Ill-defined problems—as if they are not complicated enough—can arrive at your door in several guises:
- You have a vague feeling that something is wrong, but you can’t put your finger on it. For example, You are feeling uncomfortable about something, but you don’t know what.
- You know what the problem is, but you are unsure where your focus should be, and important information is missing. For example, You and your brother argue more than usual, but you don’t know why.
- You have a problem statement, but you want to make certain the statement is the most effective way to describe the problem. A different starting point or angle might be more helpful. You might also wonder whether the statement describes the real problem. For example, How can I motivate my team to continue working on a project that seems to be going nowhere?
Each of these scenarios requires a different approach. Let’s start with the first one. (The next two posts will discuss the second and the third scenarios.)
Spreads for “I have a feeling …”
Sometimes you experience the symptoms of a problem, but don’t know where the problem lies. You might feel unproductive, demotivated, blocked, upset, anxious, irritable, frustrated, dissatisfied, or unsettled. Sales and customer numbers might be falling, but you don’t know why. Relationships could be strained, for seemingly no reason at all. A project is going nowhere, and you can’t see why. Any of these is a warning sign that something is wrong, but you might not know where to start looking.
What you need most in such situations, is information.
In Getting it together: Information gathering, I described how to gather information with a Tarot reading. (Of course, you can gather information by interviewing others or doing research, but in this instance we concentrate on the information you have available, often without realizing it. You will be surprised at how much you already know.)
Any method where you literally gather your thoughts—relevant facts, memories, beliefs, goals, assumptions—will help you define the problem. Mindmapping and brainstorming could help, or talking it over with someone.
Your situation in general
If you want to use a Tarot spread, the most useful ones are those that cover a general view of the situation.
The Celtic Cross is a good example: it helps you uncover useful information such as your challenges, your hopes and fears, and how your environment is contributing to the unease you feel. (The “What is standing in my way?” spread is based on the Celtic Cross, with its positions modified to fit problem solving.)
With the Horoscope spread, you explore aspects of your life as represented by the twelve houses. These include your health, finances, relationships, career, and spirituality.
A five-card spread with the positions Who, Where, What, When, and Why might also reveal valuable information.
Strengths and weaknesses
A different way to pinpoint where a problem lies is to do a SWOT exercise, which examines your position in the situation, your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. My SWOT spread might be useful, or simply draw a card for each aspect.
Wishes and needs
What do you wish for? The answer to this question might be the reason you feel frustrated or unhappy. The Magic square spread: From worry to peace explores hopes, worries, feelings and thoughts. You could explore wishes and needs with the Magic square spread: I want, I have, I need, I deserve. For less complicated problems, the Taking stock and Building bridges could be suitable. These spreads include positions for solving the problem. However, with complex problems, it might be best not to include solution positions in a spread; concentrate on generating an effective definition first.
Design your own spread
You might want to explore something not covered in the general spreads, or a different configuration of elements.
When you design your own spread, I suggest that you include ‘problem’ (or ‘situation’) and ‘obstacle’ (or ‘challenge’) positions. These give you a good starting point to explore the situation.
You can then add positions from traditional spreads such as:
- past (or ‘cause’)
- near future (or ‘effect’)
- you (your role in the problem, or how you are affected)
- your environment
- your hopes and fears
- outcome (or ‘consequences’).
Other possibilities are:
- what bothers you?
- possible future
- probable future (or ‘outcome’)
- goal / preferable future / where you want to be
- what is standing in your way?
- what you don’t want
- influences (positive and negative)
- advantages and disadvantages
- what you know
- what you don’t know (information lacking)
- what you need to know
- what you are aware of / conscious
- what you are not aware of / unconscious
- what is not part of the problem
- what is important
- what is not important
- a different way of looking at it (an alternative ‘situation’)
- why? why else?
- head / I think …
- heart / intuition / I feel …
The spread does not have to be a large one such as the Celtic Cross. A three-card spread such as Problem / Cause / Effect or Where you are / Where you want to be / What is standing in your way can be tremendously valuable.
Predict or divine
Some of these spread positions might seem to require insight into the future. Tarot for problem solving does not involve divination; the cards are there for you to brainstorm possibilities.
You could, however, use the “So is this true” or “I predict that …” techniques. In the first, you read a spread as if it describes the truth, then examine your reading for what you want and don’t want. In the second, you read a spread to make a ‘prediction’ of the outcome, then decide whether this is what you want, or if not, what you do want.
Related posts
Defining the ill-defined: Part 4 (coming up)
Defining the ill-defined: Part 2
Defining the ill-defined: Part 1
Getting it together: Information gathering