The Story Of Johanneke and Bóinn Cəfərova
Happy New Year, fellow writers! Today, I'd like to tell you the story of twin sisters, one a writer with a mind open to esoteric and alternative concepts, the other a writer skeptical of esoteric and alternative ideas.
Johanneke and Bóinn Cəfərova were born on May 15, 1958, into a multicultural family that valued academic pursuits and tolerant attitudes. Although possessing radically different personalities, the charming twins with their cardinal-red hair and sea-green eyes were always close and always supported one another's aspirations.
After completing their medical training, the sisters returned to the rural community of where they were raised. Johanneke became a highly respected paramedic who saved many lives. Meanwhile, Bóinn began her working life as a medical assistant but became an art therapist who incorporated Jungian psychology into her practice. The archetypal images depicted on Tarot cards fit perfectly into her methodology.
Regardless of what else was going on, the sisters met every weekend to share the stories they were writing. Following Johanneke's retirement and Bóinn's transition to part-time practice, the pair began exploring the possibility of self-publishing their stories. Naturally, they supported each other 100 percent, even though they wrote in different genres.
Johanneke and her wife Shirlee ran a small ranch. With her love of Westerns and cowgirls, she gravitated to writing Western romance stories featuring spirited lesbian couples triumphing against the odds. Meanwhile, the experiences of Bóinn's husband Bert, a former soldier who counseled veterans experiencing PTSD, inspired Bóinn to write action-packed yet sensitive military romances with a guaranteed Happily Ever After.
One day during their afternoon story meet-up, Bóinn noticed Johanneke was frustrated. She typed a paragraph only to erase it. Her brow was furrowed, her expression sour. When this scenario repeated itself for three days in a row, Bóinn asked her sister what was wrong.
"I just can't get deep with Olof's motivation," Johanneke admitted. "Yes, he's obsessed with Moriah and wants Stephanie out of the way, but what is the reason beyond him being an entitled manbaby who can't take no for an answer?"
To Johanneke's surprise, her sister smiled and hurried off. When she returned, she had a Tarot card deck in hand. Johanneke sighed.
"Bo, I don't need you to tell my fortune," she insisted. "You know I don't believe in that stuff."
"You don't need to believe the cards have any sort of metaphysical power for them to be useful," Bóinn explained. "Here, just humor me and shuffle the cards."
"If we're going to play cards, you might as well pour me a whiskey," Johanneke quipped. "All right, here are your shuffled cards."
"Here's your firewater, Ma'am," Bóinn said, handing her sister a tumbler of whiskey on the rocks. "Now, turn over the top card."
"It's the knight of cups," Johanneke revealed. "What does that mean for Olof?"
"Let's look at his expression," Bóinn suggested. "He's a serious fellow looking to get a job done. He's concentrating on an idea but doesn't know how to proceed. It appears from the description that the knight is passionately pursuing a new direction in his life. Olof's new direction leads to Moriah. He thinks she can give him what he desperately needs. He doesn't consider her wishes."
"He sees her as an NPC in the scenario where he plays the lead," Johanneke realized. "She is supposed to fulfill the role of love interest, saving him from a miserable life. He sees Stephanie as a temptress with an agenda. Meanwhile, he's the one with the agenda. Thank you, Sis! This helped so much! Why have we never used this method before?"
"I just learned about it myself," Bóinn replied.
"Well, it's a wonderful tool! There may be something to your metaphysical mumbo-jumbo after all."
Johanneke laughed at her sister's flabbergasted expression.
"I think I may need a glass of firewater myself to survive an afternoon with you," Bóinn smirked.
The sisters returned to their stories with renewed inspiration.
The Practical Side
There are many people who dismiss divination cards as superstitious or nonsensical, doubting their ability to assist a writer in their creative endeavors. Additionally, some writers may be hesitant to incorporate spiritual practices into their writing, for fear that it may undermine the authenticity or seriousness of their work. Others may struggle to understand how seemingly random card pulls can provide valuable insight or inspiration for their writing projects. Using divination cards in the creation process can unleash untapped creativity, provide unique storytelling avenues, and enhance intuition. This leads to more inspired and authentic narratives that resonate with readers on a profound level.
Writing stories has been a major part of my life since I was six years old. I began using Tarot cards for divination at seventeen. It was only last year that I became aware of the benefits of using cards as a tool for creativity. This practice has brought back a lost sense of wonder and magic to my writing.
I used the Cthulhu's Vault Tarot in today's exercise. I pulled the card at random. It happened to be the perfect choice. Coincidence or...
You decide!
As Bóinn advised Johanneke, you don't have to believe the cards have any metaphysical or supernatural applications for them to guide you in your writing practice.
You can purchase the Cthulhu's Vault deck through this link.
I hope this post provided new possibilities for making your writing practice more enjoyable.
