Tribal Recollections — a Series

I've begun a new series of poems inspired by Rachel Pollack's "Shining Tribe" Tarot deck. (Mine is so old it has the original name, Shining Woman, but she has renamed it since.) This happened yesterday, when I stood in as facilitator of a writers' group, and thought I should devise something a bit different as a writing exercise. I chose this deck because the images are unusual, interesting and evocative.

I passed the cards around and told each person to choose one and write whatever occurred to them on looking at the image. They loved it, and demanded that we keep choosing new cards and doing this exercise for the rest of the session.

I also loved the results I got, just letting my mind explore the image and wander wherever it led.

As a professional Tarot reader, I can say these thoughts had no direct relation to the Tarot meanings of the cards. As I entered into the images, I felt as if I were remembering things I had experienced. Past life recall? Genetic memory? Universal consciousness? Or just imagination, and free association?

I don't know, and I even don't really care. I like these strange poems for what they are. I use the word "recollections" in the series name rather than "memories" because, while I do want to suggest they might be that, I also want to suggest making a collection, and putting fragments together.

The poems will appear in the three following posts, and then from time to time as I am moved to write more. They will be accessible as a group via the Tribal Recollections tag (see bottom of page).