The Old Ways Must Go

The Old Ways Must Go is a co-operative story telling game about coming together to create new rituals or social frameworks from outdated, decaying old ones. Its structure offers a framework for creating new rituals and for guiding gentle conversations for healing and moving forward in times of community upheaval. And we’ve found it offers an intuitive technique for building or deepening your relationship with your favorite tarot or oracle deck.

The Old Ways Must Go explores how individual agency and collective storytelling come together to create new meanings from old structures: it is hopeful, collaborative, and reflective. It allows for brave conversations and intuitive insights about how we engage in meaning-making. And, at its best, it supports healing conversations for supporting fracturing or frustrated communities to re-engage and find a path forward.

What do I need to play?

You’ll need a tarot, oracle, or other imagery-heavy card deck of your own. Preferably one with evocative art that speaks to you on a visceral level. Familiarity with traditional tarot meanings is not necessary for this game. It involves spontaneous and collaborative interpretations of imagery in context. Though designed for tarot, any card deck with imagery of personal significance will work.