We’ve suggested that a great way to learn the cards is by keeping a journal of your readings. By noting down the question, the resulting cards, your thoughts at the time and the result that manifested, you can review your findings and begin to see how the cards all relate to one another and your own real life situations. It’s also interesting to look back and trace the sequence of events in your cards; was there an odd card that just didn’t make sense at the time? Ah but now, with the wonder of hindsight, you understand it!

Writing down readings can be very useful - but if you're not one who uses the deck regularly, or you find you don’t have a lot to ask, here’s a tip that will hopefully help you connect with the cards.

Create your own storyboard readings!

Do you remember the time when . . . ? Have a sift through your memories, pick out a certain time when you would’ve consulted the cards and consider which ones you would assign to that episode in your life. Knowing what you know now, which cards would you expect to have appeared had you asked the question then?

For example, at the beginning of 2014 these cards may have shown for me:


At this time in my life I was uncertain of my position in my workplace, some changes were coming and I didn’t know if my job was secure. So I visited a different branch of the same company, one that I had worked in previously, and asked my old manager if he knew of any vacancies coming up. Luckily there was! So, in the space of about a week, my husband and I decided to move house to be closer to my new job.

So how do these cards apply? Guardian of the Books is the theme of this reading – not just work but work that I love doing. My then current position comprised of basic duties, but this new role would put me in charge of the book department (so Guardian of the Books is very fitting)! And this would have been the theme card as it acted as a catalyst for everything else.

Accepting the Quest would have shown both my new work contract and the tenancy agreement we would sign to rent a house. Phoenix represents rebirth and resurrection. I would be returning to a place I had previously worked, a place I hadn’t wanted to leave in the first place – a second chance! Castle is there because we would be moving house, and this would tie in with Phoenix as the branch is located in my home town.

So you see how all the cards tie in together and how they apply. A few other cards that might have come up would’ve been Lady Spring (a new beginning with a sense of renewal), Time Flies (because this all happened very quickly), The Songbird (as I felt dissatisfied by my previous position), The Gatekeeper (doors being opened for you) or even Bliss (showing my contentment with my new job and home). But the core of the matter could’ve been represented by those cards shown.

Give it a go if you’re short on questions at the minute, or even imagine readings given to your favourite characters. Would Alchemy and Phoenix have appeared for Harry Potter? The Fellowship and Distant Shores could apply to Frodo (and Bilbo) Baggins. Shores of Trials and Kissed for Elizabeth Bennet perhaps...

We’ve already mentioned in a previous blog post that Balance was one of the last cards to make it into the deck. At the time it consisted of 57 cards (way over our original intended number) but it didn't feel right to us and, when consulted, the deck told us it still wasn't complete or finished! 

We reviewed the deck. We went over every card and the meanings attached and looked for any holes in our story or any scenarios we had missed. Balance came first, not surprising as we were focused on balancing the deck.

And our final card that was added to the deck? Well we needed a touch of magic, something that would take our working cards and transform them into The Chronicles of Destiny Fortune Cards – we needed a touch of Alchemy. 

After applying the finishing touches we consulted the cards again and were happy to find the deck agreed. Finally, it was complete. 

As promised, here are the original questions together with the answers: - 

1)  What is the significance of the story being set in a forest?

Trees. Books contain paper, which is made from wood pulp.

2) The start of one fictional passage in a chapter has a shared similarity with a famous children’s book that became a movie: can you tell us which card chapter, and name the book or film?

The start of the fictional passage in 13. Time Flies, is a loving nod to Alice’s’ Adventures in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll, 1865). In the Alice in Wonderland film, (Tim Burton, 2010) the Mad Hatter states, “Alice! You’re terribly late you know. Naughty.” 

3) One passage encompasses a similarity with a Greek legend within it: which card, what myth, and how have we included it?

The Greek myth is Pegasus (card 19) to connect with the Muses and the thunderbolts he carried for Zeus. There was also a reference within card 20. The Warlock, as it shows the way Pegasus was captured by Bellerophon, and how the rider was ultimately unseated. (Either answer was acceptable.)

4)  The Chronicles of Destiny is a book within a book, within a book, within a book – can you list how that is so?

The Book of Destiny is a card (1) and chapter within the fictional Chronicles of Destiny (the deck – 2), contained within the handbook (3) within the box designed as a book (4)

5) We have placed a significant reference in the book that ties up with an event in one of the chapters of the story; can you tell us which card chapter, what it is, and where to find it?

The reference written for you related to the fictional section in the Mastery card, which referred to the dedication page we made for you at the beginning of the book, which reads, “For You, Dear Seeker”  with the illustrated golden key underneath. We hoped this would be your “Aha!” moment when you realised you were living through the journey in the story of the book you had just entered :) 

There was also an initial clue leading up to this regarding the bookplate (inside box cover and inside book cover) in the Book of Destiny fictional passage.

6) What is the significance found in the Mastery card, (page 156) can you explain how it applies?

The fictional passage is talking to you the reader, to take forward what you have learnt within your journey and now apply it to helping others. The Chapters are the cards from the Chronicles of Destiny and you now become The Guardian of The Books.  

Our winner provided beautifully detailed responses, so we could see she had really thought them through. Here is the answer to the final question in her own words:

"The Mastery card represents the knowledge that was gained from the experience of understanding the Chronicles of Destiny quest. Now that the Seeker has the symbolic key, they in turn, become the new Guardian of the Books. If they choose to use this knowledge to enlighten others to the secrets of their individual destinies, the Seeker is duty-bound to do so ethically and responsibly. Using respect for the process and the individual, along with sensitivity and confidentiality, the Seeker has the ability to assist others in finding solutions and a sense of understanding to the trial, tribulations and complexities of life. By offering new ways to look at situations and problem solving strategies, card readers can give others the needed confidence to change their lives for the better, prepare for rough roads ahead and most importantly, realize that they hold the key to their own destiny."

Well done, Nancy!