Usually, We Already Know the Answer

Lately, I've been adding something new to my morning routine.

Tarot cards.

No, I don’t believe they predict the future.

No, I’m not looking for someone or something external to tell me what to do.

I go through cycles where I wonder if my current way of thinking has become too restrictive. That’s when I break out my tarot and oracle cards. They remind me to think about the questions I want answers to. The colorful pictures draw me in like a child’s picture book and I want to know what the story is.

They’re a wonderfully creative way to slow down, ask better questions, and listen to my own intuition.

Last week, I started working on an idea for a novel I’ve had in me for many years. I was feeling waaaaaayy out of my league with the whole process.

This is where a handful of completely unrelated purchases suddenly fit together into one surprisingly meaningful puzzle.

Piece #1 - A couple months ago, I purchased a collection of prompts to put into ChatGPT to write a novel. I really shouldn’t scroll on Facebook when I’m bored. HAHA

Piece #2 - A few weeks ago, I purchased an online course that promised to guide me through my first draft. Sweet! It sounded like exactly what I was looking for. Guidance!

Piece #3 - The next day I purchased a template for tarot card reading journal. I hadn’t pulled out my tarot cards for a year or so and thought it would be fun. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find my tarot deck and may have given it away due to limited space in our trailer. 🤷 

Yes, I ordered a new deck or two from Amazon. 

Before they arrived, though, I used the template to create a “My Purpose Spread” page. I printed it out and pulled 4 oracle cards from three decks.

The message couldn't have been clearer.

Go slow.

Stay in Turtle Mode.

Trust that the ripple effect of your work is enough.

I smiled when I wrote those words down because they felt so familiar. It's a message I've needed to hear more than once.

Like many of us, I sometimes think I need to do more... create more... reach more people... move faster.

Instead, these cards gently reminded me that meaningful work doesn't have to be rushed.

A pebble dropped into a quiet pond doesn't create just one ripple.

It creates many.

We rarely get to see how far those ripples travel.

Whether the cards were speaking to me or simply helping me hear what I already knew in my heart doesn't really matter.

The message was exactly what I needed.

That's what I love most about tarot and oracle cards.

They're not about handing us answers.

They're about inviting us into a conversation with ourselves.

They reminded me to use something I’d already invested in. 

Piece #1: A collection of novel-writing prompts for ChatGPT...

Suddenly, I knew exactly where that piece belonged.

On June 24th, I started planning out a cozy mystery novel based on one of the hundreds of cozy mystery prompts I’d purchased.

Using ChatGPT/Artificial Intelligence AND the online course I purchased, I slowed down to learn how to be a novel writer.

The next day, after my tarot decks were delivered, I decided to do a 3-card reading to learn more about my hesitation to start writing a novel.

The answer was clear: I was feeling insecure, uncertain. Stepping into an apprentice role would help me learn the tools and tricks of this trade. And that my transition will be the result of hours of hard work.

The message was spot on and it affirmed my decision to proceed as I had.

That’s the funny thing I’ve noticed with my card readings. They always seem to affirm the path I’ve already started walking. 

I take that to mean there are no wrong paths. There may be many ways to get to where we want to go. 

It all starts with the conversations we have with ourselves. When those conversations begin to sound like the same old record playing over and over, tarot and oracle cards can be a simple way to reawaken our creativity.

Like journaling or asking ourselves thoughtful questions, they invite us to slow down, become curious, and reconnect with the wisdom that's often drowned out by everyday mental chatter.

I believe we already know the answer.

We just need a fresh way to hear it.