Writing Articles

Ten Minute Tarot: Your Answers to the Universe…Fast

7/28/2014

Who were you? What happened in your past? Where are you going? What will happen tomorrow?

Those are deep questions that only the universe can answer, and with you offering guidance. Thankfully there’s a tool that makes answering them easier, and it’s the Tarot. Discover it like never before in my mesmerizing book, Ten Minute Tarot.

Ten Minute Tarot will help you learn what each of the 78 cards from the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot deck mean, and in new and insightful ways. You’ll be provided with 40 unique and detailed Tarot spreads, all of which will allow you to discover the answers to the pressing questions of your life in 10 minutes or less!

Maybe you’ve been intrigued with Tarot for awhile, but just haven’t known where to start. Perhaps you’ve picked up a few books but they just don’t make sense. Don’t worry – you won’t get any of those esoteric and hard-to-read interpretations here! Instead you’ll get clear and straightforward answers that help reveal the secrets of your life.

My first Tarot book had The Fool front and center, as do many Tarot books. I wanted to go with something different the second time around, and I even pondered putting one of the Minor Arcana cards in the center position.

I decided to go in a different direction, however, and chose The High Priestess. She’s more about logic, intellect, and reasoning…all the things you need to figure out what the Tarot holds for you. She has a lot of wisdom, and others seek her out for guidance and advice.

You should do the same, and with Ten Minute Tarot.

That pitch sounds pretty darn good to me. Unfortunately it didn’t really appeal to a whole lot of other people. Ten Minute Tarot has sold just 35 copies since I released it last September.

I really thought this one would be popular too. I think that’s kind of funny because similar books in the Amazon Kindle range in price from $3.99 and $11.99. By putting mine at $4.99 I thought it’d do alright. Boy was I wrong!

I guess it just wasn’t in the cards…yet. I know this book has good advice, and I know it’ll sell many copies over its life. Perhaps you’ll buy one, and I think this short excerpt on doing a few simple readings will convince you of that.

Three Card Spreads

If you’re looking for a simple Tarot spread, the Three Card Spread is it. You’ll get a quick answer to an uncomplicated question, and it’s great for beginners just learning the cards.

With these spreads you can simply lay out three cards at random; there’s no need to assign positions to certain cards. Or you can follow the detailed spreads below.

Simple questions do best, and you’ll be provided with a simple answer. But don’t be surprised if you get something a little more in-depth and insightful. The cards have a tendency to interact with one another and they could support or flow into the meanings of the cards next to them.

Past-Present-Future Spread

Traditionally the Three Card Spread deals with three aspects for the three cards:

Past: Events that have led up to your current situation. These could still be affecting you and either helping you to move forward or holding you back. Studying the past may give you advantages today.

Present: Where you’re at now as well as the different opportunities and obstacles that surround you.

Future: This is where you’ll end up if things continue on as they are. It could also be the possible outcome that you desire.

Mind-Body-Spirit Spread

There are many variations on the Three Card Spread, not just a simple past-present-future reading.

The Mind-Body-Spirit Spread will fill you in on your general well-being in the universe. Are your forces balanced or out-of-line? Are the three aspects being fulfilled, or are they lacking in your life? This spread will offer insight and suggestions on your situation, and what you can do about it.

Mind: The first card will show elements affecting your mind in regard to your problem or question.

Body: This card will show you how your body is being impacted by the current situation.

Spirit: This card shows the different elements that could be affecting you in a spiritual way in regard to your current problem or query.

Eight Card Spreads

More cards, more information, and more confusion. Hopefully that last isn’t what you’re getting when you choose to head up into the Eight Card Spreads.

You’ll have to start looking at the messages of the reading a little differently when using a higher number of cards. For instance, with the Mirror Spread you’ll be looking not just at a card in one position, but in the position opposite of it as well. This can tell you a lot about both cards and the role they play in your situation.

8-Card Mirror Spread

When it comes to either budding or existing relationships, the Mirror Spread is a great choice to do a reading with. You’ll usually see some inconsistencies in the viewpoints that are represented by the cards. When they contradict one another you’ll need to take into account those opposing points. Another thing to consider is how the obstacle cards can have a tendency to hide favorable information. If something looks bad on the surface, dig a little deeper to see if there’s a silver lining.

The Mirror Spread is ideal for relationship questions. You’ll get a complete rundown on how you view the other person in the relationship, and how they view you. This is an 8-card spread and all of the cards will be laid out in two columns so that each card has an opposite or opposing card.

1st Card: This represents you, the querent or questioner.

2nd Card: This second card shows how you see the other person in the relationship.

3rd Card: This card shows how the other person in the relationship sees themselves.

4th Card: Here you see what the other person in the relationship means to you.

5th Card: This fifth card shows how you are represented to the other person in the relationship.

6th Card: This card shows you obstacles that currently exist within the relationship.

7th Card: Here the strengths of the current relationship are represented.

8th Card: This final card shows you the likely result of the relationship.

What are you waiting for…get your copy of Ten Minute Tarot today!

0 Comments

The Mystery and the Mystique of Tarot Cards

7/14/2014

0 Comments

One book of mine I know you’ll love is called Tarot: The Mystery and the Mystique. How do I know you’ll love it? Simple – you’ve always been intrigued by Tarot.

But hey, really…can’t we say that about anyone? I mean, even granny did a double take when those cards were lying around in the curiosity shop. There’s just some kind of hypnotic hold…and pull…and power that Tarot cards have over our consciousness.

And that’s why I know you’ll love this book. More than 150 people have already concluded that fact for themselves, and even more people downloaded this book for free when I had it listed under the Smashwords Summer/Winter promo back in 2013.

But how can this book help you…besides curing that little itch of curiosity you’ve always had? Simple…it will solve all your problems (past lives most likely).

A Divine Tarot eBook

This book will allow you to tap into your divinatory powers. I spend a lot of time in the Tarot eBook talking about the different suits in the Tarot deck. There are four main suits, which are referred to as the Minor Arcana. They include Cups, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles or Coins.

The Major Arcana is everything else, or what we’d generally think of as face cards. These are the most recognizable of the Tarot cards, with such images as The Fool, Death, The Lovers, and The Hanged Man. Each of them has a different meaning depending on how they are placed in the spread and what direction they’re facing.

There’s a complete rundown on all 22 Major Arcana cards and several Minor Arcana cards are explained in detail. How I worked Tarot: The Mystery and the Mystique is that I only did the first two cards of each suit. Some people might not like this, and I actually got a 2-star review out of it on Barnes & Noble. That’s probably one of the reasons I wrote my second Tarot book, Ten Minute Tarot.

The book also tells you how to use the cards with spreads. Tarot Spreads are how the cards are laid out to provide divinatory insight into your past, present and future. This book includes two Three Card Spreads that are great for past-present-future readings or to tell you about your day.

The Celtic Cross is explained in more detail. It’s much more helpful for those just starting out with Tarot.

This Celtic Cross Spread involves ten cards drawn by the Querent. The Querent is the person who is having the reading done for them, and the more they handle and touch the cards, the better. Many people believe this imparts cosmic energy into the cards, and results in a more accurate reading.

Having a Tarot eBook is a great way to learn about the cards and have that accurate reading, especially if you’re a writer. You can do a reading, getting plot ideas as well as ideas of how you should proceed with the work. It’s easy, and everything you need to know to get started is in my Tarot eBook.

Anyone looking for a good introduction on Tarot cards, what they are and what they can tell you would get a lot of great information from this Tarot eBook.

Besides explaining how to conduct a great reading, what each of the Major Arcana cards mean, and what most of the Minor Arcana cards mean, it also tells you how to handle, shuffle, and clean your cards, as well as what they hold for your future. Dreams are discussed, and how Tarot cards can help you interpret them. Oh, and did I mention the complete history of how the Tarot came about is also told in detail?

That’s right, this Tarot eBook details the history of Tarot cards, and how they didn’t come into their current form until about 100 to 150 years ago. When Tarot cards first came out they were used as playing cards, just like we use common cards today. It wasn’t until the French occultists began using them for divination purposes that they really came into the area that they’re known for today.

So what are you waiting for? Light your incense, gather your crystals and grab your cards. You’re about to learn firsthand about Tarot: The Mystery and the Mystique!

0 Comments

Is Removing Blog Commenting from Your Blog a Good Idea?

4/11/2014

1 Comment

Recently Copyblogger decided to shut down the commenting section on its blog.

Now, instead of having comments on their site, they’re letting people comment on Google+. You can see links to the Copyblogger Google+ page at the end of each blog post.

Today they had an audio article examining the effects of removing that blog commenting section. The main reasons seemed to be:

Not having to deal with spam;
Easier notification when a comment appears;
Overall less hassle.

I listened to the podcast they had while eating my superhot habanero chili today. While listening I thought it’d be great if we had another perspective on this decision of theirs, and particularly a ‘supernatural’ perspective.

To do that we have to go to the Tarot cards, and what better reading than the Traditional 5-Card Spread?

Alright, the question is, “will Copyblogger’s decision to remove comments from their site have a negative effect long-term.”

Question: Will removing comments have a negative impact long-term for Copyblogger?

First Card: Two of Coins (Reversed)

Normally I’d say the Two of Coins is a rather bad card to get in your present position.

You’re juggling your finances, and there are choppy waters at your back. You’ll notice that the equilibrium, or infinity, is out of balance, and those transport ships carrying your wares in the background are also having a tough-go of it.

The main, thing, however, is that you’re still upright, still juggling, and still making your situation work. The good are going to market!

Reversed (upside down), however, the card means that things are crashing down around you. The idea was good, but you just couldn’t keep things in motion. There could be some financial instability and security issues. Overall, not good.

Second Card: Justice

This is quite the strong card, but it’s coming up in the past.

The woman in the picture is thought to be the Greek Goddess Athena. She has an upright sword and well-ordered thoughts, shown by the small square on her crown.

The sword is sharp, and has a double-edge. Justice cuts both ways, and this woman is a fair and impartial observer. She uses the scales in her left hand to balance logic and her superior intuition.

I think this is really an appropriate card because it represents authority, wise thinking, and sound-decision making. A great card…to have now or in the future. This is showing in the past, and perhaps we’ll learn more from the cards to come.

Third Card: Death (Reversed)

Alright, the Death card is not that bad, and certainly not the worst in the Tarot deck. It’s also coming up reversed, so even though it’s in the future position, it probably doesn’t mean what you think.

So what does it mean for Copyblogger, or you for that matter?

Instead of moving forward, as death always forces us to do, you’re lagging behind, becoming stagnant in what you’re doing while not changing with the times or situations. I’d say you need to let go, let those old ideas or beliefs that are holding you back die, and move forward.

But…Google+ is a great social networking platform that allows me to develop meaningful business connections while strengthening my bottom line, right?

Yeah, this is a tough card to read. Let’s look at it more closely.

Notice the sun. The druids believed that to be cyclical, and since it’s always either rising or setting it could mean that this is just a phase.

Take a look at the river, and how the ship is still moving smoothly. Even with death and decay and downfall, commerce is still continuing.

Gaze into the towers that the sun is moving between. They’re still standing, which means our edifices and support structures are all still in place. That’s not such a bad future, not when you have something to work with.

Fourth Card: Seven of Swords

Of all the cards in the Traditional 5-Card Tarot Spread, the fourth card is the most difficult.

Why? Because the fourth card shows you the reasons behind your question, and can do a lot to show you how the second card is influencing your question.

So this card can really apply to the questioner, or me. And perhaps that’s me in the card, trying to steel those Swords, or maybe some of the traffic from the Copyblogger site.

So am I one of those spam commenters that they complain about? Maybe. It’s obvious that whoever it is in the picture isn’t getting away with it. In the background you can see the horsemen just on the horizon.

Overall the card shows someone sneaking away from their responsibilities. Sometimes we’re running away with the wrong choices. You need to use caution, and you also need to consider if getting away with your prize is worth the price that may have to be paid.

Since this card is playing on the second, which is the Justice card in the past position, it could be that the deception will have a negative affect on that authority imparted by Justice. All in all it could be that authority has been damaged in a failed attempt to ‘take the money and run.’

Fifth Card: Ten of Wands

This is a great card, even though it has some negative aspects. First of all, the fifth card is showing how the overall situation will play out. The Ten of Wands is a good card to have there.

In the Ten of Wands we see a man carrying a large bundle of wands toward a house in the distance. He strains under the load and perhaps even feels that he’s taken on too much. In fact, he can’t even see where he’s going, so focused is he on what he must carry.

The wands in the picture represent our burdens and responsibilities, which we carry with us always. Perhaps if this load must be shouldered on a daily basis it’s just too much for you. Consider scaling back and carrying less.

The sky is blue and clear, which means nothing else has bearing on the situation. Tarot has wands for creativity and the ‘ten’ cards for abundance. You’ve got a lot of creative abundance, perhaps too much to handle all at once. Figure out how you can lessen this load or you’ll be walking a slow road toward your creative aspirations.

Using Tarot Cards to Tell Your Publishing Future

Are the Planets Screwing With Your Sales?

Where Did My eBook Sales Go?

What Happens When You Write Something That Pisses Off Everyone?

How to Lose a Copyblogger Essay Contest But Win the Hearts and Minds of Their Users

1 Comment

Where Did My eBook Sales Go?

3/16/2014

0 Comments

A month or two ago I was getting about 40 sales a week, sometimes more. Now I’m down to about 20 sales a weeks, give or take.

So where did my eBook sales go?

This sounds like a question for my Tarot cards.

And would you know it? The moon’s going to be full soon, so I took that opportunity to infuse my Tarot cards with some cosmic lunar energy.

How?

I put them outside.

Now that the cards are warmed up (or in this case cold with condensation on them now that they’re inside) I think we can get an accurate reading.

Since we’re dealing with something that’s lost – my eBook sales – I’ve decided to employ the Lost Items Spread.

Ideally this 7-card spread will help you find, you guessed it, something that’s lost. Will it help me in this case? Let’s find out.

1st Card: Nine of Cups

The first card usually refers to the direction north, and generally gives you a good idea if your item is or isn’t in that direction.

In this case I think it’s telling me that I’m wishing for success. The Nine of Cups is often thought of as a ‘wish’ card, and since I’m wondering where my sales are (which is another way of saying I wish I had some) this is probably helpful.

2nd Card: Five of Wands (Reversed)

This card shows you if your item is to the east or not. Since there are very few Amazon stores in Asia I’m not sure how this can help me.

The card I have shows some youths fighting or practicing with some sticks. Since it’s coming up reversed it’s showing me that there’s an ending to hostilities, which in my case would be a lack of sales. This is great news!

3rd Card: Queen of Cups

The third card refers to the south and your item’s location in relation to it when you’re using this spread. Here I have the Queen of Cups, and that tells me that focusing on the emotional well-being of others is a great way to find my sales.

Jeez, I should probably have a little more regard for those visiting my site. It could be that more love needs to be radiated, and less hate. Hmm.

4th Card: Six of Swords (Reversed)

Yep, this card will tell you what lies to the west. In my case it’s showing a reversed Six of Swords, which usually means that no matter how much you want to escape your current situation there’s just no getting away from it.

Boy, I better get used to crummy sales, huh?

5th Card: Temperance (Reversed)

This 5th card is telling me what the current situation is in regard to my lost sales. This is not the card I want to see.

A reversed Temperance card is telling me I’ve got a serious imbalance on my hands. This could be due to a lack of planning, or judgment. Obviously I have to correct that imbalance, but right now I’m not even sure what it is.

My perma-free sales are way down, so that’s what it could be pointing to. Sales of Books 2 and 3 are way off as a result.

6th Card: The Chariot

This card is offering you advice on how to find your item, or in my case those lost sales. It’ll take some careful interpretation of the cards to discern its meaning, and in this case it couldn’t be more true.

The Chariot is always a tricky card, but it is a positive card. The sky is golden, showing that success is a given.

We also know The Chariot is being guided by divine or celestial inspiration from the stars it shows, and also the priest’s crown. And yet at the same time it’s being pulled on earth by two opposing Sphinxes, both of which reveal mysteries and problems that might not be revealed.

So what the hell does this mean?

It would seem the Fates and Muses are on my side, but I have a feeling it’ll still be some time before those lost sales are found.

7th Card: Five of Pentacles (Reversed)

The seventh and final card shows you the outcome of your current search. I was really hoping to get another ‘face’ card with this, but instead I pulled up a reversed Five of Pentacles.

With this final card of the spread you figure out if you’ll be victorious and find what you’ve been seeking; or figure out if you may be defeated in your bid for the item.

The card tells you that you may have so much wealth that you’ve neglected your spiritual side entirely. You’ll never reach lasting happiness if all you do is focus on wealth, as this card indicates you’re doing. This could also be showing a false spiritualism or God, which money often becomes.

Boy, I just wanted to know where my sales went, and now I’m being lambasted by the universe for being a greedy prick.

Tarot cards are magical, and can tell us much. And remember, with this spread the hunt can continue another day.

My Publishing Philosophy

Planning Your Blog 50 Days in Advance (I never follow this advice)

Creative Writing: How to Get Started (I don’t do this either)

Editing Your Published Novel – Make it Shine! (I forgot what this is about)

0 Comments

What Happens When You Write Something That Pisses Off Everyone?

2/26/2014

3 Comments

Author Lynn Shepherd

You get screwed big time!

Take Lynn Shepherd. Now, I was originally going to write this article on someone like Salman Rushdie or maybe even Karl Marx. But then this irresistible opportunity came up today that I just couldn’t pass up. Trust me, you’ll be reading about this for days.

Today on The Huffington Post blog, mystery author Lynn Shepherd stuck her foot in her mouth and it may well have cost her everything.

Alright, that’s putting it a little harsh, but she certainly took a hit.

Let’s take a look at what she did and what the damage is.

Talking Down a Beloved Author

In her blog post, Shepherd took aim at J.K. Rowling. Now, I didn’t read the blog post. I’m basing my opinions on Shepherd alone. After all, who actually reads what they review anymore?

From what I hear, and I always go by hearsay and what others tell me to do so please have mercy on me, dear leader, these are her words not mine, Shepherd said that Rowling wasn’t quite deserving of the success she had, and that she probably hurt a lot of authors with the level of success she had. I mean, with that Rowling cloud floating around and blocking out the Reader sun, it’s a surprise we even had crops growing for much of the last decade.

Well, you don’t take literature’s darling and bemoan her or demean her like that. You sprinkle rose petals on the ground she walks on and save the used tissue paper out of her unicorn-horn-encrusted toilet.

Taking a Lot of Flak for It

So what happened? Whoa, boy, a shitfest!

See, Shepherd ended up getting something like 50 to 75 (hell, maybe even hundreds!) of 1-star reviews on her books. Here’s the book that looks to have gotten hit the hardest, The Solitary House:

As you can see, all these reviews were written in the past few hours. Now, who wrote them? Probably people that didn’t like what she said in that post. Most of the people even say they didn’t read the book but disagreed with what she said on the blog.

So what will this poor author do? I mean, look what happened to just one of her other books:

Yeah, double-whammy! She got hit hard, and she’s damn lucky she had quite a few good reviews before. If those were my books, I’d have 1-star average. As of now, Ms. Shepherd seems to be holding firm at around a 3-star average.

So will Amazon remove some of these reviews? Boy, that’s tough to say. I’m inclined to say they’ll remove some, just because it’s so blatantly obvious they didn’t buy the book or read it. I mean, they say so. If you want to hurt an author, don’t say that – buy the book, dissect it, and then rip them a new asshole. This is what my reviewers do, so I know they care.

What’s in the Cards for Ms. Shepherd Now?

Well, you’ll hear all kinds of speculation over this, but I doubt you’ll see someone do a Tarot reading for Ms. Shepherd. Here goes:

My question is: Will Lynn Shepherd continue to have success as a writer?

Here is what I get:

Now, to show you how seriously I take this, I’m not even going to look at my Tarot books. Yes, I’m just going to wing this one.

What’s clearly obvious from the get-go is how much creativity plays a part in this reading and for this woman (or perhaps women). See, Wands are the creative suit of the Tarot, and here we have 3 of them in very prominent positions.

First Card: This is the Seven of Wands, right there in the middle of the Cross Spread. Wow, what an appropriate card, huh? It shows someone fighting off forces, and on uneven and dangerous ground. The thing is, people in this position usually prevail (the Eight of Wands shows success).

Second Card: Here’s the Ten of Wands reversed coming up in the past position. Usually this will mean a heavy burden is being carried, but here it means that not much was carried in the past. Could the work that was done have been quite easy? Many reviews hinted at the quality of this woman’s work, but again, most of those people never read her work.

Third Card: In the future position we have the Ten of Pentacles (Coins), which tells me things will work out well both financially and with family. I have a feeling that long-term this woman will find success and happiness and be surrounded by those she loves. Will that come from writing? There’s a strong possibility.

Fourth Card: The fourth card deals with hopes and fears and plays heavily on the 2nd card. Here we see the Seven of Swords reversed, which means you probably aren’t getting away with something. In this case it’s telling me Ms. Shepherd did not get away with her blog post full of criticism, which is evident from her pages of poor reviews.

Fifth Card: The final card of this spread shows us how things will turn out if Ms. Shepherd continues on her same path. It’s the Two of Wands, and reversed. Usually this is a merchant staring out at the sea, perhaps at the shipping trade they’re seeing in their mind’s eye. The world is held in their hand, and good things will happen. Reversed it means that plans could go awry or that there could be mishaps and upsets.

Boy, did we ever see that today. So what happens when you write something that pisses off everyone? It gives you a helluva headache!

What is Google Hummingbird and Why Should I Care?

How You Can Get Your Blog to 100 Posts Fast

My February Promise to You

Writing Skills

3 Comments

Using Tarot Cards to Tell Your Publishing Future

2/14/2014

4 Comments

Wouldn’t it be nice to know exactly how many sales you’ll get this quarter? I think so, and that’s why I asked my Tarot cards.

To do that I decided to use the Traditional 5-Card Spread.

As its name implies, the Traditional Five Card Spread uses just 5 cards, and that last card will be the main thing you’re looking to for a clear course of action.

That clear course can be obscured by that fourth card, which many Tarot readers often miss the meaning of. Why? It’s a difficult card to understand, and most often deals with some subconscious impulse or desire, and could even be causing you some holdups in the matter.

My Tarot Question

You should always be thinking of and then asking a question as you shuffle your Tarot cards. There are 78 cards in the deck and I use the Push-Pull method of splitting the deck in two into both hands, then putting one card on the top of one deck from the bottom of the other, repeating a few times.

NOTE: While I was doing that two cards popped out, something not unheard of, but a bit unusual. One card landed face-up (and upright) while the other remains hidden.

I’ve since laid out my cards, and this is what I get:

Alright, let’s take those 5 cards one at a time, then factor in those two that escaped my hand.

1st Card: Ten of Pentacles (Reversed)

Click to see upright cards

This card shows you what the present situation is, or the general theme of the reading. In this case I have the Ten of Pentacles, and coming up reversed, or upside down, which typically means the meaning is opposite as well.

This is not good, showing that currently I’m far from secure financially, perhaps because I’m living beyond my means. Is keeping up appearances really worth risking the poorhouse for? This card reversed also shows that there could be instability in a business, family, or even a large corporation. And of course it’ll be about money.

Boy, looks like sales will suck this month, something I also thought possible since planet Mercury is currently in retrograde. Could the planets and cards be aligned? Let’s continue with a look at the past.

2nd Card: King of Wands (Reversed)

This second card shows you what past influences still might be having an effect on the present situation.

I’ve got a problem with an authority figure bearing down on me, probably a man. Perhaps this is a cruel boss, a bad criminal, the school yard bully, or just a real asshole. And in some cases the King of Wands reversed shows us what may befall a good man, if there are a lot of other negative cards surrounding it in the spread.

In this case looking at those two random cards that flew out might tell me something. Let’s get back to this later.

3rd Card: Three of Wands (Reversed)

This card shows you the future, or what is likely to happen.

The Three of Wands is typically a positive card, showing you looking upon all you can create in life, but that’s when it’s upright.

Reversed it’s telling me that things are likely to be delayed and there won’t be much cooperation – in other words, nothing will progress. No one is working together and therefore nothing is getting done. I need to put my foot down and take some action!

4th Card: Two of Cups (Reversed)

The fourth card shows you the reasons behind your question, and can do a lot to show you how the 2nd card is influencing your question. Remember that pesky reversed King of Wands? Maybe I can figure something out.

When the Two of Cups shows normally, it means there’s a profitable union about to take place, usually something dealing with the emotions, since that’s what cups govern.

In this case, however, instead of coming together there’s a coming apart. This card reveals that a separation of some sort is likely. An idea or offer could get rejected outright. There could also be bitterness left over from a previous relationship.

Is there some important person I annoyed that’s causing my sales to slump? Could this big person be representing Jeff Bezos of Amazon? Maybe I’m not getting the love I need from him. I did get rejected from the Amazon Serials program twice now, and I don’t have as much info on the new G.I. JOE Kindle World as I’d like.

Like I said, this fourth card is tricky. Now how about the last?

5th Card: Death

The final card shows you the potential outcome of the situation if you continue on the same course.

Wow, what a terrible reading, right?

Not necessarily. This is the only card upright, and while it’s showing Death, that might not be that bad. Death is far from the worse card in the Tarot (that would probably be a reversed Ace of Swords = literal death) and this card actually means more of a rebirth.

Look at the card. The sun is setting in the background, showing the ending of one day, which is also the beginning of the new day according to the Druids.

We also see four people on the Death card: a high-ranking priest is begging from Death, a king lies fallen before Death, a young maiden falls sick in the path of Death, and a young girl is awed by the sheer power and unknown that Death brings forth, and the possibilities it leaves in its wake.

You see, the card doesn’t have to depict an actual death, but instead just an end. This could be a relationship or an interest of some sort, but the end of either will create a new self-awareness. The card is representing changes more than anything, and particularly the ending of one aspect and the beginning of a new.

It’s best to look to the surrounding Minor Arcana cards in the spread to see what’s influencing the Death card. In this case we have two Wands, so it’s fair to say there’ll be a death of one form of creativity and the start of a new.

Now, let’s get to those two random cards.

Random Card #1: Seven of Swords

Like the man in the Seven of Swords, I may be having some problems getting away with something. Whatever bit of deception I’m playing at hasn’t gone unnoticed. I need to be extra cautious if I’m doing anything sneaky.

The Seven of Swords might also indicate that I’m trying to sneak away from something, whether it’s responsibility, a relationship, or even my current life.

It could be that running away is the wrong choice. This card also is often seen in people thought of as ‘lone wolves.’ Perhaps I just need to go it alone for awhile.

What does this have to do with my eBook sales? I have no idea.

Random Card #2: Knight of Pentacles (Reversed)

Now, here’s another card that flew out by accident (or did it?) and it’s showing the Knight of Pentacles reversed. Again, this points to money problems.

Mainly it shows I’m foolish with money often because I have a complete lack of self-control when it comes to my finances. Instead of being strong and standing firm with a budget or financial plan, I’m weak and look to be heading for ruin.

Boy, I wish I didn’t do a Tarot reading for self-publishing. You know what, don’t read this post.

Overall it looks like February will be a dark and cold month for sales, about what I expected from the weather. But that Death card points to some new hope in March (the G.I. JOE Kindle Worlds program, perhaps?).

Anyways, I think you can see Tarot is interesting, and can be used for a lot more than figuring out if you’ll make money or not. Why not use it to plot out your next novel? Hey, Tarot and Novel Plotting, I think I know what you’ll be reading about next month!

Interested in Tarot Yourself? Check out my 2 Tarot Books Selling on Amazon!

4 Comments

Ten Minute Tarot: Your Answers to the Universe…Fast

Three Card Spreads

Past-Present-Future Spread

Mind-Body-Spirit Spread

Eight Card Spreads

8-Card Mirror Spread

The Mystery and the Mystique of Tarot Cards

A Divine Tarot eBook

Is Removing Blog Commenting from Your Blog a Good Idea?

First Card: Two of Coins (Reversed)

Second Card: Justice

Third Card: Death (Reversed)

Fourth Card: Seven of Swords

Fifth Card: Ten of Wands

You Might Also Like

Where Did My eBook Sales Go?

1st Card: Nine of Cups

2nd Card: Five of Wands (Reversed)

3rd Card: Queen of Cups

4th Card: Six of Swords (Reversed)

5th Card: Temperance (Reversed)

6th Card: The Chariot

7th Card: Five of Pentacles (Reversed)

You Might Also Like

What Happens When You Write Something That Pisses Off Everyone?

Talking Down a Beloved Author

Taking a Lot of Flak for It

What’s in the Cards for Ms. Shepherd Now?

You Might Also Like

Using Tarot Cards to Tell Your Publishing Future

My Tarot Question

1st Card: Ten of Pentacles (Reversed)

2nd Card: King of Wands (Reversed)

3rd Card: Three of Wands (Reversed)

4th Card: Two of Cups (Reversed)

5th Card: Death

Random Card #1: Seven of Swords

Random Card #2: Knight of Pentacles (Reversed)

Writing Blogby Greg Strandberg

Top Ten

Categories

My Books(By Publication Date, New to Old)

Archives

Writing Blog
by Greg Strandberg

My Books
(By Publication Date, New to Old)