For some people, summer is a productive writing season. I envy those people.

I’ve been dealing with a persistent creative block since March. Getting into a creative headspace has felt impossible. These days, even if I do manage to open my laptop or a notebook, I find I can’t stay focused. It’s so easy to just…get up and walk away. Daily writing habit? Don’t know even her. But every day I think, I should be writing.

I’ve tried to take advantage of summer’s longer days and looser schedule. But even the task of making edits to a short story—something I had committed to sharing with the Restless Writers at our last meeting—took an immense amount of creative energy. Afterwards, I felt tapped out, like the well was dry.

Interestingly, when I do think about my writing, I find myself drawn to mystical, mysterious, and witchy themes and characters. This is definitely outside of my typical space; I tend to write about confused hearts and things that might have been.

But if witchy things are sparking a creative response, I’m not going to ignore the impulse. I want to take advantage of any tiny hint of a creative urge. I want to see where it takes me.

Last week, it took me to learning about oracle cards.

A friend and I attended a workshop at a moody little boutique called The Witch’s Fix in bougie downtown Oakville. The event, called An Intuitive Oracle Workshop, was an introduction to the basics of using oracle cards and tapping into your intuition. In preparation, I bought a deck of nature-themed cards (Woodland Wardens by Jessica Roux) and practiced my shuffling. I even did a few warm-up readings to get a feel for the cards.

The other Restless Writers might be surprised to hear that I’m dabbling in oracle cards and witchy things. I’m an atheist (or an agnostic?), and I’ve always been sceptical of the woo-woo. I don’t believe in a supreme being or spirits of my ancestors, but I do believe in each person’s innate intuitive knowledge. If I have big questions, the best place to look for answers is within myself.

Plus, I’m in my crone era and I’m allowed to change my mind about my interests and beliefs.

The workshop itself was interesting and grounded me in the foundations of pulling cards and doing a reading. The most valuable insight I came away with though, was how I can use oracle cards as reflection prompts. If I’m struggling with complex internal issues relating to my writing and creativity, and the cards and the readings can help me self-interrogate and get at the root of the problem.

So, this morning, I gave it a shot. I prepared my reading space (AKA my dining room table) by clearing away distractions and replacing them with inspirational elements: an interesting rock (earth), a candle (fire), and a glass of water. I opened the window (air) and made sure my journal and a pen were beside me.

Before I pulled the cards, I set my intentions—to be open-minded and kind to myself; to be prepared to think both broadly and deeply; and not to rush. I also decided on my big questions: What’s behind my creative block? And what can I do about it? Then I shuffled the cards.

I went with a simple three-card spread, representing past, present, and future. I won’t share my insights—that’s personal—but I will share the cards I pulled and how I interpreted them. I’ll also share the questions they led me to reflect on.

The card in the past position was the Finch and the Peach, representing romance. It was reversed (upside-down), which I don’t interpret as the opposite of romance, but rather it’s shadow side: fear and self-protection.

The card in the present position was the Chipmunk and the Laurel, representing success. It was also reversed, which I interpret as struggle and stagnation.

The card in the future position was the Ram and the Dahlia, representing determination. This card was upright.

From this spread, I reflected on the following questions:

• In the past, how have love and creativity intersected? Has timidity or a need for safety hindered my romantic relationships, and affected my writing path?
• Right now, what does success mean to me when it comes to my writing? And which writing am I thinking about—my short fiction, my essays, my spicy writing, my longer WIP, my day-job writing? What is happening in my life right now that I can consider a success?
• Looking to the future, what am I determined to accomplish, writing-wise? What will I focus on? What’s a healthy way to harness my determination (my Finnish sisu) so I can sustain momentum?

These questions gave me a lot to reflect on. After closing my reading and returning the cards to the deck, I went for a walk to the lake, and came back to my notebook. And I wrote for a good hour. Afterwards, I felt a pleasant sense of unweighting, of accomplishment. I was able to go about the rest of my morning without that nagging feeling of I should be writing. Because I had been.

I’m not saying the oracle cards fixed my writer’s block. I’m not putting all my creative eggs in a witchy basket. But doing the reading got me thinking, and thinking got me journalling, and then I wrote this post about it.

I may not be over my creative block, but it’s a start, isn’t it?

Maria

P.S.: Where do you turn when you are looking for answers or inspiration?

P.P.S.: All em dashes in this post were human-generated.

Feature photo by negin baahrami on Unsplash. Post photos by Maria Hypponen.