There's nothing more freeing, or more frightening, than facing a blank page to start a brand new creative writing project. So many possibilities. But where to start? And what if I run out of ideas half-way through?
 
With a tarot deck beside you, you won't be starting out with a blank page. Instead, you'll have a world of stories and subtext, character traits and interactions at your disposal. If you allow your creative juices to flow, the cards will bring those stories to your page.
 
Don't worry. You don't have to be an expert on reading the cards to use them as a creativity tool. Simply trust your instinct and allow your unconscious to express itself. The mythical symbols and archetypes are already embedded in the images of the deck.
 
Corrine Kenner, author of "Tarot for Writers" says well-known writers, such as John Steinbeck and Stephen King, have used tarot cards for inspiration. They can help you develop your plot, conflict, character profiles, dialogue and scenery, as well as to introduce unpredictable elements. The cards can even jog your creativity if you run into a "block" in the middle of a story, by taking the open ended images on the cards and projecting a story into them.
 
The Basics
A tarot deck consists of two parts: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.
 
Major Arcana
The 22-card Major Arcana represent universal archetypes, the basic patterns for human thoughts and emotions, often dramatic, life-changing events. For example, the Chariot 

The Justice card, on the other hand, is about legal matters and equilibrium, as well as forgiveness and karma. If you drew this card for your male lead, he may be a forgiving soul who excuses bad behavior and gives people a second, maybe even a third, chance to redeem themselves.
 
In either case, draw a second card before you begin to delve into meanings. It's fun to work in pairs, to find the yin and yang of the characters in your story.
We'll come back to that topic in a moment, but first let's look at the rest of the tarot deck.
 
Minor Arcana
There are 56 cards in the Minor Arcana. While the Major Arcana portrays big, universal themes, the Minor Arcana brings those themes down to the street and applies them to everyday life. The Minor Arcana has four suits—typically labeled Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles. Each of those suits has ten numbered cards and four Court cards (King, Queen Knight and Page, or something similar). Each tarot suit corresponds to one of the elements: Fire, earth, air and water.

• Wands=Fire. Could be a fiery personality, tempers flaring, or positive enthusiasm and change.
  
• Pentacles=Earth. Wealth, or the flip side and money troubles. Commerce and property. Stuff you can touch and hold.
• Swords=Air. An intellectual person using words as a weapon. Conflicting ideas. Even worry and pain.
• Cups=Water, and all the emotions and intuitions that come with it. Also the all-important relationships and romance.
   
  As a writing example, let's go back to your male protagonist in the Major Arcana section above. You pulled the Justice card for his first draw, and have decided he is big on forgiveness and second chances.                                                                         Then you draw the second card, the 3 of swords.
  

Looking at the two drawn cards together gives you a deeper picture of your hero. Yes, he forgives others readily. But those three swords through the heart indicate that he is not nearly so forgiving with himself. He's plagued by paralyzing regret and guilt about his own past. What in his past has caused such pain? That backstory is up to you.
 
            Conclusion
Using the tarot to write your novel is about trusting yourself and allowing your subconscious to express itself. Pick a card and set it in front of you. What’s the first image that you notice? What do you think it means? Do you get an overall impression from the image as a whole? What thoughts or feelings emerge? How can you apply it to your novel? Free write without censure or editing, and see what happens.
 
This process can be used regardless of the genre of your novel. I'd recommend researching tarot decks online or at a local occult or New Age store, to find a deck that reflects your particular genre or "speaks" to you. I've included but a few samples of the diverse artwork on tarot decks. Thousands of samples are available, and the search for your personal author's deck is half the fun.
 
For more information on creative writing using tarot, leave me a question here. I'd also recommend you pick up a copy of "Tarot for Writers" by Corrine Kenner for many more ideas on how to get started.
 

A trio of crows gather in the Ponderosa pines behind our forest cabin. We’ve grown accustomed to waking to the whomp, whomp of those huge wings every sunrise, and their raucous chatter at us as we eat breakfast on the back deck.  

Ravens and crows belong to a family of birds called corvids. Ravens are bigger than crows, and they tend to be shaggier looking because of the fluffy scruff on their breast. But the easiest way to tell a raven from a crow is by the bill and the tail. The crow’s bill is sharp and short; the raven’s is slightly hooked.  The tail of a crow in flight is cropped, while the raven’s is a diamond shape. A crow speaks in a harsh, loud “caw,” while the raven’s call is a softer, “kruk,” or even a chuckle.

Ravens and crows both eat a varied diet, but they prefer carrion. They are often companions of the coyote and wolf, working with the pack. A wolf, with claws and teeth, can tear open a fresh kill for the birds, who patiently wait their turn. In exchange, ravens fly ahead of a hunting pack and lead them to a potential victim.

I love corvid medicine and I’m happy it’s in my life. When I first began to study witchcraft, the raven was the first animal guide to appear to me in meditation, and the living birds were everywhere: on camping trips, hikes, scavenging in dumpsters, even nested in the stadium lights at my son's high school football field. 

 I’ve written several scenes including ravens in my novel, Song of the Ancients.

My Lakota medicine man character, Sinclair, can shapeshift into a raven, and he carves a protection totem for my protagonist, Samantha, that has a raven’s head and wings atop a woman’s torso. 

I'm interpreting the bird’s presence en force in my life as a sign that those scenes are on track.

These intelligent and mysterious birds are powerfully associated with witchcraft and magic. Unfortunately, they’ve also developed a rather sinister reputation as harbingers of death. Granted, part of that reputation is earned.

The ancient Celts associated ravens with The Morrigan, Goddess of death and battle, and also a shapeshifter. When warriors saw a raven on the battlefield, they knew The Morrigan was watching…waiting to mark the dead.

The History Channel’s series “Vikings” features the Norse God Odin’s two ravens in its opening credits. Their names are Huginn (meaning thought) and Muninn (meaning memory). These ravens are not just Odin’s pets; they are his informants, roving the upper and lower worlds to observe and report back at sunset. Viking leader Ragnar Lodbrok had a banner embroidered with a raven. It was said if this banner fluttered Lodbrok would carry the day, but if it hung lifeless the battle would be lost.

According to legend, the Kingdom of England would fall if the ravens in the Tower of London were removed. During the Second World War, most of the Tower’s ravens perished during bombing raids, leaving only a mated pair, Mabel and Grip, who also flew away to escape the loud explosions. Since the Empire was dismantled shortly afterward, those who are superstitious say history confirms the legend.

Just to be safe, before the tower reopened to the public in 1946, raven residents were re-established. Six ravens currently reside at the Tower. To prevent the birds from flying away, their feathers are trimmed by the royal Raven Master (no, it doesn't hurt them). They are fed raw meat and biscuits soaked in blood, as well as eggs and the occasional rabbit (fur and all). Despite the trimmed wing, some ravens do in fact go absent without leave and others have had to be sacked. Raven George was dismissed for eating TV aerials and Raven Grog was last seen outside an East End pub.

Many Native Americans see both crow and raven as tricksters, much like the mystical coyote, except the tricks usually end with a positive result. Many tribes honor raven for bringing light to mankind, and they are a common feature on totem poles.
For me, these birds do not represent physical death, but the end of an outgrown way of being, a rigid or deprecating belief that is creating an obstruction in my life. This process is called “the resolution of opposites.”  The presence of either glossy black bird says I am being urged to resolve a deep and long-seated conflict in my psyche.
 
In magic, Raven and crow bring different messages. Raven speaks of the process of life, death and continual change. It signals the end of one part of life and beginning of something new. Crow addresses the magic within everyday life and reinforces the laws of the Creator.

If a raven guide appears to you, turn your focus inward.  He is guardian of our fears, and to see one in a dream is a message it’s time to examine what scares you. He will show you how to go into the dark of your shadow self and bring out the light, resolving inner conflicts that have long been buried.

Everything has its own energetic spirit, including negative self-talk. Consider any negative thoughts you hold about yourself.  Is it a long list? “I don’t measure up.” Or, “I don’t have the talent/drive/money/time to do what my heart desires.” Or, “they’ve never loved me. I’m a disappointment to them.” What energy is creating these disabling beliefs? What new action will dispel them? 

Just as the raven is often a silent observer, you may need to observe your environment, the people in it, and your own actions and attitude, to discover the true source. Your behavior is a deep and complex tapestry woven over the expanse of your entire lifetime, so don’t expect change overnight. It takes time to untangle the knots you’ve spent years making.  But that’s what raven magic is all about.

 Crow is the guardian of ceremonial magic and healing, and he will be present around any healing circle. Crow guides you to improve your physical environment, such as enabling you to dispel “dis-ease” or illness. He is also the sacred keeper of the law, indicating you have an instinct for right and wrong beyond the laws created in human culture. With crow as your totem, you must be willing to walk your talk, to speak your truth, to know your life’s mission, and to balance past, present and future in the now.  Put aside your fear of being a solitary voice and “caw” the shots as you see them. When you learn to allow your personal integrity to be your guide, your sense of isolation will vanish.

Beware of converting completely to the outlaw however. If you rebel simply to break rules, the only loser is you. If you are lying to yourself on any level, you are ‘eating crow.’ Contrary crow reminds us that Divine Law is NOT simply passing judgment. Divine Law in magic is having an open and forgiving heart, a true tongue, a respect for all living creatures, and a peaceful mind.

To understand the flight and call of raven or crow, listen for their song near dawn or in the late afternoon. Enter a place of stillness within to hear and accept what they have to tell you.