By Peggy Firth, CTM
As Tarot readers, we often read for querents who want help in making important decisions. The Two of Swords indicates an important decision, however, it is made more imperative if there are other Swords in the spread. Swords depict the emotional turmoil present in the querent's life. The decision making process is often stressful and the choices can seem too vague for the querent to have the clarity to make a good choice or decision.
We all have to make big decisions about family, school, career and personal happiness. Here are some tools to help your querent with important choices.
Tune into feelings. A feeling can often be a powerful barometer but often we’re not always in tune with our feelings and all of our senses. As readers, we can ask the querent to hold off and follow the decision through while listening to clues, both physical and emotional. Ask the the querent about the types of sensations that are affecting his or her thoughts. Answers may not come right away so we suggest several attempts.
Tap into trusted resources. An informed decision is important in certain circumstances, such as deciding about medical treatment options or a career choice. Use trusted resources available such as a specialist, have the necessary medical tests and study your symptoms on the Internet or library.
Analyze pros and cons. Write down a list of pros and cons or make a chart. It’s a good method, but it really can be a useful exercise for establishing a hierarchy. Assign each consideration with a numerical value. The highest total is the answer. The example below demonstrates a chart that can be used to choose colleges.
Talk to trusted friends or professionals. Suggest talking it over with friends whose opinions your querent respects or professionals who may provide valuable insights. Also point out that any information, directions or answers should be considered and not acted upon.
Expend effort on making the choice work. One can spend lots of energy agonizing over whether or not the right choice has been made. Effort and energy should be spent on making a decision work.
Learn from experience. Remember, we learn through experience. It’s okay to change your mind if a decision isn’t working out. Use the new information to reevaluate the options to make a better choice the second time around.
Consider the right way over the easy way. Is it an ethical decision? Will many others be affected by the decision? Sometimes doing the right thing can be difficult. Try not to choose the easy way out because it feels more comfortable.
Evaluate overall effectiveness of outcome. Remind your querent that it can be useful to consider how effective the outcome will be. Firefighters and medical professionals who make life or death choices on a regular basis don’t have time to weigh pros and cons. They simply ask themselves about the effectiveness of a particular option.
Remember, we readers do not tell the querent what to do. We can, however, suggest ways to approach an issue.