YoinkTober 2022 - Tarotober

[wavewright62]

For those unfamiliar with the concept, this is our Forum's variant of the InkTober challenge, where you are challenged to produce a fanwork every day in October, generally following a series of prompts.  Classically, this is an art challenge, focused on expanding your technique, but we expand the brief to include our wordsmiths as well.  The daily work does not have to be large or elaborate, just an attempt to take a moment for development of that part of your brain.  The daily prompts leave you all heaps of interpretive latitude.

This year, the prompts are inspired by Tarot.  Whether or not you ascribe supernatural gifts of divination to the arrangement of images as they appear, contemplating these timeless images can often reveal an approach to a question that you had not considered.  And, unlike the playing cards that evolved from them, a reversed card is not interpreted in the same way as the upright card. 

Each day is assigned a card, with both upright (U) & reversed (R) meanings, mix and match or incorporate both?  Upright is not always positive, nor reversed negative. Meaning synopses are given from my favourite text*.  You are free to consult your own favourite interpretation, or let the image and its details guide you, as it was designed to do. 

1 - Death - (U) Change & Renewal / (R) Stagnation

Spoiler: death image • show

I notice how The Emperor is already trampled, and The Hierophant is begging. 

2 - 3 of Swords - (U) Emotional Intensity / (R) Emotional Tedium

Spoiler: 3 of swords image • show

Often interpreted as Romance, and you polycule shippers may go to town here?

3 - 9 of Cups - (U) Self-Satisfaction / (R) Self-Criticism

Spoiler: 9 of cups image • show

Often used as an indicator of wish fulfillment.  Reversed, the wishes and the boons all run out of the cups.

4 - 6 of Swords - (U) Retreat from Travail / (R) Endurance

Spoiler: 6 of swords image • show

An underappreciated card, retreat and rest - so, how was your pandemic?

5 - 2 of Pentacles - (U) Manipulation / (R) Sham Discovered

Spoiler: 2 of pentacles image • show

Flim-flam, juggling, the shell game.

6 - The High Priestess - (U) Hidden Knowledge / (R) Superficial Knowledge

Spoiler: high priestess image • show

Lilith knows, whether or not she'll tell you.  You might have to pick it out, like pomegranate arils.  Or I'm sure there's like a YouTube video or something, right?

7 - Knight of Pentacles - (U) Practicality / (R) Unearned Ease

Spoiler: knight of pentacles image • show

This person is focussed on work, money and business.  I'm told this person is also somewhat dull.

8 - 5 of Pentacles - (U) Poverty / (R) Alternatives

Spoiler: 5 of pentacles • show

9 - 6 of Cups - (U) Strength from the Past / (R) Refusal of Childhood

Spoiler: 6 of cups image • show

Flowers can grow from that dirt.

10 - 6 of Wands - (U) A Leader Arises / (R) Leaderlessness

Spoiler: 6 of wands • show

I assume the rider and horse are not about to get pummeled by sticks, anyway.  Maybe the one with the horse gets to rise above the others?

11 - The Chariot - (U) Imposition of Will / (R) Lack of Self-Discipline

Spoiler: the chariot image • show

You just know that a loss of concentration and those sphinxes will stampede and it will all turn to custard.  Maybe it will anyway.

12 - 3 of Pentacles - (U) Marketable Skills / (R) Skills Unmarketed

Spoiler: 3 of pentacles image • show

You, yes YOU, know something useful to someone else.  You might even be able to make money at it!

13 - 2 of Swords - (U) Lack of Perception / (R) Dawning Perception

Spoiler: 2 of swords image • show

Strong vibes of a willful refusal to see, and in reverse a cutting through the blindness.

14 - Ace of Wands - (U) Innovation / (R) Postponement

Spoiler: ace of wands image • show

You're so full of energy and innovation, you're growing new leaves out of a cut branch!  Or alternatively, maybe this would make a better walking stick for the time being.

15 - The Sun - (U) Rebirth / (R) Clinging

Spoiler: the sun image • show

Doo doo-doo, here comes the Sun!  All good things starting now, possibly even a baby.  This isn't even all that bad reversed.

16 - Strength - (U) Courage / (R) Lack of Conviction

Spoiler: strength image • show

Gentleness and a connection to all things natural are the strength here.

17 - 7 of Pentacles - (U) Anxiety About Produce / (R) Process-Mania

Spoiler: 7 of pentacles image • show

That money/skill is thisclosetobeing ready for harvest, and they have been working hard on getting this bounty. Or conversely, they've been obsessing over the whole process while losing sight of the point of the exercise.

18 - Page of Cups - (U) Discovery / (R) Puzzlement or Blockage

Spoiler: page of cups image • show

Talk to the fish. Fish heads are never seen drinking cappucino in Italian restaurants with Oriental women.

19 - The Star - (U) Healing / (R) Ill Health

Spoiler: the star image • show

Unification and healing.  That's the goal.

20 - 2 of Wands - (U) Intellectual Power / (R) Hostility to Knowledge

Spoiler: 2 of wands image • show

Far-sightedness and building of international communication (the internet?), in the reverse a strong vibe of Misinformation. Hoo boy, haven't we seen enough of that?

21 - 8 of Swords - (U) Imprisonment / (R) Reprieve

Spoiler: 8 of swords image • show

The way to free yourself, is all around you.

22 - 8 of Pentacles - (U) Apprenticeship / (R) Aimlessness

Spoiler: 8 of pentacles image • show

They have been applying themselves and working hard on getting this bounty. Or conversely, no they haven't.

23 - The Hermit - (U) Self-Search / (R) Dilettantism

Spoiler: the hermit image • show

Taking some time out to look within sounds good and worthy, but can become an echo chamber.  Kinda close to home for those of us in the SSSS fandom? Ouch.

 
24 - Knight of Cups - (U) Search for Intuitive Knowledge / (R) Passivity

Spoiler: knight of cups image • show

Knights denote action toward acquisition and application of knowledge (or lack thereof), in this case the action toward gaining the intuition of the suit.

25 - Queen of Wands - (U) Energetic Mentor / (R) Misuse of Energy

Spoiler: queen of wands image • show

Powerful, well-spoken, grows things, and even has a cat.

26 - 4 of Wands - (U) Delight & Frivolity / (R) Overwork

Spoiler: 4 of wands image • show

Celebration in the town square, maybe?

27 - King of Swords - (U) Patriarchal Man / (R) Changing Man

Spoiler: king of swords image • show

Upholding all that is right and proper, that's him.  Turn him upside-down so that robe flops down, and he shows a different face.

28 - 8 of Cups - (U) Moving On / (R) Giving Up

Spoiler: 8 of cups image • show

I've drained all these.  I can either go find more, or sort of swill these around and see if I can get some residue on my finger.

29 - 3 of Cups - (U) Interdependence / (R) Rejection of the Group

Spoiler: 3 of cups image • show

Lala laaaa we're soooo much of one mind heeeeeere

30 - Page of Pentacles - (U) Increasing Powers / (R) Repressed Power

Spoiler: page of pentacles image • show

Hey, everybody, watch me levitate this! Cool, eh?  I've been practicing.

31 - 9 of Pentacles - (U) Solitary Creativity / (R) Sell-Out

Spoiler: 9 of pentacles image • show

Things are good, the work is good, the creative juices are flowing, you can enjoy the fruits of your labours. Nice.

As always, these can be applied to the Minnaverse characters (lots of good discussion on this topic in other parts of the Forum!), or elsewhere as you prefer. 

(thanks to Mirasol for tweaking my list idea and providing the push to finalise the list)

Spoiler: * • show

My favourite tarot guide is "A Feminist Tarot" by Sally Gearhart & Susan Rennie, revised 1981 edition, which draws its inspiration from the classic Rider tarot deck.  I like their old-school feminist approach, where the established order and its structures are a bad thing. 
Totally, totally, YMMV.

[Jitter]

Great list! Thank you Wave, and Mirasol!

Should you include also ”rules” of what the YoinkTober is and how to participate?

[wavewright62]

  *ahem*


I will fix the main post....

[dmeck7755]

This sounds like fun, but I was not part of the forum for prior submissions.  Are they posted in the channel or on Fanfics or Ao3?

[Mirasol]

They were posted into the thread directly, usually, but of course that´s up to you. If you do choose to post them directly I´d put them under a spoiler though if it´s a longer one, to make scrolling easier.

You can check how it was done the previous years if you want to (or maybe year? I think we opened it for written works only since last year.), here´s the link for last year´s event in any case, but the years before are also still on the board somewhere.

YoinkTober2021

[dmeck7755]

They were posted into the thread directly, usually, but of course that´s up to you. If you do choose to post them directly I´d put them under a spoiler though if it´s a longer one, to make scrolling easier.

You can check how it was done the previous years if you want to (or maybe year? I think we opened it for written works only since last year.), here´s the link for last year´s event in any case, but the years before are also still on the board somewhere.

YoinkTober2021

Thank you.  I am parsing through

Your artwork is amazing, An Jitter's cat story is grand.  I have not read anythng else yet. 

[dmeck7755]

Just in time for tatot-tober
https://www.atlasobscura.com/experiences/tarot-online-course?utm_source=Atlas+Obscura+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=22e8169040-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_09_30&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f36db9c480-22e8169040-63479941&mc_cid=22e8169040&mc_eid=76db88f14c

[Jitter]

Here we go!

1st October - Death (U)

This island has been abandoned for so long. The burnt houses stand testament to the destruction of all those lives, years ago. Only the cemetery remains. It’s a small consolation, but the ones who have a grave to visit are the lucky ones. The few who disappeared with no body left behind… it doesn’t bear thinking about.

I have noticed the ashes of gardens are good soil. My flowers grow better here than in any of my previous postings. Something beautiful for the kin visiting the cemetery. In time, maybe, someone moves back. It’s good to come to a garden.


I’m sure you can tell whose musings are presented in this drabble.

[wavewright62]

Mauri my beloved?
Lovely drabble to start us off!

Edit: I got around to kicking off my YoinkTober, and rather than start a new post I'll just add to my previous one.

Death of The Endless, more-or-less as she appeared in the recent Netflix adaptation of DC's The Sandman series.  Death is a sunny soul who has come to terms with the essential job she must do, as a kind face to be there for those leaving this life.

Spoiler: angst and self-indulgent whingeing • show

My former home finally sold earlier this week, and the final phase of divorce proceedings can go ahead.  I kinda thought I was all set to do those first two prompts around those changes in my life.  But the angst of how this is working out got to me and left me more paralysed than I already was. 
Hence this tangent.  I'm not really happy with it because it doesn't resemble the actress in the Netflix adaptation of the series, but it turned out better than the attempt at drawing her and the Discworld Death together. So.

[Mirasol]

Thanks, dmeck! Also for the link, it looks really interesting!

Jitter, a very fitting drabble! And I agree, it´s always good to return to a garden.

Wave, I haven´t seen the show so I have no idea what Death actually looks like there, but I can say that it is a lovely drawing that encapsulates a sunny and kind personality wonderfully!
Also offering hugs for the personal stuff.

Here´s my contribution from yesterday, (thanks to my old enemy fading daylight photographed today):

1: Death

I actually tried to do all the prompts here, and actually drew a card.
This is Stella (and her sidekick Daffodil), the main characters from the game Spiritfarer. I picked that game up at the library by chance a few months ago, and ended up liking it so much I actually bought it recently.
In it you play said main character who just took over the duty of sailing the recently passed away to the afterlife from a much more traditionally-deathy-looking-death. Now your task is to collect souls, fulfil their last wishes and then get them over to the next world (not before the game gets you thoroughly attached to them though...). It´s a very pretty game, though also a very sad one.
And there´s flower-symbolism! I only drew the flowers of the souls who already live/lived on my boat though cuz I didn´t want to get spoiled looking the others up.

Death because Stella´s the current incarnation of it
Change and Renewal as she and the world around her have to navigate the change in management surrounding dying
and stagnation because I can´t let go of the souls and carry them around with me for much longer than the game tells me I should

[Jitter]

Two beautiful psychopopmps! Great work both of you. And Wave, my sincerest hugs to you!

[Mirasol]

And I´ve actually finished today´s piece at a reasonable hour this time.

2: Emotional Tedium (spoilered due to some extremely vague spoilers for The Magnus Archives Season 4)

Spoiler: show

This landscape is inspired by (as in, it´s a podcast, so I only have descriptions and sounddesign to work with) the forth season´s antagonist´s, Peter Lukas, pocket-dimension of the fear-entity he serves, the Lonely. It´s a foggy beach that, when spending time there, seems to drain all emotions out of you. It traps people by making them believe the only way of getting rid of their feelings of loss or loneliness is by stopping to feel entirely.



(The weather has turned awful since this morning and so has the light, but it fit this prompt perfectly so I´ll allow it. :'D)

[dmeck7755]

Well this is a my first try . All of the other submittals are Awesome by the way!!

1 - Death - (U) Change & Renewal / (R) Stagnation

Tuuri followed the swan towards Tuonela, curious what the next step in her journey will be.  Everytime she tried to ask a question the Swan would say hurry hurry.  She hoped that there would be an adventure in this next part of her existence.

Down down they flew until they got to the water.  "Get in", the swan said.

All Tuuri saw was sleeping birds of many descriptions.  They were still, silent.

"Wait, you mean all I am going to do is lay in the water and sleep forever?"

"This is how it is.  Get in."

"But I thought there would be more.  Being with my family, or a new adventure.  Not just forever sleep and stagnation.  This was like Keuruu."

She thought of escaping, but a huge wave of sleepiness engulfed her.  She slid into the water asleep and silent.


2 - 3 of Swords - (U) Emotional Intensity / (R) Emotional Tedium

Onni and Ásta snuck away from the adults and hid in a cove..giggling like young lovers would.

"I never kissed anyone before."

"Kissing a person for fun.  No I have not either."

"What if it is icky.?"

"We don't have to do it then. Do you want to?"

"Yes..Very much"

As they came together and kissed they both felt a stomach tightening tickle.  Onni and Ásta both felt very warm.

"Oh my!", they both said.  "I did not know it would be like that!"

"Me either.  Let's get back.  I think if we stay they will find us and I think we need more time to be alone, and really think about this."

Both were thinking of the next time they can slip away.

[Jitter]

A drabble again.

2.10. Three of Swords (U)

Oh, isn’t he just the sweetest? And most beautiful? I love him so so much! What would I have done if he had died? To think how close I came to losing him forever makes my heart ache and stomach twist. But now we are finally together again and I can keep him safe. I will embrace him and kiss his lovely cheeks every day. We’ll never part again. I will make sure of it! He’ll never see the outside of his room after this stunt! It almost wast the death if me!

Young man, you are grounded for life!

[Jitter]

3.10. Nine of Cups (R)

Why oh why did we go through with this? The plan was foolhardy to begin with. Certainly we have sent them  to their deaths. It should have been clear to everyone it is far too dangerous to begin with, and then the budget was cut to half. What on earth possessed us that we still carried on?

What terrible, greedy, selfish, despicable human beings ww are! We sent five people to a certain death, just to make some kronur. And not just “people”, our own family too. The kids will never forgive me for this! I will never forgive myself!


Another drabble, to keep company for the previous one.