© Copyright 2023 Karen Charboneau-Harrison, All Rights Reserved.
The Tarot is a system full of meaningful symbology and power. It is most often used for divination, but it can also be used very effectively for Spell work as well. Here is a ritual focusing on enhancing your Creativity and sense of fun by using the powerful symbols of the Tarot in our spell. Upon first reading it may appear complicated, but, really, it's not! It is a simple, yet extremely effective working.
You will need a deck of tarot cards, three orange candles and Creative Energy incense and oil. If you wish, you can cover your altar with a scarlet or gold cloth. From your tarot deck, choose a Queen or King from one of the suits to represent you. If you are dark haired and eyed, choose the Pentacle suit, if you are blonde with blue or green eyes, choose the Wands suit, if you are red headed, choose the Swords suit and if you are medium brown/blonde choose the Cups suit.
Now from the Major Arcana, pull the following four cards: The Empress, The Star, The Moon and The Fool. You will be using the Pentagram spread for the energy pattern of your spell and you will decide prior to the ritual where you wish to lay each card in the spread - which card you want to place in each position to activate the energies for the results you want.
The Pentagram Spread is a simple 5 card spread representing the 4 elements plus the element of Spirit. This spread is a square star pattern and it looks like this -the element Earth is in the lower left hand corner and represents being centered or grounded, manifestation and physical reward. The element Air is in the upper left hand corner and represents your thoughts, conscious inspirations and ideas. The element Water is in the upper right hand corner and represents your feelings, how you feel about others and how they feel about you, your subconscious and your inner connection to divine inspiration. The element Fire is in the lower right hand corner and represents your energy, motivation, desire and power to express yourself. Your identity card (the King or Queen you have chosen to represent yourself) is placed at the center top above the other cards in the spot of Spirit/Higher Self.
Before the ritual you will have chosen which one of the Major Arcana cards you want to place in each elemental energy position. To give you some ideas on how to meditate and decide on your placements, consider the following ideas: The energy of The Empress card is pure creativity and potential. The energy of The Star card is that of hopes and dreams fulfilled. The Moon card energy is evolution and progress. The Fool card energy is playfulness, fearlessness, joy, originality and optimistic risk taking - charting new waters, as it were. You will need to think about the meanings of the elements and the energies of the cards to determine which card will work the best for you in each position of the spread.
For example, let's say that you feel you have been in a rut with no original ideas for a long time. The Fool in the Air position would be appropriate for originality and new thought. Or say that you want to let divine inspiration well up from your subconscious for manifestation so that you can really express your feelings. The Empress in the Water position would be appropriate to help your subconscious express itself in your emotions and artistic self expression. Or, using the Empress as an example again, you have the inspiration, but have lacked the way to get it manifested on the physical plane so that others can respond to it - The Empress in the Earth position would be appropriate for the creativity to manifest on the physical plane. Perhaps in the past whenever you have started a project, you lose interest and motivation. The Star card in the Fire position would be appropriate to give you that push and impetus to follow your own 'star'. Or, you could place the Star card in the Earth position to manifest your hopes and dreams. The Moon card in the Earth position would be helpful for you to evolve or go to the next level of your creative self-expression. If you want evolution that manifests itself in a physical way (i.e., people paying you for your art or noticing and appreciating what you do), place the Moon in the Earth position; if you want to bring your expertise and ideas to the next level, place the Moon card in the Air position, if you want to really FEEL what you are trying to express and help others to 'get it', place the Moon card in the Water position. You can see that you will need to put some thought into this before the ritual so that you know how you want to manipulate the energies. OR, if you want to leave it to chance and see what Fate wants to put into play, shuffle the 4 cards randomly and then lay them out Earth first, then Air, then Water and ending with Fire. This will allow the Universe to choose which energies will work best for you.
Now for the ritual: Cast circle in your usual manner. Using your Creative Energy oil, anoint your orange candles from the bottom up to the wick if you wish to project your creative talents into the world or from the wick to the bottom if you are drawing inspiration to you. Light your candles and place them in candle holders on your altar in a triangular pattern - one at the bottom left corner of your altar, one at the bottom right corner and one centered at the top edge of your altar in front of you. This creates the alchemical triangle with its point at the top representing Fire - motivation, energy and impetus.
Light your charcoal and when it is going well put it down in your incense burner then place a bit of Creative Energy incense on the coal. Now lay the cards face-down in the middle of your altar, Elemental positions first (earth, air, water then fire). Place your identity card at the center top above the elemental cards, this card face up. Begin by activating each card in turn - starting with Earth - by placing a small drop of Creative Energy oil onto your finger, turning the card over and anointing it in the center with your oil. Concentrate your energies on the images on the card and make a statement of how this specific combination of the energy of the card and the energy of the element will work to enhance and activate your creativity. Now touch your Identity Card with the Earth Element card to transfer the energy to it, thus transferring the energy to your Self. Place the Earth card back in its position. Anoint the next Element card, Air, with the oil, make your statement, touch your Identity Card with it and return it to its position. Do this with the Water Element card, and last, the Fire Element card. Now, going back to the Earth position, pick up the card and waft it in the smoke of your incense, again making your statement and touching the Identify Card with it. Repeat with each Element card, returning each to its original position. Go back to the Earth card and hold it briefly a few inches over the flame of your candle, then make your statement, again touching your Identity Card with it to transfer the energy. Repeat with each Element card, returning each to its position. Now place more incense in your burner, pick the burner up and make an Invoking Earth Pentagram* over the cards with it, saying: "Thrice charged, Thrice blessed Do I draw these things to me! Earth and Air, Water and Fire As my will, So Mote It Be!" Now place each Element card on top of your Identity Card starting with the Earth card and place them together in a silk scarf or in a box. Let them stay this way for an entire lunar cycle. At that time you can shuffle them back in with the rest of the deck. You should expect your dreams to be more intense while the energy of this ritual is percolating and will soon be overflowing with ideas and motivation!
If you read Tarot cards on a regular basis, you will probably want to be sure you have an extra deck to read with while the deck you used for this ritual is being utilized in this way, since 5 of the cards will be occupied for a full month. I have a deck that I use only for ritual and meditation purposes rather than ever reading with it.
*Invoking Earth Pentagram - we are using this pentagram as the purpose of the ritual is to aid you in manifesting and expressing your Creativity. Remember those stars that you used to draw on steamy windows when you were a kid? Same drawing principle, this time with purpose! Start with the top point and draw down toward the Earth element position, up toward Water, across to Air, down toward Fire and then up again to the top, Spirit.
Quick Reference Chart for Major Arcana cards and Elemental Energies:
- Fool in Earth - begin new projects, enjoy taking risks
- Fool in Air - originality, new ideas and ways of perceiving things
- Fool in Water - new feelings about what you are doing
- Fool in Fire - getting off your backside and do something new
- Moon in Earth - make progress toward your goals
- Moon in Air - evolutionary thought
- Moon in Water - draw inspiration from your subconscious
- Moon in Fire - taking real steps and actions for results
- Empress in Earth - manifest your creativity on the physical plane
- Empress in Air - creative ideas that you will give birth to
- Empress in Water - unblock your emotions for artistic expression
- Empress in Fire - energy and motivation to create
- Star in Earth - manifest hopes and dreams
- Star in Air - inspiration in your ideas
- Star in Water - touch the emotions of others with your dreams
- Star in Fire - impetus to follow your dreams and get out of your own way
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