Doodling the Tarot: Connecting With the Cards Through Creativity and Mindfulness

Doodling the Tarot: Connecting With the Cards Through Creativity and Mindfulness

The foundation of a tarot practice often consists of memorizing the meanings of each card. Beyond that, the goal is to create a relationship with each card so that you can connect more deeply with its energy, its symbolism, its nuances, its messages, its secrets. And so, this book. I wanted to provide the physical space in which to scribble or sketch tarot cards. You could focus on reproducing an entire card, based on Pamela Colman Smith’s design. You could create your own, unique version of the card, inspired by its energy and key words. You could base your doodle around a particular aspect of a card. For example, your doodle could be of a series pomegranate-like shapes as found in the background of the High Priestess card. After all, this kind of repetitive sketching can be meditative and calming. Or, as another example, you could center your doodle around the picture of the chalice as found in the foreground of the Ace of Cups. You could make the cup any size you want. Or manipulate the imagery in a unique way. Or just make an outline of the cup and then, as we do with a mandala, fill in the rest of the white space with whatever design feels good. One more example: You could take the tiniest of details, such as the unobtrusive snail at the bottom of the Nine of Pentacles and make it the centerpiece of your drawing. The beauty of doodling in this way is that you get to decide what to focus on. And : When it comes to choosing what to doodle on the blank page, you might find it fruitful to first spend some time contemplating the key phrases I’ve listed for each card, and then check in with yourself about the following: What do I notice about the imagery? What archetype is featured? What kind of energy is the card giving off? What aspect or aspects of the card are drawing my attention? Why might that be? Every single detail of a tarot card carries meaning. And so is significant. Give yourself the time to get to know each card by noticing what the artist chose to include. But how – or even whether – you pay attention to detail(s) is up to you. I want you to have faith that by spending time with each card, by marinating in its imagery, your intuitive wisdom will know how to guide you, in terms of what and how to doodle. In fact, playing with white space while doodling can be a super creative exercise. There are no rules, only your whims – the push and pull of your intuition. The benefits of this type of tarot practice are many. Spending time doodling in this way will allow you to: Deepen your understanding of each card’s different components. Strengthen your relationship with each card. Create a more intuitive connection with each card. Be artistically inspired by each card. You’ll discover patterns and themes that you hadn’t noticed before and explore new perspectives, while peeling back new layers of meaning. Remember, you don’t have to be “an artist” to do this work. Doodling each card, or an aspect of a card, becomes a creative outlet, giving you the opportunity not only for serious study but also for spontaneity and playfulness. This all leads to you developing a more meaningful, personalized, and fulfilling tarot practice.