Prepare with the Pages
Holistic Planning with the Court’s Communicators
In this post:
Level-setting the Court
A Reminder about Prep Mode
Page of Cups: Water / Emotions / Heart
Page of Pentacles: Earth / Physical & Material / Body
Page of Swords: Air / Thoughts / Mind
Page of Wands: Fire / Passion / Spirit
Level-setting the Court
If you’re a tarot enthusiast like me, or even if you dabble with the cards every now and then, you know that the tarot’s Court cards function as a hierarchy within their assigned Minor Arcana suits: Cups, Pentacles, Swords, and Wands. You also know that each suit aligns with an element: water, earth, air, and spirit, respectively.
Serving at the start of the hierarchy, the Pages are the Court communicators. Imbued by the elemental properties of their suits, they study, learn, and prepare what and how they will share with the Knights. Once they’ve achieved their Pagely goals, they’re Knighted, and they move into action in service to their Queens. In modern ideology, depending on the Knights’ preference and/or identity, when promoted up the rung, they choose whether they want to become a nurturing Queen or a King who guides the suit with excellence and support.
In my last post, I shared a layered approach to determining communication preferences that incorporates the tarot’s Court, a few bird avatars, and a certain 16-type personality model. Once you’re ready to talk about your writing with confidence, you can move into planning mode for how and when you will share.
As such, today’s post focuses on the Pages, specifically their propensity for planning. I’ll invite you to examine each Page, their guiding element, and how you can lean into these energies to plan creative projects as well as prepare for publishing, marketing, and beyond.
A Reminder about Prep Mode
In the post titled Mapping Your Writing Goals: A Tarot Tableau for Identifying Goals and Setting Intentions, I shared a tarot tableau workbook in which you were introduced to a 9-card spread for charting your personal writing goals. In the spread, I drew a red line, receding from Card 6 and going backwards, along with a note about what could happen should you get stuck in preparation mode. Here’s that note:
Card 6 represents preparation mode, and if you get stuck here, you could fall victim to creative procrastination, which will hinder you from moving into action. Be mindful, because preparation mode can be a comfort zone. If you find yourself staying where you are right now and repeating past experiences, over and over again, just you and your words, neither of you will grow or go anywhere.
As you use the Pages to prepare and plan, please keep this important reminder at the forefront of your thoughts. Forward, with confidence and clarity, is the direction you are destined to go!
And now, the Pages...
Page of Cups: Water / Emotions / Heart
The Emotional Communicator, the Page of Cups specializes in planning and preparation from the heart.
This Page invites you to prepare your heart for emotional responses to dreaming big, planning extensively, and responding to discouragement. Emotional considerations while planning include preparing for how you will respond should those plans falling through. As such, prepare your heart for setbacks. You’re not at the end; you’re simply not in the right spot at the right time. There could be more you need to learn. And just imagine how wonderful it’s going to feel when success arrives in perfect timing and you can celebrate knowing you trusted your process and followed your heart.
Page of Pentacles: Earth / Physical & Material / Body
The Practical Communicator, the Page of Pentacles specializes in the physical aspects of planning and preparation.
Writing, publishing, and marketing aren’t just about sitting in front of a screen and keyboard. Every act of putting thoughts into words can take a physical toll on one’s body. That’s why there are a few key considerations to make while planning and preparing, and the Page of Pentacles wants to be your wingperson. As you plan your next writing project or prepare to share a current work...
Get some sleep. Whenever you can, for as long as you can, rest your body so you can rise rejuvenated and ready.
Drink some water. I absolutely love the paranormal/true crime podcast And That’s Why We Drink, and one of the hosts, Em, loves to remind listeners to “Drink some water, you thirsty little rats!” Because they’re right: staying hydrated is imperative to staying well, and your writing deserves fully hydrated musings.
Move your body. No matter what you’re able to do, how you’re able to do it, move that body. If that looks like raising and lowering your arms, walking within the confines of a small apartment, or running full-force on a treadmill, whatever exercise looks like for you, get moving. The keyboard will be there when you return, and your muscles and veins will thank you for the movement. However, before starting any exercise routine, please consult with your healthcare provider.
Seek connection. If group activities and social settings sound like a nightmare to you (they do to me), then call someone, text them, or find social connection online (in a positive space). Writing can feel like being on an island, so staying connected with others helps ease feelings of isolation and disconnection.
Take your meds. I don’t know your business. That’s private. But if you’re prescribed meds that support being your best self, take them. Maybe your meds consist of vitamins and supplements. Great! Still not my business. Still gonna remind you to take ‘em. And guess what? That’s another opportunity to drink some water.
Now, I’m going to pause here and go move my body and drink some water...
Page of Swords: Air / Thoughts / Mind
The Intuitive Communicator, the Page of Swords specializes in the mindful aspects of planning and preparation.
Being a storyteller involves extensive thinking and seeking of inspiration, but sometimes thoughts and ideas feel fleeting. As such, when planning for your next creative project or if you find yourself at a crossroads or ensnared by writer’s block, do some mental prep work.
The Page of Swords reminds us of the importance of studying, reading, research, brainstorming notes, and doing writing exercises. Writing can happen intuitively, and sometimes stories even feel like they’re writing themselves; however, mental aerobics can keep your brain primed for premium processing and publishing.
Page of Wands: Fire / Passion / Spirit
The Inspired Communicator, the Page of Wands specializes in the spiritual aspects of planning and preparation.
The act of writing can sometimes feel like spiritual warfare. Distractions, disappointments, rejection, progress at a snail’s pace, self-doubt, writer’s block, and bad reviews are all enemies of the craft. How does one fight back? How can writers prepare for such inevitable obstacles? The Page of Wands has an answer: armor a Resilient (with a capital R) spirit.
Remember what you can do with you start feeling “in the weeds.” Start with Resilience, revisit the recommendations of the other three Pages, and if you’re a spiritual person, connecting with your Self, Guides, and Muses can prove an impenetrable shield.
Which of the Planning Pages resonates most with you?
How can you tap into the energies of the Court’s Pages? Do leave a comment. I’m always interested in learning what strategies work for my peers.
In case you missed it...
You can find previously published posts in this Writing Magick series here:
Crafting Your Writing Magick Ritual
Battling Resistance to Fortify Will: Moving from Motion to Action
Color Symbolism & Storytelling
In the Weeds: How to Nurture Resilience and Grit in the Grind
Communication Confidence with the Tarot’s Court
About Mandy
Amanda "Mandy" Hughes is an author and instructional designer who uses the tarot to inspire storytelling. Her book Mystic Storyteller: A Writer’s Guide to Using the Tarot for Creative Inspiration and companion tarot deck are helping her peers do exactly that. She also writes fiction under pen name A. Lee Hughes. 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 www.haintbluecreative.com and find her on Substack @HaintBlueCreative.
I really appreciate how you distilled and presented the Pages! Excellent !
how timely! I pulled a page of cups halfway today and was thinking I wished I had a deeper dive into the pages for myself and voila! Thank you :)