b. Techniques to help you remember each card:
The key is really is to consider each card as an individual with his unique personality. Get interested in each of these complex personalities. Each card has his weaknesses (not to use in coaching) and strengths. Keep in mind that also each of us relate to all the 22 cards depending on the situations we are living! We cannot put people in boxes imagining they represent only this card or the other one.
One of the famous techniques to remember well each card is to do the following for 22 days:
Example: My mother is really a creative type as she loves painting. We could say that the mother reminds us of the Empress.
c. Options of applications :
These three options of applications involve the fact that you know your 22 Tarot cards by heart. You will not use the actual Tarot cards in front of your clients (unless you feel comfortable doing so) as your coachee might not be open-minded to this type of practice. Tarot is considered as being esoteric and it is understandable that this term frightens many people who have no knowledge about the Tarot.
Ask your coachee for a number between 0 and 21 at the beginning of the session:
This would be a nice way to pick up a card, depending on the number selected, and be in direct connection with your coachee. Therefore you will be inspired by the card to start with your coaching questions. However, this option is a difficult one, as you will have to explain to your client why you ask him for a number between 0 and 21. Many people have no open-mind for Tarot and could find not appropriate the mix of Tarot and coaching.
Pick up yourself a number between 0 and 21 or directly a card at the beginning of your session:
You could be directly inspired by a number when meeting your client or visualize a card depending on what your client reminds you of when you meet him. This would give you a start for your coaching questions.
Example: The person is very discreet and makes you think for example of the High Priestess, which is known to be, among other definitions, to be interested in studies and a discrete person -> questions:
Use your intuition along the session:
This is for me the best option! Along your session simply listen to the key words your coachee is saying. A key word will remind you of a card, which will give you material for powerful coaching sessions. During your session you will have numerous key words and therefore several cards to get inspired of. Each card has many possible definitions. Therefore your intuition will be your guide to select which definition is the one to consider at the moment.
Examples:
Coachee: “ I feel very isolated”
The word isolated could remind you of the Hermit. Therefore, try to better understand the feeling of isolation of your coachee.
Coach: “What are you distancing yourself from?”
“How are you organising this time all by yourself?”
“How are you living this feeling of isolation?”
Coachee: “ I am very happy these days”
The word happy could remind you of the Sun. Therefore, try to better understand what energises that much your coachee. What is his motivator?
Coach: “What gives you this joy and energy?”
“In what type of situations are you the most happy?”
“What have you successfully accomplished recently?”
Auto-coaching:
When you are facing a challenge, it could be an option to pick up a card and try to analyse what you could learn from it.
Example:
You feel some distance from one of your friend and don’t know why.
Let’s say you pick up the card Temperance. This card reminds you that communication is key in friendship. Ask you friend why he is so distant. Temperance always says, among many other definitions, that we should put some water into our wine. Therefore, express more compassion than usual when talking with your friend as you don’t know what he is really going through.
5. Conclusions :
The Tarot is a mirror of ourselves. It represents the path of our life from childhood to adulthood as well as the sides of our personality. We need to study it based on our intuition, as the key words for each card are endless. Our intuition will tell us which key word, and so which card, we should pay closer attention to.
The more you study it the more you will receive from it in terms of intuition and awareness of human complexity. You will be aware of your coachee complexity and help him to release the best out of himself. Indeed as each of us relate to all the 22 cards depending on the situations we are living.
My technique is to learn by heart the sentence describing each card. Then keep working on your intuition by reading the other possible key words and get familiar with the ones that resonate with you. The card needs to become part of you if you want to be able to then only use your intuition and not your knowledge of them.
Powerful questions will come to your mind easily to support you in your coaching. Each card has many possible key words. Therefore your intuition will be your guide to select which one is the one to consider on this particular moment.
Always keep in mind that each card has a positive and a negative side but in coaching we only work with the positive one!
To have the Tarot in mind is just a support in order to be more intuitive and get inspiration for powerful questions.
Enjoy this journey, as it will be as enriching for your coachee as for yourself!
References:
« ch » website to get online French Tarot courses.
If you intend to really get familiar with the Tarot cards and have much more details for each one of them, I highly recommend the following book: « The Way of Tarot », The Spiritual Teacher in the Cards by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Marianne Costa