By Geraldine Amaral first appearing on the website Tarot Passages in June of 2003
The process of using the Tarot to help you create a tarot story begins like a reading. Choose your deck, shuffle, and breathe. Ask for inspiration from the Source . . . however you conceive it. Remember this: if you let go, try not to think about this process, the cards will tell the story for you. Once you have blessed and/or shuffled your deck, you will choose six cards as follows:
4. Past Influences
1. The Hero
2. The Conflict/Challenge
3. An Ally
4. The Future
5. A Resolution
The Beginning of the Story
The first card represents the main character in your story (the hero/heroine). Hints: Does he/she have a name? What is it? What is the hero’s overall mood as the story begins? Where does the story begin? What is happening to the hero/heroine?
The Conflict/Plot
The second card represents the challenge or block facing the hero/heroine. Hints: Who or what are the adversaries that get in the way of the hero’s success? What challenges must the hero face to succeed? What will the hero have to confront or embrace during this story?
The third card represents what can help the hero/heroine. Hint: Is it another person? Or are there characteristics of the hero/heroine that need to be transformed for the hero to meet the challenge?
The fourth card represents aspects from the past that are influencing his/her current thinking/behaving. These could be either negative influences or positive influences.
The Climax/Resolution
The fifth card shows you the future, how the story will evolve and develop. Hint: What happens next to the Hero/Heroine?The final card shows you how the story gets resolved or ends. It may tell you of a defining moment in the Hero’s life. Hint: Will the Hero live differently from this point on? Does some part die? Is some part reborn? If so, what? Who is there with the Hero at the end, what is the final outcome?
Spread © 2023 Geraldine Amaral
Geraldine Amaral is the author of Tarot Celebrations: Honoring the Inner Voice and publisher of “Celebrating the Tarot Journal”. She also made a tarot instructional video entitled “Tarot 1-2-3.” You can still access Geraldine’s website, Spiritual Tarot here. I believe she is retired now. It is also very possible to purchase her out of print book, Tarot Celebrations which I highly recommend!