Tarot for Creative Writing: Major Arcana with Portico Library

The Tarot is often used in popular culture to symbolise associations with the occult or magic. However, this spiritual and folk based tradition has a much richer culture than would otherwise be suggested. Join poet and experienced tarot reader, Kym Deyn as they explain some of the real history behind these images, showing how writers of all types can harness the imagery of the tarot for creative writing.

learn about the rich folk tradition of the Marseilles Tarot

This workshop, focusing on the Major Arcana, is part of a pair, the second with a focus on the Minor Arcana. Each Arcana is a slightly different set of cards, the Major features famous cards such as ‘The High Priestess’, ‘The Moon’ and ‘The Hanged Man’. No prior knowledge of tarot or even writing is required, simply a curiosity to learn more.

Over the course of the session you’ll learn about the rich folk tradition of the Marseilles Tarot alongside images of historical decks from the Portico’s archive. The emphasis will be on reading the images with particular attention to how they can translate into writing across a range of styles and genres. It can be difficult to use tarot for creative writing because of the occult associations, however, understanding the real history rather than the popular myth is the way to escape this particular blockage.

Kym Deyn is a playwright, poet and fortune teller as well as studying for an MA in Creative Writing at Newcastle University. This year, they were one of the winners of the 2020 Outspoken Prize for Poetry and their work has previously been published in The Valley Press Anthropology of Prose Poetry as well as Neon.