Tarot for Writing Day 1: Chang O

Dear Writer,

Did you know you can use literally anything for inspiration? There’s a huge power of the random in the search for meaning, and writing is all about meaning. So this week, in honor of our search for meaning, I’m going to pull a random major arcana tarot card every day from my favorite deck, The Goddess Tarot by Kris Waldherr.

All meanings are transcribed verbatim from Waldherr’s accompanying book. As you read them, try to apply the concepts to your current work. If you don’t have a WIP at the ready, how might they inspire a new idea? Play a bit. Have some fun.

Today, I pulled Chang O, reversed. Traditional card map: The Hermit.

Waldherr writes:

Chang O, the Chinese moon goddess, symbolizes the need for withdrawal from the world to better contemplate life’s eternal questions. She is associated with Contemplation. Contemplation reversed suggests a sense of being distracted by the world. Be careful not to ignore your intuition. Take time to think or reflect—this will help you connect to your true needs at this time.

Does that give you anything that might work for any of your characters? Remember that prompts are not always for the protagonist; what if you applied this kind of compassion to your antagonist? How might that inflate your sense of who they are, what they’re doing and why they’re doing it?

Kinda great, isn’t it?

Everything,

L