Construct Exercise
This Tarot exercise was inspired by psychologist George Kelly’s personal construct theory. It’s a great way to generate new interpretations, get creative, and dig more deeply into your personal impressions of each card. Here’s how it works.
Shuffle and draw three Tarot cards. Lay the first two side by side and the third beneath them to create an inverted triangle. Next, look at the top pair of cards and discern a characteristic that they share. Now, look at the third card and note a characteristic that makes it dissimilar to the pair.
It is important to note that this exercise targets the qualities of the cards, not associations such as astrological correspondences, suit, or number. So, for example, you can’t say that a way in which two cards are similar is that they are both associated with Leo or that they are both Wand cards. You could, however, say that both cards express assertiveness. Here are a few examples to help illustrate this technique in practice. Don’t worry, it is much simpler than it sounds.
The Empress and the 7 of Cups: Opulence
Ace of Wands: Simplicity
I chose these keywords based on both the visual cues as well as popular interpretations of the cards. The Empress is associated with abundance, creativity, and luxury. The 7 of Cups often refers to having a number of options to choose from. Both emphasize generating and/or the enjoyment of things.
The Ace of Wands, by contrast, is the initial idea – pure and simple. Nothing has come to fruition yet and nothing has become overly complex. Right now there is just drive. Even the illustration is less intricate.
The Fool and the King of Cups: Demonstrative
The High Priestess: Reserved
In this example we are looking at three different people. The Fool is flamboyant and ready for adventure. He talks with anyone he meets and undoubtedly will speak his mind. The King of Cups is a jovial and friendly soul. He is warm, caring, and generally likable. Both of these characters are demonstrative with their feelings and impressions.
The High Priestess is far more introverted. She keeps her cards close to her chest, if you will pardon the pun. She keeps things on the down low and is more likely to be the quiet observer at a gathering.
The 9 of Coins and The World: Comfortable
Knight of Wands: Awkward
The 9 of Coins illustrates an individual who is comfortable in their own skin, independent, and takes pride in what they do. Likewise, the World also portrays a sense of mastery and understanding.
The Knight of Wands is young, excited, and eager, but he has a lot to learn. He might plunge right into a situation with guns blazing and realize that it isn’t where he wants to be. (Not that it will phase him, of course.) With time and experience he will catch his stride, but for now, he is at that awkward stage where he is figuring out who he is and what he is truly passionate about.
This exercise is a great way to flex your Tarot muscles and explore alternate perspectives on your cards. I don’t think I would have ever thought about the concept of “simplicity” with the Ace of Wands before I compared it with the Empress and 7 of Cups. 78 is divisible by three, so you can go through your entire deck if you wish.
Happy shuffling!
Decks used in this post:
Universal Waite Tarot
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