What Went Wrong?

When the Cards and Stories Don’t Align

In case you’re new to my Substack, have been blissfully busy, or you’ve spent the last few weeks hiding under a safe and cozy rock, I spent the entire month of August marketing my new book, Mystic Storyteller. Don’t worry; this article is not a marketing pitch.

Stay with me, because today I’m writing about unseen possibilities.

Over the past several months, nearly all my creative energy was spent leading writers and tarot enthusiasts over to our Mystic Storyteller BackerKit campaign and facilitating a free writer’s camp in the platform’s community feature. The work behind these tasks took months of planning and development, and I was absolutely in love with the resources and activities I’d prepared to deliver to my Backers.

Rewind to December 2023

I sat at my desk, shuffled my tarot deck, and pulled 12 cards, one each for my personal 2024 outlook: a Year Ahead spread. I do this every December, and the cards provide a glimpse at energies I can use as guides for each month. In years past, some of my month cards were quite promising, while others were downright terrifying. When I turned over my card for August 2024 and the Ten of Cups glimmered back at me, my hope for a successful crowdfunding campaign skyrocketed.

Now, back to August

Three days out from the campaign’s ending, we were a couple thousand short. I glanced at my monthly card stand—the 10 cups glittering, the rainbow glowing, the people triumphant—and my mind started racing: But what if the campaign fails? What if my expectations aren’t met? and ... cue gasping and shrieking ... WHAT IF THE CARD LIED?

I don’t know about your experience working with the tarot, but I’ve been using the cards for over a decade, and until last month I’ve never accused my cards of being liars. Tricksters, hell yeah, but never liars. I sat with the notion for a while when another thought moved in and replaced the accusations: What if it’s me? What if I read the Ten of Cups wrong?

Thankfully and triumphantly, the BackerKit campaign was a success (we ended up raising more than a thousand dollars beyond our goal), but those feelings of What went wrong? still lingered... which percolated into an idea for this very article.

What happens when the cards we pull don’t align

with the stories we’ve gleaned from them? What if our Mystic Storyteller crowdfunding efforts had failed and all those weeks of planning and designing and marketing ended up wasted? What if an outcome doesn’t support a traditionally positive card’s meaning?

When preparing for this post,

I chose a selection of the most joyful cards in the tarot deck and imagined how they might serve as portents for unsavory possibilities. What warnings are being eclipsed by their glowing façades? And we’re not talking reversals here; the following musings ponder what we might be missing when accepting a card at face value. Let’s start with the Ten of Cups.

---

Ten of Cups

Sky-high expectations and distractions can keep us from not paying attention to what’s happening down here on the ground. Illusions of grandeur could be at play. Alternatively, high hopes won’t float if low-hanging efforts keep dragging them down.

Warning: Don’t set your expectations so high that you might have a difficult time recovering from the disappointment.

---

The Sun

Pollyanna-thinking looks and sounds great, but what is it doing to our mental health? On the other hand, that unassuming new teacher with her matching pink suits, sweet smile, and kitten tea sets? She’s out for blood.

Warning: Just because it’s cute does not mean it’s safe.

---

The Empress

We’ve got a diva on our hands. She’ll make you feel like you’ve won the lottery, but at what cost? If you’re not careful, you’ll find yourself entangled by her web and bled dry.

Warning: You might have to stand firm toward someone who asks more of you than what they’re willing to give.

---

Six of Cups

Their efforts seem kind... but in reality they’re transactional. What must you do in return for their help, love, attention, and/or acceptance? If you aren’t serving their needs, you’ll be left treading water.

Warning: Don’t expect something in return for nothing, and not even from a loved one.

---

Nine of Pentacles

What did she have to endure—or choose to endure—in order to achieve her goals? What excruciating efforts do we not see? What scars (or deeds) is she hiding beneath those brocade robes and behind those lush hedges? What was required of her that wouldn’t have been asked were she [young, already wealthy, a man, etc.]?

Warning: Do the expectations align with your values?

---

Four of Wands

It’s a grand home, with a sprawling yard, and their cookouts are the talk of the town. You finally receive an invite. The closer you get to the patio tables, the thicker the smoke. What is that sweet and pungent smell? They serve you a plate... with a cut of meat you’ve never, ever seen. Or have you?

Warning: There could be something really ugly going on behind that pretty front door.

---

Six of Wands

He was given an assignment, and he returned triumphant. But at what cost? What did he have to do in order to succeed? What do the people cheering him on believe? What were they told? What weren’t they told? Sound familiar? Politics, anyone?

Warning: Be careful not to champion people without knowing why and what they did to rise up the ranks.

---

What other seemingly dandy cards might be hiding a dilemma?

Share your thoughts in the comments! I’m always eager to learn new perspectives!

---

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 coming soon! 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.