Listen to Your Card: Expanding the Lesson of Tarot to Evoke Self-Actualization Through Poetry
Major
English – Writing
Submission Type
Oral Presentation
Area of Study or Work
English-Writing
Faculty Advisor
Michael Theune
Location
CNS E102
Start Date
4-12-2025 8:30 AM
End Date
4-12-2025 9:30 AM
Abstract
Abstract “Listen To Your Cards ...” is a creative writing project that aims to attach the lessons of the spiritual practice of Tarot to a wide array of narratives brought to you by different/ recurring poetic speakers. Tarot is a spiritual practice that advises its practitioners in all aspects of life and encourages them to invest faith in themselves and the powers of the divine/celestial powers equally. A single deck of cards contains (typically) seventy-eight cards which feature many recurring symbols, themes, and illustrations that are shuffled at random for a “pull”. All of those cards are categorized into “Major” and “Minor” Arcana. The Major Arcana focuses on life's major karmic lessons while Minor Arcana focuses on life's simple, day-to-day battles. Misconceptions of the practice often leave people believing they’ll always leave a session with a completely clear mind, answers to their questions– or a vision of their future if they’re lucky enough. These perceptions are, in my opinion, rooted in a desire for control. Tarot is a practice that may urge you to take control, but it will also encourage you to relinquish it if it’s for the greater good. In my project I intend to highlight the self-development, and sometimes brutal honesty required of those looking for divine guidance. To provide a bridge between the wide array of topics Tarot cards broach, this project will utilize recurring characters, who will insert their narratives into the poems. In my previous work, I’ve leaned towards more elusive expressions. However, since reading Dolores Kendrick’s “Why Is The Woman Singing on The Corner?” I have become newly interested in the ways narrative elements can be intertwined into poetry to enhance the free-flowing nature that poetry is renowned for. To develop my writing during this project experimenting with different poetic forms and shapes will be imperative. A great deal of inspiration for me lies in exploring the processes of other writers, so I intend to re-read Claudia Tate’s collection of interviews “Black Women Writers at Work”. With this, I hope to place myself in the minds of Black women writers who all have distinct writing styles, opinions, and processes. In completing this project, I have personal goals to push unknown limits I may be putting the characters I write however; my most central purpose is to utilize the rich symbolism and narratives found within Tarot Cards to create a manuscript of poems that encourages self-actualization and exploration from its audience.
Listen to Your Card: Expanding the Lesson of Tarot to Evoke Self-Actualization Through Poetry
CNS E102
Abstract “Listen To Your Cards ...” is a creative writing project that aims to attach the lessons of the spiritual practice of Tarot to a wide array of narratives brought to you by different/ recurring poetic speakers. Tarot is a spiritual practice that advises its practitioners in all aspects of life and encourages them to invest faith in themselves and the powers of the divine/celestial powers equally. A single deck of cards contains (typically) seventy-eight cards which feature many recurring symbols, themes, and illustrations that are shuffled at random for a “pull”. All of those cards are categorized into “Major” and “Minor” Arcana. The Major Arcana focuses on life's major karmic lessons while Minor Arcana focuses on life's simple, day-to-day battles. Misconceptions of the practice often leave people believing they’ll always leave a session with a completely clear mind, answers to their questions– or a vision of their future if they’re lucky enough. These perceptions are, in my opinion, rooted in a desire for control. Tarot is a practice that may urge you to take control, but it will also encourage you to relinquish it if it’s for the greater good. In my project I intend to highlight the self-development, and sometimes brutal honesty required of those looking for divine guidance. To provide a bridge between the wide array of topics Tarot cards broach, this project will utilize recurring characters, who will insert their narratives into the poems. In my previous work, I’ve leaned towards more elusive expressions. However, since reading Dolores Kendrick’s “Why Is The Woman Singing on The Corner?” I have become newly interested in the ways narrative elements can be intertwined into poetry to enhance the free-flowing nature that poetry is renowned for. To develop my writing during this project experimenting with different poetic forms and shapes will be imperative. A great deal of inspiration for me lies in exploring the processes of other writers, so I intend to re-read Claudia Tate’s collection of interviews “Black Women Writers at Work”. With this, I hope to place myself in the minds of Black women writers who all have distinct writing styles, opinions, and processes. In completing this project, I have personal goals to push unknown limits I may be putting the characters I write however; my most central purpose is to utilize the rich symbolism and narratives found within Tarot Cards to create a manuscript of poems that encourages self-actualization and exploration from its audience.