SynTAROTis

Problem solving by fortunetelling: Part 10 – Hopes & fears

This post continues the reading started in Part 1: The setup.

The reading is one using “traditional” meanings (gleaned from authors such as Arthur Edward Waite, Eden Gray, and Leanna Greenaway), in a “predictive” (or fortunetelling) reading. The purpose of this reading is not fortunetelling, but to demonstrate how a predictive reading can be used to stimulate the creative imagination and as an aid in problem solving. (See Part 1 of this series for the reasoning behind the exercise.)

 Hopes & fears: 5 of Cups (reversed)

The “Hopes & Fears” position can be confusing: should the card be read as a hope, or as a fear? These two need not be mutually exclusive--you could hope for something but fear you won’t get it—but you could also have distinct hopes and fears in a situation. My interpretation of Waite’s direction here is to consider the emotional state of the reader; an indication of how the reader’s feelings (both hopes and fears) are influencing the situation.

Upright meanings for the 5 of Cups include: regret; sorrow; crying over spilt milk; not all is lost (three of the cups are still upright). Reversed meanings: hopeful expectations, renewed hope and happiness.

This card is absolutely perfect for describing my current emotional state: “renewed hope” just about sums it up.

This leaves only one more card to go!

It is interesting to note that the three cards from the Cups suit (2,3 and 5 of Cups) are all reversed. In most Tarot decks, the Cups suit is linked to the element Water. Water is associated with the feminine—with the origin of life, birth, intuitive wisdom, passivity and adaptability. It also denotes cleansing and the subconscious. In addition to these, in Tarot, water carries the connotations of emotions and relationship matters. Since creation (birth), emotions and intuition are part of the creative process, the Cups suit also has a link to creativity.

The reversed cards remind me that my reading of the spread has emphasized an imbalance that needs to be redressed: “the ideal circumstances in which to continue the book project would be to attain an inner and outer state of balance, harmony, creative achievement and moderation.”

The imbalance is not only in the emotional and creative aspects. The Page of Swords has reminded me that being prepared, using the rational faculty to balance the emotional, and making a thoughtful effort to fan the flames of enthusiasm are all necessary elements. And the Devil (I simply cannot take him seriously when he’s upside down!) is raising a hand for some fun and a less serious attitude. The reversed Hanged Man is saying “no” to too much self-sacrifice. Even the romantic-looking Fool has put on his jester’s cap to get my attention. Maybe the reversed 2 of Cups is a warning against over-commitment, taking everything too seriously?

Problem solving by fortunetelling: Part 9 – Your home

This post continues the reading started in Part 1: The setup.

The reading is one using “traditional” meanings (gleaned from authors such as Arthur Edward Waite, Eden Gray, and Leanna Greenaway), in a “predictive” (or fortunetelling) reading. The purpose of this reading is not fortunetelling, but to demonstrate how a predictive reading can be used to stimulate the creative imagination and as an aid in problem solving. (See Part 1 of this series for the reasoning behind the exercise.)

Your home: The Hanged Man (Reversed)

Working with only the (more-or-less) traditional meanings of the cards can be challenging. If you let everything about and on the card inspire you—the image, the colours, the atmosphere, the attitude of the people in the scene—it is much easier to “fit” an interpretation to the circumstances. You can imagine stories, reflect on personal associations that come up when you look at the cards, consider any metaphors or clichéd phrases, or combine suit and number to find interpretations that make sense to you, in these particular circumstances, but not necessarily to another Tarot reader. In such a case, the possibility for projecting your current concerns on the card or the spread is also greater. The danger, however, is that the field is too wide; that you will have enough options to dismiss the ones you should be reflecting on.

A further advantage of forcing connections between a narrower range of interpretations and the card position, is that you can exercise you “innovation” muscles. At times, finding a connection can stretch your ingenuity uncomfortably far. Consider the Hanged Man in the “Home” position.

The “Home” position is about your environment, which can include the attitudes of people around you, or something in your environment that is influencing you.

The Hanged Man is about sacrifice, particularly self-sacrifice, and being “suspended,” hanging around. Earlier meanings for this card included “betrayal” or “traitor.” In older decks, coins fell from the pocket of the Hanged Man, or the figure would hold bags of money. These cards referred to Judas’ betrayal of Jesus. In 15th century Italy, escaped criminals and traitors were depicted in this hanging-upside-down position in what were known as pittura infamante, or ‘shame paintings.’

For the reversed card, Waite offers “selfishness, the crowd, body politic.” Eden Gray has “Absorption in physical matters. Pre-occupation with the ego. Resistance to spiritual influences. Arrogance. False prophecy.”

None of these interpretations fitted. I tried reversing the upright meanings, but came up blank. Then I tried Mary K Greer’s suggestion of “breaking through” from “The complete book of Tarot reversals.” And there you go: no more “hanging around”—I have broken through the feeling of being stuck (which, I remembered, is one of the interpretations for the reversed Fool). Read together, cards 7 and 8 could mean that I have been feeling stuck and unenthusiastic, against a backdrop of a project that has been suspended--just “hanging around,” in fact—but that there has been a change in the environment, some movement. True: however unenthusiastic I felt, I have still done some work, including these posts about this particular spread.

Here is another example of how reading the cards for problem solving and reading them for divination can differ: I am not concerned with the “correct” interpretation of the cards, but only with gaining insight. I’m mixing up time frames by letting some cards refer to the current situation, and others to the past. Some cards describe the ideal situation, and others the real one. I also don’t use a consistent method to interpret reversed cards.

I remembered that I had wanted to investigate the “wrong choices” suggestion from Eden Gray, however, so I considered the other upright meaning of the Hanged Man: sacrifice. I played with a few thoughts here: could I have made the “wrong” sacrifices by starting this particular project? Alternatively, have I perhaps not been making the right sacrifices? These thoughts did not take me much further; and anyway, I do not believe that I have made the wrong choice. I dismissed this avenue.

But, something did strike me as funny: writing this book is one of the projects I started after I was retrenched almost four years ago. Not “self-sacrifice,” but sacrificed on the downsizing altar!

Problem solving by fortunetelling: Part 8 – You

This post continues the reading started in Part 1: The setup.

The reading is one using “traditional” meanings (gleaned from authors such as Arthur Edward Waite, Eden Gray, and Leanna Greenaway), in a “predictive” (or fortunetelling) reading. The purpose of this reading is not fortunetelling, but to demonstrate how a predictive reading can be used to stimulate the creative imagination and as an aid in problem solving. (See Part 1 of this series for the reasoning behind the exercise.)

This is you: The Fool (Reversed)

The meaning of the Fool has shifted over the centuries. Earlier decks portrayed the Fool as vagabond, jester, pilgrim, or lunatic. The Rider-Waite deck broke from this tradition to portray a much more romantic image of the Fool, emphasising innocence, childlike wisdom, and idealism.

What can we say of an upside-down Fool in the “You” position? This position refers to your role or attitude in the matter, or to how you see yourself in the situation.

Keywords for the Fool in its upright position would include beginnings, newness, enthusiasm and trusting the universe; in keeping with the “story” that has been unfolding in the spread, the interpretation for the reversed Fool would be feeling stale, unenthusiastic, and having little faith in either myself or the universe.

Waite adds “apathy” to the reversed meanings; Eden Gray has “the choice made is likely to be faulty,” and Leanna Greenaway adds “stuck in a rut.” As I agree that these interpretations fit the situation, I could leave it at that and move on to the next card, or I could dig a little deeper. Maybe I should reflect on Eden Gray’s suggestion of wrong choices? Could I have made the wrong choice in deciding to write this book, or am I perhaps tackling the project in the wrong way? Or maybe this is something I fear, for no good reason.

To help me with this question, I can reflect on the remaining cards in the spread: the Hanged Man (reversed), the Five of Cups (reversed), and the Moon.

One thing to note is that I am not consistent in my reading of this spread. I started by reading some cards as the ideal situation, as opposed to a description of my current situation. Other cards again I take to refer to my current situation.

In true fortunetelling or divination readings, the reader would not switch between “ideal” and “real,” but make a consistent “story” from the spread. In problem solving, however, any ideas sparked by the cards are valuable. I play with the traditional interpretations of these cards until something fits, something with which I can work. This technique is similar to the creative-thinking technique known as “forced relationships” or “forced connections”: taking two unrelated items (in this case a card with its associated meanings, and a particular card position) and finding some way to connect the two.

And something else: my reading of some of the cards in this spread are helping me formulate a question, or problem statement, for a later spread; from other cards, I am building a picture of my attitude toward the project. Not all the cards in this spread strike me as equally useful in my investigation, so some of them I take note of, and move on.

When read together, the card in the “You” position and the next two cards (“Home” and “Hopes & Fears”), can help form a picture of the reader’s internal and external environment.

Why would a sceptic use Tarot cards?

Tarot cards are one of the most valuable tools for gaining insight into your own and another's thoughts, beliefs, values and attitudes. They can help you make up your mind, foresee problems, fix relationships, and explore your own inner world. The cards can spark ideas to help you solve problems; delve into your own values, attitudes, and beliefs; and change aspects of yourself that you do not like. Studying the cards can help you make decisions, discover alternatives, explore possible outcomes, and resolve the next step to take.

From a sceptic's point of view, none of these things need involve any power or force other than the mind of the person who is looking at the cards, but even a sceptic is not surprised that those who believe in psychic powers praise Tarot cards as an extremely effective vehicle to tap into the powers of intuition. The “answers” that a reader or querent (someone who requests a Tarot reading) can discover by using the cards can be extremely startling in their aptness or insight into a situation.

My personal belief is that we all have more answers to our own problems than we know; the problem is how to uncover the wisdom and insight buried in our memories of past experiences and reflections. In this endeavour, Tarot cards can be an invaluable instrument.

The 5W1H spread

I based this spread on a problem-solving technique known as the 5W1H, which stands for Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How. A variation on this technique is is the 5W2H, which adds “How much?” to the list of questions.

The technique can be used in any stage of the problem-solving process to stimulate ideas and to gather more information. The spread starts at the top with a description of the problem, then moves down for the five questions. For each of the five questions, there is then a “What does this mean” and “How” card. The “What does this mean” row can be left out if the problem is not very complicated.

 

Using Tarot cards to explore a problem

This spread is an illustration of problem-exploration. You might note that all the cards in this spread have a full range of meanings—or possible meanings, whether from traditional book meanings or in the context of the "story" of the spread. In the context of my situation, however, my mind tends to focus on the details and possible interpretations that concern the thoughts that are uppermost in my mind. As I work with the problem and the cards in their specific positions, I let my thoughts hover over selected aspects of the problem, with the pictorial elements of the cards serving as inspiration. From my perspective, the cards are not "telling" me anything I cannot come up with myself, but they do allow me to focus my mind, and they do "force" me to consider the problem, rather than thinking some vague thoughts and coming to a hazy conclusion that I will never act on anyway.

I haven't been sleeping well lately, so I decided to design a problem-solving spread to explore possible reasons for my disturbed sleep, and what I could do about it. I chose seven questions with which to expore the problem, arranged in a pattern that seemed to make sense to me. I shuffled the cards and then dealt seven from the top of the deck. The numbers below indicate the positions of the cards in my spread and the explanations that follow.

     1

2    5    3

6          7

     4

1. The Problem—10 of Swords, also known as the "Lord of Ruin"

This card really does describe the problem well! That feeling of utter exhaustion, being burdened by too many thoughts (the suit of Swords represents the thinking function), waiting for the dawn. The card also makes me smile—when I look at the scene depicted on the card, it seems rather melodramatic, as if the problem is being exaggerated. The fact that I see "dawn" instead of "sunset" also hints that I am not really taking the problem too seriously—yet. I do realise, however, that my thoughts—and my inability to switch them off before I go to bed—are keeping me awake at night.

2. The Cause—XXI: The World, also known as "The great one of the night of time" (Hah, isn't that appropriate!)

So, the cards are "telling me" that the cause of my insomnia is the whole world? The thought is rather funny—talk about exaggeration! And I get it: I needed a "problem" to use as illustration of a problem-solving spread, and since I don't have any serious problems right now, a few nights of interrupted sleep seemed the closest I could get. Except that my mind is not letting me get away with seeing the issue as completely serious. I am feeling tired and somewhat grumpy, but I have not yet reached that point where sleep seems to be the only thing I could ever want for the rest of my life. On a more serious note: those sleep-disturbing thoughts do actually seem to concern "the world," or my world, at least. I am very excited about the book I'm planning to write, and I find it difficult to stop thinking about it even when I should be sleeping. It is a mistake, however, to let the project take over my life (especially my nights), or to consider that my whole world now depends on its success or failure.

3. The Effect—5 of Cups, also known as "Lord of loss in pleasure"

The card strikes me as melancholy, but the phrase "crying over spilt milk" also pops into my head. Too much of that, of course, can lead to depression (one possible interpretation of the 5 of Cups), as can a serious lack of sleep. It would be better to turn around and look at the two cups still standing, than keep sorrowing over something that has passed like "water under a bridge." Three years ago I started a home business. My first project was not successful, and a month ago I decided to pull the plug on it, and to spend more time on the book. Not only am I feeling a little sad to let it go, but also anxious that the current project could go the same way. If I keep dwelling on this, a little sadness might turn into sorrow, or more seriously, depression, and I might not be able to see what I still have left.

It is not surprising that my mind immediately fastens on the source of my income (or potential income) as the cause of my disturbed nights. The project has been right at the front of my mind for almost a year—planning, creating, discarding ideas, honing the central ideas. I look back at the first card—all those sword-thoughts stuck in my back—and I'm struck by the thought that all three cards could be seen as depicting the end of something (The World is the last of the Trumps), but also the strong potential for a new cycle to begin. The despairing figure on the 5 of Cups still have two of those cups upright, and stands in front of a stream that could remind him that in the flow of life, some things pass, and new things come into being. The bridge makes me think of the Simon & Garfunkel song "Bridge Over Troubled Waters." The past (card 2—"Cause") is brimful of the joy of living, while the next two cards are simultaneously despairing, and a little exaggerated.

So far, my "story" tells of hope and optimism, turned to a somewhat exaggerated despair, with the potential for sorrow and the inability to see the good in life; of being replete with potential and a (w)holistic approach to the project, moving to exhaustion and despair (those unchecked thoughts) and the possibility that feelings (the Cups) could come to dominate my mind. What would the next chapter of this story bring?

4. What can I do about it? The King of Swords

Now we're cooking! This King is a master of rational thinking and would make mince meat of any irrational thoughts. He seems well prepared to defend the logical mind. He also seems to represent a calmer approach, and one focused on specifics rather than the exuberant all-encompassing attitude of The World. In contrast to the messy thinking of the 10 of Swords, he is focused on precise, rational thought, and rather than give way to the emotional grieving of the 5 of Cups, he works out a plan, calmly preparing his strategy. Moreover, this King is also a master communicator—exactly what I need for the book. He does seem to represent the best way forward, doesn't he?

5. The next step—8 of Swords

What shall I make of this card? I note that again Swords are depicted, which remind me of the 10 of Swords above. Maybe the next step could involve working on my thoughts—perhaps by taking them out and looking at them, rather than churning them around in my mind when I should be sleeping? I often tend to see this card as depicting "procrastination", but that does not seem to be appropriate here. Unless.... Maybe I should deliberately ignore ("procrastinate on") most of those thoughts and concentrate only on the one or two that are most important for now? From 10 swords sticking in my back, to 8 that I'm walking away from? And keeping a toe in the stream of feelings and intuition (water), so that I don't lose touch with those aspects? These seem like good ideas. What else can I glean from the card?

One interpretation of the 8 of Swords is "feelings of being trapped." That is what I want to move away from—feeling the burden of all those thoughts. I note that the woman is blindfolded: yes, getting some "shut eye" would definitely be a good idea, but I'm looking for something specific: the very next step.

The card could also refer to confused and scattered thinking, but today I see this woman as being in control, deliberately refraining from...something. She is refraining from looking at the other Swords, from looking where she's going. Another possible meaning for the card: "finding a way through"—this woman knows the way, and she knows that if she is going to get to the other side, she needs the blindfold and restraints. She is feeling her way forward carefully, and her very next step will take her to that one sword in front of her, the one she needs, but which she can't find by thinking (using those Swords). So she blinds herself, and lets her feelings (the water) take her forward.

My conclusion: the next step would be to cut away those extraneous thoughts and sort out priorities—in other words, a good brainstorming session, using creative thinking—which involves feelings and intuition, and sets thinking aside until the ideas need to be evaluated. In this way, I could find the one aspect that would take me forward in the most productive way.

6. The outcome if I act on this next step—2 of Pentacles

My immediate thought: "Balance!" Specifically in the area of the physical and work (the suit of Pentacles)—balancing work and sleep effortlessly. There even seems to be an element of fun in the way this guy (or girl?) is juggling those pentacles. The waves in the background remind me of daily rhythms, which would include a good night's sleep.

Blissful. But, suppose I ignore the insights I have derived from this spread, and continue in my style of trying to work on everything at once?

7. The outcome if I ignore my own advice—9 of Swords

Now that is quite clear! I hardly need to reflect on this card, except to remember that some call the 9 of Swords "Lord of despair and cruelty." Enough said!

Conclusion

You may have derived different meanings form these seven cards. The explanations above are specifically mine, applied to my cincumstances and how I 'projected' my concerns on these cards. Working with the cards in this way is tremendous fun (especially when a very apt card finds its way into the spread), but is also an excellent way to focus on several angles of a problem.

This post demonstrates how effectively Tarot cards can help you focus on a problem and its various aspects, and spark ideas and solutions in your mind. Now it's your turn: think of a problem, use this spread (or design one of your own), and get working!

Spread: How am I doing with this goal?

Why use Tarot cards for brainstorming?

One of the missions of this blog is to show how Tarot cards can be used for various applications, including brainstorming. But why Tarot cards? For the simple reason that if you have been reading Tarot cards--for whichever purpose--you are already engaged in brainstorming. When you look at the cards in the context of a spread, and in the context of a specific question, problem or situation, you are relying on those cards to inspire you in some way with a message (or messages) that you can use.

Tarot cards are ideally suited for brainstorming, as not only do they usually portray evocative scenes, but mostly also contain several symbols--including that of colour and number--which can serve as "triggers" to thoughts and ideas. Pictures and symbols, which evoke feelings, are the food of "right-brain" thinking.

In addition, most decks come with either a little booklet (the LWB or "little white book"), or a book, which provide descriptions, phrases and keywords for each card. These can also serve is "triggers", and as you may know, language is mainly a left-brain function.

In this way, the cards help you to bring both halves of the brain to bear on the problem. Tarot cards also force you to use all your creative and imaginative skills, as well as your analytical skills, to make associations between the cards, the layout (spread), and the question at hand.

To get back to brainstorming: the point of brainstorming is to come up with ideas--even, or maybe especially, ideas that you would not normally have thought of in relation to the problem. When you are studying a spread for divinatory purposes, is this not exactly what you are doing? Are you not taking everything you know about a certain card, and trying to apply this to its position in a spread? And then looking at the spread as a whole--at the "story" it is telling--to help stimulate your or the querent's thoughts towards possible solutions to a problem?

Whether you are a Tarot reader or a brainstormer, approaching Tarot cards from a brainstorming perspective will add another tool to your kit. And that can only be a good thing!

Does the Tarot work?

Rachel Pollack (one of the most revered Tarot authors) famously answered this question with a simple Yes*. My answer would be the same, with one addition: "depending on what you are using it for".

Fortune-telling? I don't know. I have come across some really strange coincidences between events and Tarot "predictions", but I am not sure that these cards can actually and accurately predict the future. But using the cards for any of the applications mentioned in What else can you do with a deck of Tarot cards? --- yes, it does work. Exploring relationships, situations, problems, finding patterns and rhythms in life, gaining self-knowledge --- yes, for this the Tarot does work.

Let me give you an example:

I ask a simple Yes/No question about a relationship, a decision I need to make. For this, I choose a 2-card spread, the first card for Yes, the second card for No. This is what I get:

The Ace of Cups reversed, and Death.

Now, since this is problem-solving and not fortune-telling, the Death card does not bother me at all :-)

Also, there is no one meaning that is the "correct" meaning for these cards, particularly not when they are used in brainstorming, so there is no need to be familiar with meanings that have been traditionally ascribed to them. I can use any or all aspect of the cards, the symbols on them, or they way they are laid out,  to spark ideas and thoughts.

The first thing I note, is that one card (the Yes card) is reversed, while the second (the No card) is upright, suggesting that the answer could be No. The second card is also one of the 22 Major Arcana cards (also called Trumps), which take precedence, and again suggesting that the answer is No. I'm not looking for the cards to "give" me the answer though, so I carry on.

The first card depicts a cup from which water is flowing. Since the cup is upside down, I think of something running dry. Cups in Tarot usually refer to emotions and relationships. Putting the two together, I get the idea of a relationship that has run dry.

The hand coming from the clouds seems to offer the cup as a gift; since the cup is upside-down, maybe there is a suggestion that something on offer is not welcome? How does this fit the situation? Thinking about the person (who is, in fact, offering something that I am not feeling comfortable with), I realise that I often do feel drained by the relationship. This is not something I have just realised, but thinking about it, I feel it to be an important aspect to take into account when I'm making the decision.

The second card --- Death. What am I to make of that? Death, with a huge grin, on a white horse. The Knight coming to the rescue? No. I think "riding roughshot over people." That does seem to fit the person I'm thinking about. What else? Death and rebirth; endings and beginnings. That makes me think of what has ended, and what has just begun, and needs a great deal of input and attention. In fact, I cannot afford to be "run dry" just now. I also think "I do not want to pause this new beginning".

Using whatever association comes up, this is one way of sparking ideas, and often of pinpointing what is foremost in your mind. These two cards, or rather what they brought to mind, reminded me of two very important factors, two very good reasons for saying No.

I can go on with this exercise, looking at the people on the Death card, for example, or the dove in the Ace of Cups, and considering what comes to mind. Does an upside-down dove suggest the "wrong spirit"? Is that a sunrise or a sunset in the background of the Death card? Why did I, at first glance, see one rather than the other, and how does that relate to what I'm feeling about this person? I can look up the "traditional" meanings of the cards as a springboard for more ideas and associations, or I can compare cards from different decks if I need more "food for thought".

In about ten minutes, by focusing on my question and on these two cards, I feel much more confident about my answer. I have sorted out what is important from all the other "pros and cons". The cards did not tell me what to do, and neither did they have knowledge about the situation that I did not have. What they did, however, was to give me something to focus on, something to spark ideas.

Brilliant, isn't it? And no magic involved, whatsoever!

* Related in Barbara Moore's What Tarot Can Do For You: Your Future in the Cards

The two card images are from the 1909 Rider-Waite deck, which is in public domain.