The Sceptic's Tarot

“What if?” Yes, what if? This question lies at the heart of creativity. As a hypothetical question, it stirs the imagination in all forms of art and creativity. Including solving wicked problems.

Imagine how these “what if?” questions could spark something new:

• What if there were no constraints …?
• What if I don’t blame others for everything?
• What if I write a story about …?
• What if I use this, not that?
• What if I ask my mother what she thinks?
• What if I use the paint like this?
• What if I write about my pain?
• What if we substitute this with that?

At The Sceptic’s Tarot, we have already looked at “what if” as a creative technique that asks, “What if I did nothing?” (This technique is a spread that adds a card position, “What if I do nothing?”)

We have also seen that we can ask, “What if I were someone or something on this card?”

Furthermore, we have asked and answered, “What if a card doesn’t make sense?”

We are now going to add another “What if?” question:

“What if something else were also true?” How would that help me solve the problem?

By now, you might have noticed that solving problems could require you to do some very strange things, such as combining, adding, substituting, reversing and forcing things together. (At The Sceptic's Tarot, you will find these and many more weird things to do to solve problems with tarot cards here.)

This "what if" technique asks you to create a fictional situation, find a fictional solution, and then adapt this solution to your original (real) problem.

(Of course, twisting the problem by adding tarot cards to a situation is also a strange thing to do!)

So, if you’re a tarot reader, you might first try a tarot reading, hoping you find a solution to your problem. But the reading might not give you a satisfactory answer, you want more solutions, or you don’t want to do a tarot reading. Be brave and try something new!

The technique

You might have guessed you will need a tarot card to find solutions!

1. Shuffle your deck and draw a card randomly.
2. Write down three things the card could mean.
3. Take the first of these and ask yourself, “What if this is also true?”
4. Find solutions to this new situation. (The situation and the solution might be a bit weird. Keep going!)
5. Apply the solution to your original problem and modify it to be a useful solution.
6. Repeat with the second and third meanings for the card.

I know it might seem absurd, but it pricks your imagination to come up with solutions.

You can use this technique from the start, but it will also jog your mind for new solutions if you have been working on the problem in vain.

Here is an example of how the technique works.

Problem: My ten-year-old son is not doing well at school, despite having quick intelligence. He seems to be bored with school and reluctant to spend time with his homework. However, he refuses to talk about school. How can I encourage him to do better at school? I need to think of possible scenarios myself, since he refuses to talk about it.

(We assume there has been no trauma or pathological condition that can influence my son’s schoolwork or his concentration.)

I shuffle my deck and draw a card. I draw the Nine of Pentacles.

I decide this card is about wealth and security; taming violent instincts (the hawk is hooded to prevent it from attacking the woman); and being independent, but maybe also feeling alone.

"Wealth and security"

Let’s add “wealth and security” to the situation.

What if we were filthy rich?

My son might take our affluent circumstances for granted, demotivating him from doing his best.

My solution: Take away some of these privileges, which he will have to regain by doing this homework.

Solution adapted to my original problem: The above solution is perfect for my original problem.

“Taming violent instincts”

Scenario 1: What if my son had to fight through enemy lines to reach his classroom? That would interfere with his schoolwork!

Solution to the modified problem: I need to give him protective gear and weapons so he doesn’t get hurt.

Solution adapted to my original problem: My son might be bullied at school. I could discuss this with him and his teachers and teach him ways to deal with bullies.

Scenario 2: What if my son can’t concentrate unless he shoots a teacher?

Solution to the modified problem: Take away his weapons and lock him up.

Solution adapted to my original problem: My son could be the bully. If this situation were real, I would discuss bullying with him and delve into the root causes of his aggressiveness. He might need therapy.

“Independent but lonely”

Scenario 1: What if my son were King of the Mountain, but his subjects all ignored him?

Solution to the modified problem: I could organize a huge party, inviting everyone in the kingdom. To help him blend in and make others feel at ease, my son should dress like an average person.

Solution adapted to my original problem: Hold a “whatever” party for my son and ask him to invite anyone he thinks he might like to have as a friend.

Scenario 2: What if my son needs solitude to do his homework?

Solution to the modified problem: Lock him up in a tower until he has done his homework.

Solution adapted for my original problem: I could set up a corner of his room as a study instead of letting him work at the dining room table.

The end

And there you go: several possible scenarios with a solution for each!

Tarot cards are really excellent tools to solve problems. Try this technique and let me know what solutions you come up with!

If you like this post, please share it or follow me on Facebook or Twitter (X).