Slap some Mystical into Your Writing!

What is Mystical?

Dictionary.com defines mystical as:

of or relating to supernatural agencies, affairs, occurrences, etc.

Have you ever thought about slapping some mystical into your writing?

I confess that I never really did, until now. Obviously, I’m writing fantasy, so going on hikes and visiting little circles of mushrooms, known by some as ‘faerie circles’, seemed wise (although, from afar – don’t want to be sucked into the Land of the Fae!). Aside from that, I haven’t done much mystical (this is not including amazing spiritual experiences in India and America with saintly people). What I’m talking of here is at a lower level, having to do with angels, fae, more earthly, tangible entities of this realm that aren’t from other universes, worlds, etc.

Okay, so before you all label me crazy I guess I should explain:

I bought some tarot cards.

Yup! You read it right. I went to one of those pretty, hippy-dippy stores with whirling dream catchers and amethyst crystal chunks, and purchased a lovely deck of faerie art tarot cards.

In order to study the art, I researched books. Lo and behold! My local library had a book about reading tarot cards to help you in creative pursuits. It’s called “The Creative Tarot: A Modern Guide to an Inspired Life”, by Jessa Crispin.

Even though I’m a beginner who lacks the classic Rider-Waite-Smith deck and knows very little, I’ve gotten something out of this book already. Tarot is about intuition. So is writing, I thought to myself. Yes, we have to edit, and to do that, we have to analyze. But on the joyful, subliminal level, in the subconscious, we write for the flowing part, the rough draft joy, not the editing, right?

Well, maybe some of us write for the joy of editing. It can be like chipping away at a sculpture. The more pieces you break away, the more your piece becomes beautiful and visible to others.

For me, personally, I love drafting, creating character profiles, and researching for my stories. I find it’s very intuitive, the moment when I have sat down and am chunking out a paragraph that just flows like water from my fingertips. So for me, the intuition needed in tarot mirrors the intuition and flow of writing.

What does mystical taste like?

What would it be like to put a dash of mystical into your writing? Maybe it’s making a collage based on a castle setting in your current work-in-progress. Maybe it’s drinking tea in a hammock with a notebook, instead of coffee at Starbucks. It may be hiking by a river, dancing in moonlight, or trying some tarot or other Renaissance-age mysticism of your choice.

I don’t know yet what studying tarot will bring to my writing, but I’m excited to find out! What does mysticism in writing look like for you?

Until next time,

Chaitanya