In this recent episode of The Fool & the Page, I pulled The Moon in response to a listener request from fellow writer and fabric artist Casey Bernard. Thanks, Casey!
The Moon begs the question: How can you move through darkness with grace and ease? How can you stay there?
And in my experience, it’s also asking…How can you lean into your weird?
Sometimes a formless phase can be freeing!
In the Pagan Otherworlds illustration highlighted here, we see the wild and the tamed sides of the mind embodied in the dog and the wolf, howling or gazing up at a somewhat disinterested (or loving?) Moon.
The prompts here are inspired by the idea that sometimes our stories feel too big and wild for us, but that’s okay.
When have you (or your character) been in a formless phase, when you didn’t know what would happen? If you could describe this phase as an actual place, what would it look and feel like? Write for eight minutes.
What about your current project gives you pause because it doesn’t make sense right now? Are there many things? Jot down the words or phrases that represent these things, so it could be: main character’s relationship with mother, OR my inability to write anything about such-and-such, OR my reluctance to sit down with my loom these days, I mean, it could be anything. Write for eight minutes, eventually focusing in on one element that is formless or dark or weird and just spend some time with that character or problem, letting them speak to you and letting yourself sink into the unknown of that.
What sources of light do you or your character have in your world that illuminate the path for you? These could be physical things or other characters/people or places. Jot down a list of three potential sources of light and then CHOOSE ONE to sink into and explore, and write for nine minutes, telling the page everything you can about that one, sweet source of light.
Take a deep breath. NICE. Thank yourself for taking the time out to write and reflect!
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