An Epic Case
of Writer’s Block
Your ideas
are flowing freely and the words seem to jump onto the page faster than you can
type them. Suddenly, the phone rings, and it’s your sister in a neighboring
state. She needs immediate advice on a large range of life-shattering problems.
You trip over the power cord in your exasperation, the screen goes black, and
you lose at least half of what you’ve previously written.
That doesn’t
matter because it wasn’t what you really wanted to say anyway, so you restart
your system, tell her you’ll call her back, and pull up a fresh, blank page.
Just then, the forgotten tea water that you put on the burner has evaporated into steam, and the smell of the burner still on a high setting alerts you that you have to run to the kitchen NOW!
Meanwhile, your cat has knocked over the freshly watered plant on the window sill, and your keyboard is drenched with dirt, miracle grow, and sowbugs.
You pry apart the kettle from the searing, hot burner, make sure everything is safely turned off, and go back to your desk to resume your writing.
The blank white page is glaring back at you as if to say “I dare you to try,” and the sickening swirl of font choices, paragraph alignments, color schemes, scissor images, and clipboard icons at the top of the page seem to taunt you in their trivial, complicated, and aggravating prevalence.
You have just become the latest fallen hero among the minions who have succumbed to the deadly writer’s block. Unheroically, you lay face down on the desk and…scream?
When it All Seems
Hopeless: Tarot to the Rescue
This is a four-card Tarot spread that addresses the writer’s deepest phobia, “What if there is nothing for me to say?”
Shuffle the deck in the usual way, then lay four cards face down, left to write (whoops, I meant right), on the table in front of you.
An Example
Card 1- What
do I most need to remember about my vocation as a writer?
The High Priestess
Tap into the
deep wells of connection with the collective consciousness. There are more than
enough ideas waiting for you to explore. Do some journaling about what you find
there. Take and develop the thoughts that resonate with you on the deepest
levels, and begin to work with them.
Your guides
are active participants in this process, not to mention the configurations of
clouds outside your window, random noises from the highway, and what you’re
considering having for lunch later. It’s all part of your final piece.
Card 2- How
does my creative self need to be nurtured right now?
The Sun
Your
physical vitality is a key component of your most potent ideas. Take a walk,
let nature, the earth, and, yes, the actual sun, work its magic on your body
and mind. Be around giving, high-energy friends today. Avoid the vampires, for
now, at least. Watch or read something that makes you laugh.
Card 3- What
steps can I take to protect my work environment?
The Emperor
It’s
sometimes necessary to set strict boundaries on your time and attention. Don’t
answer your phone or text messages unless they are urgent. Shut the door to
your workspace and request that unless the building catches on fire or there is
substantial seismic activity taking place, intruders stay out. Give your
nurturing self a rest, and be focused.
Card 4-
Which cards can I pull as writing prompts?
The Magician
Place the Magician card face up in the middle of the floor. Surrounding it, mess up your deck by dropping the rest of the deck on the floor any way you want, and pick them up in any order that you feel like. Turn them over one by one, in the order that you’re led, and listen to the messages that they contain.
Now, you will see themes you can develop in single cards, double cards, or cards that present themselves in groups. Write down what occurs to you without censoring. You can edit this later. For now, start free-associating and just let it flow.
A Few More Techniques
Use a Minor
Arcana scene to point you toward the source of the block.
For Example
Seven of
Swords- Is exhaustion
“stealing” your ideas? What can you do about this? Maybe, it’s time to take 30
minutes out of your schedule and do something fun.
Two of
Wands (reversed)- Is
a lover or friend from the past pulling on your consciousness, and taking up
space in your energy field? Maybe, it’s time to cut the cords?
King of Swords
(reversed)- Is
someone else’s unconstructive criticism choking your output? Is it time for
them to take a walk?
Six of Wands- You’re in the eye of the storm. Persevere through doubt, uncertainty, and interruptions, and you will win. This card’s message is, “Don’t give up too soon.”
Ask a Major
Arcana Archetype to Mentor you
There are
plenty of answers to be found by pulling a single card from the Major Arcana.
Each card stands as an archetype, which means they can also stand in as mentor
figures for us if we need them. Here are a few examples:
The Hermit
The Hermit really understands the uses of seclusion and concentration. What can we learn from him? His being alone is not sad; he enjoys the silence and freedom he experiences in his cave. Could it be time to get ourselves a “cave” and go there whenever necessary? Caves can be a special corner of your neighborhood, a favorite soap opera or comedy, or a spot on your sofa.
The Chariot
It’s very
important to blend the conscious and subconscious minds to produce creativity.
Have you really thought about your dreams lately? They are a treasure trove of
imagery and symbolism. The charioteer’s two horses represent those two levels
of the mind, and the chariot he drives is his concentration and will that move
them both forward.
The Star
Inspiration
may come from an unexpected source. Be in sync with your real desires and let
your time management flow from there. Make space for the unexpected to occur
and feed your creativity. When you start to write, guard the process jealously.
This card promises that the result will be bright and full of energy!
Tarot card readings give you a deeper connection to Spirit. This means you’ll get the unadulterated insights you need about your past, present, and future, but only if you read with a tarot card psychic.
Find a tarot card psychic or learn more about tarot card readings.
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