Because I've found them handy in creative exercises before, I polished up a quick MCP server that provides access to Oblique Strategies cards. I combined this with a Tarot MCP server from "a teenage open-source enthusiast and developer based in China" (hi there!) - because I've also found Tarot interesting in creative writing before. It was kinda neat to watch Claude hit the MCP servers and mash things together.
Q: Can you draw an Oblique Strategy and see if it relates to any Tarot card in particular?
"Short circuit (example; a man eating peas with the idea that they will improve his virility shovels them straight into his lap)"
What a vivid and unusual strategy! This is about bypassing the intended process entirely - going straight to an absurd conclusion while missing the actual purpose. Let me search for tarot cards that might relate to themes of foolishness, misdirection, rushing, or missing the point.
Perfect! The Fool (Reversed) is an excellent match for this oblique strategy about short-circuiting.
The connection is beautifully absurd:
- Missing the point entirely - The man with the peas completely bypasses eating (the logical step) and dumps them in his lap. The reversed Fool similarly represents acting without thinking things through
- Recklessness over process - Both involve skipping essential steps and going straight to an illogical conclusion
- Foolish misdirection - The peas example is about virility but ends in a lap full of vegetables; the reversed Fool warns against such ridiculous miscalculations
- Absurd directness - There's something almost admirable about the commitment to completely missing the mark - both the strategy and the reversed Fool embrace spectacular failure through over-eagerness
The oblique strategy suggests that sometimes you need to "short circuit" your normal process - perhaps to reveal its absurdity, or to find a completely unexpected (if ridiculous) solution. The reversed Fool embodies this perfectly: someone so eager to reach their goal that they completely bungle the execution, creating an outcome that's both foolish and oddly enlightening.
Sometimes the most direct path to understanding is through magnificent, theatrical failure!
Q: Can you draw a Tarot card and see if it relates to any Oblique Strategies?
Seven of Cups - a card of many possibilities and illusions! Now let me search for oblique strategies that might resonate with its themes of choice, fantasy, and multiple options.
Perfect! The Seven of Cups connects beautifully with "What is the reality of the situation?"
Here's the resonance:
- Illusion vs. Reality - The Seven of Cups is THE card of being lost in fantasies and possibilities, while the oblique strategy cuts straight through asking for reality
- Too many choices - The card shows seven different cups with various temptations (castle, jewels, dragon, etc.); the strategy demands you stop daydreaming and assess what's actually real
- Grounding the fantasy - The figure in the Seven of Cups is literally standing before clouds of illusion; the strategy is the antidote, pulling you back to earth
- Decision paralysis - When faced with seven magical cups, how do you choose? The strategy answers: first figure out what's real and what's fantasy
The Seven of Cups warns of getting lost in wishful thinking and overwhelming options. The oblique strategy "What is the reality of the situation?" is exactly the question you need to ask when this card appears. It's like a reality check for the dreamer - stop looking at all the shiny possibilities floating in the clouds and ask yourself: which of these cups actually contains something real? What's genuinely available versus what's just an attractive illusion?
Together, they form a perfect creative tension: the card represents the intoxicating realm of pure possibility, while the strategy is the sobering question that helps you navigate back to actionable reality.