Tarot Narrative - Story Starter

But that same gentle Spirit, from whose pen
Large streames of honnie and sweete Nectar flowe,
Scorning the boldnes of such base-borne men,
Which dare their follies forth so rashlie throwe;
Doth rather choose to sit in idle Cell,
Than so himselfe to mockerie to sell.

from "The Teares of the Muses" by Edmund Spenser, 1591

courtesy of Joanna Powell Colbert

This Fool is much more a Seeker than a Clown or Jester. She is at that stage of life between childhood and adulthood when anything is possible, and her life lies before her like a page waiting to be written. We see her beginning a journey, taking a moment to contemplate the road ahead before setting off down the hillside. With Fox as her trickster companion, who knows what surprises await her? Swallows and Swallowtails flit and flutter around her, guiding her way.

Meditate upon Joanna Powell Colbert's Gaian Tarot and write narrative fragments of your own journey using Powell Colbert's descriptors as a frame.

Meditating upon Tarot cards is a wonderful way to begin writing. I had not realised that each Tarot pack offers a life narrative until Sue Tweg, the Head of English at Monash University illustrated the process. The cards reveal the cyclic pattern of life and provide a wonderful starting point for fiction.

I sometimes use these delightful images to kick start some writing at my writing group. We randomly select a card and then I will ask them to use the character in a fairy story or myth. Once you use the opening line 'Once upon a time...' it seems to just flow. We never use the card to make interpretations.

Use the three eternal characters depicted here to write a short myth that incorporates all the essential, mythic elements.

If you do not have a Tarot deck just simply go to this Tarot site and enjoy the random element of the site.