Too often, writers can find themselves at a loss for words or ideas (the ol’ writer’s block) or stuck in a rut repeating the same ideas (the ol’ writer’s rut).  One strategy for moving past these obstacles (of the self) is to borrow a strategy from the surrealists and use chance, chaos, and the randomness of fate.  One specific method is to incorporate different card decks to help inspire, provoke, and generate thought.  Many writers have turned to the tarot for such inspiration, and Jessa Crispin has a fantastic book titled The Creative Tarot: A Modern Guide to an Inspired Life that details how a writer can use such a deck.  Three decks that I have used for myself and my students are Corina Dross’s Portable Fortitude, Neil McCann’s Artot Vision Cards, and Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies.  When I find myself blocked or in a rut, all I do is pick a card, any card…