DIY Wisdom Cards

I made my own “Spiritual Direction Wisdom Card Deck”

As an aspiring minimalist, 2020 was a continuation of refinement for me. As I clarified my WHY - the world around me - my home - turns increasingly beautiful and steeped in meaning.

I have always been a fan of Amanda Blake Soule. I followed her in the early days of blogging, her creative family books and then onto her publication - Taproot. I have treasured these periodicals. But, I have honestly not acknowledged them in a while.

As I held the Wander [Taproot Issue 19] in my hands, I immediately heard, “Not all who wander are lost.” Which made me think of the Spiritual Path. I took a breath to let this synchronicity swirl. As I did, my eyes settled on the cover artwork by Jessica Roux. A map. A compass. Binoculars. Metaphorically, these are all essential touchstones along the contemplative journey.

All the wandering items illustrate the path of a spiritual seeker. All of these wandering items are tools that Spiritual Companions are intimately familiar with.

As a Spiritual Director, Supervisor, and Teaching Assistant… I thought, how fun would it be to make cards to play with?

What do I need to remember today? Draw a card….

What skill should I pay special attention to? A quick shuffle can lead to a quick “check in” with yourself.

Ingredients

Images you wish to include in your deck
Count the number of images you desire in your card deck. Add one more.
Repurpose an old deck of cards or use heavy paper cut into uniform sizes. (I repurposed a calendar cut up into 3x3” squares)
Clear shipping tape
Scrap paper

Steps

Find images/themes that you wish to use in your Wisdom Deck.
Count out repurposed playing cards and add an extra card. This extra card will be left blank as a metaphorical placeholder for Mystery/the Unknown/Unnamable.
Cut all images to fit on cards.
Pray with each image. Hold contemplative/meditative space. Write down words that come to you. Record free word association.
Type/write out words and cut them out.
Arrange/compose each card with artwork and words.
Apply shipping tape to “laminate” cards for easy shuffling. Use a bone folder to press out any creases and create a firm seal.
Play! Ask questions like… “What do I need to know right now?” “What do I need to remember?” “What tool should I take with me today?”