Revitalizing Your Creative Soul
The Conclusion of the Tarot for the Creative Soul Series
With all the hubbub of trying to keep up with all the things, overstimulation, distractions... and that’s just on social media alone, it can be really tough to maintain one’s creative spark.
During times when I feel the weight of the world impacting my creativity, I turn to the tarot in a few specific ways.
In Part Four and the conclusion of my Tarot for the Creative Soul Series, I’m sharing exercises I find most helpful when my creative soul needs a pick-me-up.
Download Your Part Four Workbook
To work with these activities now and/or at a later date, you can download your complimentary Revitalizing Your Creative Soul, Part Four Workbook here and at the button below.
When you think of The Hermit card, what comes to mind?
For me, it’s introspection - seeking solitude, a retreat, a pause, etc. and one of the things I do every year to revitalize myself is take what I call a Hermit Hibernation.
The first time I took this time off, I uncovered nine benefits of seeking solitude. You can read them here in this Substack post.
Introspection Spread
When you find yourself in a position
where retreating for a period of introspection feels like a necessary move, I’ve designed a spread that can help explore the process. If you are a fiction writer, this spread can also help you work from the lens of your character in order to flesh out a scene or plotline.
Shuffle your deck until you are satisfied that the cards are ready for pulling.
Next, find The Hermit, which represents where you are right now. Lay the card in the space for Card 1.
Pull the card behind The Hermit and place it in the space for Card 4. This card represents what you’re leaving behind.
Pull the two cards in front of The Hermit and place them consecutively in the spaces for Card 2 and Card 3. These cards inform where you are headed and considerations for the unknown, respectively.
Ask yourself the following questions, using your intuition to consider the answers. If you are using this spread from your character’s point of view, imagine them asking themselves these questions.
Card 3: What are the considerations for the Unknown?
Card 2: Where am I headed?
Card 1: The Hermit—Where you are now.
Card 4: What’s behind me?
When life gets hectic, what are your go-to ways of retreating?
Sometimes, I need a thorough, holistic check-in,
so I shuffle my cards and ask for insight. Here’s how:
The Holistic Healing for the Creative Soul Spread
was designed to serve as a thorough check-in with all aspects of your health and Self: emotional, physical, mental, and spirit OR spiritual.
You try it:
First, sort through your deck and pull out the Major Arcana. Set them aside.
Next, pull the four Aces. Lay them on the spaces in alphabetical order: Cups, Pentacles, Swords, and Wands.
Now, shuffle the deck and pull four cards, placing them beneath the Aces, from left to right, on the spaces for Cards 1 through 4.
Ask yourself the following questions:
Cups – What aspect of my emotional health needs attention right now?
Pentacles – What aspect of my physical health needs attention right now?
Swords – What aspect of my mental health needs attention right now?
Wands – What aspect of my spirit* needs attention right now?
*Not everyone is spiritual, hence why this question doesn’t read “spiritual health.” However, if you are a spiritual person, you are encouraged to ask, “What aspect of my spiritual health needs attention right now?”
For a quick one-card check-in,
you might also shuffle your deck and ask, “What aspect of my health/Self needs attention right now?”
The suit for the card you pull can help direct your focus and intentions.
If you feel called to pull a card and share, please do!
The Entire Tarot for the Creative Soul Series
Did you miss Part One? You can catch up here.
What about Part Two? You can read it here.
And how about Part Three? You can read it here.
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 is coming to La Panthère Studio summer 2024. She also writes fiction under pen names A. Lee Hughes and Mandy Lee. 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 follow her on Instagram @HaintBlueCreative.
I did the spread with the Aces. I feel like they are feeling the need to reiterate my being more thankful for what’s working/going right. 😂