Telling Stories with Tarot: Using Cards to create a Narrative

Tarot isn't just for divination—it's also a powerful storytelling tool. Each card holds a wealth of imagery, symbolism, and emotion, all waiting to be woven into a tale. Whether you're a writer seeking inspiration or a tarot reader looking to deepen your intuitive practice, using tarot to build a story is both fun and spiritually enriching.

Here’s how you can begin putting together a story with tarot:

✨ Step 1: Choose Your Spread

Think of your spread as the framework or skeleton of your story. You can keep it simple or go elaborate, depending on your intention.

Simple 3-card story spread:

1. Beginning – The setup or introduction.

2. Middle – The conflict, challenge, or turning point.

3. End – The resolution or outcome.

You can expand this to a 5-card or 10-card layout if you're feeling ambitious. For a character-driven story, you might choose:

• Protagonist

• Motivation

• Conflict

• Ally

• Transformation

🌿 Step 2: Pull Your Cards

Shuffle your deck with the intention of telling a story. You can ask for a theme or let the cards speak entirely through your intuition. Don’t overthink—just trust the flow.

Let’s say you pull:

• The Fool (Beginning)

• The Tower (Middle)

• The Star (End)

At a glance, we already have a compelling arc: a naïve adventurer sets off on a journey, encounters a sudden and devastating upheaval, and eventually finds hope and healing.

🧙 Step 3: Explore the Characters

Major Arcana cards often represent characters or significant forces. Court cards may be literal people or aspects of personality.

Ask yourself:

• Who is this character?

• What do they want?

• What are they afraid of?

• What inner strength or flaw do they carry?

Example: The Queen of Swords might be a brilliant but emotionally distant leader. The Knight of Cups could represent a romantic dreamer who struggles with staying grounded.

🔥 Step 4: Develop the Plot

Tarot cards naturally suggest conflict, transformation, and emotion—essential ingredients in any story.

Use each card as a scene:

• Where is it set?

• What’s happening emotionally or spiritually?

• What’s changing?

You might even use elemental correspondences (Cups = emotions, Wands = action, Swords = thought, Pentacles = material world) to flesh out dynamics in each scene.

🌙 Step 5: Add Intuitive Layers

Let your intuition lead. Maybe the Ten of Swords doesn’t just signify betrayal—it evokes a battlefield or a breaking point that transforms your protagonist. Let color, imagery, and even your mood guide you.

Ask:

• What stands out in this card?

• What emotions does it evoke?

• What does the card say when it "speaks"?

Tarot is a bridge between the subconscious and the soul, so this is where real magic happens.

🖋️ Final Step: Write the Story

Now, take your notes, card meanings, and impressions, and turn them into a narrative. You can write a short scene, a poem, or a full chapter. This can also be a ritual—writing as a form of manifestation or healing.

You’re not just writing fiction—you’re channeling archetypes, symbols, and your own inner wisdom.

🌌 Tarot as a Creative Oracle

Using tarot as a storytelling tool opens a door between logic and mysticism. It reminds us that stories—like lives—aren’t always linear or predictable. They unfold in spirals, with moments of chaos, beauty, and revelation.

Next time you’re feeling creatively blocked or soulfully stuck, draw a few cards. You might just find your next character, your next plot twist, or even a mirror of your own spiritual journey.

What story will your tarot cards tell today?
Share your spreads and narratives in the comments or tag me if you post them—I'd love to see what you create! 🌟