Jodi Picoult
At a tarot reading, the author looks for answers and doesn't like what she hears
Novelist Jodi Picoult and tarot consultant Anya Weber are in the Nine Zero Hotel lobby scouting for the perfect spot for a reading. They've just finished a quick lunch at the Last Hurrah, during which Picoult (rhymes with eco) shared a buyer-beware story about her stay in a Boston-area hotel that involved a giant rat scurrying across the hall and an in-room toilet tucked between the beds.
"It was like a psychiatric halfway house," said Picoult, 41, who lives in Hanover, N.H. She's staying at the Nine Zero at the start of a three-month book tour for "Change of Heart," a novel that tackles capital punishment and organized religion through the story of a 33-year-old death row inmate who wants to donate his heart to his victim's ailing sister. She's happy to report that the Nine Zero is a galactic step up from the rat and toilet dive.
The staff doesn't blink as Picoult and Weber take over the lobby, pushing glass tables together, dragging swivel chairs into a circle, and closing the curtain to keep out the peek-a-boo sun. With curly red hair flowing over her shoulders, funky gold rings, and braided knot bracelets, Picoult almost looks more like a psychic than the professionally dressed Weber does; then again, Weber is the one wearing the purple tights. On her right hand, Picoult has scribbled the name of a sign language book that she wants to buy for her oldest son, Kyle, who has just launched his college search.
As Weber and Picoult settle in for the reading, Weber explains that she's no fortune-teller. Instead, she uses the tarot to help clients channel intuition. With creative clients, Weber uses the World Spirit tarot, a multicultural deck that pulls from Egyptian imagery, to help focus creativity.
"It's really about your questions," Weber says.
"Well, I have the mother of all questions," Picoult says. "I want to know if [the studio is] going to change the ending of 'My Sister's Keeper' in the film or if they will return back to my ending."
We won't spoil it here, but it's safe to say that Picoult's 2004 bestseller ended with the kind of bang that compels readers to shove the book into fresh hands just so they'll have someone to talk it over with. According to Picoult, the director is flirting with replacing her shocking ending with a pizza party.
Weber designs a diamond-shaped spread to look at four elements of Picoult's question. The first card represents where Picoult's power lies, and Picoult draws the Seeker of Cups, which generally represents an emotional quest. Though this film fight has been heartbreaking for Picoult, Weber points out that this card, a knight in shining armor riding on horseback under a floating, golden grail really has no imagery of angst.
Next, they turn the Six of Cups a nostalgia card to represent Picoult's responsibility. On the card, a couple is walking around a pool. "In tarot, water always represents the unconscious mind," Weber says. "Here the water is very contained, almost like a movie screen, and you're looking at this through a window. Maybe it's actually your responsibility to take a step back and give up control."
Picoult groans. "But I don't like that."
Weber laughs, then turns over the Three of Pentacles in the position that represents what Picoult needs to let go of. The card depicts a woman holding a book open as a man peruses it, hand on his chin.
Weber bends over the card. "Maybe the thing to let go of is your attachment to the feedback you get."
Picoult doesn't like this idea either.
For the last card in the four-card spread Weber designed, information Picoult needs, Weber flips Judgment, a card about life-changing decisions.
Picoult snorts. "Oh that's good. I'm glad this is a really easy tarot reading."
They decide to turn extra cards for clarity. "What is this huge judgment that Jodi's going to be rendering?" Weber asks as she shuffles the deck. Outside, on Tremont Street, a siren screams and then recedes.
The first card is the Fool. "Can we please make that the director?" Picoult says.
They try to move on to a happier topic - how will the new book do? - but the cards here are no more encouraging: mental anguish, haunted figures. Next, they pick two cards about Kyle's upcoming college search one represents Jodi, the other Kyle. As she turns over her son's card, the sun streams through the crack in the curtains, cutting a path across the card. It's Justice, a card about balance and fairness. It's the first card Picoult likes.
They end the reading with one last question: "Is the deck being mean to Jodi?"
"Watch, I'm going to get some kind of crazy angel card," Picoult says.
Picoult pulls Ace of Cups and Weber smiles. "That's a card of love."
"That's it!" Picoult throws her hands up and leans back in her seat. "You're all dead to me." 