Building a Meanings System - Part 2: Questions and Template

To draw or not to on a daily basis? While using the old daily draw system is standard when learning a divinatory system, it can quickly become overwhelming if consistency is hard to maintain. That was me once life started. If you're working the 9-5 and have kids, for example, then it can quickly become difficult to remind yourself to be on the lookout for your theme of the day.

Sometimes, it just isn't easy, even when you've got the time. I used to become stuck when I couldn't think of something that happened in my day, or what I learned related to the card theme. And while I could go back and fill in the blanks with this method, there's a chance I'll forget or won't remember what I was supposed to write. If you're like me, getting to know your divinatory themes at a slower pace may be a better approach. It's like the interview process when getting to know someone. Most employers don't have three candidates sitting in on the same interview for one. That same concept can be applied when getting to know your deck or divinatory concepts. Take the time to get to know each one of them - one at a time.

When becoming familiar with a system, I draw one card for the week. This helps to keep my mind focused on a central theme, rather than on three or seven. What also helps is that I start with a set of questions about the theme. For example, if I draw Path, which is a card that represents a pathway that's opened to me, I can come up with a set of questions like this:

• What pathway is opening up to me this week?
• How do I normally approach opportunities?
• What can I do differently this time when a pathway opens up for me?

You'll want to frame questions based on the classic WH- words: Who, what, when, where, why and how.

You'll also want to stick to the timeframe, a week's time, when asking most of your questions. This helps to keep answers specific. 

I come up with about 3 questions per draw and then work on answering them in my journal immediately. Later throughout the week, l will add more input to questions and answers.

In my last entry, I mentioned part of building a solid meanings system included the practice of asking questions. Questions are vital when learning. For each theme, come up with a set of pre-asked questions.

Another plus to using the once weekly system is that you can gradually turn it into a monthly and bimonthly system - at a pace that's right for you. Take a look at the diagram below:

Diagram for learning a system, fig. 1

Notice that there is a line from the monthly box to the weekly ones, meaning you can skip twice monthly and weekly draws and work with monthly and weekly ones. This simplifies the learning curve while leaving a larger and smaller window to study and understand a few themes in depth each month.

Getting back to the method of questioning, as a student who majored in psychology as well as minored in coaching, I learned the value and strategic importance of questioning. One book I'm currently reading has allowed me to revisit the method while doing a monthly and weekly reading system. Intelligent questioning has opened the door to a new way of thinking about themes as they relate to real life experiences. It's also helped me understand and improve my readings with a system I've always had trouble with: Lenormand.

Addendum: If you want to try something different, try drawing your card(s) at the end of the period. What is the pro? This method actually forces you to sit down and write about your week in relation to the card(s) you got. It can also help you think about any questions you might want to ask after-the-fact. Con: You may not be able to connect an event to the cards you got, but it helps to be mindful of anything important or interesting occurring throughout the week as it happens. So if you don't mind not knowing what exactly to look for but still find this method useful, give it a try. 

For more information on the art of questioning, I recommend Warren Berger's book: A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas. 

In the meantime, if you have questions of your own about this series, please feel free to ask in the comments or contact me via email. 

Happy reading,

Monique