It is a broad subject and not one unique to tarot to develop personal resilience and crisis management techniques, but the seekers who are most likely to consult a tarot practitioner are usually those who are in a state of crisis, although personal. Any steps that you, the practitioner, may take to guide a seeker to develop resilience should be taken, but be fully aware that, particularly if you are not one, you do not assume the position of a licensed counselor. Your job is to remind the seeker of the wisdom and insights that the tarot archetypes can bring in crisis management.
It is said that the key to crisis management is resilience.
Resilient individuals have seven attributes in common:
- Optimism: Resilient people display a positive mindset and a positive outlook.
- Focus: They concentrate on the baby steps towards their goals and can plot a path map from vision to target.
- Trust: They believe in themselves and their own abilities.
- Expression: Resilient people have the ability to express their thoughts.
- Humor: Even in the midst of disaster, they are able to smile, laugh, and find humor. They should laugh at themselves and the situation they are in.
- Relations: They encourage good social connections and, when in need, they reach out to them.
- Dedication. They will find time to take care of themselves no matter how busy they are, i.e. eating well, exercising regularly, upholding their moral or religious traditions, etc.
Our suffering and hardship reveals that the status quo solution is ineffective when crisis hits our lives and other elements need to be implemented or strengthened. Sometimes, a reading of tarot will enable us to illuminate which of the seven components is missing or poor. It is possible to perceive the crisis as 20 percent materiality and 80 percent perception. Thus, it is more than half the fight to control the view of the situation.
Applying tarot analytics through the framework of the above seven characteristics can help a Seeker with the process of diagnosing a crisis and identifying what needs to be done, and even formulating contingency plans. Follow-up tarot readings can then be used to help the Seeker monitor his or her progress of actions. By scheduling follow-up tarot readings about the crisis, the Seeker is effectively assuring that he or she will maintain the momentum and focus to drive out of the crisis.
Using tarot analytics will assist a seeker with the process of diagnosing a crisis and determining what needs to be done and even formulating contingency plans within the context of the above seven features. In order to help the Seeker track his or her progress in acts, follow-up tarot readings can then be used. The Seeker effectively guarantees that he or she can retain the momentum and concentration to step out of the crisis by arranging follow-up tarot readings about the crisis.
The Seven Resilience Features
Optimism
Although the Death Card does not seem to suggest hope initially, it does. Death is a difficult time of change, but everything will be fine until the transition or transformation is completed. The Seeker should also be reminded to be hopeful when the Death Card appears, as resilience is constructed from a positive outlook and eyes on the bright sunrise ahead.
As a root cause of the problem, the Star card in reverse shows pessimism in the Seeker, so when it emerges, inform the Seeker that he or she must reflect the characteristics of The Star upright, and be more confident and positive in his or her own outlook. A delay in progress can be demonstrated by the Sun card in reverse, so the Seeker is advised to stay persistent and remain constructive because it requires the stamina of that optimistic energy before the Seeker can achieve his or her goals.
Esteem and Confidence
A vital component of resilience is trust. While optimism is a faith in the good to come from the cosmos to the Seeker, trust is the trust of the Seeker in him or herself. The certainty of one's own abilities is confidence. It is what makes it possible for us to imagine our success and then truly execute towards that success.
It may be an indicator that the seeker wants to build his or her trust or needs to recover empowerment if the Magician card appears in reverse. The upright Emperor would imply a great deal of faith, legitimacy, and empowerment, but the Seeker's possible characteristics that need to become kinetic can be hinted at in reverse. The Card for Power is self-explanatory. The theme of trust is often shared by The Queen of Swords, upright or reversed.
Humor
In the midst of an otherwise dire, horrific circumstance, resilient individuals are able to look at themselves and to laugh. Healing is laughter. Cards such as The Fool or the Page of Wands carry light humor into our lives, and these cards suggest the glimmer of light within the Seeker that must now shine out when they appear surrounded by more serious cards. They may be a reminder to the Seeker when The Fool or the Page of Wands appear in reverse, to call back his or her childhood essence, to see the world again with humor.
Although a card about childhood and nostalgia is more popular, the Six of Cups may also suggest humor and sentimentality. If it happens, putting a smile on his or her face is a reminder to the Seeker. The Seven of Swords is also about comedy, about an individual with unusual mannerisms, to some degree. The Seven of Swords has a jester aspect that reminds us to stay light on our feet, no matter the circumstances.
EXPRESSIÓN
It is essential for resilience to have an outlet for communicating pain and, for many, crucial for preserving one's health. Typical artist cards like the Three of Pentacles and Eight of Pentacles will also show avenues for expression, though more important to craft as a career rather than mere expression.
The Cup suit is the human speech suit, and the suit's court cards remind us to be articulate. For seekers who need to express themselves, individuals who have been bottling their emotions, a Cups court card also appears in reverse and takes on a figurative sense. In order to get the pain out of their systems, such seekers should thus be encouraged to use channels of speech.
When a Seeker is going through a crisis and asks for a reading from a tarot practitioner, the practitioner should take the opportunity to remind the Seeker of the meaning of speech. Expressing one's suffering through the arts helps with coping immensely. Sometimes when the query is about how the Seeker can cope with emotional distress, the spread will include several Cups cards, showing the need for speech.
FOCUS
If The Chariot appears in reverse in a reading, it could mean that a lack of attention is one of the reasons for the troubles of the Seeker. The character and desires of the Seeker are scattered in so many directions and he or she must channel them in a concentrated way to achieve the target. The two yang aces, the Ace of Wands and the Ace of Swords, also denote concentration, so they indicate a seeker who does not exercise his or her will and determination enough when they appear in reverse. Another card about concentration is the Eight of Wands. It can demonstrate that emphasis is a key point for the Seeker, upright. Inversely, it may reveal that the Seeker is too passive and needs to be guided more.
Cards that denote focus in a reading urge the Seeker to be persistent and to push forward with baby steps. They can indicate stagnation as the main culprit and thus, by identifying what Seeker is not doing correctly, can help the Seeker move forward.
CONNEXTIONS
For crisis management, a good human support network is important. Our pain intensifies because we are alone with our pain and we have no other warm energy around us to help absorb any of our negativity. It is critical to be around stronger, more optimistic auras if the personal aura is weak, to borrow the power of another for a while, before we are able to produce our own.
A seeker may always be in trouble, but will not tell anyone about the troubles in his or her life. As a result, the pain alone is dealt with by the Seeker and the isolation has simply intensified the trouble. Cards may appear in these cases that encourage the seeker to reach out and get help or support from loved ones.
Friendship or link is indicated by the Two Cups. Although it normally denotes a romance with a strong base of friendship, the sense of a best friend or confidante, a single other peer who is there for us, may also be taken on. The Two of Cups is about our soul mate interacting with him. In a group of mates, sometimes of the same gender, The Three of Cups indicates friendship or relation. Most notably, for female seekers, it signifies sisterhood and female companionship. The Six of Cups is about our past interactions. The Ten of Cups indicates relations between families. It of remind the Seeker of his or her strong family support and the importance of reaching out in the time of need for the Seeker now.
When a Seeker is going through a crisis and asks for a reading from a tarot practitioner, the practitioner should take the opportunity to remind the Seeker of the meaning of speech. Expressing one's suffering through the arts helps with coping immensely. Sometimes when the query is about how the Seeker can cope with emotional distress, the spread will include several Cups cards, showing the need for speech.
It is about belonging to other social groups in The Six of Pentacles. Philanthropy is not always regarded as a social connection, but a successful way to mitigate these issues is through charity work when one is lonely or troubled. You bring goodness into your life by being a benefactor. The Six of Pentacles could also mean that a seeker considers voluntary work or supports a private mission or philanthropy. Our association with society can be indicated by the Six of Pentacles. The Ten of Pentacles is about communicating for mutual benefit with family or forming family alliances.
OF DEVOTION
Under the component "devotion," we have synthesized many principles of crisis management. Studies have shown that resilient people who effectively maneuver through crises have trust. That might be a religious or moral faith, or it might be faith in their ability to survive through the darkness. This is different from faith, which is a conviction that the seeker will achieve what he or she wants to accomplish. Faith is a trust that the Seeker has in his own greater intent.
Devotion to personal health and wellbeing is a secondary aspect to devotion. As faith creates a natural desire to treat the body as a temple and care for it, we have related health and well-being to faith. So, for instance, the seeker should take better care of his or her body and mind when the Temperance card appears in reverse, or the Four of Swords, or the Five of Pentacles. The Hierophant may indicate the need for religious or moral confidence, and temperance may indicate personal equilibrium, the need to observe healthy personal habits to restore body temperance. To pay more attention to his or her wellbeing and well-being, The Four of Swords is also a red flag to the Seeker.
The Analytical Method of Reading Resilience
While the traditional approach to a reading is card-by-card analysis and assessment of the landscape of a tarot spread, when there is a particular need for crisis management or the practitioner intuits that a Seeker is in urgent need of building greater resilience, the practitioner may prefer a more oriented approach that will lead the Seeker to an affirmative action plan.
A spread's Resilience Reading Strategy bounces around between the cards. The practitioner begins by resolving the pain or stress that is at the heart of the Seeker's condition instead of beginning with the first card put down in a spread and interpreting the cards in the order of their location.
When a Seeker arrives with a specific reading request or query to a tarot practitioner, the Seeker deals with a particular pain. First, fix the pain. Identify why and how that scenario brings discomfort, tension, irritation, anger, or restlessness into the life of the Seeker after listening to the Seeker's question. For cards that display the pain, scan the entire spread and begin the analysis there.
Cowardice and pessimism are the natural answer to pain. If there was neither apprehension nor pessimism, then the seeker would not seek the assistance of the tarot practitioner. Check the cards again, searching for indicators of what the fears of the Seeker are and places of adverse outlook or behavior this time. Pinpoint the Seeker to those places.
Next is the cross-examination we will refer to. Point out the vulnerabilities of the Seeker's fears and pessimism in the negative statements made. For instance, the Eight of Swords: because of the blindfolds, the Seeker may feel trapped, but she is not actually stuck. The way out is there. Remind the Seeker of her resourcefulness and ingenuity. She'll be able to cut loose by herself. If it appears to be the Five of Cups, point out the remaining two intact cups in the life of the Seeker and work with her to decide what those two cups symbolize.
Reconcile between the positive and the negative. Lead the Seeker to an internal compromise spot. Help the seeker create resilience by addressing the seven resilience characteristics: (1) confidence, (2) trust, (3) humor, (4) speech, (5) attention, (6) relations, and (7) devotion. After you have understood the worries and pessimism of the Seeker, next find out which of the seven features will better assist the Seeker to combat the negativity.
Does the seeker need more trust? To notice what the Seeker's personal strengths are, check the cards and remind the Seeker of these personal strengths. Do those cards suggest that there is a lack of emphasis for the Seeker? Will she want to do way too much at once? Remind her to offer prioritization. Is it appropriate for the Seeker to reach deep inside and resurrect her faith? Undeniably, faith is strong and inspiring. Maybe ask the seeker about her faith and recommend a more focused interaction with her practices of faith.
Scan the cards to form affirmations once again. "For example, if the Six of Wands appears, tell the Seeker, "When all this initial but required suffering is over, you will succeed and be victorious." If the card is not as directly positive, such as the Eight of Swords, say, "You will find your imaginative solution to this dilemma. Right now, you are going to get out of this rut you're in.
If the card is the Ten of Swords, claim, "You will rise again, because there is gold on your horizon." There is a positive opportunity offered to the Seeker in any negative or aggressive situation. To help guide the seeker to see the bright possibilities, the practitioner should use the tarot. Then present the Seeker with these hopeful possibilities as positive statements.
With an action plan, end the reading. The cards may show the next steps the applicant should take to resolve the problem. In order to define the three main powers or energies that the Seeker should concentrate on honing to overcome fears and pessimism, the practitioner may also undertake the Triquetra Outcome Management spread. It was also possible to draw an Adjustment Card.
