Storytelling with Oracle Cards

Utilise the magic of the oracle to create your own stories in 3 easy steps.

I've been working with Oracle cards for around 5 years now, and prior to that I worked with the Tarot for more than 20 years. After switching between the two it took me quite a while to get to grips with the free flowing nature of the oracle, with the many different themes and meanings associated with them.

The Tarot in contrast is much more structured and decks tend to follow the same pattern - that of the Fools journey. The journey of the Fool begins with the card of the same name which is numbered 0, it then follows the fools journey through the rest of the cards which represent the journey of life.

The Fools learns, grows, fails, falls in love, and ultimately, masters their world. It was thanks to the Tarots journey of the Fool that I began to look deeper into the stories woven within the many and varied oracle decks that I own and sell, seeing the journeys that the 'characters' followed, and creating my own stories according to whichever order the cards were drawn. It dawned on me that these images didn't only represent the lives of those I read for, but could be a fantastic resource for those who take pleasure in writing fiction. And so this blog post came to be.

Whether you are a seasoned writer, published author or just fancy the idea of expressing yourself through words, the oracle can be a wonderfully helpful tool to work with. Oracle cards can help you overcome writer's block, and can assist you in character development and plot creation. 

Here are a few tips to get you started. I will be using cards from the 'Energy Oracle' by Sandra Anne Taylor for my examples since it is a deck that I know fairly well and that uses a variety of imagery.

Drawing inspiration from the oracle: 3 easy steps!

1. Getting started: When you are getting started with a story and need some inspiration you can begin by selecting three cards or more - the first card to represent the beginning of the story, the last card to represent the end of the story, and the cards in between to depict the journey that the characters go on.

Take a look at the example below and ask yourself some questions about the cards, from there you can create your story!

You can take inspiration from the wording on the cards as well as the images. Who is the story about? Where do they begin? Is there a particular event that spurs them to make changes or go on a journey? Who do they meet along the way? What lessons do they learn?

2. Writers block. If you have found that you have developed a case of writer's block, simply pull a card and use that card as a suggestion. Spend some studying that card - can you take inspiration from the buildings in the image? The location? Do you get the feeling of a change in mood approaching?

If you don't have any luck with the first card you pull, then pull another, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to gaining inspiration from the oracle.

3. Character development. There are two main ways that you can use oracle cards for this purpose. The first is to pull a random card and use the information on that card to inspire your character. If the card you pull is of a person then it is quite a straightforward process, with you simply using the description to help build your character.

Take a look at the 'Appreciation' card below. When you look at this lady what do you see? Looking at her clothes where do you imagine that she lives? When did she live? What is her way of life? Do you imagine her to be kind? Timid? Bubbly? Angry?

Look at where she is standing, what surrounds her and what does she hold in her hand? For what purpose has the artist pictured her in this setting, and moment in time? 

I hope you enjoyed reading this, and find your own inspiration from the cards you draw, and I look forward to hearing your stories!