April (the fool)

INVESTIGATION

I know absolutely nothing about tarot, except that for some reason, when I make my paintings into a deck of tarot cards or paint something tarot-esque, it sells better and more consistently than anything else at an art booth or trade show. To me it is as popular as it is obscure. I’ve got nothing against tarot, know very little about it, and have always found it moves people as much as a solid astrology reading. Last month, someone pulled a card for me for the first time. It was the seven of pentacles. This means - as I was told - something about long term work coming to fruition. Something about being tired at the end of a harvest. Something about catching my breath at the end of a long run.

I liked that thought because for me and my family, the last three years have been wild and challenging in ways I’d never experienced or expected. I liked the idea of a shift in all of that toward a little more peace.

Today, a different friend offered me a tarot pull, and she pulled the fool. How about that we both said at the same time. She told me the fool is all about new beginnings when it’s right side up (which it was). If it was upside down, the fool has something to do with risk.

Risk related to fools or foolishness makes sense to me. My dad used to say, you never know if a risk was reckless or worth it until you know the result. Depending on what’s at stake, a risk could make a new beginning - for better or worse - or change nothing at all.

This month, I invite you to consider risk in yourself, your life, and your story. What does it look like when you write about risks you’ve taken and the results? Do you think the tension inside of your risks could carry a chapbook or book-length work?

EXPLORATION

This month, some readings about risks. Note the form of each piece. Note the way the authors use repetition and redirection.