Blog

1.3.1 The desktop of the mind

1.3.2 Jung and icons; collective unconscious and arcana

1.3.3 Socio-cultural aspects of the Tarot; modern thinkning

1.3.4 Narrative ecology and the science of storytelling

1.2.1 The Human Condition

1.2.2 Communication

1.2.3 the model of information

1.2.4 the story telling ape

1.2.5 perspective taking

Blog 6; Section1.2.1

1.2.1.1. Life: Entropy and Extropy

1.2.1.2. Life’s Problems and solutions

1.2.1.3. Meaning making

1.2.1.4. The mind as information system

1.2.1.5. Stuckness and Freeness

1.2.1.5. Psychotherapy and solution centricity

1.4.1. The big question: Is there anything in it? Some might decry divinatory systems as being nonsense. However, a modern approach of psychology is taken in assessing what it is that is in the Tarot. This psychological view aligns with information science and is focused on the benefits that the Tarot can practically provide.

1.4.2. Systems reasoning. Fundimentally, humans are complexed, living, information processing systems, which gives rise to theories of mind and the psychology thereof. Our minds can be considered in terms of attemspts to meet our needs and solve problems presented by life. A compartmental model of the mind and its systems, is presented to modernise and repurpose older occult systems such as the Tarot.

1.4.3. Altered states of conscousness. Hypnosis and trance are much maligned words, and very much prone to common misunderstanding. They are very much connected to our mental lifes: psychology, communication, imagination and thinking, and are essential to our everyday experiences. The preferred term, however, is that of an altered state of consiousness, which denotes dynamics and change. Much of what constitutes the pre-modern understanding of magik and religion can be recognised now as altered states. Tarot, in a sense, overlaps with what we think of a hypnotherapy.

1.4.4. Metaphysics of the Occult. Revising pre-modern understanding of magik and the occult, in the light of science, systems theory and psychology, requires an understanding of how the occult was previously conceptualised. The Tarot and its major and minor archana, particularly employ alchemaic and esoteric symbolism and the language of dreams and altered states of consiousness. Modern approaches to magik can be correlated with the modes of psychotherapy – especially that of Ericsonian hypnotherapy.

With ideas on how to learn associations and use the tarot for change work, then the next section covers the further practical aspects of how to conduct a tarot reading.

3.1. Overviews the reading process of interpretation and delivery in a problem solving setting.

3.2. The model of therapeutic interaction is reapplied to solving practical problems in a Tarot reading setting.

3.3. Looks at the question posed to the tarot as this is important to how the reading will progress and the answers provided.

3.4. Considers what deck of cards, from the vast range of those available, to select for a reading.

3.5. Goes into the different kinds of spreads and how to select a spread given the presenting problem

3.6. Is about outframing a reading to a client and expectation management

Following on from the theoretical foudnattions will be two practical components. Initially these parts are concered with the approach to using the tarot practically for problem solving, which naturally leads to actual readings.

2.1. Is about learning the cards and how to form the myriad associations involved in their interpretation.

2.2. Is about using trance and hypnosis alongside a reading to elicit needs, the deep insights that the cards provide, and how to turn those insights into real-world action and change.

This blog is an overview of the breakdown of part 1, which covers the theorectical concerns of the solution centred tarot.

1.1. The theoretical position of the SCT, in relation to science, philosophy, therapy and change work, “magik” and metaphysics, and other approaches to the Tarot is located.

1.2. Interpersonal communication between the reader and the sitter is the essence of the Tarot. Hypnotic language patterns are often heard in both “magik” and psychotherapy, as the two have significant overlap in terms of change work.

1.3. Along with the interpersonal, Tarot theory also considers the socio-cultural factors of human experience.

1.4. The big question often asked of the Tarot is “Is there anything in it?”. The SCT considers the Tarot useful, so reviews the pre-modern and occult perspectives on this question from a modern scientific and psychological take.

1.5. Given a psychological understanding of the Tarot, then more recent appreciations of cognitive processes are examined to see where the Tarot can be usefully employed in change work.

1.6. The Tarot, from the SCT view, is envisaged as the symbols and language of the mind and how we process our understanding of the world. If, metaphorically, the brain was a computer (it is, afterall, an information system), then the symbols of the Tarot might be thought of as a kind of code.

So, the solution centred tarot in its initial blog form will break down from this overview into 3 major parts.

Part 1. Theory will cover my reasoning behing developing the SCT looking at the the nature of the Tarot, magic, psychology, information science, psychotherapy, and other houristics as means of resolving problems. It is likely to further sub-devide into 6 parts.

Part 2. Praxis I is about what is involved in using the Tarot for the practical ends of solving problems. It will include how to learn to use the Tarot through forming associations, and how to perform Tarot divination and present it in a way that will assist another in making the changes that they want.

Part 3. Praxis II continues with the practical issues of problem solving by going into the sequences of processes from outframing the reading, through forming questions and then answering them in ways that facilitate development.