61 Search results

 

“A sad tale’s best for winter: I have one of sprites and goblins.” ― William Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale

Before I drew the cards for this reading, I was thinking that winter would be a good time for inspiration of the dark romance (gothic, dark fantasy, et al.) sort. So, let your mordant imaginations take you through the sinister pathways of the heart. It promises to be an intense read, as every card I drew was a major arcana card. In any case, I hope your upcoming holidays (or Winter Season festivities) are just as deliciously dark and depraved!

 

Main Character: The Fool. This card could represent a person with a certain “joie de vivre” that has compelled them to spend a lifetime seeking adventure and entertainment. Eschewing anything static and conformist, their impulsive nature has put them in some sticky situations, but their innocent nature has protected them from the darker side of human nature. They seem to coast along on the surface, and nothing seems to penetrate too deeply beyond this person’s lighthearted nature and positive view of the world.

 

 

Theme/Development: Illusion. But this character’s innocence can only protect them so far, and the crowd that this person has fallen in with is weaving the strands of duplicity around this young/young-at-heart adventurer. Lured on by the excitement of the unknown, the main character doesn’t see the situation for what it really is. They are too intent on having a good time with their newfound friends they have met on their travels.

 

 

Setting: Temptation. The main character is lured into the ever-darkening world that is entwining itself around them, the likes of which they have not yet experienced. It’s a world that’s as wonderfully alluring as it is dark and depraved, and the main character submits to the temptations as proffered to them by their friends. These friends are not intent on simply sharing these darker pleasures with their new initiate, they only want to corrupt the innocent nature of this too-trusting person that has stumbled into their clutches.

 

 

Conflict/Climax: The World. But what the false friends don’t realize is that they are the initiates in a ritual that’s almost as old as time itself. These tricksters are the ones that have been duped, and they are the ones that have been led down some unimaginably disturbed path beyond their wildest imaginings. Because of the energy driving their actions, a gateway has been opened between worlds. The world they know is soon to be flooded with horrors beyond their most depraved imaginings. And, leading this invasion, is none other than the main character, still full of a childlike innocence and joy. Because nothing gets beneath its surface, not even the horrifying extent of death and destruction that is now taking place all around it.

 

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the Dog Days (July 3 to August 1) were once thought to wreck havoc on “dogs and men alike”. (Source of quoted material: https://www.almanac.com/content/what-are-dog-days-summer) But it seems like people, in general, are wreaking plenty of havoc without the aiding and abetting presence of that rascally star Sirius. And while I may not believe that Sirius influences the weather here on earth, I know I have been feeling swamped with a bad case of the doldrums. So, let’s slog through this month’s tarot card reading for writing inspiration, and see if we can’t break free, eh?

 

Setting: Ace of Pentacles. An environment that is the epitome of luxury, wealth, and complete fulfillment. Hunger, fear, discomfort, pain—these things do not exist in the world the main character moves through. Everything is practically perfect for this pampered character—until the day comes when it’s not.

 

Character(s): Queen of Rods (Reversed). A person who has undergone a series of traumatic events, and has emerged scarred. Among the trauma she experienced was the loss of her beloved canine companion. Where she was once gracious and poised as her former elegant lifestyle dictated, she is now bitter and distrustful. She cuts all ties with her elite social circles and withdraws to a remote country cabin. Her cabin is surrounded by lush nature, and, during one of her long walks, she uncovers a source of wilding, dark energy. She uses this source to transform herself and become a vengeful and powerful entity.

 

Theme/Development: The Tower. She embarks on a vengeful quest to not only punish those who harmed her and her beloved dog, but humanity in general. She leaves behind a swath of death, destruction, and ruin behind her, but spares the animals, both wild and domesticated.

 

Conflict/Climax: Six of Swords. The main character, and the animals she liberated, are left wandering a world in ruins. She is at a loss at what to do next. She has never lived in a world that demanded physical labour from her. But as she stares out over the razed buildings, a bright star appears in the sky. It’s so bright, it illuminates the destruction she has left in her wake. And she knows what she has to do. She rolls up her sleeves and gets to work, cleaning up the mess she, and humanity in general, has left behind.

Ah, May. Springtime, chirping birds, blooming flowers, bright sunshine, and sweet, sweet love! Sounds dreadful, doesn’t it? If you’re still pining over the delightfully dismal days of winter, why not add a pinch of heartbreak and love-gone-wrong to your supernaturally spooky tales?

 

Character(s): The Lovers. A whirlwind passion between two lovers. Underneath the transitory nature of their relationship lies a deeper connection between the two, and one that is not so easily put aside. It could be a mysterious secret from their past, or a self that they keep hidden from the rest of the world, that ties the two of them together. Whatever source that keeps bringing these two characters together, it seems to be full of portents, omens, and the will of some unknown fate(s), which they will have to discover, and face, together.

 

Setting: Eight of Rods. Opening setting: a vacation locale of some sorts. Could be ski resort, a location outside their home country, a chateau, a vineyard resort, a thriving urban city with a dynamic nightlife. Think night and shadows and glamour and intrigue over a bright and sunny tropical vacation. Professional relocation to another country for one, or both, resulting in the passionate encounter between the two lovers. And/or a chance re-acquaintance after their romantic interlude, of which fate plays a part, i.e. drawing them into close geographical contact again by means that seem like pure chance, but which might be orchestrated by a higher power.

 

Theme/Development: The High Priestess. Symbolic or actual force that brings these two together to fulfill their fate, and to achieve the outcome that this particular entity, deity, or elemental wants to have occur. Leader not of this world, with power not limited to the everyday world of humans. The deity is using these two individuals to further their own goals and visions for the world and its future evolutions/incarnations.

 

Conflict/Climax: The Sun. Under the harsh light of the sun, their budding relationship suffers. They may even find themselves in a situation where they are in competition with each other in regards to career or in a professional setting. Romance is easy in a moonlit setting, but is it more than that behind their struggle to resist their continued attraction for one another? Secrets are revealed about who they really are—magical talents, supernatural abilities, otherworldly/other-dimension lace of origin—and they realize they have a shared connection above and beyond their whirlwind passion. They might even have a (adventurous) fate they need to fulfill by virtue of that connection. Or their relationship may have to move past a romantic one into one that is more strategic and will ensure that they are able to fulfill the roles fate has determined for the both of them. They may try to resist the roles that fate has assigned to them, even though their transformation, and that of their world, is inevitable.