How a character sees themselves vs. how the world sees them ...
a writing-with-tarot experiment for character building
This reading is intended to help you explore what a character sees versus how they are seen, what they’re missing (or ignoring or refusing to see), and what they will see differently by the end of the story.
How does my MC see themselves?
How are they seen by others?
If you are exploring specific relationships and conflicts within the story.
How are they seen by ______________?What does my MC need to see? or what are they choosing not to see?
What will my MC see differently by the end of the story?
Here’s my reading and interpretation for my current WIP. I’m reading with the Everyday Witch Tarot by Deborah Blake with art by Elisabeth Alba. Every image in this deck brings a story to life in my imagination and Deborah Blake’s interpretations are accessible and speak to daily life. Just like the title of the deck says!
My interpretations below are mostly intuitive and based on the story I’m writing at the moment. I always go with the first thought I have when I see the card then I expand on that. If I still have questions after writing down my initial thoughts, I’ll get out the books or pull more cards asking for clarity. That first unedited thought is powerful - so even if you’re reading your cards with the book open beside you, I suggest taking a moment to capture your initial reaction to the card before you look it up. What jumps out at you immediately?
And! This is important! Your initial unedited reaction in the moment almost always trumps what the book says. I believe each tarot deck gets to know you the more you get to know it. Remind me to tell you the story of the wine-soaked woman some day.
Knight of Swords
My MC is ready to take on the battle. She is certain that she’s in the right fight for the right purpose. She isn’t questioning herself. She is myopically confident and ready to charge ahead.
Two of Swords
Moving from the confidence of the Knight of Swords to the Two of Swords. Others see her as partially blinded by something - some belief - that keeps her from seeing the whole picture. They see that she is skilled. She is hitting what she’s aiming for. But what would she be capable of if she took the blindfold off?
In my head I definitely translated this card into the traditional RWS so I wanted to share that image too. The RWS card speaks directly to being blinded by your own beliefs. And this blindness is a choice the character is making for some reason. Hrmmmm? Backstory anyone?
Five of Pentacles
She doesn’t see the suffering of others. Eww, I hate that for her. This may be linked to the backstory hinted at above. Has she become so cozy that she doesn’t remember what it’s like to be out in the cold?
13 Death
Death will change her. There will be a big loss. I don’t think she’ll die. Something or someone important to her will die either literally or metaphorically. This loss will change her perspective and her motivation and she will see her choices differently. This may be what it takes to get her to reverse her course.
little side note: the story I’m writing - as imagined now - features masks that are used as magical tools. My MC will also spend considerable time exploring labyrinth like underground territories. There’s a link to the myth of Ariadne. So I think it’s significant that the character of death in this card is wearing a mask and cutting a rope that’s stretched from one side of the card to the other.
I’m not completely sure how Substack works yet. If I’ve flipped the right switches in the set up I hope you can comment and share your readings. I would love to hear what your reading and interpretation reveals about your characters.