Writual
Tarot as a writing portal
How tarot can help you get unstuck in your writing practice.
When: Monday, June 22, 2026
4-6 pm Mountain, 6-8 pm Eastern
Where: Live two-hour workshop on Zoom
What: The Unmentionables Lab, hosted by Juliane Bergmann is inviting Melanie Shirley for a workshop on how to use tarot cards as portals for generative writing. You do not have to “believe in” tarot cards for this to work, because they only reflect externally what you already know internally.
We will teach two practices to use the tarot cards as tools to excavate deeper layers and unexpected connections in our writing, as signposts to show us a different direction or orientation we've previously missed, and as portals into creativity when we feel stuck on a piece, with a character, or a scene.
Scroll down for details.
This live workshop will not be recorded. The class is capped at 20 participants. If you sign up and cannot attend, please let us know so we can offer the spot to someone else and potentially refund you.
Please bring your own tarot deck. If you do not have one, we can pull cards for you, but it is recommended to get your own deck so you can practice working with your own cards.
Cost: $47 (this is our first Writual class, regular price will be $97 in the future)
Note: If you have an annual Sparkler membership, you get one class a year free. You also receive early access and priority acceptance for any classes and workshops. Email me at [email protected] with the subject line “Writual” to claim your spot.
Hi,
I’m Juliane
I started the Unmentionables Writing Community and am a bestselling ghostwriter and editor for non-fiction books published by Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, and Penguin Random House. I've worked with Navy SEALs, Apple Executives, and Ironman athletes. I freelance for HuffPost, Wired, Insider, and The Rumpus.
Melanie Shirley
Guest Expert
Melanie Shirley has been writing stories since she was a kid and reading tarot cards since college.
She studied English and History, and is running a marketing and branding firm for founders and CEOs during the day. After hours, Melanie takes every creative writing class she can find, and works on a novel featuring tarot archetypes.
Her tarot practice has roots at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, where she studied under an experienced reader for nearly a decade. Melanie reads tarot at parties, private events, and one-on-one. She fervently believes there's no such thing as collecting too many tarot decks.
This class combines her two loves of writing and tarot for the first time.
Writual - Tarot as a writing portal
$47
What's Going to happen in Class?
Tarot practice for When you don't even know what the problem is:
We'll introduce a tarot practice to use if you have writer’s block or "nothing interesting to write about,” stare at a blank page or blinking cursor and need a portal into something new, feel like you always write about the same stuff in the same way and you’re getting bored.
This practice helps you connect the dots, make surprising connections, and practice trusting your creative intuition.
Tarot Practice for When you know exactly what the problem is but have no idea what to do with it:
We'll introduce a tarot practice to use if you have a specific question or concern about your writing practice, a piece you’ve been working on, or a character. This practice helps you get unstuck, see things from a different angle, or discover hidden layers.
Possible questions you might work with in class:
Please bring:
A tarot deck of your choosing. If you don't have one, Melanie will use her deck to pull a card for you, but we recommend that you bring your own deck so you can practice working with your own cards.
A journal and favorite pen. You can type on a laptop if you'd like but we recommend writing by hand.
Writual - Tarot as a writing portal
$47