Using Tarot for Writing Stories, Part 4
Accessing the "Alpha State" x Tarot Spreads for Creative Inspiration and Problem Solving
Part 1 of this series presented a basic overview of tarot, for the non-tarot person in mind:
Part 2 of this series demonstrated a fresh (never-before-seen) spread pulled to create a new story:
Part 3 covered how you can throw away all the โrulesโ and intuitively create stories:
Part 4 of this series focuses on how we can solve creative problems using a combination of our intuition, tarot, meditative states, and letting our shadow come out for new layers of complexity. Using this combination of methodologies can show us how to look at an initial idea in a new light. Why toss it if it can simply be re-worked? This post focuses on how we can use tarot to revise ideas that are not flowing the way they were first intended.
My โNovellaโ Problem
I am sensitive to tonal shifts in stories. My biggest gripe of Stephen Kingโs Fairy Tale (released Fall 2022) is the two polarizing tones of the novel โ the first portion was a small-town story about an old man, his magnificent dog, and a teenage boy who helped them. The story and its character development were so great that I would have been fine with 1000 pages of the day-to-day life of these characters. There is a distinct shift where the teenage boy stumbles into another fantasy world, and this is where the issues begin. While there is a connecting section which transitions these vastly different tones, it still feels like this book is two different novels in one. The fantasy section is basically a mashup of different elements โ a sickness among its citizens, The Wizard of Oz, Lovecraftian horror, heartbreaking sadness, and more. It feels like too many ideas were thrown into this portion of the novel like it was the kitchen sink. Yet, while I lodge this complaint, I still liked the book and finished it cover-to-cover. It just . . . has issues. Not my favorite King novel.
I mention this because I have been trying to solve a writing quandary for at least 6 months. My original idea for a novella based on tarot simply does not work in practice. Unless I am reading a story collection, tone is essential to sustain my interest in a story. Telling eight unique short stories for the first half, connected by a common character as a flashback, and then pivoting to a longer second half that is much darker in tone does not sit well with me. It needs flow and a natural progression of plot. I lack the experience a writer needs to pull this story together โ I am new to this creative writing thing, you know? I put this project to the side, released the individual stories on their own with no novella elements present, and called it a day. Here lies the challenge - it needs to be simplified and rebuilt into something better and more accessible.
The Alpha State
The inspiration for this post is based on
โs post about her S.T.A.R. method. I thought to myself, โI know we can do this for creative work as well!โ Her post is gorgeous and inspiring to me. Do check it out if you have a moment. It focuses on metaphysical work while interacting with spirits, but I believe it has other practical applications.Application to Creative Work
It sounds counter-intuitive, but when trying to solve these kinds of creative problems, sometimes one needs to walk away for a minute. Or week. Hell, a month or more. Let it percolate in your mind away from your screen/page. Take a walk in nature, clear your to-do list, eat a healthy meal, de-stress โ whatever you need. My favorite way to solve problems as an intuitive is to sleep. Thatโs right โ that old phrase โjust sleep on itโ really does work for me.
It can be frustrating when the flow of creativity stops and giving up seems the only option. Sometimes we must go deep to unlock it โ the answer is in your mind but accessing it may be as simple as โsleeping on itโ. We are in the alpha state when we are falling asleep/waking up, accessing our intuition or mediumship, meditating, and using our active imagination. It happens while in deep relaxation.
We all access the alpha state, regardless of our level of awareness. I have the suspicion that mediums and other intuitive people can access this state more readily than others. I can confirm that I do this as an intuitive on-demand, however, I have practiced this organically for many years. You donโt need to have these abilities to do this kind of work. It feels, to me, that creatives also access this โflowโ state.
Your mind naturally works through problems while you sleep โ dreams reflect our subconscious, process ideas, experience emotions, and much more. However, if you are the type of person who doesnโt remember dreams, the alpha state is accessible with some practice. Have you ever mediated (guided or not), found yourself in a creative โflowโ state, or let your imagination run wild with daydreams? This cognitive function operates on the alpha state, which are brain waves measuring between 8 and 12 Hz.
Binaural beats are helpful to get into this state, especially when you are just beginning this work. This link is a simple google search to find free alpha tracks (beware the interrupting commercials). These tracks are โmusicโ that also plays at specific frequencies for different cognitive functions, and some have pleasant soundscapes over the beats. I recently started using the โBrainwavesโ app for binaural beats - it is a paid app. I am not an affiliate; I just like it and there are a nice selection of tracks just searching the word โalphaโ.
Be sure to use good headphones/ear pods that hopefully have noise cancelling features and make sure you will not be disturbed while you listen. Before you start the track, ask (out load or in your mind) that the universe/your guide/angel/your mind help reveal the answer to your creative problem. The key to receiving the answer is to not expect an answer and simply relax your mind. Once you feel fully relaxed while listening to the beats, ask quietly in your mind again, with no expectation of receiving an answer. Keep trying if the first attempts are not successful. If you have not done this work before, it takes practice. Forcing it works against the process.
My Alpha State โAh-Haโ Moment
I solved my novella problem last week, quite spontaneously. My mind tends to wander while I am trying to fall asleep. Thoughts flow in and out, conversations from the day replaying, songs stuck in my head โ no pattern, usually. I was not yet under, but in an in-between state of relaxation. It slows down, then the magic happens. True relaxation. What flowed in was something I did not expect: a new arrangement of stories for my tarot novella project.
I never considered that I should drop the entire concept of the โnovellaโ. It was time for simplification! Where I was last year is not where I am this year, my guides told me, it needs to adapt. Naturally, my mind solved the issue: ย a short story collection. Each of the 22 stories will take on one major arcana card as the archetype (theme). All supporting cards will be minor arcana (cups, wands, pentacles, swords). I should start with 3 supporting cards for the story of each major arcana. Even in my deep relaxation, I felt my mind light up with joy. Solved! The entire idea came in a flash, with a few thoughts clarifying the number of cards quickly after. I was too deep into my alpha state to fully wake up and write it down, so I thought to myself, โRemember this!โ Risky, I know.
Practical Application
The next morning, the idea bubbled up shortly after I woke up. I repeated it in my mind until I felt it would stay there. I went to work in my notebook to figure out the logistical reality of my revision. Knowing that I have already worked on some of these stories, I rationalized that I can apply them to a few of the 22 major arcana cards. After all, I just gave myself several yearsโ worth of stories and prime material to draw upon.
I set an overly ambitious timeline of 2 years to work on these stories. I also made the decision to rewrite my first story, โSacred Mushroomโ, but to also keep the first version on Substack. This story was my first attempt at creative writing, and I am attached to it as is. I will re-post a new and improved version again for the tarot stories and assign it to the High Priestess card. I took a fresh look at the themes for the remaining written stories and fit already written stories into an appropriate major arcana card. Four are done, โThe Temple of Beatsโ is 99% done, and the freeway horror story is half done. I now have 17 fresh stories to create. I added this list to my notebook full of story ideas. The archetypes of the 22 major arcana cover the gamut, it should work out just fine.
The First Major Arcana Spread, in Practice
Iโm not done planning just yet! I knew exactly which deck to use โ The Black Tarot. I bought this deck because it was morbidly beautiful for creative spreads. I like to read darker stories. Light and happy stories are not what I enjoy, so this tarot deck was perfect for capturing the shadow side of life. Integrating the shadow into story elements are literally in the card images. I pulled a few cards for The Fool (0). I was pleased to see that they were still sorted in numerical order, as I have not used the deck before. To do this the right way, the major arcana will need to be separated from the minor. I thoroughly shuffled the minor arcana and pulled out the following: The Fool (major) and 3 minor arcana for plot. Just look at those beautiful cards!
The booklet for this deck offers more than the traditional Rider-Waite booklet (downloadable from the site as a pdf):
The Fool:
Meaning: The Fool represents a leap of faith, which is the action we take when we are born and when we die. And many times throughout our lives. Therefore, as the Zero card, the Fool is the beginning and ending of the journey through the Major and Minor Arcana. We are the Fool. The Fool archetype is about curiosity and open-mindedness, going with the flow of life, and managing our way through the unknown.
Symbolism: The figure is dancing and leaping through the air while a skeletal animal watches from below. The dancing energy represents the Foolโs carefree nature and exuberance for life.
Upright: optimism, a new beginning, curiosity, and potential
Reversed: foolishness, gullibility, and ignorance
King of Swords:
Meaning: You oversee the decision and do not need input from others; make your choice and inform others once you have decided.
Symbolism: The wise face of an elder hovers above a single sword; he is the symbol of decisiveness.
Upright: visionary, and wisdom
Reversed: authoritarian, and intimidating
Eight of Cups:
Meaning: You must let go of something or someone that was once emotionally important to you but no longer has any value; the relationship or situation is empty.
Symbolism: A figure runs across water under an orb of light; he is running from something and running towards something.
Upright: moving on, release, and letting go
Reversed: abandonment, denial, and bargaining for something now worthless
Three of Pentacles (Spheres) Reversed:
Meaning: Hard and consistent work is what is needed to learn, grow, and succeed.
Symbolism: Three spheres function as wheels on a cycle that allows a figure to both rise above the mundane and travel the darkness.
Upright: hard work, dedication, and teamwork
Reversed: laziness, and incompetence
The King of Swords, Eight of Cups, and the Three of Pentacles (Spheres) Reversed sounds like an interesting story to me. This could be any genre, from gritty horror to fantasy, science fiction โ there really is no limit. The King of Swords doesnโt have to be a โkingโ in the story, but thatโs my main character. He/she could be a person who has a strict code of conduct (moral/amoral) and holds some kind of authority (imagined or not) in life. The arc looks like the combination of Eight of Cups and Three of Pentacles (Spheres) Reversed. This combination shows that my character will need to walk away from something due to it not working in terms of his/her less-than-stellar working cohesion with others. I like the idea of turning this into psychological horror. This character is probably unlikable and an unreliable narrator, and that adds an interesting dynamic. I think this one will be shadow-heavy. Ooohh! Conflict! Obstacles! This one is a winner.
Just because I pulled three cards for The Fool doesnโt mean I am locked in. This one came to me intuitively, and it feels like a great start. I may need to pull some clarifying cards when I clarify the details, take notes, and research themes of the story.
Best Practices
A single moment triggered this avalanche of problem solving for my novella issue. I have been feeling unmotivated to continue my creative stories lately due to feeling blocked. This session broke it wide open to help me circle back to the other side of what I love to do, you know, besides tarot musings and mediumship.
Best Practices for Part 4:
If it feels too light or not cohesive, why not reverse one or two of these cards and see what kind of interesting complexity can be introduced?
Use the images in the card for inspiration first, then investigate the formal meaning of the cards. Whatever stands out to you is helpful.
Practice relaxation, listen to binaural beats, and meditate (guided or not) when you are stuck โ walk away until you feel ready to approach your creative blocks. Throw away any attachment to receiving an answer or over-focusing. Sometimes just relaxing will eventually unlock what is stuck.
Take care of your body, mind, and spirit โ when we are unbalanced and stressed it is hard to see clearly.
We do not need to be a constant state of creative surge, despite the push from hustle culture - it ebbs and flows along with our mind, body, and spiritsโ state. Some folks can work through periods of imbalance. I am not one of those people. I lost a half year from fall 2023 through winter 2024 due to medical issues, all worth it. You better believe I had to walk away and heal myself before I could return to my state of creative flow.
My huge thanks to
for helping me with this post, specifically the Alpha (S.T.A.R.) state information. Her metaphysical experience of using the Alpha state inspired me to try to use this same method for creativity. I highly recommend you read her post and subscribe, even if you are not a metaphysical type. Her work is top-notch.
Once again I'm blown away by your work here, Erica! ๐๐๐ The use of tarot and alpha state to open to creative flow and enhance it is pure genius, really. And I LOVE that you utilized the STAR method for this. You've inspired me to branch out even further while working with it. I've been recently introduced to the work of Ellie Robins, which has a lot do with imagination/the imaginal realm and the ways our ancestors were connected to it. I think what you are doing here is bringing that wisdom back into our modern lives. Thank you for this, my amazing magical friend! And THANK YOU for the beautiful, heartfelt recommendation of my work here. I am truly blessed to know you! โค๏ธ
So much to work with here, and so inspiring. Really gets my brain cooking. Love these posts so much!