Author Guest Post with Kirsten Weiss: The Mysteries of Tarot

How to Read the Cards for Transformation

Welcome to the June 8th stop on the blog tour for The Mysteries of Tarot by Kirsten Weiss with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, more guest posts, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.

Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means there is no additional cost to you if you shop using my links, but I will earn a small percentage in commission. A program-specific disclaimer is at the bottom of this post.

Author Guest Post

Unveiling the Mystical Connection: The Tarot’s Five Suits and the Five-Act Story Structure

In my new book, The Mysteries of Tarot, the mystery takes place in the editor’s notes to each Tarot card. So I decided I to use a five-act story structure to mirror the five suits in a Tarot deck: the Major Arcana, Pentacles, Swords, Cups and Wands. After all, the book is ostensibly a Tarot guidebook, and it really can be used to learn to read Tarot.

The five-act structure goes back at least to 16 BC, but it isn’t used very commonly today. So I thought it might be worth exploring how it works.

Act 1: The Foundation – The Major Arcana: In storytelling, Act 1 lays the foundation, introducing the world, characters, and their desires. In the Tarot, the Major Arcana transcends the suits and represents profound archetypal forces. The Major Arcana cards mirror Act 1 by setting the stage, offering universal wisdom, and guiding the characters on their transformative journeys. These cards embody the essence of the protagonist’s quest and hold the keys to their destiny.

Act 2: Rising Tension – The Suit of Pentacles: The second act of a story is characterized by rising tension, conflicts, and obstacles that the protagonist must overcome. Similarly, the suit of Pentacles in Tarot symbolizes the material world, encompassing wealth, stability, and practical matters. Just as Act 2 presents challenges for the characters, the Pentacles suit reflects the characters’ encounters with material obstacles and their quest for security and abundance.

Act 3: Climax and Turning Point – The Suit of Swords: Act 3 represents the climactic turning point in a story, where tension reaches its peak, and characters face heavy challenges. In Tarot, the suit of Swords embodies the realm of intellect, thoughts, and conflicts. Like the sharp edges of a sword, Act 3 showcases the characters’ intellectual struggles, moral dilemmas, and the decisions that shape their destiny. It is during this act that profound choices are made, leading to unexpected twists and revelations.

Act 4: Falling Action – The Suit of Cups: As a story progresses towards its resolution, Act 4 unfolds the consequences of the climactic events, guiding us towards closure. Similarly, the suit of Cups in Tarot represents emotions, relationships, and matters of the heart. Like Act 4, Cups invites us to explore the characters’ emotional landscapes, their relationships, and the healing, forgiveness, and emotional closure that arise as loose ends are tied. This act allows characters to find solace, understanding, and a sense of emotional fulfillment.

Act 5: Resolution and Conclusion – The Suit of Wands: Act 5 serves as the resolution and conclusion of a story, offering closure and tying up loose ends. In Tarot, the suit of Wands embodies creativity, passion, and personal power. Like Act 5, the Wands suit ignites the spark of action and transformation, driving the story to its ultimate conclusion. The characters’ passions and desires fuel the pivotal moments, leading to resolution and illuminating the path to understanding and fulfillment.

Want to solve a mystery? Read The Mysteries of Tarot!

About the Book

The Mysteries of Tarot
Tea and Tarot Cozy Mysteries Book Seven
by Kirsten Weiss

Published 31 May 2023

Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Page Count: 212
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

The Mysteries of Tarot: A Work of the Imagination

How to Read the Cards for Transformation:
When Tarot reader Hyperion Night sent his manuscript, The Mysteries of Tarot, to a friend to edit, it was a simple guide to reading Tarot. Hyperion couldn’t anticipate that his editor’s notes would evolve into a murder mystery, or that his friend would go missing. Shockingly, the annotated manuscript eventually made its way back to Hyperion, who forwarded it to the authorities.

Now this astonishing Tarot guide is available as a book. The Tarot guidebook features:
• Tarot basics―How to manage different interpretations of cards in a spread, how to read court cards, and a clear and simple method for dealing with reversals.
• Detailed card breakdowns― Keywords, flash non-fiction narratives, and a deep dive into the symbols of each of the 78 cards of the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana.
• Questions to apply to the cards for transforming your life―Insightful questions for each card to help you dig deeper into your Tarot reading practice.

Bonus feature: the guidebook also includes his editor’s comments on the more esoteric and philosophical interpretations of the Tarot, as well as his notes on the baffling mystery that engulfed him.

Gain deep insight from the cards, transform yourself, and solve The Mysteries of Tarot with this work of experimental fiction that’s part Tarot guidebook, part murder mystery.

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Excerpt

The Suit of Pentacles

Earth

Abundance

Foundations

Fertility

The physical world

Health and home

Notes: Suit of Pentacles

50 I’m regrouping with a thorough cleaning of my temporary home. And yes, the caretaker’s cottage was already clean, but I felt driven to… Start fresh now that my father’s gone?

Adelaide stopped by, catching me in the middle of scrubbing behind the stove. She thought I was mad not to call in the servants. But that wasn’t the point. The point was rolling up my sleeves and getting dirty. Laughing, she left me to it.

What finally stopped me was discovering an old plastic yellow house at the back of the closet. It was my mother’s. When we were kids, she’d bring it out for Christmas and create a little village beneath the tree. An old mirror became an ice skating rink. Cotton for snow. This was before my father got big and mom got cancer. You know the rest. I cried for the first time since his death, not just for the past but for what could have been. Could things have changed between us? It seemed like he was trying. Like something had changed. Why, Hyperion? Why did he do it? -T 

About the Author

Kirsten Weiss writes laugh-out-loud, page-turning mysteries, and now a Tarot guidebook that’s a work of experimental fiction. Her heroes and heroines aren’t perfect, but they’re smart, they struggle, and they succeed. Kirsten writes in a house high on a hill in the Colorado woods and occasionally ventures out for wine and chocolate. Or for a visit to the local pie shop.

Kirsten is best known for her Wits’ End, Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum, and Tea & Tarot cozy mystery books. So if you like funny, action-packed mysteries with complicated heroines, just turn the page…

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Giveaway Alert!

Kirsten Weiss will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B&N gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.