Are you seasoned enough to remember the Choose Your Own Adventure book series? As a kid of the ‘80s, Choose Your Own Adventure books were the most checked-out in my school library... along with The Hardy Boys and anything by Beverly Cleary or Judy Bloom.
Whether you are a writer or reader (or both) of adventurous storytelling, you know that a good page-turner is woven with decisions the main character(s) must make and the twists and turns that ensue.
In the forthcoming Mystic Storyteller book and tarot deck, a project developed specifically for writers, the Knight of Swords is one such character who gallops through the tarot’s never-ending stories seeking thrills and responding to subsequent consequences.
Knight of Swords: The Intuitive Seeker
The go-getter of the Knights, the Knight of Swords puts their thoughts into action, working diligently, precisely, and slicing through conflict. Ruled by the element of air, this Knight is resilience to the core. They are focused and determined. A seeker of intellect and truth, the Knight of Swords is highly perceptive and intuitive about courses of action, and they are incredibly insightful about the motivation of others. They move in swiftly to bring an idea into fruition.
If this Knight resonates with you as a writer, perhaps a project you are currently working on is moving fast, with quick edits and speed-to-market needs. People need to read whatever this is you’re writing, so this card encourages you to chase it with full force. Conquer inner-conflict by allowing your intuition to lead you in the direction you know in your gut is right for you and your project. Silence ideas that are counterintuitive and might snuff out your flame. Take immediate action on a new idea, for if you let your thoughts get away from you without capturing them, you could miss out on an opportunity to breathe new life into your writing practice or a particular project on which you’re working.
If you are penning a fictional character, the Knight of Swords makes a dynamic muse for the quick-witted. This Knight would make an ideal criminal investigator, detective, director, explorer, locomotive engineer, military leader, mercenary, oracle, psychic, seer, screenwriter, or writer. In fiction, there are so many examples of this Knight that it’s difficult to choose which resonates most with me. As such, I will implement the process of elimination and choose Dev Patel’s character Jamal Malik in Slumdog Millionaire. Final answer.
But who is the muse for our Mystic Storyteller Knight of Swords?
Who is the MST Knight of Swords?
You might remember this guy from The Knights: Seekers of the Mystic Storyteller Tarot. In this inspiring new deck, the Knight of Swords is Tyler Ng, son of award-winning artist and deck creator Stacey Williams-Ng! Like this Mama, Tyler is an intuitive thinker, and very much a master of wordplay. Both a Gemini and a video game developer, Tyler is perfectly suited for the Knight of Swords. And today is Tyler’s birthday, so what better day than today to showcase this Knight! Happy Birthday, Tyler!
Thrills & Consequences 3-Card Spread
Are you seeking answers for how to proceed with a decision? Is this decision cut-and-dry, this-or-that, but you’re not sure what to do?
When faced with an either/or decision or dilemma, for a quick and easy way of gaining insight, use the Thrills & Consequences spread. Fiction writers: You can also conduct this activity from your character(s) point of view.
Shuffle your tarot deck.
Search for the Knight of Swords and place it on the space for Card 1.
Pull the card in front of this Knight and lay it on the space for Card 2.
Pull the card behind this Knight and lay it on the space for Card 3.
While pondering the three cards, ask yourself the following questions:
Card 2: What are the thrills of acting on my thoughts?
Card 1: Knight of Swords – The Intuitive Seeker
Card 3: What are the consequences?
In case you missed it…
Recently, I published my Fill Your Cup: Focus on YOU Workbook. This resource is a token of gratitude for every Substack and email list subscriber, and I designed it to support your holistic needs. If you have yet to download your copy, please do. You can find it here, and you can also read more about the workbook here.
Release Date and Other Details
The Mystic Storyteller book and tarot deck is being launched on BackerKit this August. That means YOU will have the chance to demonstrate your Magician skills by helping manifest this endeavor. Stay tuned for a release date and other details! As a subscriber, you’re on the fast track to staying updated on this magickal project.
As a subscriber, you’re on the fast track to staying updated on this magickal project. THANK YOU for your interest, your kind words of encouragement, and your celebration of Mystic Storyteller! If you are not already following @MysticStorytellerTarot on Instagram, please click the image below!
In her more than thirty years as a storyteller and visual designer, Amanda “Mandy” Hughes has written and designed over a dozen works of literary, Southern Gothic, and women’s fiction under pen names A. Lee Hughes and Mandy Lee.
Mandy is the founder of Haint Blue Creative®, a space for readers and storytellers to explore, learn, and create. She holds a Bachelor and Master of Science in Psychology, and she has worked as an instructional designer for nearly twenty years.
When she’s not writing, Mandy enjoys the movies, theater, music, traveling, nature walks, birdwatching, and binging The Office. She is a tarot enthusiast who uses the cards to enhance creativity and foster wellness. Her book Mystic Storyteller: A Writer’s Guide to Using the Tarot for Creative Inspiration and companion tarot deck are coming to La Panthère Studio in 2024.
Mandy lives in Georgia with her husband and four sons, two of whom are furrier than the others (but not by much). Visit her website at haintbluecreative.com and follow her on Instagram @HaintBlueCreative and @MysticStorytellerTarot.
This is great! I’m excited to see it all finished. I use tarot for outlining all the time.
Your project is a knockout!