Character Building Tarot Spread: Body of the Character

Most of the time, I’m prattling on about things that inspire me. With this article, I wanted to get a little more “hands on” with a potentially helpful tool in your artistic arsenal. 

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times - tarot consistently helps me during the writing process. Besides being a divinatory tool, it’s a great way to get your mind to think outside of the box and let your subconscious take the wheel. Much like you would with a Rorschach test, intuitive tarot reading only requires a person to look at the card and run with whatever “comes” to you. You don’t have to know the ins and outs of tarot (though it helps); you just have to look at the card and let your mind wander.

Neat, right?

Most of the time, I talk about this creative development in the abstract. Why? Well, I’m a writer who can’t really give away the specifics of my stories unless I 1) would like to spoil every plot point and/or 2) would like for some not-so-nice individuals to swipe my novels before they’re published.

This time, however, the details of my work-in-progress are still high level enough that I'm able to share a cool spread for character development I think may be helpful to those wanting to incorporate more off-beat methods to their creative madness.

Character building can be a tricky thing. For me, I can often ‘hear’ the characters chatting as their story unfolds, but that’s not the same thing as truly knowing the ins and outs of their personalities. Knowing your characters’ motivations is a crucial part of effective, robust storytelling.

The good news is that you (the writer) probably already know the characters’ motivations and personality— you just have to tease them out. 

There are a bajillion different ways to do this. Character development sheets and prompts are just the tip of the iceberg. While I now use a variety of tools to better develop characters, here’s a fun way tarot comes into the character development process.

I call this the “Body of the Character” tarot spread.

Why? …Because it kind of looks like a stick figure with arms & legs spread out; gives me insight to the character’s core traits; and I made it, so I get to name whatever I want :) 

Here’s how it works: 

In the picture, you’ll note the pattern in which the cards are laid out with their corresponding numbers. The numbers indicate: 1) the order in which you place the cards, but more importantly 2) what each card will address.

Here’s the breakdown of the card number/placement and its corresponding meaning:

1. Core of the Character. This card will represent your character on a high level. In other words, if you take the whole sum of who the character is, this is the card that reflects that persona. Think of it as the way your friends or close loved ones would describe you with a dash of your own self-reflection. If you were asked to use only one card (or word, if you’re unfamiliar with tarot), this would be the equivalent for your character. 

2. The Higher Self. This card would represent what motivates your character at their best. What are their better angels telling them to do? What are their guiding principles? For those of you in the crowd who are more on the woo-woo side, note that this card is intentionally aligned with the crown chakra in an attempt to represent the character’s connection to their absolute higher self and place in the universe. 

3. The Base Self. Let me start by saying this doesn’t mean ‘the crappy side of your character.’ Think of the base self as the underlying, most basic motivating need(s) of your character. It is representative of the id (if you’re into Freudian psychology) and/or the shadow self (if you’d prefer to party with Jung and us weird kids). These are the parts of the character that they may not even realize are there, but influence their decisions on a primal level. 

4. Predominant Trait #1. Pretty straight forward – what is one of your character’s most obvious personality traits? This is something that comes through as they interact with others and the world in which they operate. 

5.  Predominant Trait #2. See above. Note that the second trait doesn’t necessarily overwhelm or weigh more than the first. Otherwise, your character would be pretty one-dimensional. 

6. Pro of Trait #1. There’s light and dark to every aspect of ourselves. Our characters are no different. The card in the 6th position will give insight into the positive nature of the character’s first predominant trait. Again, for the woo-woo in you, note that this (along with the pro of the second predominant trait in position #8 of the spread) functions as a foot of the character. It keeps them moving forward in your story. 

7. Con of Trait #1. Here’s the opposite side of card 6. What’s the shadow side of the character’s first predominant trait? How does that trait manifest as a weapon they wield toward themself or others (hence, the hands/arms position in the spread). 

8. Pro of Trait #2. You know the drill now. What about trait #2 keeps your character moving forward in the story? How does it serve them? What is advantageous about this trait?

9. Con of Trait #2. One last time, friends— what is the “shadow” of this trait? You can even view this as “what is the disadvantage of this trait?” or “what does my character need to address because of this trait?”

If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably interested in how this kind of technique would be utilized in actual character development.

Strap in for an overview:

I’d like to introduce you to Addy, one of the main characters of my latest work in progress.

For reasons stated above, I’m not going to delve into the nitty gritty of how her character operates within the story. However, I think it’s safe to give you a quick peek at her foundational psychology.

Here’s what the spread looks like using Madam Clara’s 5-cent Tarot (i.e. the deck this particular MS “chose”...see prior articles or stay tuned for more mumbo jumbo on that business):

Let’s break it down

1. Addy’s Core - Page of Needles

Confession: I drew this card when doing a prior profile on Addy, so I’d already established this as her “core card” before doing the spread. In my opinion, it’s fine to do this. If you have already drawn a card on a character for inspiration OR you already associate a particular card with a character, why not start with that one?

For context, in the 5-cent Tarot deck, Needles are the equivalent of Swords in your traditional Rider-Waite-Smith deck. While many associate Swords with “thought,” I often associate them with “action” or “movement.” Thought and action are interrelated anyways, so I’ve never had an issue with this interpretation. 

Meanwhile, Pages often represent new beginnings or pursuits…the start of an adventure or passion project. 

Keywords associated with this card per the deck: Upright: ambition; restlessness; initiative; Reverse: haste; dishonor; ‘all talk’

What does this tell me about Addy’s core?

In context of the story, it makes perfect sense. Addy is someone who is highly driven to survive, even to the point of being cut-throat. She’s the person who is going to figure out how to make “the dream” work.

Despite that, she has a predisposition to racing ahead. She’s not going to think through all of the angles. Addy is focused on the end result of her pursuits, and she’ll do just about anything to get there.

2. Addy’s Higher Self - The Magician Upright

Keywords for The Magician upright per this deck: master of skill; resourceful; concentration.

All of this connects well in conjunction with her core card. Addy is motivated by her desire to be the best…to acquire the skills that will help her achieve her goals. It’s of the utmost importance that she knows the ins and outs of her trade…that she’s always on top, or the rest of her identity crumbles.

Her survival is in jeopardy if she does not transform into the Magician. This guides her above all else. 

3. Addy’s Base Self - The Five of Needles Upright

Keywords for the Five of Needles in its upright orientation per this deck: disagreement; self-serving; surrender. 

Addy’s most basic, underlying self is indeed prone to surrender and acquiescence. She wants to survive, and while her highest self pushes her to gain the skills that will help her and others excel, Addy will all too readily shut up and follow others.

This isn’t entirely motivated by insecurity regarding her own abilities; it’s often because Addy knows it’s easier to stay alive by following those who are more aggressive than she is…those that are willing to take the heat even when it’s detrimental to the overall wellbeing of those around her.

PREDOMINANT TRAIT #1 with PRO and CON

4. Addy’s First Predominant Trait - The Eight of Buttons Upright 

Keywords for the Eight of Buttons (or Pentacles in traditional decks) in its upright orientation according to the 5-cent Tarot deck: mastery; apprentice; focus

In line with The Magician (i.e. Addy’s higher self or guiding principles in position #2 of the spread), one of the most readily apparent aspects of Addy in the story is her focus on her craft. A key plot point in her character’s journey is indeed an happenstance apprenticeship. This defines the rest of her life and identity.

For my fellow weirdos and/or other creators trying to figure out wtf I’m talking about, I have to admit I was happily surprised when I pulled this card for Addy. Since Addy’s apprenticeship and profession were already a pivotal piece of the story, the Eight of Buttons couldn’t have been more spot on.

6. Pro of Addy’s First Predominant Trait - The Beyond Upright

Keywords for The Beyond upright in this deck: the soul; higher being; belief. 

Again, a perfect fit in context of Addy’s guiding principles (represented by The Magician in position 2 of the spread). The pursuit of her craft (as illustrated by The Eight of Buttons in position 4 of the spread) aligns with her higher self and belief system. Because of that alignment, trait #1 is an automatic pro that keeps her moving in a positive direction. 

It’s worth noting here that “The Beyond” card is an addition to the traditional Major Arcana that is unique to this deck. Plenty of tarot decks add in one or two extra cards to the Major Arcana, and it’s always worth pointing them out as you won’t find an alternative interpretation of them if you Google the card.

7. Con of Addy’s First Predominant Trait - The King of Cups Reversed

Keywords: heartless; unstable; uncaring

(Check out my write-up on the King of Cups here)

Yep…could’ve seen this one coming in context of Addy’s profession. While her skills are invaluable and do align with her guiding principles, they have also caused her to develop a thick skin and numbed (even somewhat hardened) heart.

When pursuing or exercising her skills, Addy can come across as heartless and uncaring. She has to, or her world caves in…which would cause her instability…not that anything like that will happen to her (*clears throat*)

PREDOMINANT TRAIT #2 with PRO and CON

5. Addy’s Second Predominant Trait - The King of Matches (traditionally Wands) Reversed 

Keywords per this deck: poor leader; unrealistic; overbearing

Poor Addy. It sucks, but it’s also true. She’s not a natural born leader, and when forced into that position, bad things happen. Addy knows she isn’t best suited for leadership— at least, not at first— and this comes out clearly in the way she interacts with others in the story. This correlates with her base self (i.e. The Five of Needles in the #3 position in the spread) which urges Addy to surrender to survive. 

Further, by virtue of her trade, Addy can come across as overbearing with specific needs that others must accommodate. Despite being a less than ideal leader, Addy is an intelligent powerhouse applying pressure behind the scenes. She’s more of a ‘Hand of the King’ figure than the actual monarch.

8. Pro of Addy’s Second Predominant Trait - The Eight of Cups Reversed

Keywords for the Eight of Cups in its reversed position: avoidance; fear of loss; escapism

(Check out my write-up on the Eight of Cups here)

How can a card with such bummer keywords possibly be a pro? In context of the story and the spread overall, it actually makes perfect sense. Because Addy knows she isn’t a born leader and actively fears what would happen if she had to take the reins, she avoids it at all costs. Instead, she retreats into what she’s good at (remember the Eight of Buttons in the #4 position as her first trait) where she finds security. 

Her fear of losing everything when left to lead her peers actively keeps her moving forward in the story. Further, because she avoids ‘being in charge,’ Addy also avoids loss.

9. Con of Addy’s Second Predominant Trait - the Eight of Needles Reversed 

Keywords:  self-acceptance; release; reevaluation 

Opposite from the above “pro” (the Eight of Cups reversed), how could this card with its happy keywords function as a con?

I read this as ambivalence, releasing into the average and failure to challenge her own limitations. It’s great that Addy is aware enough to know she’s not best suited to take the lead and even better that this has resulted in her own survival. However, when acceptance of that perceived inability leads to complacency and an unwillingness to push her own boundaries, it has devastating effects.

She’s not trying to change or grow in an area where Addy sees herself as weak. If she just so happens to be thrust into that role (*whistling innocently*), Addy will not have the tools she needs to thrive.

And that’s how you do it, friends!

You don’t have to be a magick practitioner or tarot expert to use this kind of reading in your creative process. You don’t even have to believe in the mysticism of tarot to use it as a tool for inspiration. While doing this kind of a spread may feel clunky or overwhelming at first, it will hopefully shed light on ideas that probably already live in the back of your mind. Just have fun with it and see where the cards take you.

As always, let me know if you find this method useful, have questions or if you want to share tips of your own for finding artistic inspiration! I love hearing your stories as we all navigate this weird and delightful world together. Stay tuned for more articles on tarot spreads for developing plot lines coming soon.

~Allison