You need information to solve a problem. This information could be the facts, memories of what had happened and of previous (successfully solved) problems, specialised knowledge, or expertise in something. You also need to know what the desired outcome is, and what obstacles stand in your way.
Well-defined problems
Some problems require little extra information and are solved relatively easily. We call these well-defined problems. Well-defined problems are not always simple to solve, but you have all the information you need to find a solution.
Suppose your problem is ‘I lost my keys.’
- You know what the keys look like.
- You know your current circumstances: I lost my keys.
- You know what your goal is: Find my keys.
- You know how to go about solving the problem: Go back to all the places you’d been recently.
Other examples of well-defined problem are what to buy someone for Christmas, winning a chess game, or solving an intricate puzzle.
Ill-structured problems
Ill-structured problems are not so generous with information. An ill-structured problem contains a high degree of uncertainty. The information available is vague and insufficient, and it is difficult to decide what is relevant.
An example of an ill-structured problem is ‘How may I improve my relationship with a friend?’
The words in this statement are undefined and vague. It is unclear:
- what the situation is that must improve,
- how I will know improvement has taken place (i.e. what is meant by the word ‘improve’),
- how I define ‘relationship,’
- which character traits and circumstances influenced the situation,
- which obstacles must be overcome, and
- what the time frame is (for example, is this an urgent problem?).
An ambiguous aspect of the problem is the phrase ‘with a friend.’ Do I want to improve my relationship with a particular friend, or improve the way I approach a friendship in general?
What is information?
Information includes
- memories (what happened, what caused the problem, how did I solve similar problems in the past),
- expertise (skills in, and knowledge of, a particular domain; problem-solving skills),
- knowledge (knowing the facts, understanding the issues involved, forecasting the probable consequences, knowing what you or the clients want, recognizing what is not part of the problem, estimating what you don’t know), and
- self-knowledge (the ability to identify beliefs, assumptions, biases, and motives that might influence the situation).
When do you need the information?
Problem definition
Information is important in all stages of problem-solving, but particularly at the start of the problem-solving process. Two options exist:
- before you define the problem: gathering all the information you have about the problem will help you compile an effective, relevant problem definition, or
- after you have defined the problem: the problem definition may indicate which aspects of the problem to explore.
The first way is particularly useful if you have only a vague idea what the problem involves.
A definition, on the other hand, focuses your attention on particular information needs.
In either case, the goal is to reduce uncertainty by finding as much information about the problem as possible.
During idea generation
Combining lies at the heart of creative problem-solving. During this stage, facts, information, and ideas are juxtaposed, manipulated, analysed, combined, and recombined until new ideas or understanding emerge. The material for this process is the information that you gather.
Incubation
Some experts believe problem-solving needs an ‘incubation’ period, when the mind rests and the unconscious solves the problem. This leads to the ‘A-ha!’ or ‘Eureka!’ experience. The information you have gathered form the main ingredients of the incubation process.
How to gather information with a Tarot spread
A Tarot reading is an effective way to approach a problem, as most spread positions describe aspects of a situation or problem. Look at the Celtic Cross spread, for example. Its ten positions give you cards to think about:
- the problem (covers you),
- obstacles (crosses you),
- goals (above you),
- the underlying cause (below you),
- contributing factors (behind you),
- consequences (before you),
- your own role in the problem (you),
- the role your environment plays (your home),
- your emotions (hopes & fears), and
- a long-term view (outcome).
Using the cards like this has nothing to do with fortune-telling, although the ‘reading’ of the cards is similar. With each card that you study, you are making connections between the card and the aspect that the card represents.
How does it work?
A Tarot reading requires you to make connections between a card and its position in the spread. When you focus on, for example, an ‘obstacles’ card, you are putting this aspect of the problem under the spotlight. You try to find the ways the card relates to any obstacles and challenges you face. At the same time, you are giving this aspect of the problem your full attention.
The card is a window through which you look at the problem. It is a starting point and inspiration. Every possible interpretation of the card must be connected to the situation.
While you explore the cards, you are delving into your ‘unaware,’ or what Freud called the preconscious. The unaware contains facts, memories, experience, knowledge, expertise, and other information you are not consciously thinking of, but can easily recall. The cards will not ‘tell’ you anything you don’t know; you are more or less reminding yourself of what you know.
The most effective reading covers all important facets of the problem. It takes time to thoroughly explore each card in its position.
Besides examining individual cards, you could also look at the spread as a whole to see if you are reminded of any themes or patterns in the situation. Many ‘Cups’ cards, for instance, may remind you that emotions are running high. A ‘Sword’ card in the ‘Obstacles’ position may suggest to you that rigid thinking is playing a role.
Traditional and SynTAROTis spreads
Other traditional spreads—including the Horseshoe (similar to the Celtic Cross), Horoscope (12 houses of the zodiac), and three-card Past / Present / Future spread—offer options to explore the situation. SynTAROTis spreads that could be useful are the two SWOT spreads that explore strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT spread and SWOT: 'Making the best of it' spread), the 5W1H spread (which refers to the 5Ws of who, what, where, when, why, and the one 1H of how), the Root of the problem spread, and Going around in circles.
Create your own spread
The most effective Tarot spreads to extract and gather information are ones you design yourself.
To create your own spread, decide on which facets you want to explore, then lay down a card for each in any pattern that makes sense to you.
The danger here is that you unconsciously or deliberately ignore aspects of the situation. You might, for example, not consider that you played any role in the problem, or prefer not to look too closely at the causes of the problem.
How you arrange the cards is not important; it is more important to make sure you remember what the various card positions mean.
Tip: Start with a ‘Situation’ (or ‘Problem’ or ‘Present’) card for an overview of the situation. Other useful spread positions are:
- challenges,
- causes or past influences,
- goals or preferred outcome,
- strengths,
- weaknesses,
- next step, advice, or action, and
- cards to represent the various people involved.
Another possibility is to create positions that refer to problem-solving techniques. Examples discussed so far in SynTAROTis are ‘Another way to look at the problem is …,’ ‘Yes, BUT,’ ‘and ‘What if I do nothing.’
What makes a Tarot spread particularly effective in information-gathering is that you have a structure before you (the card positions) that gives you the steps, the sequence, and the aspects to be explored.
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