In this newsletter:
brief mention of the 2024 film Tarot
review of July Dark Tales from the Tarot winner
upcoming September Dark Tales from the Tarot card and themes
I recently watched the 2024 horror film Tarot on Netflix, which features a stunningly dark tarot deck created by Trevor Henderson specifically for the film. (If they ever release that deck commercially, you’re damned right I’m buying it, but so far no dice.) While the film excelled in atmosphere and aesthetics, I found the plot and acting fell rather short, but most appalling was the film’s overt disregard for the actual meanings of the cards in the tarot. To paraphrase a trite line that got trotted out twice during the film:
The Death card can mean the end of something, or the start of something new, but in your case it just means ‘Death.’
A bad line, poorly delivered, and inaccurate to boot. Sigh. But of course, this is merely symptomatic of more widespread misunderstandings surrounding tarot practices, the cards, and their meanings.
But my misgivings around the film’s treatment of the tarot have a silver lining: We at Spindle House are doing it better! Our own version of tarot-meets-horror, Dark Tales from the Tarot, uses the randomness of the tarot deck and the symbolism of the cards to guide themed submissions of flash fiction horror. Of course we ask that submissions be horror, but we do so in a way that aims to preserve the card’s actual meaning — just with a darker spin.
Last month’s submissions were set to the theme of The World, a card that symbolizes ultimate achievement and enlightenment. We received many excellent submissions, but ultimately crowned “The Fall” by Demi-Louise Blackburn as our winning tale for the month. I was struck by the story’s setting and vibe, oddly reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland in a couple ways. I’m tempted to describe it here, but flash fiction is so short that even the briefest summary can contain spoilers. I encourage you: go read it for yourself! This one will stick with you.
We’ve shuffled and drawn the card for our next round of submissions, which will begin September 1. Our card this time is the Two of Wands, pictured below.
In a slight change from previous months, we’re not assigning a specific prompt per se, but are instead summarizing the card’s themes as the basis for flash fiction submissions. We believe this will allow authors more flexibility to respond to the card in their own ways.
Two of Wands: Perspective and discovery, as though seeing from a high place. Progress, planning for the future. Making decisions to achieve your goals. Preparing to explore something new.
Please read our full submission guidelines before submitting, and best of luck! We look forward to reading your submissions of flash fiction horror for this card.
That’s it for this month’s newsletter! This said, we’re working on ironing out some Spindle House changes that will be announced next month, changes that will help Spindle House operate more sustainably into the future. Keep your eye peeled for September’s newsletter with those announcements.
In the meantime, we hope you are finding time to enjoy your own horror entertainment! The first hints of autumn are in the air, and the nights are growing longer. Something stirs in the darkness, and by god, it can’t get here fast enough.
Ben Vandersluis, Editor
Spindle House
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