Teneice Durrant, creator of Tenth Fox Tarot, will mark each full moon with a tarot reading, ritual for releasing creative blocks, and writing exercise. Writers, howl at the moon!
Wolf Moon
Happy New Year, writers!
The first full moon of the new year is the Wolf Moon, which may bring to mind the idea of the Lone Wolf howling in the cold night.
However, one of the main reasons wolves howl is to communicate to others in their pack. So if you are feeling a bit of lone wolfishness, either because you’ve been in writer-mode, or, you know, everything-else-that’s-happening-everywhere, make sure to call out to your pack, check in, and catch up. (If you don’t have a writer’s pack yet, give us a shout. All are welcome in our community!)
This month, we are going to get back to the tarot cards for a message on what we (or our characters) need to release. You can take this message however it works for you. It might inspire a writing prompt, help with a character you are developing, or serve as a message for you. After the reading, I’ll give a brief suggestion for a ritual of release.
This month’s cards are the 7 of swords and the 10 of Swords.
Not gonna lie, these cards hurt. Swords represent thoughts, logic, integrity, and truth. The 7 of swords says that you don’t believe in yourself or your skills, so instead of facing your enemy in a fair fight, you stoop to stealing, sabotaging…maybe sliding into some DM’s to cause a little trouble. This card can also indicate that you have focused on a specific aspect of the situation and given it an importance that it doesn’t merit. You are looking at petty, small-potatoes situations instead of grasping the bigger picture.
The 10 of Swords is the inevitable result of continued self-sabotaging energy. The good news is, it can’t get any worse. These swords along the spine are the consequences of our own actions, no one else’s. Tens bring an end to a cycle and may also indicate a generational healing is happening. Bad attitudes about self-worth and integrity are healed, and you can move forward, refusing to pass on those habits to future generations.
See, that’s no so bad, is it? Let’s get to work.
A simple ritual for releasing a self-sabotaging behavior
In a quiet, dimly lit space where you feel safe, light a white candle and say out loud: what habit is causing my self-sabotage? (It is important to say it out loud. Sound is energy.)
Look at the flame and let your gaze go soft. Breath slowly and deeply (count to six on the inhale, eight on the exhale) for as long as you are comfortable. Let your mind clear as you let just one self-sabotaging habit float to the front. Concentrate on it for a few minutes, perhaps thinking of some recent examples of how you’ve embodied this behavior.
Self-sabotage is one of the many ways that our subconscious tries to protect us from some unknown, scary situation. For writers, it might be a fear of rejection or failure, or lack of confidence that leads us to compare ourselves to other writers. We fear so hard, we sabotage ourselves before anyone else can. Imagine wrapping this habit in a loving, white light as you say: thank you for trying to protect me from the unknown. I am strong enough to handle any situation head on. I am strong enough to stand in my integrity. Imagine releasing or dissolving the habit in that light.
After you have released the habit in love and grace, let your eyes slowly focus on the flame, then the candle, and outward. Let the room come back into focus. Give yourself time to feel present in your body.
Blow out the candle and jot down any feelings, thoughts, or images that you experienced during the ritual. These notes can be a record of your ritual (repeat as necessary!), or they might be the start of a piece of either nonfiction or fiction writing.
Take care, dear writers. Don’t forget to howl at the moon.
Until next time, find my tarot podcast at anchor.fm/tenthfox.
What did you think of Teneice's offering for this month? Will you try the exercise and see where your writing takes you? Share with us in the comments.
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