Tarot Storytelling

I recently discovered tarot Storytelling and thought it would make a FUN swap!!

With this method, you need to let any preconceptions fade about the cards you see and how you interpret them. You need to approach your deck with the childlike innocence you had when you were young – when you saw things clearly in black and white and spoke as you found…

All you need for this exercise is a tarot deck, a pen and some paper – preferably your tarot journal! Choose a tarot deck to work with that you’re comfortable with, which you can relate to and which you enjoy using. If you’re trying to work with a deck whose images don’t resonate fully with you, you’ll find it hard to interpret the cards fully.

Begin by grounding yourself. Close your eyes and take two or three deep cleansing breaths, slowly in and out. Make sure your feet are flat on the floor, connecting with the earth. Open your eyes, take your deck and slowly and thoughtfully shuffle it, noting how the cards feel in your hands, how they slide across one another. How long you shuffle is down to personal choice, but when you’re ready, start laying cards face down in front of you, from left to right.

I find that five or six cards is ideal for this exercise, as this gives you enough cards to really let your imagination flow. Let your inhibitions go and try to recapture your “inner child”.

Turn the cards face up once they’re all laid out. Take your time and slowly look at each card. Don’t try to interpret symbols or hidden meanings, or think of the standard meanings for the cards.

Now begin to write down the story you see before you in the cards. Let the words flow, be as adventurous and descriptive as you wish. Try to keep the story flowing from one card to the next, working from left to right.

The following is one example of a storytelling exercise.The cards I laid out were:

Three of Wands The Moon Justice The World The Hermit

“Jack was restless. He lived in a comfortable home with his uncle and had all he needed. But he knew in his heart that he couldn’t stay in his uncle’s house – he needed to spread his wings, to find new horizons. He would stand down on the beach, wistfully watching the ships sailing away out of the harbour and wishing he was on one of those boats… One evening, Jack could stand it no longer and slipped out of the house, leaving his uncle counting the days’ takings. He made his way down to the beach. The full moon shone clearly, lighting up the rippling waves. Jack closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He loved the moon, with her clear, shining beauty. “Help me find a way to make my dreams come true”, he breathed. As he opened his eyes, he was surprised to find a lovely young woman standing in front of him. She smiled shyly at Jack. “Hello”, said Jack, “if I didn’t know better, I’d say I dreamt you up” “How do you know you haven’t?” replied the woman. “Can you help me move on?” “I’ll try. What exactly do you want?” “To get away and find adventure and an exciting life. It’s ok here but I need more…” “It’s beautiful here”, she sighed. “Listen to the waves – and I can feel the moon on my eyelids”. “Yes, the view’s great but there are bound to be better ones somewhere else” “You’re lucky to be able to see what’s in front of you”. The young woman spoke softly. And it was then that Jack noticed that she was blind. He felt a wrench. How selfish was he, to go on when this young woman had such problems. “Don’t feel sorry for me”, she said softly. “I don’t need eyes to see. I use my mind and my inner feelings” Jack turned slowly. “I’d be lost without my sight. How would I manage?” She smiled. “You need to get out into the world and see things for yourself. Forget your physical eyes and trust your instincts” He found his true self and made plans to return home, where he knew without a shadow of a doubt that a certain young woman would be waiting there for him…..”

As you can see, you can make this exercise as elaborate or as simple as you wish; try this as often as you wish, you’ll become immersed in the images of your cards. Just go with the flow and write what you see. From :Tarot Cards for You

For this swap:

Draw 5-6 Tarot cards and write a story. E-mail your story to your partners. Remember to have FUN!!