Monday, January 21, 2008

LEARNING TO USE TAROT TO DEVELOP CHARACTERS & PLOT

I just finished a four week online Tarot class, taught by Elizabeth Delisi through a Romance Writers of America chapter. Tarot's valuable for use in many genres.

First, you need a Tarot deck you like--one that "speaks" to you. There are many decks available. See http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/. Each has a theme, i.e. Victorian, Faeries, Vampires, Contemporary, Gay, Ancient Egypt...whatever. Their illustrations match the theme. Some of them hold great appeal for me. Many don't. If you're a real "Tarot-er," you'll have several decks. One woman in the class confessed she has 50. I don't plan to go into the business of reading for people, but I see why people collect them. Some are gorgeous. A second deck I'd like costs $75 on Amazon.

I guess I won't be buying that one any time soon.

To "read" the cards, you ask a question, such as "What's my character's background?" Then you shuffle the deck and lay some cards out. The number of cards and the shape in which you form them are your choice. It's amazing, but looking at them will spark answers to your question.

Having used them now to develop a character, I believe the Arcana--the "secrets and mystery"--of the cards lies in the fact they tap into what's already lurking in your mind. Although there are guidelines as to what each card means, you're the one interpreting the scenes on the cards.

Another fun Tarot site is http://www.ate-tarot.com/reflections/01-05-08/. Also, Delisi recommended "Learning Tarot" by Joan Bunning. Bunning has a free online class I stumbled onto at http://learntarot.com

Happy reading,
Dee Ann Palmer
Posted by Dee Ann Palmer 11:06 AM 0 Comments:

Post a Comment

---------------------------------------