Crime cards!

Another exercise for developing the imagination.

Someone has been murdered.

You, of course, are the detective (or skilled amateur) who must solve the crime.

Divide a Tarot deck into Major arcana, court cards, and pip cards (Aces through Tens).

Shuffle the three piles of cards separately, and then, keeping the cards face down, draw the following cards.

Draw a court card to represent the victim.

Draw a pip card to provide the scene of the crime.

Draw a major arcana card to supply the motive.

Turn over the victim and scene cards.

Which elements on the scene card could be clues to the murder? Where was the murder committed? When was the murder done?

Examine the victim card. Can you identify any traits or behaviour that could have led to murder? (The Queen of Pentacles is insufferably smug; no wonder she drove someone to murder. The Page of Wands never even saw the murderer coming—he had his eye on the goal and nowhere else.)

What was the victim doing in that particular place?

Can you find a weapon in the victim or scene cards? (Is that a poisoned chalice the Queen of Cups is holding? Who is the man with the spear on the Six of Cups?)

Turn over the motive card. What was the motive? (The Wheel of Fortune could suggest an accident; the Empress might represent passion; the Devil could imply drug smuggling or kidnapping.)

How does the motive relate to the victim and scene cards? Find the links.

What else does the motive card imply?

Now turn over the murderer card.

Congratulations, you caught the murderer! But how did you do it? Find the clues you followed. Examine the card in the light of the previous cards. What are the links between what you have found earlier, and the murderer card? What else does this card show?

Since this is Tarotland, the victim, murder, weapon, and motive can be as unusual or absurd as you wish.

Have fun :-)

Comments

[Elizabeth]

Thanks for this fun, creative idea. My tarot study group and I held a "tarot whodunnit" meeting in which we expanded upon your idea. We created a 6-card spread that included the evidence, perpetrator, and the crime as well. We left the card for the perpetrator turned down until we had created a mystery story from the rest of the spread. Then we guessed who the perp could be before turning over the perp card to reveal his or her identity. It was great fun for all of us, and we liked it so much that we plan to make it a regular activity for our group.

[Martie Groenewald]

Glad you liked it! Your version sounds great. Don't you just love the cards?