Writing & Tarot: Supporting Characters
Updated: Sep 27
Supporting characters have a variety of functional roles. They either develop the main character's personality, reveal critical information about the main character, create conflict, or further define the story's plot. And they do this through interactions with the main character: dialogue, memories, brief encounters, and more.
Revisiting my post on Developing Characters with Tarot, Cara's personality is developed, but a supporting character she meets along the way, Loretta, is an unformed lump of clay. Having some basic information about Loretta's role and function will help move the story forward and keep things interesting for your readers.
Pulling the Cards:
After cleaning my cards, I shuffle the deck until each card chooses itself (falls from the deck). I pulled the following cards for Loretta using the Haindl deck to describe how she functions within the story.
Functional Role of Supporting Character - 6 of Swords: Science
What They Teach the Main Character - XX AEON
How the Main Character Changes - 6 of Stones: Success
Creating the Function Summary:
Loretta's main function is that of objectivity and honesty. She shows Cara how idealism can be used for selfish ends but also offers that wisdom is gained through suffering. Loretta's character teaches Cara that all things are possible, showing Cara the world through new eyes. Cara learns of the renewal found in active optimism despite a painful period of change, which allows Cara to be more spontaneous. Through Loretta's teachings, Cara redefines success as generosity and cooperation.
Introducing the Supporting Character:
After Cara leaves her childhood home, she finds herself directionless and unable to make progress, figuratively or literally, on her journey. This is where the story fizzled and needed an additional nudge to get going again.
Enter: Loretta,: the exhausted owner of the diner with a toddler clinging to her leg.
Through their brief interaction, Loretta shares her struggle from meth addict to mom, owing her success to the generosity of a stranger when she needed it the most.
When Cara leaves the diner, she leaves it changed and finds herself with renewed vigor for her journey ahead, a destination in mind, and an understanding that it is okay to ask for or accept help along the way. She learns to lean into cooperation to find balance and peace, ultimately leading to her happiness.
I hope you ind this supporting character tarot reading informative and fun. Happy writing!