The story of Magician and Fool: Artist Pamela Colman Smith, befriended by Bram Stoker and commissioned to create a new deck of tarot cards, battles to keep her creations from being perverted for evil purposes.


In two weeks, I will be at Watkins Books giving a presentation on Pamela Colman Smith, the protagonist of Magician and Fool, which is the first in a series of books about her process of creating her iconic Waite Smith tarot cards. If you asked me a year ago if this event would arrive, I would have been astounded.

But time and again, I would go to my deck of her tarot cards and ask for guidance as I did the Celtic Cross, my favorite configuration for a tarot reading. A photo of the readings would go into a file on my computer and looking over the title of each of the asks during the readings is a diary of this long, twisty process.

Discouraged 2.9.15
Disappointing Day 3.12.16
Waiting for agent response 8.25.16
Waiting for call 9.16.17

And in a now fortuitous reading from one of the first literary agents I solicited, several cards let me know that this potential could be seen as fantasy or delusion. It was both.



But over and over, as I would pull the cards, my little 72-peopled village of cards would cheer and comfort, chastise and rally me. The King of Swords was an early champion and enforcer. My constant card, Queen of Wands would soothe the stings of rejection and the Hanging Man would caution me not to act rashly. When I would send out letters looking for collaboration the High Priestess and Empress cards would appear or appear in reverse. People I cast as certain card aspects would turn out to embody them perfectly or turn out to be something entirely different.

What I learned was to keep going. A yoda sort of chant began to appear in my head. 'There is no no, only yes.' How do you get to yes? How do you get your book out in the world when there are so many obstacles? How do you tell the story of Pamela Colman Smith, this divine storyteller whose own personal story has yet to be celebrated?

Stay tuned! I'll fill you in as we travel this path together.

Light and Love

Susan




After 8 years of development, Magician and Fool will be published by i2i Publishing, with book launch dates in London October 12th at Atlantis Books and Watkins Books on Friday, the 13th.

https://www.watkinsmagazine.com/events

I will also be at the U.K. Tarot Conference at the Thistle City Barbican Hotel October 13th & 14th.

https://smile.amazon.com/Magician-Foo...