The Writer's Tarot™
a Wicked Works Project
On Deck Composition
At a Glance: WORDS! WORDS! WORDS!
Right away, you'll likely notice the card faces are almost entirely textual (whereas classic Tarot employs mostly esoteric symbols and imagery). This is deliberate. Foremost, the deck is a wordsmith's tool, so what better means to channel and inspire than with words? Also, "reading" here is an associative exercise, where card content ultimately triggers creative textual output. Sometimes that output is inspired by the cards (derived from associative chain-reactions in the writer's mind), but it can also be copied directly off a card face if the reader feels that best suits a particular query. In short, words are the active ingredient.
At a Glance: Numeric Significance
There are many layers and patterns to this deck, too many to address here. But consider these numeric influences as you work with the cards.
First, you may notice a frequent derivative binary presence (represented by the number 2). The binary condition appears often throughout the human experience. Much of our world is perceived in binaries: On/Off, Yes/No, Hot/Cold, Male/Female, Dead/Alive, Inside/Outside, etc.. The binary is so prevalent in how we define ourselves and our surroundings that it absolutely deserves numeric reverence. So you'll find it and its numeric representative, the number 2, fundamental to this deck's numeric patterns. For example, note how each card face has a binary state (which of the two ends is upright).
Next comes a heavy influence from the number 3. Its significance is largely due to the three realms of our existence: Body (physical), Mind (cognitive), and Spirit (realm of the soul and creative energies). Everything we experience occurs within these three realms. The 27 Elements (elemental domains you'll read about later) are a subset of the three realms. Also, the deck is divided into three different card suits (a.k.a. classes or "arcana"): Archetypes, Incidents, and Elements. Various combinations of these three suits can address any and all aspects of story composition. Three suits get the job done. 3 is the magic number.
The other big number here is 27, significant as a multiple of 3 x 3 x 3 (a focus or amplification of the revered number 3). You'll find there are 27 Archetype cards in this deck, as well as 27 Elements. Also, the total card count of this deck, 72, is 27 reversed (side note: 72 is divisible by both 2 and 3). All of this is by design.
There are other numeric patterns in the deck, but these are the most important, and something you may wish to explore in your reading exercises. Awareness of such patterns and their purpose could expand query results.
Right away, you'll likely notice the card faces are almost entirely textual (whereas classic Tarot employs mostly esoteric symbols and imagery). This is deliberate. Foremost, the deck is a wordsmith's tool, so what better means to channel and inspire than with words? Also, "reading" here is an associative exercise, where card content ultimately triggers creative textual output. Sometimes that output is inspired by the cards (derived from associative chain-reactions in the writer's mind), but it can also be copied directly off a card face if the reader feels that best suits a particular query. In short, words are the active ingredient.
At a Glance: Numeric Significance
There are many layers and patterns to this deck, too many to address here. But consider these numeric influences as you work with the cards.
First, you may notice a frequent derivative binary presence (represented by the number 2). The binary condition appears often throughout the human experience. Much of our world is perceived in binaries: On/Off, Yes/No, Hot/Cold, Male/Female, Dead/Alive, Inside/Outside, etc.. The binary is so prevalent in how we define ourselves and our surroundings that it absolutely deserves numeric reverence. So you'll find it and its numeric representative, the number 2, fundamental to this deck's numeric patterns. For example, note how each card face has a binary state (which of the two ends is upright).
Next comes a heavy influence from the number 3. Its significance is largely due to the three realms of our existence: Body (physical), Mind (cognitive), and Spirit (realm of the soul and creative energies). Everything we experience occurs within these three realms. The 27 Elements (elemental domains you'll read about later) are a subset of the three realms. Also, the deck is divided into three different card suits (a.k.a. classes or "arcana"): Archetypes, Incidents, and Elements. Various combinations of these three suits can address any and all aspects of story composition. Three suits get the job done. 3 is the magic number.
The other big number here is 27, significant as a multiple of 3 x 3 x 3 (a focus or amplification of the revered number 3). You'll find there are 27 Archetype cards in this deck, as well as 27 Elements. Also, the total card count of this deck, 72, is 27 reversed (side note: 72 is divisible by both 2 and 3). All of this is by design.
There are other numeric patterns in the deck, but these are the most important, and something you may wish to explore in your reading exercises. Awareness of such patterns and their purpose could expand query results.
The First Suit: Archetype
Archetype defines a story character's functional social role. This largely determines how he/she/it interacts with other characters, or props, or events, or the environment. It's the most essential aspect of a character and often the most complex. And a key character might be some combination of multiple Archetypes, working with or against each other.
Note: This is the only suit which can be presented "reversed" (upside down). Reversed position indicates a "failed" Archetype (not necessarily a bad thing), perhaps suggesting incompetence or maybe the burden of a forced role which causes the character discomfort or misery, among other possibilities.
Archetype defines a story character's functional social role. This largely determines how he/she/it interacts with other characters, or props, or events, or the environment. It's the most essential aspect of a character and often the most complex. And a key character might be some combination of multiple Archetypes, working with or against each other.
Note: This is the only suit which can be presented "reversed" (upside down). Reversed position indicates a "failed" Archetype (not necessarily a bad thing), perhaps suggesting incompetence or maybe the burden of a forced role which causes the character discomfort or misery, among other possibilities.
- The 27 Archetypes -
01: Sorcerer
02: Sage
03: Emperor
04: Empress
05: Priest
06: Virgin
07: Beggar
08: Mariner
09: Gladiator
02: Sage
03: Emperor
04: Empress
05: Priest
06: Virgin
07: Beggar
08: Mariner
09: Gladiator
10: Whore
11: Alpha
12: Lover
13: Hunter
14: Hermit
15: Glutton
16: Prisoner
17: Soldier
18: Sheriff
11: Alpha
12: Lover
13: Hunter
14: Hermit
15: Glutton
16: Prisoner
17: Soldier
18: Sheriff
19: Outlaw
20: Righteous
21: Oarsman
22: Mechanic
23: Critic
24: Seducer
25: Sadist
26: Dreamer
27: Warden
20: Righteous
21: Oarsman
22: Mechanic
23: Critic
24: Seducer
25: Sadist
26: Dreamer
27: Warden
The Second Suit: Incident
Incident references potentially profound events, actions, or conditions. That's not to say every occurrence of this card will be significant. You'll determine significance in your readings. An Incident may simply contribute to a scene's passive background, for example. Or it may be as crucial to your plot as the death of a major character.
There are 18 of these cards, each with two different panels--the topmost/upright being the active panel in your readings (as shown). This yields 36 different Incidents. You'll discover the pairings are in opposition, or else they're somehow related and complimentary.
Incident references potentially profound events, actions, or conditions. That's not to say every occurrence of this card will be significant. You'll determine significance in your readings. An Incident may simply contribute to a scene's passive background, for example. Or it may be as crucial to your plot as the death of a major character.
There are 18 of these cards, each with two different panels--the topmost/upright being the active panel in your readings (as shown). This yields 36 different Incidents. You'll discover the pairings are in opposition, or else they're somehow related and complimentary.
- The 36 Incidents -
01: Genesis - 02: Death
03: Sanctuary - 04: Exile
05: Injury - 06: Ascension
07: Dream - 08: Nightmare
09: Sin - 10: Charity
11: Victory - 12: Failure
03: Sanctuary - 04: Exile
05: Injury - 06: Ascension
07: Dream - 08: Nightmare
09: Sin - 10: Charity
11: Victory - 12: Failure
13: Captivity - 14: Freedom
15: Serendipity - 16: Misfortune
17: War - 18: Festival
19: Transit - 20: Reclusion
21: Affliction - 22: Blessing
23: Paraphenom - 24: Intuition
15: Serendipity - 16: Misfortune
17: War - 18: Festival
19: Transit - 20: Reclusion
21: Affliction - 22: Blessing
23: Paraphenom - 24: Intuition
25: Crucible - 26: Odyssey
27: Kinship - 28: Coupling
29: Revelation - 30: Deception
31: Sex - 32: Ritual
33: Migration - 34: Fortification
35: Conviction - 36: Fear
27: Kinship - 28: Coupling
29: Revelation - 30: Deception
31: Sex - 32: Ritual
33: Migration - 34: Fortification
35: Conviction - 36: Fear
The Third Suit: Element
Element is the most complex and mystical suit. It represents the timeless whole of our experience across all three realms (Body, Mind, and Spirit). And this is divided into 27 elemental domains, each domain infused with its own spiritual (creative) energy and influence. Of course 1/27th of EVERYTHING can't be printed on a single card, so each panel (two per card) acts as ambassador for it's particular elemental domain, presenting key words, terms, numbers, and symbols which best reflect the nature of that elemental domain. Each Element resides in one of the three realms. And all have the usual binary facets (male/female, good/evil, positive/negative, yes/no, etc.), so every Element appears twice in this deck.
Element is the most complex and mystical suit. It represents the timeless whole of our experience across all three realms (Body, Mind, and Spirit). And this is divided into 27 elemental domains, each domain infused with its own spiritual (creative) energy and influence. Of course 1/27th of EVERYTHING can't be printed on a single card, so each panel (two per card) acts as ambassador for it's particular elemental domain, presenting key words, terms, numbers, and symbols which best reflect the nature of that elemental domain. Each Element resides in one of the three realms. And all have the usual binary facets (male/female, good/evil, positive/negative, yes/no, etc.), so every Element appears twice in this deck.
- The 27 Elements -
01: Oak
02: Locust
03: Serpent
04: Beast
05: Feather
06: Bone
07: Stone
08: Sea
09: Fin
02: Locust
03: Serpent
04: Beast
05: Feather
06: Bone
07: Stone
08: Sea
09: Fin
10: Dance
11: Tears
12: Music
13: Mirror
14: Mathematica
15: Scripture
16: Incense
17: Wine
18: Salt
11: Tears
12: Music
13: Mirror
14: Mathematica
15: Scripture
16: Incense
17: Wine
18: Salt
19: Moon
20: Sun
21: Stars
22: Sand
23: Ring
24: Icon
25: Smoke
26: Wind
27: Flame
20: Sun
21: Stars
22: Sand
23: Ring
24: Icon
25: Smoke
26: Wind
27: Flame