Assignments:

• Write a short story about each of The Major Arcana Cards you have covered in Lesson 1 and 2.  A couple of paragraphs for each card will be suffice.  In your own words and using your own imagination give an account of The Fool, The Magician, The High Priestess and The Empress.  Write about them as people, their personalities and what might be going on in their lives.  If you wish,  you can incorporate the above four in the one story but make sure you identify each of the characters and keep their qualities and personalities consistent with their archetypal associations.  Add some dialogue if you wish.  Add some drama or just depict an  everyday scene in work, at home, travelling on the bus or shopping in the supermarket.  Bring these characters to life and make them real.
• If  you wish and have the time to,  write a short story using the reversed aspect of the above cards.  Let your imagination run riot.  To really stretch your imagination, you could also mix some upright with the reversed.
• I want you to begin from this Lesson and all future Lessons  to pick at least one Major Arcana from the cards we have covered and write a personal account of how you have experienced it in a  “been there, done that” aspect.  Please note that this is not for viewing by me.  These assignments are for your own record and to be kept in your Tarot Journal.  For example, you chucked in your old reliable job as a secretary to train as a jewellery designer and set your own business up.  You used all you savings and even borrowed some from family.  It was scary but it was what you really wanted to do and you were so bored doing what you were doing.  Some people thought you were mad leaving a safe job in the middle of a recession but it was now or never as far as you were concerned.  This story would demonstrate the energy and qualities of The Fool influencing your life.  Therefore, you have knowledge of The Fool.  If you completed your training and are now enjoying a successful career as a jewellery designer, then you also have knowledge of The Empress and can talk about her influence in the situation.  If you had studied hard and had a carefully thought out plan for your jewellery business before you made your move, then The Magician has also been involved in your life.  Maybe he also appeared as a business mentor when you sought help and advice for your business venture.  He may also have been the person who by chance you meet one day while browsing through a local craft fair only to ring you two days later offering you a golden opportunity to showcase your jewellery at an important exhibition.  He tells you that he was very impressed by the quality, style and standard of the jewellery you were wearing that day.   Of course, this dream of yours had been brewing in you for how many years? All those nights of lost sleep as you planned and ran ideas through your head.  Sitting at your office desk every day doing the same old, same old. Deep down you knew you had to do this, knew you had to follow your own heart, knew that it was the right thing to do.  The High Priestess of course helped you through this time.

*The above exercises will help you get to grips with the story of the Major Arcana and its Key Players.  You will be doing this exercise after every lesson in this part of the course.  You will be surprised how well your story telling abilities develop as a result.

Copyright © 2006-2012 Vivien Ní Dhuinn
Truly Teach Me Tarot Part III