Tina Capalbo

Why tarot?

You might have doubts about using tarot as a writing tool.
That's fine. You can start and stop using tarot as a tool whenever you choose. You can pick it up again later if you like or lay the deck down forever.

If you don't know how tarot can help with your writing, imagine you're exploring plot complications in your narrative. The cards you pull will offer specific meanings and directions, helpful information, unexpected insights, challenges to consider, and confirmation or clarity about ideas you might already be developing.

Start by learning basic meanings associated with each tarot card. Card meanings vary a bit from deck to deck, but you will get a feel for the energy of major arcana cards versus the minor arcana, the four suits (wands, cups, swords, pentacles), the visual imagery, symbolism and numbers on the cards, and the face card archetypes. The practical writing exercises allow you to workshop your story ideas on paper or screen while pulling or choosing cards and learning the tarot deck at the same time.

I've been using tarot on and off for many years, so I read intuitively now, but I always begin by drawing from the literal meanings of a card, and the cards around it, first. You will too. You will start with the literal meaning of the card then make other connections in ways that are unique and meaningful to you, your characters and storylines.

Get to Know the Tarot Cards

It's generally believed that early tarot decks evolved from standard playing cards over 500 years ago.

These days a standard tarot deck has 78 cards. There are 22 major arcana cards that comprise a journey starting with The Fool and progressing to completion with The World. There are also 56 minor arcana cards that include four suits (wands, swords, cups, pentacles) comprised of 10 pip cards and 4 court cards each.

I have some favourite tarot and oracle decks, but these change over time and different decks call out at different times. Your tarot deck doesn't have to be fancy or expensive, and you can use a deck of standard cards to start. More on that later. More often than not, I will pull out the traditional Radiant Rider-Waite tarot deck. The decks I use are listed below, alphabetically:

Tarot Decks I Use

Angel Tarot by Radleigh Valentine | Steve A. Roberts

Connolly Tarot by Peter Connolly

Crow Tarot by MJ Cullinane

Crystal Power Tarot by Jayne Wallace | Roberta Orpwood

Fairy Tarot by Radleigh Valentine | Howard David Johnson

Gilded Tarot by Ciro Marchetti

Jane Austen Tarot by Jacqui Oakley

Light Seer's Tarot by Chris-Anne

Psychic Tarot for the Heart Oracle Deck by John Holland

Psychic Tarot Oracle Deck by John Holland

Radiant Rider-Waite Tarot

Radiant Wise Spirit Tarot by Lo Scarabeo

Rider-Waite Tarot

Tarot Illuminati by Erik G. Dunne

Tarot of the Divine by Yoshi Yoshitani

Tarot of the Hidden Realm by Julia Jeffery | Barbara Moore

Wild Unknown Tarot by Kim Krans

Witches Tarot by Ellen Dugan | Mark Evans

Oracle Decks

Angels and Ancestors by Kyle Gray | Lily Moses

Angel Answers by Radleigh Valentine | Marius Michael-George

Archangel Michael by Doreen Virtue

Archangel Oracle by Diana Cooper | Jane Delaford Taylor

Angel Prayers Oracle by Kyle Gray

Ask and It Is Given by Esther and Jerry Hicks

Buddha Wisdom: Divine Masculine - The Truth of Buddha by Sofan Chan

Buddha Wisdom: Divine Feminine - The Heart of Kwan Yin by Sofan Chan

Divine Feminine by Meggan Watterson | Lisbeth Cheever-Gessaman

Dragon Path by Caroline Mitchell | Tiras Verey

Energy Oracle by Sandra Anne Taylor

Lightworker Oracle by Alana Fairchild

Magical Unicorns by Doreen Virtue

Oracle of the Fairies by Karen Kay | Ginger Kelly

Sacred Forest Oracle by Denise Linn

Soul Helper Oracle by Christine Arana Fader | Elena Dudina

Whispers of Love by Angela Hartfield | Josephine Wall

Whispers of the Ocean by Angela Hartfield | Ekaterina Golovanova

Work Your Light by Rebecca Campbell