A guide to using the Tarot as a tool in crafting characters, plots, and settings. Included are various spreads and interpretations I've come up with over the years, for use in my own projects. Any deck can be used, though I highly suggest the Rider...
Here's an in-depth character development layout I created a while back. This is designed to help brainstorm a character from scratch, but can also be applied to flesh out an existing character.
I also highly suggest using this checklist for your protagonist/major characters. Even if you never use all of the information listed, it will help bring them to life: http://www.epiguide.com/ep101/writing/charchart.html
I usually draw one card at a time off the deck for each question on the checklist.
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1: Physical Appearance/Age: Look at the small details in the card for ideas. The suits are also traditionally associated with certain characteristics: Wands indicate blond or red hair, pale skin, and light colored eyes, and also tend to be the most thin/frail in build. Cups are generally brunette, fair to medium skin tone, with light colored eyes. Swords tend to be medium to dark hair and skin tone, with brown to hazel eyes. Pentacles are the darkest end of the spectrum, with olive to black skin, dark green to dark brown eyes, and dark brown to black hair, and tend to be more muscular/solid build rather than thin. The Trump cards also can offer additional details. Kings are mature men/or a female character with more masculine qualities. Queens are mature women/or a man with feminine characteristics. Knights are young men or brash young women, and Pages are most often young people--likely younger than twenty. Pages may also indicate an androgynous-looking character with a youthful outlook or vibe.
2: Occupation: The imagery of the cards can inspire great ideas. If you want to get really specific, this page has a list of every card with detailed career types. Super helpful! http://www.tarotwikipedia.com/tarot-and-occupation/
3: Social Class: The Trump cards can show obvious status. Kings and Queens would be higher social class or aristocracy. Knights more of a military class. Pages tend to be artists and servant types. The suits also traditionally are associated with certain levels. Wands tend to be peasants or farmers, Swords are government and military types, Pentacles are merchants and financiers, Cups would be creative, service, healing, or spiritual types like artists, actors, clergy, doctors, etc.
4: Most Important Ideal: What the character holds most dear in life, over all others. Less of a goal and more of a guiding idea.
5: Religion/Philosophy: The character's attitude toward life and if they have any belief in the Divine.
6: Goals and Motivations: What the character wants in life more than anything. What drives them to succeed, and what would they want their happy ending to be?
7: Greatest Strength: The character's most heroic quality.
8: Greatest Weakness: The character's biggest flaw
9: Talents and skills: What the character excels at, natural gifts and abilities as well as learned skills
10: How character views himself/herself: Self-esteem or the lack thereof. How they view their role in life and the importance thereof.
11: How others view the character: The general public opinion of the character, reputation.
12: Greatest fear: What does the character dread most? This is a deeply-entrenched fear or phobia which goes beyond everyday worries.
13: Current concerns/worries: The more trifling doubts and worries that bother the character on a daily basis.
14: Hobbies and pastimes: What the character likes to do for fun in their spare time.
15: Home: Their domestic environment. What sort of house they live in, favorite style of decor, tidy or messy, etc.
16: Friends: Details about the character's social life, if they have one. Characteristics of their closest companions and allies and the nature of the relationships.
17: Enemies: Who are the character's greatest foes or rivals, and the nature of the enmity between them.
18: Mother: The character's mother and the nature of their relationship.
19: Father: The character's father and the nature of their relationship.
20: Siblings: Brothers and sisters, if any, and the nature of their relationship to the character.
21: Spouse/Romantic Partner/s: The character's significant other, or the nature of their love life, if they have one.
22: Children: The character's children, if any, and the nature of their relationship.
23: Early Childhood/Grade School: The overall nature of the character's early childhood.
24: Adolescence/High School: The overall nature of the character's teenage years.
25: Young adult/University: The overall nature of the character's young adult or college years.
26: Adult/Career: The overall characteristics of the character's adult experience/working years.
27: Defining Moment In Life To This Point: The most important and memorable moment in the character's life so far, which shaped who they are at the time the story begins.
28: Quirks/Scars/Unique attributes: All of defining qualities and habits that make the character stand out in a crowd.
29: Greatest secret: What the character hides, is ashamed of, and must never let anyone else know.
30: Character's most important contribution in the story: The greatest and most influential role this character will play in the plot.
