WinAmp Divination!

[evilbeej]

You build yourself a 78-song playlist with songs that correspond to tarot cards, set it on random, and take the first ten it plays. Then you map them out. 1) environment/situation or problem facing you, 2) obstacles, 3) goals, 4) resources you have, 5) recent past, 6) near future, 7) yourself or how you see yourself, 8) your house or the people and events that immediately surround you (or what you consider home), 9) your hopes and fears, 10) the most likely outcome if what preceded isn't changed.

It also helps if you rotate the songs you use to correspond to cards - it's like using different decks. It's also entirely a neat thing to use the songs without corresponding them to cards, just use lyrics to indicate the application of the song to your life, etc etc. I'm a little caffeinated, it makes sense in my head but I'm having trouble explaining it. Sorry!

Comments

[glittergram.livejournal.com]

ooo that's just silly.

and hey! where have you been! i haven't seen you on AIM recently.

[evilbeej]

Well, I was in a truck going cross-country for two weeks, and before that my computer crashed and I had to switch to a backup that doesn't have AIM installed on it, and I'm lazy and haven't gone and put it on yet because I have to download it at 28.8 and I hate downloading slow things and mostly I'm lazy. ;)

But I'm good now!

Re:

[glittergram.livejournal.com]

yay!

[fiddlersgreen.livejournal.com]

Heh. I remember a book I read once, when I was younger, where one of the characters used something similar. (The difference was, this being the 80s, no WinAmp, so he just used the first few songs he heard every day on the radio.) I don't remember the book, but I *think* it was by Tom Dietz.

I've never really been into that sort of thing, but that always struck me as a neat idea.

Wow, that is neat...

[lieumorrison.livejournal.com]

That is plan cool...

I'm writing up an adventure for my d20 Modern (well, homebrew varaint) game that has a lot of embeded mysticism within a technological setting. This would be an awsome prop to add.

I plan to to publish this adventure as a downloadable pdf, so I very much need to know the history of this so I can give credit where it is due. What is the history behind this idae? Also, may I have a list of the song you use / or have seen?

This rocks!

-lmp3

Re: Wow, that is neat...

[evilbeej]

I'm not about to say this is a new idea, because there are no new ideas under the sun (plus other people have undoubtedly come up with this independently, elsewhere). On the other hand, I did come up with it all by myself, and I've never seen it anywhere else, so I feel pretty justified in claiming the credit. Feel free to use, it's *fun*. Especially if you're music-oriented. Someone mentioned the fact, after I'd posted, that there was a story in the 80s where a guy did something similar, but it was just listening to the first few songs on the radio every day. Which actually appeals to me in a different way - there's more chance involved, especially if you're not listening to a top 40 station, and there's more pulling down of chaos. Which makes me all gleeful.

The *best* way to use it is to forego the established Tarot order and assignments, but it's a good exercise to start with - and since everyone has songs that mean very different things to them, it's generally a good idea if everyone comes up with their own list. And hey! I wanna play your game.

I can give you a major arcana example, though! :D It's like making a mix tape, only more complicated. You can turn it into an even more ridiculously complicated art form - like in High Fidelity - by having themed "decks", or by having the melodic journey match the journey represented by the major arcana.

Err -- the thingy. Sample list:

0: The Fool: 'You Tripped At Every Step' - Elvis Costello
1: The Magician: 'Anyone Can Play Guitar' - Radiohead
2: The High Priestess: 'She's Always a Woman' - Billy Joel
3: The Empress: 'Hallelujah' - Jeff Buckley
4: The Emperor: 'My Secret Origin' - Ookla the Mok
5: The Hierophant: 'Turn, Turn, Turn' - the Seekers
6: The Lovers: 'In Your Eyes' - Peter Gabriel
7: The Chariot: 'In Our Darkest Hour' - Phantom Planet
8: Justice: 'People That Are Going To Hell' - the Vandals
9: The Hermit: 'Something Vague' - Bright Eyes
10: Wheel of Fortune: 'Career Opportunities' - the Clash
11: Strength: 'Eye of the Tiger' - Survivor
12: The Hanged Man: 'Living In the Past' - Jethro Tull
13: Death: 'Better Things' - the Kinks
14: Temperance: 'Every Breath You Take' - Sting
15: The Devil: 'Carnation' - the Jam
16: The Tower: 'Shattered' - the Rolling Stones
17: The Star: 'The Future's So Bright' - Timbuk 3
18: The Moon: 'The End of the Tour' - They Might Be Giants
19: The Sun: 'The Kids Are Alright' - the Who
20: Judgement: 'Criminal' - Fiona Apple
21: The World: 'Across the Universe' - the Beatles

Re: Wow, that is neat...

[evilbeej]

Wow, I'm a fucktard. fiddlersgreen mentioned it! I was trying so hard to remember because I thought it was on the phone, because I couldn't see the words in my head. But it's just above, there. A-heh.