Decision Making With Tarot
Tarot is such a versatile tool. My use of the cards is hardly limited to divination and even within the confines of divination as an approach, there are still so many practical applications. Today, I'm going to break down the different ways you can use tarot to help make decisions.
Before we get into techniques, I want to share with you a few instances where I've been able to navigate different life situations to arrive at a desired outcome. One of my first experiences with tarot as a decision making tool, was when I was house hunting. The market was (still is, really) a seller's game and options seemed not only limited, but not ideal. In a series of readings that spanned a couple of hours, we explored many different possibilities, all looking dismal, until we arrived at the one - the one we ultimately went for and couldn't be happier with. I write more about this experience on another blog post, if you want to read more!
While this was a major decision, I've also used tarot to help me make decisions where selling my home was concerned, making changes to my spiritual business and helping me navigate certain dealings with our builder. Yes, tarot has basically helped me navigate every part of buying and selling a home!
But, what techniques did I employ to suss out the options? I'm going to lay a few out below that are my absolute go-tos.
When You Have Multiple Options
This was my situation in the house hunting scenario. If you have many options in front of you, or various specific options to explore, rather than tackle everything in one spread, you can go one-at-a-time using the same spread. You'll need to record your pulls and impressions each time though so that you can effectively compare the results at the end.
In my house hunting scenario, I was examining specific pieces of real estate. So, I devised a simple 3 card spread that I could apply to each option. Card 1 represented the anticipated result on a family well-being level. Card 2 represented the anticipated outcome where finances are concerned. Card 3 represented the anticipated outcome with social/outside family in mind.
For this approach, simply take each option and draw your three cards with specified positional meanings. When, when you've drawn for everything and have your record of pulls in front of you, go over the results and review the cards drawn, how you interpreted the results and how they made you feel. You may find that each option even resulted in similar or identical cards, which will add a whole new layer of information or insight to take away.
When You Have 2 Options
Typically when someone approaches me to perform a decision reading, I'm given two distinct paths to examine. Should I do this, or should I do that? For an inquiry of this nature, I utilize 1 spread, drawing a total of 7 cards. I lay the first card in the centre. Then I place the next three cards to the left of that centre card, moving upwards. The last three cards I place to the right of the card, moving in an upwards direction. See shitty picture below for reference.
Before I would have laid the cards down, I would have decided to myself which side represents each option. The middle card is a general card, which speaks to the essence of the inquiry or decision on a whole. So, on the left side, representing one choice, there are 3 cards.
Card 1 = What is positive about the decision
Card 2 = A potential challenge where the decision is concerned
Card 3 = Probable outcome
You would then explore the second choice in the same way.
To add an extra layer, I will always explore how each set of three cards interacts with one another and sometimes regard what I see happening in the scenes as a trajectory.
Another note, is that while I have declared "positives" and "challenges", you may look at the landscape of the cards drawn and decide that The Sun, for example, in the "challenge" spot, indicates little challenge and in fact, clear skies and a bright outcome. Don't limit yourself to the positional meanings applied - go with your gut!
Probability Readings
For some decision based inquiries, there isn't really more than one option. Sometimes It's a matter of "should I apply for that job...or should I not?" If that is the case, I don't think you need to examine the "not" with a spread as described above. I think you could simply take the question at face value and explore the probability of the choice panning out to be something in your best interest. I typically like to phrase these sorts of inquiries as such: "What is the probability that applying for that job will be in my best interest?"
Then, I shuffle the deck as per my usual fashion and when I'm done, I lay five cards down in front of me. This method relies on the use of reversals, so if you don't typically read that way, you'll need to mix it up for this!
With your five cards in front of you, look to see how many are upright vs. reversed.
5 upright = very probable
4 upright = mostly probable
3 upright = somewhat probable
2 upright = unlikely to be probable
1 upright = very unlikely to be probable
0 upright = not very probable at all
I mean, you can change up the terminology, but I think you get the idea. Basically, the more upright, the more likely the answer is a "yes". The more reversed, the more likely the answer is a "no".
To add extra meaning to a method like this, examine the cards that fell both ways. What do the reversed cards suggest? For me, I read them as being the reason why the answer could be no. Conversely, I examine the upright cards to try to find hints at why the answer may be "yes".
So, those are the methods that I frequently use and have had amazing results with. I hope this has given you a few ideas on how you can tackle those difficult decisions and shed some light on the realm of possibilities. Remember, divination works on trajectory and the future isn't set in stone. What you are seeing, may be the most likely path based on what is happening in the now, but that doesn't mean we or the seeker cannot change course. Let the insight empower and inform, but not hold you back.
Happy Reading,
Julia