We are pleased to share an article entitled “Fusing Art & Science ~ Unlocking the synergy between coaching and Tarot“ written by Rachel Hope and Shirley Attenborough.
In the realm of corporate coaching, where science meets art, there’s an emerging trend that marries the structured methodologies of coaching with the intuitive exploration of Tarot. Whilst coaching is firmly rooted in scientific research and models, Tarot adds a layer of creative depth revealing patterns worthy of exploration of the human experience and enabling clients to tap into their intuition and uncover hidden insights. This fusion of coaching and Tarot enhances the coaching process, offering a more holistic approach to problem-solving and a pathway to nuanced decision making.
Coaching, as a practice, follows a structured process aimed at helping clients achieve their goals. It begins with establishing clear objectives, exploring the current situation, strategizing options and creating actionable plans. Along the way, coaches employ various tools and techniques to facilitate deeper introspection and insight.
Enter Tarot, the centuries-old deck of cards steeped in symbolism and mystique. While Tarot may lack the empirical rigor of scientific inquiry, its imagery and archetypes offer a rich tapestry for exploration. Each card in the Tarot deck represents different facets of the human experience, from thoughts and emotions to actions and practical considerations.
By incorporating Tarot into the coaching process, coaches can stimulate their clients’ imagination and intuition, prompting them to consider perspectives they may not have otherwise explored.
Incorporating Tarot into the coaching process is not about predicting the future or relying on mystical forces.
Rather, it’s about leveraging the power of symbolism and intuition to deepen self-awareness and foster creative problem-solving. As a coach we recognise that intuition is already present and we have the answers inside ourselves, and using the Tarot demonstrates to our clients that they too can access guidance from within, not externally.
By embracing both the art and science of coaching, practitioners can offer clients a more holistic and impactful experience, helping them navigate the complexities of the modern business landscape with confidence and clarity. Having a physical, tangible card enables the client to separate themselves from the problem, rather than seeing themselves as the problem allowing them to gain a clearer perspective.
Let’s take a closer look at how Tarot can be seamlessly integrated into the coaching process:
SETTING POSITIVE GOALS
At the outset of the coaching journey, clients establish clear, positive goals they wish to achieve. For instance, a senior executive may aspire to transition from a corporate role to a new start-up venture. By articulating their goals, clients set the stage for focused exploration and action.
EXPLORING THE CURRENT SITUATION
Through dialogue and reflection, coaches and clients delve into the client’s current reality, examining thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Here, Tarot can serve as a catalyst for deeper introspection. For example, drawing a card like the Seven of Swords, symbolising deception, may intuitively highlight a blind spot in their decision-making process and prompt the coach to ask the client about the potential risks, consequences and practicalities they may have overlooked.
GENERATING OPTIONS
In the brainstorming phase, clients explore various strategies and possibilities for achieving their goals. Tarot, with its diverse array of archetypes and symbols, can provide fresh perspectives and insights and may uncover subconscious motivations or alternative paths they hadn’t considered before.
In one such coaching session, a client embarking on a career transition draws the Ten of Wands, symbolising the burdens of overwork and excessive effort. Through guided inquiry, the client recognises the need to reassess their approach, considering alternative paths and mitigating potential risks.
DECIDING ON ACTION
With a clear understanding of their goals and options, clients move on to the final stage where they put together their discrete steps with a timeline to achieve their chosen strategy and develop concrete action plans to move forward.
In one session, at this stage of the process, the client drew the Magician, and suggested that maybe they could produce some magic in their own life. This prompted the coach to ask them to consider if they were fully utilizing all the talents, capabilities and resources at their disposal – and what else they might learn if they did – thereby inviting the client to step back and consider the wider opportunities and options available.
Thus, it becomes clear that the coaching process, like life, is rarely linear, and by introducing Tarot into a session, the cards act as catalysts, regularly surfacing previously unaccessed information, which the coach can use a springboard to go back and forward within the process to maximise the outcome.
REFLECTING ON OUTCOMES
As the coaching journey progresses, clients reflect on their experiences and outcomes, reassessing their goals and strategies as needed. Tarot can serve as a reflective tool, offering insights into the evolving dynamics of the client’s journey and potential challenges or opportunities on the horizon.
The Art of coaching often lies within the skill of the coach to creatively use the tools and techniques available, tailoring them to their individual client needs. The Tarot lends itself perfectly as a tool for coaches to widen their own curiosity and enhance their art, and to change the energy, dynamics and modality of communication of a coaching session.
The Tarot can be viewed as a map of the whole human experience, and when we consider the various elements of the deck, it becomes easier to understand how well these elements map onto coaching frameworks.
For example:
- The 22 Major Arcana archetypal cards represent a personal developmental journey, calling into awareness different parts of ourselves that operate at different times in different situations. “Archetypes are the living system of reactions and aptitudes that determine the individual’s life in invisible ways,” Jung wrote in The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche.
In The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell takes us on an epic journey, illuminating the stages of psychological development where the Hero archetype represents the process of overcoming obstacles to achieve specific goals. All of these are metaphors for a psychological journey to return to one’s true feelings and unique potential – Carl Jung called the process of individuation.
- The Four Suits relate well to human processes. Wands relate to action and movement, Cups to feelings and emotions, Swords to thoughts and beliefs, and Pentacles to practical circumstances, finance and tangible resources.
When we consider how these elements align with the overarching coaching process, it’s easy to see how models such as Grant’s House of Change, with its four pillars of the house consisting of Behaviors, Thoughts, Feelings and Situations map perfectly onto the four suits in the Tarot.
- The Numbers in the suits (1-10) provide information about where we might be on a particular journey. One represents the beginning of something and 10 the completion.
When mapping the numbered cards onto the Wheel of Life Model, they not only add nuance, but serve to remind and reassure us that progress towards anything is seldom linear.
By using the Tarot as a structured and systematic tool mapped onto proven coaching models, coaches will be able to offer their clients a unique and innovative approach, and support organizations in developing a culture of creativity and empowerment that can provide a competitive edge and unlock new possibilities for success.
The artful integration of Tarot into coaching sessions offers a powerful approach to corporate development, blending scientific rigor with intuitive insight.
Both disciplines offer unique pathways to understanding the human experience allowing practitioners to unlock new dimensions of awareness and possibility, support clients toward informed decisions and transformative growth.
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