Anger is an uncomfortable emotion, but not a negative one. Why do I say so? Because it teaches you much about yourself, your emotions, values, and coping methods. Try this spread, and you will see what I mean. The spread is not about relationships with others but your relationship with yourself; your relationships with others will improve as you understand yourself better. Why am I angry? What past experiences contribute to my feeling of anger? What hidden emotions contribute to my anger? What message is my anger trying to convey? How do I usually react to anger? How can I... Continue reading

In my previous article on the “what if” technique for solving problems, I discussed the technique and showed how it can help you solve problems. I referred to the article, “What if? A creative technique,” where the “what if” question is “What if I were someone or something on this card?” I gave examples of people, creatures, and objects I could pretend to be, but the technique is so intriguing that I decided to give an example of how this technique would work to solve a problem. Remember, the solutions your stimulated imaginations generate might be weird or inappropriate, but... Continue reading

“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... Continue reading

Solving problems. We all deal with this daily, but some problems are more complex than others. Let me show you complex problems and how to solve them with tarot cards. Wicked problems What a wicked problem looks like Solving a wicked problem Creativity techniques Techniques created by The Sceptic's Tarot Wicked problems Some problems don't have easy solutions, and 'tried and true' methods don't work. You don't have enough information, the goal is unclear, and you're not even sure exactly what the problem is. We call them "complex problems," "ill-structured problems," and sometimes, with reason, "wicked problems." These problems don't... Continue reading

Creative people (such as tarot readers!) are said to cope well with ambiguity and situations where you feel uncertain, unsure, and uncomfortable. But even tarot readers can feel insecure. So, what does a tarot reader do? Grab a deck of tarot cards! This spread has seven cards, as seven disturbs the soothing harmony of the number six. Seven reflects our insecurity and discomfort. But seven also implies creative perfection (in the Biblical sense), so let's work to find an anchor and a way to heal our world. I also set the cards in a horseshoe shape, traditionally a symbol of... Continue reading

I love creativity, and no wonder: the more creative you are, the easier you find it to come up with excellent solutions for wicked problems. (And we specialize in solving problems creatively at The Sceptic's Tarot. Here you will find special techniques to solve problems with tarot cards, as well as tarot spreads to solve problems. You're welcome to browse freely!) And remember: being creative may hone your tarot-reading skills! We have looked at how a good mood may make you more creative and explored fun stuff to do that might enhance your creativity. Now we'll be looking at a... Continue reading

Now that we have conquered writer's block, let's look at ways The Sceptic's Tarot can help you add to or start a story with tarot cards. Every technique to force a story can help get your creativity flowing. This will be fun! Here is a new one An addition to the spreads you can use for inspiration: The story However What now Other ways to start a story Other ways to force-start a story or add to one can be found in the techniques: Tickle the typewriter (several suggestions), and The backwards story, and the spread The quest. Yes, this... Continue reading

Let's go on a quest. Do you hear the call? Put your armour on, grab your sword, and saddle up—we're going for a ride! You don't need a spread for this reading; draw the cards as you go and place them in a row before you. Have a safe trip .... The call The map: Where I must go The quest: What I must do The catalyst: What started it The fear: What I must avoid at all costs The mentor: Someone who will help me on my way The immutable: What I cannot avoid The choice: A choice I... Continue reading

Creating characters? The Sceptic's Tarot encourages using tarot cards for creative writing. The cards are absolutely suitable for the job! Delve around the internal world of the character with this spread. Cards 1-12 are indicated next to the row of cards. Card 12 concerns the character's primary approach to relationships. Then, each character is described (Ac, Bc), and their interaction (Ai, Bi) is explored. Add a card for each character you want to examine. So here it is! Now that you have explored the character's inner world, you could focus on her or his outer world and description or on... Continue reading

For a writer, writer's block can feel like hitting an invisible wall. But what if you could turn to tarot cards for a creative boost? The Sceptic's Tarot to the rescue! Tarot is a powerful tool for unlocking your imagination and breaking through mental barriers. Let's explore how the cards can help you overcome writer's block and reignite your creative spark. The wall Explosive inspiration Let the ideas flow Turn up the flow Clear the blockage More techniques (and a few spreads) Reversals for more inspiration Sounds like fun! For everyone? The wall I won't go deeply into the causes... Continue reading

The Sceptic's Tarot teaches various unusual techniques for reading tarot cards. We believe in breaking the rules! These techniques make both tarot reading and jo urnaling deeper and more meaningful. Several of these reading techniques will work with any tarot reading. Twice the wisdom Reading a card twice is one of my favourite reading techniques. It allows you to get two distinct messages from the same card. The middle card in the "Something bad happened" and "Turning crisis to action" techniques offers both an aspect of the crisis and a concrete action to take. It shows literally how to turn... Continue reading

Creativity researchers seem to have a lot of fun in the laboratory. Not only have they found a good mood makes you more creative, but they have also explored other entertaining stuff. Remember, your tarot reading can likely benefit from increased creativity. Let's have a look. Creativity on tap If you want to be more creative, get slightly drunk. No, really! Researchers gave 20 people cranberry juice with vodka until they were drunk enough to lose their inhibitions and reasoning abilities, but not drunk enough to stagger around. If your logical, step-by-step approach is down, your associational mind can leap... Continue reading

Creativity and problem-solving Tarot and tarot reading Fun stuff Creativity and problem-solving "What if" I solve the problem? A tarot technique (new) Solving wicked problems with tarot Creative curiosity: It may make you a better tarot reader! What else will make you more creative (and possibly deepen your tarot readings)? Does a good mood make your tarot reading more meaningful? Creative tarot: The link between tarot reading and creativity Tarot is creative, but are you? Why be more creative? Don't make an ass of yourself: How to avoid assumptions with tarot Why use tarot cards to solve problems? Tarot cards... Continue reading

If creativity can be enhanced, and tarot reading is a creative activity, can boosting your creativity make you a better tarot reader? Research cannot answer this question, but we know you’re more creative when in a good mood. It can only mean good things for tarot reading. How a good mood makes you more creative Researchers call being in a good mood a “positive mood,” which includes emotions such as happiness, contentment, gratitude, excitement, hope, amusement, pride (as in satisfaction from achievements), serenity, curiosity, and awe. Their findings show that being in a positive mood makes it easier to solve... Continue reading

At The Sceptic's Tarot, creativity, and in particular solving problems creatively, reign supreme. We have established that you are creative, looked at the link between tarot and creativity, explored why you would want to be even more creative, discovered who you are as a creative person, and how to be creative despite fear and doubt. Now we're going to look at how you can enhance your creativity by diving into some of the most important personality traits and behaviours of the creative person. Let's explore six ways of thinking that foster creativity and six things to eliminate from your life... Continue reading

The table of contents of the manuscript: Download Non-placement and online work-integrated learning PROLOGUE Foundational WIL as ‘category’ Applied WIL as ‘category’ Comprehensive WIL as ‘category’ INTRODUCTION WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED ONLINE WORK-DIRECTED THEORETICAL LEARNING ONLINE STUDIO-BASED LEARNING The... Continue reading

Do you remember the technique, Worry Wisdom? How about using that technique for different dualities? I love this technique because: you get two different perspectives on the issue when you swop the cards (and getting a new perspective is crucial in solving problems), you draw two cards but get four pieces of information, and it illustrates that dualities always contain the seed of one within the other. So here we go: from the list below, decide which duality you want to explore, draw two cards, place them in the criss-cross position below, read the cards in this two-card spread, then... Continue reading

The Pathfinder spread is a practical tool for navigating intricate situations. Suppose: you're in a new relationship, facing the first major disagreement, you've made your first mistake in a new work environment, your meticulously planned budget has encountered an unexpected snag, you and your best friend have conflicting opinions on a significant life choice, your teenager is acting weirdly (more than usual, I mean). When you're faced with these tricky situations, especially when they involve other people, you need to go forward carefully. This is where your tarot cards come in! Set up four cards like this: Problem: What has... Continue reading

Tarot cards are not always serious: they can have a wicked sense of humour. You know that, don't you? So I thought they wouldn't mind a few jokes about them. Since I'm hopeless at telling jokes, I asked Copilot—Microsoft's artificial intelligence (AI)—to tell us a few. (You might remember the tarot-reading technique using AI.) The verdict? You could say that even if the cards don't predict the future, at least they're entertaining. You could also say: if this is the best AI can come up with, they're not taking my job soon! Let the groans begin. Old: Always use a... Continue reading

In a previous post, I talked about 'awfulizing' and how to become calmer and feel more in control when you worry about something. The spread I designed has eight card positions. Here is another, more compact spread, to lower anxiety and gain clarity about what is happening. This spread has only three cards, designed to give you breathing space. Take a deep breath and relax. What will help me relax? What is really there? How can I best cope with it? This spread is effective on its own. However, once you feel a little calmer and you want to keep... Continue reading

What do you fear most right now? How does it make you feel? Cognitive psychology (specifically that of Albert Ellis), identifies thought patterns that are irrational and should be countered with rational thought. One of these irrational thought patterns is called “awfulizing,” the tendency to focus on or exaggerate negative aspects of a situation. How many of these are familiar? What if ... … I make a fool of myself? … my money runs out and I have to give up my home? … the interview sucks and I don’t get the job? … I don’t pass the exam? …... Continue reading

Tarot reading is a creative activity. I’ve said it before, and now I will show you why. Contents Imagination A different perspective Random input Free association Forced connections Combinations Analogy Storytelling Fun! Conclusion Imagination Imagination is crucial to creative activities, problem-solving, and tarot reading. It lets you be creative, find creative solutions to problems, create a story for the image on the card, and connect a tarot card to its position in the spread. A different perspective When trying to solve a complex problem, it helps to look at it from various angles. Your own perspective on the problem might... Continue reading

If you draw a tarot card daily, use this card to motivate yourself to reach your goals. The technique is simple: Draw a random tarot card daily and ask yourself, “What can I do today to reach my goal?” Use the card image and its traditional meanings (or your own meanings) to inspire you. If you haven’t set a goal, you can use goal-setting spreads such as those by The Sceptic’s Tarot: What do you want? Make a wish, or How am I doing with this goal? If you need a more intensive exploration of a goal you haven’t reached,... Continue reading

Did you know you have to be creative to read tarot cards? Tarot reading is a creative activity, and increasing your creativity will deepen your reading. But what is creativity? When we think about creativity, it is usually artistic creativity that comes to mind. Creative writing, poetry, painting, sculpture, and music are creative activities, but so are thinking of a new idea, finding a fresh solution for a problem, an improved process, a new product, a journal entry, and how you tackle challenges. Creativity is the ability to create something new and original that is also useful, beautiful, or transformative.... Continue reading

Here is a thought: the more you read tarot cards, the more creative you become. (Yes, tarot is a creative activity! We explore this in another article.) And the more creative you are, the better you become at reading tarot cards. And by the way: we are all creative to some degree. Before we go on, what is creativity? Creativity is not only artistic creativity. It's also solving problems, thinking up excuses, daydreaming when we should be working, deciding what to wear, using examples to make a point, or thinking up new recipes. We use our imagination in all kinds... Continue reading