cosmic connections that whisper (or shout), keep going…
The witch in my novel has a crystal ball. She just doesn’t really know how to use it.
There are quite a few witches in my WIP. Some are good, some are bad, and some are fake—fake in the sense that they haven’t found their magic yet and are hoping that a good costume goes a long way. As a Tarot reader myself, it’s fun to play with characters’ expectations of what looks magic and what feels like the opposite.
The final chapter of my novel finds us reuniting with one such witch. What she lacks in actual magic she tries to make up for in enthusiasm and—occasionally—succeeds.
Some spoilers follow, which you will surely forget by the time this book is out in the world…
ROUGH OUTLINE OF MY PENULTIMATE SCENE
My main character Ursa—trained assassin on the run—is weary and wounded. She makes her way through the gritty port city she thought she’d escaped for good.
She is flagged down by the fledgling witch/would-be fortuneteller who tried to offer her a reading in the very first scene of the novel.
Ursa thinks: Fine. I have nowhere to go. Might as well sit with this witch (and steal that tasty-looking sausage roll by her elbow).
The witch adjusts her crone-wig and fans out her cards. She sneezes. One card is blown apart from the rest. She acts as if she meant to do it this way…
…she turns the card over. “The Mountain.”
This is a lightning bolt moment for Ursa. The card is a clarifying callback to a confusing prophecy.
Ursa now knows where to go and what to do. She thanks the witch, returns the stolen sausage roll, and heads out with renewed confidence.
The Austin Tarot Therapy trailer in the front garden of Yarrow & Sage. Yes, it feels this magic on the inside as well! Check out Linda’s website/socials for pics.
The last week in February found me proofing and printing this final scene and pondering this magic moment.
Some of you have heard me brag about my beta reader, Ellen Gass, a dear friend from college whose work in conservation—and general smarts and savvy as a voracious reader—helped her point out, among many other helpful pieces of feedback, that I’d transposed a map in my novel. Said map had been flipped in Act II; a monster battle on the west coast got swapped with a fateful homecoming on the east. Good gravy. Thank you, Ellen.
The day I gave Ellen these final pages was a day of belated birthday treats, including a reading with Linda O’Neal of Austin Tarot Therapy, thanks to a recommendation from my friend and frequent special guest-author Megan Clark. The scene with the wharf-witch was fresh on my mind as I parked my car and walked to meet a real-live witch (who could absolutely pull of a wig if she wanted, but was not wearing one when I met her).
The Mountain via the Archetypes oracle deck created by Kim Krans, photographed by Megan Clark because I do not own this deck. Thanks, Megan.
Linda welcomed me inside the trailer. It is comfy, candlelit, plant-filled, and feels like a darling, magic hug. I felt immediately at ease. Linda invited me to sit and asked about my own Tarot practice, and then she took a moment to connect and center. I shut my eyes, too, and sensed a lovely, glowing, pink light.
Linda got a feel for a few potential decks before she selected one and shuffled. She gently drew one card and laid it down in the center of the table.
Reader, she drew The Mountain.
I laughed out loud. I laughed with delight and relief. I felt a bit like my character Ursa—a spark of something outside of myself had offered affirmation.
I’d seriously thought I’d made up this card—HA!—but here it was before me, vibrating and buzzing with the beautiful artwork of Kim Krans.
The reading that followed was both affirming and challenging. Much like The Mountain, many cards encouraged me to keep going with this current project. Writers who took my Nines series will love hearing that yes, two Nines made appearances. OF COURSE. They are still very much with me. Queen of Pentacles also showed up—I was happy to see this grounded, earthy energy to nourish me on my way. There were quite a few cards inspiring me to protect the vision that is the book and trust my instincts.
Again, this was a great reading! Highly recommend!
But back to The Mountain. Linda pointed out that in Krans’ illustration we see a light-filled shelter just before the peak. Sometimes we take a dream—a writing project, for example—pretty far but not all the way. Ah, yes.
Earliest green buzz of the late-Pisces season.
Crossing over the mountain threshold can be scary.
What happens when we finish a story and submit it to a contest? What happens when we decide we’ve completed a novel? What happens when we print that manuscript and offer it to a trusted friend to read? All these, for me at least, feel like going all the way to the peak.
Linda’s message—and that of the cards—was clear: “Whatever happens with this novel, you need to keep going.”
I knew I would leave Linda’s trailer with a renewed sense of clarity, and I did, but with even more of a magic buzz thanks to the Mountain’s celeb-guest appearance.
These kind of lightning bolt moments are rare, but their existence inspires me to cultivate everyday magic in the writing life—something I’m considering as I plan for the Spring Creative Commitment.
It also has me thinking on how, in the same way that we can shelter right before the peak, our characters can do the same. Let’s seize the magic buzz and use this inspiration for some guided writing with a little character-meets-author energy.
The Mountain: Climbing with the Character + the Artist
Let’s warm up. Describe a mountain. Let your mind run a little wild here and just go with the description that comes to you—real, imagined, fantastical. Write for 4-5 minutes.
Describe a shelter just before the peak (you may have already done this, that’s fine—spend a bit more time with it if you like). Is this shelter made of the mountain stone or something else? Is it warm/cool? What are the scents? Textures? Where do you sit while you wait? Is there anything to drink? What are the sounds? Write for 4-5 minutes.
Drop one of your characters into this shelter. Pick someone who has felt a little distant from you, or someone brand new who has only just wandered into your head. Let them rest in the shelter right before the peak. Describe how they’re enjoying this space but also desire to keep climbing. Hmmm. What is holding them back? Write for 6-7 minutes.
Pause and take a breath. Take a moment to reflect: How do you relate to this character’s conflicting desires? What is similar/different to your experience of wishing to cross over a mountain threshold? Write for a couple minutes, or longer if you have the time.
Describe how this character eventually leaves the shelter and reaches the peak. Write for 7-8 minutes. Let the moment lead you. No apologies. Write your heart out.
Take a deep breath. Take another.
Bonus: Take a few minutes to simply sit and be post-writing.
Double Bonus: Share a favorite line of description or realization from your mountain writing with a trusted writer-friend.
Check out the Spring Creative Commitment, starting March 29. One spot left! Could be yours.