Cards telling a story

[Brighid]

So. I was laying out cards last night. Not doing a reading and no particular question in mind. The cards started telling me a story. Did not seem to be about me or anyone I knew. Just a story. Like you would read for entertainment. Each card continued the story with no real break. First time this has happened.
Has this happened to anyone else? It was really interesting once I realized it.

 

[happyfish]

Hi Brighid,

Yes! In fact, this is one of the first things that piqued my interest in Tarot. I think you should write the story down!

 

[LeFou]

Jung would probably say that in a roundabout way, it's -somehow- a reflection of your path to the Self. He experienced stories and people as you describe, and I think you're very lucky! There's something here to explore, I would say.

 

[Morwenna]

I think that's wonderful. Run with it! It sharpens your intuition, and may make you a better reader. It might even make you an author!

And yes, it happens to many of us, not always as fluidly as you describe, but it does happen.

 

[danieljuk]

that is great Brighid!
I decided to improve my card combinations last year and would pick 2 or 3 cards a day randomly and read the story. There was some great things that came up, like the lawyer who likes this and does this. I always saw a story there

It becomes tricky though when a card comes up which doesn't make sense in the story but then cards throw us all the time and we have to work out why they are there!

 

[Brighid]

I tried again last night but understood nothing. I think I want it too much. When it happened the one time I did not even realize it until I was in the middle of the story.

 

[moodclad]

It becomes tricky though when a card comes up which doesn't make sense in the story but then cards throw us all the time and we have to work out why they are there!

I like this idea. I'm far from this as I'm still working on what one card is saying, but once I get that...and for the exact reason - curve balls.

 

[firemaiden]

So. I was laying out cards last night. Not doing a reading and no particular question in mind. The cards started telling me a story. Did not seem to be about me or anyone I knew. Just a story. Like you would read for entertainment. Each card continued the story with no real break. First time this has happened.
Has this happened to anyone else? It was really interesting once I realized it.

That's funny, I was just thinking about starting a thread with this particular topic. I think tarot has been a good tool for writers for a long time. Think of Italo Calvino. I'd be interested to know what cards you pulled and what the story was.

 

[Chiriku]

I think you're very lucky!

I was going to say this. Many people try hard for years to tap into that storytelling energy with the cards without ever being able to escape the urge to read each card "one by one."

There are books (or at least many chapters) written on the subject of storytelling reading styles.

I wonder if it really is a skill that can be developed. I wonder if certain people are more predisposed to finding success with this method while others, owing to their natural mode of thinking or perhaps their personality, will never achieve fluency in it.

I don't think it's the pinnacle of reading styles; I think there are many and varied effective and enjoyable reading style. But I also think the more styles we can add to our toolkit, the merrier, so good for you.

 

[firemaiden]

Storytelling reading is my favorite method of reading, however, didn't our thread starter have something else in mind ? - not reading by storytelling, but using the cards to write a story. It seems there have been books written on this subject.

I just found this on amazon :
Tarot for Writers, by Corrine Kenner
(there's even a review of this book here on Aeclectic by Bonnie Cehovet)


There is also a film - the Red Violin - which seems to use tarot cards to organise the film.
The French novel by Michel Tournier : Vendredi ou les limbes du pacifique - (a rewriting of Robinson Crusoe) is also organised around tarot cards.