The Sceptic's Tarot

Let’s talk about reversals.

Sometimes, you have to do crazy things to solve a problem. Reversing what you’re doing is one of them. But you will be surprised how effectively reversal works when you need creative problem solutions.

So what is reversal and what does it have to do with problem-solving?

Reversal or reverse brainstorming is a fun technique to help you view a problem from different angles.

You reverse the problem, brainstorm solutions to the reversed problem, then use these "solutions" as inspiration to solve your original problem.

Here are a few examples:

• Instead of asking, “How can we increase customer satisfaction?” try, “How can we really annoy our customers?”
• Instead of, “How can we fix it?” try, “How can we destroy it completely?”
• Ask, “How can we make the problem worse?”
• Instead of, “How can we increase sales of Widget X?” ask, “How can we stop people from buying Widget X?”
• Ask, “How can we cause the problem?”
• Ask, “How can we create more obstacles to solving this problem?”
• Ask, “What is the worst idea to solve this problem?”
• Ask, "What if I do nothing?" (Some problems are best left unsolved).

The unexpected question may be just what you need to prod your brain into creative mode.

Reverse brainstorming and reversing the problem are entertaining ways to jolt the brain out of its usual ways of thinking. Sometimes, a surprise shakes loose some ideas, so why not approach the problem from the opposite direction?

Reverse brainstorming is particularly effective when you have tried other ways of solving the problem and failed.

How to use reverse brainstorming?

1. Reverse anything in the problem statement (the question you asked). Go backward or do the opposite. Reverse a viewpoint. Change direction. Reverse the action, or the object, or the goal of the exercise. Find an upside-down and back-to-front way of stating the problem. Add "no," "not," or "non-". Add "un-" or "dis-".
2. Brainstorm solutions to the reversed question. (Use tarot cards to brainstorm, of course!)
3. And then look at these ideas for inspiration to solve your original question.

Something interesting might happen when you ask, “How can we cause the problem?” or “How can we make the problem worse?” You might find out that you are already doing it, and that is the main problem!

Or use reversed cards

Reversed card meanings offer a wealth of possibilities, mainly because there are so many ways to read reversed cards. In creative problem-solving, of course, the more stimuli you have, the greater the chances of finding unexpected solutions.

In The complete book of tarot reversals, Mary Greer offers twelve ways to read reversed cards. James Ricklef and Joan Bunning also teach ways to read reversed cards. (See the bibliography below.)

How to do it?

Choose any spread with the card positions that explore your problem. Then, instead of the usual reading, read reversed meanings for all the cards.

Why reverse the problem?

When you concentrate on what not to do, you surprise your brain by tackling the problem from a different angle.

Once you have generated ideas, of course, you need to reverse the “solutions” to apply to your problem.

Try this amusing technique and let me know how it works for you!

Recommended books

Bunning, J. (2003). Learning Tarot reversals. York Beach, ME: Red Wheel / Weiser.

Anthony Louis, Tarot plain and simple. Bounty Books, 2008

Ricklef, J. (2003). Tarot tells the tale: Explore three-card readings through familiar stories. St Paul, Minnesota: Llewellyn.

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