When the wolves are howling and the moon is bright. The witches are dancing, what a glorious sight.

And the imps are praying for the angels to fall. And the sinners are laughing, their backs to the wall.

And the air is pulsing with a deep dark need. As the magic weaves black, you'll fall to your knees.

And your body is jerking, its rhythm unknown. You'll feel the Devil laughing as you're cut to the bone.

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A while ago I drew a card to represent a writing project, a romance novel. The card my Leonardo da Vinci deck served up was 12-The Hanged Man, and since then this card has shown up in spreads, or related to spreads, I’ve done for other people, probably as a reminder that the project has taken a back seat long enough and I need to get started again, so in light of my rediscovery of the Writer’s Spread that I’ve never tired, and had forgotten I had, I’ve decided to investigate the issue further.


And then maybe I can get down to some writing... or maybe not as the case may be! :)


The Writer’s Spread was done on the 24th September 2003 and consists of 9 cards:

[Many descriptions based on ‘Cosmic Tarot’ by Jean Huets]


1__2______5__6______9


_____3__4______7__8




[1-2] Past pertaining to this project.

18-The Moon; Ace of Cups

Inspiration, the kernel of an idea and this is the first time I’ve had a chapter plan just come to me, I wasn’t even sure I could do a cohesive one at such an early stage, but it all fell into place.
The Moon is my dream of writing a book, this book at the moment; it can also represent artistic talent, the subconscious and hidden mental power, not to mention secrets.
You’re the only person I’ve told about this so far! :)

The Ace of Cups is my pleasure at the idea of this project, and the positive outlook I had for it!

And while all this sounds lovely, it’s in the past position; a strong enthusiastic start is all very well if you can keep the momentum going.


[3-4] Something you need to know about this project, but may not be aware of.

Page of Wands; Ace of Swords

Need to use the drive of these 2 cards to get on with it, slay my dragons, make time, and take action.

Is the Page telling me I need more energy than I have available? Maybe I need to cut some things lose if I really want to get into this project? Or should I focus on his artistic merit and passion to boost my confidence? I know I don’t want to base my hero on this card; he’s a heartbreaker.

This is where I’m grateful there’s a second card to clarify things!
Again with the passion, always a bonus in romance, the Ace of Swords is a card of mental power and triumph; I can work out a flexible schedule, not let anyone down, and still work on my book. It’ll take more time, but that’s not really an issue, and a key phrase for this card is ‘[g]reat determination’.

On the downside the Ace of Swords can mean self-destruction, ambiguity and repression, but tempered by the Page of Wands and Temperance in the next 2-card grouping this shouldn’t come to more than the usual self-doubt and procrastination that besets most writers at one time or another.

[5-6] Forces working for this project.

10-Wheel of Fortune; 14-Temperance

There’s a large market for romance, I love the story and genre, though horror’s my favourite. I have patience – sometimes, and I won’t be devastated if nothing comes of it, I just want to write/finish the story. Maybe I’m lucky too, round and round she goes…

To me, this is the most important position in the spread. These are the cards that show what the projects got going for it, and 2 Major Arcana are definitely a good sign in my book – no pun intended!

The Wheel of Fortune in a positive position such as this can cover good luck, healing, a turning point, through to, inevitability, which in this context is a good thing, the books going to get written whether it likes it or not!

Temperance is the calming influence, keeping me balanced, patient and hopeful. It can also be a matchmaker – a publisher and me, [at some point], wouldn’t go amiss ;)

It also underlines the Ace of Swords and the schedule idea, everything in moderation, it may take a little more time and patience, but I’ll get there in the end, and maybe the story will be better for it.

In relation to the Ace of Swords, Temperance will also counter any negative influences that might arise from the attitude of that card, the Temperance angel has his head screwed on – the right way.


[7-8] Personal meaning of this project.

3 of Pentacles; 1-The Magician

It means hard work, due in part to a chronic illness and other commitments, but my creation will live! It’s Alive!

The 3 of Pentacles is a card my deck threw at me the other day as I was trying to put it away. There were 3 cards in total, and I took them to be in relation to a web-project I’m helping out with at TABI, as that’s what my head was filled with at the time, but the card is just as relevant in this spread as it was in the accidental one.

It can represent effort and hard work, perseverance, and even fame. On the downside, mediocrity, weakness, money problems and commonplace ideas.

In this position it reflects the meaning of the project to me, which I’ve already stated means hard work and perseverance, but also that any obstacles in my way are there to be overcome – big talk considering I’ve left it alone so long.

The Magician can be a friend, represent determination, skill, initiative, juggling things, self-confidence and a free spirit. On the downside, clumsiness, deception, agitation, and even disgrace.
In this position, while I am clumsy at times, I’m inclined to go with my first impulse, and cry of, ‘It’s Alive’!

Whether the book will turn out to be a Frankenstein’s monster, unfairly persecuted and generally misunderstood remains to be seen :)

So, hard work, but on a personal level at least, very well worth it.


[9] Ultimate outcome; including what else this project may lead to.

7 of Cups

I’ll be old and grey before I finish? I hope not! My creation will be born/published? Well, I do have this blog, and if nothing else I can always serialise the story! Run, run now…
The LWB says “Revelation. Supernatural vision. Hallucination. Mistake of the Senses.”

I’d like to think it’ll be a revelation, to me and others, a nice surprise and an achievement I can be proud of whether I get it published or not.

I’d be happy just to finish it at this point, and that’s the truth.
This card can also ‘indicate that important work is happening in the psyche.’ And one of it’s key phrases is the ‘[p]roductive power of fantasy’, a key element in fiction writing.

The description also mentions psychotic delusions, so if I start running about with my underwear on back to front, waving my Miniature Dachshund Murphy over my head, you’ll know the books been published! *lol*

The 7 of Cups in a different spread could be a depressing card to draw, but in the Writer’s Spread it’s rife with possibilities; imagination, dream work, hopes and fears. The only trouble is, it also comes with wishful thinking, disillusionment, illusory success and ruin!

But I wouldn’t mind being a 1 [romance book] wonder!


Where does this leave me? 4 Major Arcana in a 9-card spread, it’s certainly a project that’s important to me, so maybe I’ll post a love scene at some point and you can tell me it’s got enough, or any, Oomph :)


And now that I’ve added the spread to my blog, and gone public, does it mean I’ll actually have to get on and write the book?
The mind boggles, or should that be blogs? Okay, bad, bad attempt at a joke, couldn’t resist :)


posted by Dark Flower at Saturday, September 27, 2003

 
On the subject of writing, I got an email a couple of weeks ago about the free version of a piece of software called, WriteSparks.

The creator, Shery Ma Belle Arrieta of The E-Writer's Place, is someone I'm aware of within the writing Internet, but don't know personally. I've read a lot of her articles on the craft of writing and visited websites she's had a hand in and enjoyed most of it, so I was pleased to receive the email and have the chance to mess about with this program.


I like it, and plan to add the details to my writing website HopefulWriter soon, but I haven't had much of a chance to play with it due to other commitments, so I thought I'd mention it here ,and give you a couple of examples of the fun to be had if you like this kind of thing.


The free version is smaller than the paid version naturally, but it doesn't expire, which is always a good thing :)


I've just had a go with the 'Quick Prompts Generator' and this is what we came up with, both in 5 mins and under - you can time yourself:


Write about the person who makes you laugh

My story is not about a person, though I have many wonderful people in my life. It's about my dog Murphy, a beautiful Miniature Dachshund, with warm familiar eyes, who makes me smile every day no matter how terrible I feel or how self-absorbed. He can brighten a moment, and make me forget myself.


Write about the odour of distrust.

The odour of distrust is a curious thing; it can creep under doors unnoticed and slap you upside the head in a moment of glee. It smells faintly of musty garlic, over fried and never easy. It blocks natural expression, makes your eyes water and gives you wrinkles.


You also get a 'First Line Generator', 'Cliche Starter Generator', Mixed Metaphors Geneartor' and more, including a button to click to copy your story to the clipboard. The Mixed metaphors bit throws out things like, 'a saddle of gold' and 'a cradle of yearning', so there's plenty of fun to be had with a willing hand and an active imagination. And it's very easy to use.


Remember, this is from the US, so remember to change the spellings in the generated prompts where necessary.


posted by Dark Flower at Thursday, September 25, 2003

 
Enquiring minds have now read further down the page at the Enneagram Test site,

"Main type / mean type 1,2,3,4s are motivated more by feelings (desire for security) and 6,7,8,9s are motivated more by instincts (desire for pleasure). Even if your main type is 5, if you have a non 5 mean type, underneath the surface of your rational manner lies an overall irrational motivation driven by instinct/feelings (extreme example: serial killer)."


I wondered why one of the questions was have you ever wanted to kill someone, it must really weed those slippery little types out with it's subtle and probing nature *lol*


Now that my mind's being put to rest on the subject, I'm off to have some home made soup and a cup of tea - chocolate may be involved, but this is a family site - most of the time - and I'm a lady - we won't go there...


Before I go, for some reason my email spell check is linked up to a sound file of the great Kevin Spacey ala Verbal Kint[?] saying, "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exsist." I love that quote, but why!? Why is it hooked up to my spell checker? And who did it?


This could be a case for Inspector Morse, I just got DVD 3 in the series, 'In The Service of All the Dead', it's the one where the vicar throws himself off a roof and we find out something that Morse is scared of. Did you know his first name is Endeavour? Endeavour Morse, say it fast and it's almost like praying - no, no, say it fast and it sounds like part of 'The Raven' read by Vincent Price.


I really have to go now, blimey you could talk the hind leg off a donkey! :)


posted by Dark Flower at Thursday, September 25, 2003

 
Enneagram Test link from Becoming Tony Blackburn blog - thanks Shelley :)





1w2 is my Enneagram type, yes I like to be alone, no real interest in politics though, and I had a foul temper as a kid, liked to throw things and slam doors, but have gotton over that now ;)


2w1 is my Overall Personality, I don't like being alone? Bit of a clash already, I am an inferno of conflicting emotions - no, really - kneel before me and quake ;) High level of self-control? In many things that are not food or chocolate, yes, I do like to listen to people, I find you most interesting as a race, but guided more by feelings than thought - not lately matey, but it depends on the situation naturally, overall not too bad. I wonder what types a psychopath would be? Enquiring minds want to know...



I think I'll post my Writer's Spread results later :)

posted by Dark Flower at Thursday, September 25, 2003

 
If you’re a writer and also have an interest in Tarot you might like to try this spread a friend sent me. I plan to try it with my Leonardo da Vinci Tarot as soon as I have time to turn round!


Don’t ask me what the layouts supposed to be in the shape of, I haven’t a clue – maybe I set it out wrong – hmmm.



Writer’s Spread


1__2______5__6______9

_____3__4______7__8



[1-2] Past pertaining to this project’

[3-4] Something you need to know about this project, but may not be aware of.

[5-6] Forces working for this project.

[7-8] Personal meaning of this project.

[9] Ultimate outcome; including what else this project may lead.



Should be interesting, as long as I don’t get carried away with what I want to see rather than what’s really there.


posted by Dark Flower at Wednesday, September 24, 2003

 
I was feeling sociable, so when I read, "What 'personality' does your favourite deck have? Have you ever considered asking it this?", in the 'AllThingsTarot' newsletter I decided to give it a go with my new Leonardo da Vinci Tarot deck. This is what it turned up, or away:




The Moon, La Luna, Der Mond, De Maan, in other words my Shadow card and if you want to know how to work yours out visit the Collective page of my Tainted Tarot website.


The Moon is a lovely card, and can be about shadows and illusion, feminine and mysterious. What does this say about the personality of my new deck? She's female at any rate as far as I'm concerned, and the illusion is more about the lovely artwork than deceit. Perhaps she's warning me not to get so caught up in the imagination of the art that I neglect the more subtle meaning of the cards, or maybe she's going to lead me a merry dance and surprise me, either way the deck has already proved intuitive and that's before I start reading with it properly.


I asked her about a week a go to give me a card to represent a romance story I'm sort of working on, she gave me 12-The Hanged Man - it works on so many levels and not just the obvious! *lol*


Hmmm, 18 is the magic number :)



posted by Dark Flower at Thursday, September 04, 2003

 
I'm not one to discourage a bit of melodrama now and then, but the award for being ever so slightly off balance, in a more drama, less mellow sort of way goes to Cutting Edge's Harry Potter section : http://cuttingedge.org/news/hpboy-fade.html


Cool fade in though ;)


posted by Dark Flower at Monday, September 01, 2003