Welcome to Tarot for Scholars, a resource that helps you weave the deep wisdom of tarot into your daily life and work. In each post, we offer reflections and prompts for exploring your own inner world and unlocking the unique creative power of your scholarship.
8 of Pentacles
About this card
Tangible progress toward the completion of material products. Craftsmanship. Immersion in the rich, earthy, sensory experience of daily toil, practicing and honing your craft as you create useful products for a larger community. An intent focus on work that is inherently pleasurable. Nearing the finish line. The value of measuring progress quantitatively (in moderation).
Other interpretations
Margy’s cards, clockwise from top left: Radiant Tarot; New Chapter Tarot; Cosmic Slumber Tarot; Shining Tribe Tarot; Elemental Tarot; Navigators Tarot of the Mystic Sea; Spolia Tarot; Tarot of the Spirit.
Helen’s cards, clockwise from top left: Moon & Stars Tarot; Light Seer’s Tarot; Japaridze Tarot; Canes Arcanae; Star Spinner Tarot; Muse Tarot; Tarot of Mystical Moments; Forest of Enchantment Tarot.
Questions and prompts
Which teachers or resources have helped you hone your writerly craft? What learnings stand out in your memory?
Reflect on how you’ve honed one artisanal feature of your writing — whether lyrical beauty, structural integrity, laser precision, or some other quality. How has your writing improved in this area over time?
How do you typically measure progress in your scholarly projects? Are most of your measures quantitative (words written, minutes spent), or do you incorporate qualitative metrics too? Think of a progress metric you can try this week that you’ve never used before, and notice how the use of this metric shifts your experience of the writing process.
Thanks for joining us for Tarot for Scholars! Your hearts, restacks, and comments brighten our day. 💫
Yours in scholarship,
HELEN SWORD is a scholar, poet, award-winning teacher, and founder of the WriteSPACE, an international writing community with members in 30+ countries. Her research-based books, articles, and online tools empower scholarly writers to write more clearly, confidently, prolifically, and with greater pleasure.
Visit Helen’s website here.
MARGY THOMAS is the creator of ScholarShape, a body of work dedicated to elucidating the patterns of Story-Argument across genres, disciplines, and life itself. Through services and DIY resources, Margy helps scholars use Story-Argument patterns to design their work — and to find its deeper meaning and higher purpose.
Visit Margy’s website here.
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