm excited to be a new member of the team at Booklover's Bench, joining several of my favorite mystery writers as we share news and prizes with our readers.

My introductory piece for them explains the similarities between my work as a mystery writer and my work as a tarot reader. If you'd like to check it out, you can find it archived here.

Writerly Tarot for the Week: Justice

Unlike her likeness portrayed in our court systems, Lady Justice of the tarot is not blindfolded. No, this lady sees very clearly, and her perceptions are objective and precise, equal parts severity and mercy applied through some cosmic algorithm only she is privy to.

So you may ask, dear creative soul, what does she have to tell you this week?

First of all, Justice is a major arcana, one of the so-called "big" cards of the tarot. I often refer to them as "postcards from the Universe" and they come right to your karmic mailbox, addressed to you personally with indelible ink. Which makes this card a double whammy, because Justice is the card of karma. The card of actions reaping consequences. The card of equations, as carefully calibrated as that scale she holds, as perfectly double-edged as the sword she wields.

In other words, you have only yourself to blame -- or thank -- for whatever is going on in your creative world right now, and the same will be true of tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. Now now, don't get touchy. Sometimes we may feel like a character in a Gothic novel, afflicted with travails and troubles and inconvenient conflicts through no fault of our own. We may want to rail like Job against . . . well, there's your Big Question. Ponder that one on your own time.

Justice is acquainted with all aspects of the current situation, however, both BIG and small. She's not requiring that kind of comprehension of you, of course. But it might help to listen when she clears her throat, look around to see what she's trying to bring to your attention, which is usually some pivot point upon which you can work some exponential results.

You already have the long-enough lever -- she's simply showing you where you might stand.

Writerly Tarot for the Week: The Two of Wands

Ah, decisions decisions. Choice is a fantastic problem to have, one of the finest, but it does come with challenges. Such is the energy of the Two of Wands.

Wands are the suit of fire and passion and soul purpose (get used to seeing them if you seriously pursue any creative endeavor). As such, they are expansive, direct, and somewhat chaotic. Twos, however, are cards of balance and union. Which makes for a peculiar tension in this particular card.

Luckily, we writers know that tension is necessary -- it's the building block of conflict, and it adds a fine singing tone to our work, much like the properly adjusted strings of a violin create its rich soulful music. Real life tension can be a little more nerve-wracking, but it is just as necessary, and just as useful.

Think about your work in progress, your abilities in progress, your creative purpose in progress: what options are you holding? What ideas are you weighing? It's good to be patient, to ponder, to take the long view -- as the Steampunk Tarot explains, "A wielder of fire does not chant 'eenie-meanie-miny-moe.'" But do not dither. You've got some powerful energy at work. Choose and move forward.

(Pro Tip -- sometimes a choice is not either/or. Sometimes the choice is to hold the two options in tension . . . and walk between them).

Writerly Tarot for the Week -- The Seven of Wands

Feeling a bit embattled? You and me both.The fact that it's taken me until Wednesday to write up this Monday reading says a lot of the state of the creative state around here (Mercury retrograde too! Oy vey!).

The wands can bring a lot of creative energy to a situation, but a lot of chaos too. Just look at this card -- our hero is taking on six different enemies, all at one time, all with their pointy sticks aimed right at him. I bet you can easily think of six things competing for your time and attention -- six chores, six e-mails, six bills, six phone calls to return. And you and your one stick to fight them all.

This week, box up any perfectionistic tendencies you have and shove them on a high shelf. Put out what fires you can, the ones liable to flare into conflagration. Plant your feet on whatever solid ground you can find. Muster your reserves. And give yourself a pat on the back for every accomplishment, no matter how small.

And above all, protect your creative time from all those hostile forces. Shut the door. Turn off the phone. Take whatever snatches of clear and open time come your way to write, to ponder, to look at pretty pictures, whatever refuels your creative mojo. Soon enough the clatter of sticks will fill the air, and you'll have to grab your own stick and whack away. But in the small moments, when the blue sky is empty and silent, connect with your purpose, your joy, your reason for doing this thing. And do whatever you can to celebrate and own that purpose.

Your Writerly Tarot Reading . . . Coming Soon

So I'm revamping my tarot practice again. It's a regular thing I do, like cleaning the closet or reorganizing the laundry room. And it never fails to turns up surprises both pleasant and not-so-pleasant -- missing earrings, decayed cookies, that birthday card for your best friend that you swore you'd left right on the counter.

Artwork Courtesy of Thalia Took

One of the things I'm happy to be dusting off is my daily practice -- pulling one card a day, mulling it over during the next unfolding hours. Watching the ways its energy manifests, making new connections. I always tell people that the daily one-card reading is the best way to get to know the tarot, the best way to get to know a new deck, and the best way to develop a relationship with yourself as a reader.

And yet my practice dwindled. I got caught it in other things (what were they? I wonder now) and my practice fell by the wayside. I only pulled out the cards for momentous occasions. Which is no way to treat such a fine companion as a tarot deck. It's like only calling your best friend when you need money.

So I am recommitting myself to the daily practice. In addition, I'm committing to a weekly shared practice. I've written many many times about how tarot is a fine tool for creative work, especially writing, how my work as a tarot reader is similar to my work as a mystery writer -- that is, I connect themes and images into a coherent narrative. Tarot helps you break through blocks, uncover hidden ideas, and connect pieces and parts that perhaps seemed vastly different on first glance. It is a tool of discovery . . . perfect for any writer, especially those who look at the writing process using Stephen King's brilliant comparison -- that writing is like fossil hunting, more about searching and finding what is already there than making something new out of thin air. And -- especially important -- treating the fossils you find with the care they deserve.

So I've decide to use this space to offer a weekly reading for all you writers out there, seeking a nudge from the Universe. Feel free to send me your own questions and interpretations.

So what say you? Shall we begin?