Stephanie Arwen Lynch uses the The Hero’s Journey mono-myth as an outline for using tarot to plot novels. The Hero’s Journey is a description of a basic pattern found in many narratives from around the world.

The Hero’s Journey

Card 0: The Theme

ACT I DEPARTURE, SEPARATION
1. Ordinary World
2. Call to Adventure
3. Refusal of the Call
4. Meeting with the Mentor
5. Crossing First Threshold

ACT II DESCENT, INITIATION, PENETRATION

6. Tests, Allies & Enemies
7. Approach to Inmost Cave
8. The Ordeal
9. Reward (Seizing the Sword)

ACT III RETURN

10. Road Back
11. Resurrection
12. Return with Elixir

Cocktail Spread

Takes these three cards and introduce your character at a cocktail party.

1. Job
2. Personal Live
3. Quirk

Recommended Reading

• Vogler, Christopher, “The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, 2nd edition, 1998
• Campbell, Joseph, “The Hero with a Thousand Faces,” 2nd edition,1968
• Pearson, Carol, “Awakening the Heroes Within: Twelve Archetypes to Help Us Find Ourselves and Transform the World,” 1991

Web Resources:

• http://www.divineparadox.com/Arts/archetypes_on_the_path.htm
• http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/00800/worksheet.htm
• http://www.romantictimes.com/authors_tip.php?tip=450
• http://www.astrostarcharts.com/houses.html
  

Stephanie Arwen Lynch

President of the American Tarot Association Stephanie Arwen Lynch has been reading the Tarot since 1979 and began reading professionally in 1982. She has taught workshops on Tarot for the Professional Fiction Writer as well as How To Create Your Own Spread.

A self-confessed tarotaholic, Arwen owns a collection of nearly 75 decks to date. She is intrigued by the various ways artists express the archetypes of the Tarot. She subscribes to the Jungian archetype philosophy in her reading. One of her passions is designing Tarot spreads. Currently she is engaged in writing a series on fairy tales and spreads that examine the underlying archetypes found in fairy tales.

Arwen reads for everyone but she specializes in reading for the writing community as well as the GLBQT community. As a queer femme, she feels that it is important to be sensitive to everyone’s personal gender preferences.

She has run her online Tarot business since 2005 and reads online as well as in person and over the phone. She has read on the Free Reading Network as well. She is the past editor of the ATA Quarterly journal. Tarot By Arwen is Arwen’s professional site.

Arwen is also a published romance writer. She is part of the writing team of Marilu Mann whose first novel, an ero tic paranormal romance, will be released by Ellora’s Cave. She sold two books to EC last year and the first one, Changing Times, will be released May 7, 2008 as book one of the series Lusting Wild. Book two, Changing Hearts, will be released later this year.

Marilu Mann

Marilu Mann brings the steaminess of the Louisiana bayous to her books and she doesn’t stop there. Willing to travel to the frozen tundra of Wisconsin to heat up those northern nights and melt a little snow, she’ll also circle the globe to Wales, Ireland, Scotland and back just to bring you books that make you sweat.

Currently residing in Texas, Marilu is an avid armchair traveler. Her sexy shifters will set your blood to boiling in no time. Owned by one Diva Teen and various animals, Marilu keeps busy writing the novels her readers beg for.

Marilu is thrilled to be a part of the Ellora’s Cave family and loves to hear from readers. Drop her a note at Marilu Mann or visit her website or her MySpace for more info.

Music Credits

• Opening Music: The Oracle Speaks by William Wilde Zeitler from Elegy for Atlantis
• Closing Music: Journey to Now by Paul Avgerinos from Gnosis (Magnatune)

  

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