The Five Stages of Change and Tarot

By Allan Ritchie



As I have worked with clients I know that many of them come to us for help in generating positive change in their lives. Eager to help, I grab my tarot deck and we go to it. In preparing for this article, I researched "change" and discovered what is called the "Five Stages of Change". The Transtheoretical Model, as it is called in more scholastic circles was developed by James O. Prochaska and Carlo Di Clemente lays out an integrative model to intentional behavioral change. This model outlines that change happens in five stages. This is a personal evolution one undertakes to embrace a positive change and is often used in recovery programs. While I must start by saying, I don't have any meaningful background in the treatment of mental health of a person, I resonated with this material as it seems to be what I have been doing with clients for a while. Tarot is a tool that can be a great asset to facilitate personal awareness and change. The Tarot and the laying out of the cards have for centuries been used as a guide for the help of change and improving our lives. I believe that a lot of the work done in a Tarot reading falls into one or more of these stages.


The first stage of change is Precontemplation. Precontemplation is the stage where there is little or no awareness of the need for, nor a desire for change. This is when a person may not be aware that their behavior is not serving them well. This is the cliche of "The first step is to admit there is a problem." The Transtheoretical Model posits that instead, the first stage is that we require a change, whether or not we know that we need that change. When a family stages an intervention, it is to bring someone to an understanding of that need for change. As tarot readers, we have a chance to see the client in this stage. Often the querent comes to us knowing that something isn't working. We can layout the cards and lead them through this stage. Using a general spread can give a client a survey to what may not be working in their lives. Here we are brushing up against what can be a touchy subject for the client. When we examine the need for change that might be currently unknown to the client, but it might be something worse as the client may be turning a blind eye to it. This issue may be anything from a mild to a chronic condition. This tends to be the stage where those around someone can see the need for change or recovery far more clearly than the one who needs to enact the change. Precontemplation is a tough stage as it is before the client acknowledges that there is a need for a specific behavioral change. As tarot readers, we can be a useful tool to facilitate that new awareness for a client, and how we do it must be very carefully considered. 


The second stage of change is Contemplation. Contemplation is a long stage that encompasses many different milestones. This is where the client begins by becoming aware of a need for change, then starts to imagine a change, followed by choosing a change to undertake. Contemplation is the first active step to recovery and development. When a client looks actively at change, then the tarot is a great tool to examine potential outcomes and consequences. In the initial stages of contemplation, we can cast spreads, such as a vision board, that gives the client a chance to see what a new change can look like. Envisioning a goal or an improved state can fuel the work to make it a reality. This is not quite fortune-telling as we are not predicting a future, but more using the symbolic language of the Tarot to consider what the future could become. 


The third stage is Preparation. Once the choice is made and a client has decided to make a change, then comes the preparation. Moving through this stage the choices have been narrowed down. When looking at a choice, another spread that I like is a Pro-Con spread to determine the benefit of the choice. Doing the work to consider each option open to the client and how it may benefit or hurt can shape the decision process. Keeping in mind that the Tarot doesn't absolve anyone from the responsibility for making choices in their lives, rather it can help to inform those choices. 


The fourth stage of change is Action. Here we begin to enact the change and step into owning the results of behavioral choices. Enacting the plan created in Contemplation the Action step is where the dynamic work of change is done. The Action Stage is a commitment to what has been only imagined and planned. In this stage, tarot spreads that can help are those that show support for the work. Here we can use spreads that encourage and show the potential outcome as a reward for the work that is being done. Seeking out support from others is invaluable for those undergoing great personal change. One of my favorite action spreads is "Thought-Word-Deed". Here is a three-card layout where we can find specific things to think about and encourage ourselves. We get the words to speak that will bring our intention to the universe. When we say out loud, what we want, it empowers our choice. Then, a specific action to undertake to achieve that goal. As ever, we must be mindful of the questions that we ask and how we phrase them. We must ensure that we are working for the best benefit of the client. A careless reading can undermine the work that is being done. Honoring a client's commitment to change is our part in their success. 


The fifth stage of change in Maintenance. This is the step where the actions taken by the client have reaped the rewards of behavioral change and now they have a new way of engaging life. We have to accept that Maintenance is a stage that may well last years and potentially the rest of a client's life. Once they have made the specific behavioral change that they had desired and choose in the Contemplation stage they have to keep enforcing in the Maintenance stage. Relapse is always a threat. Taking for granted a change accomplished will always be permanent can lead to relapse. Vigilance is needed and time to allow new behavioral patterns to cement. A tarot reading can provide insight into how to maintain and watch for relapse. 


There are many different types of change and with some clear understanding and insight, people can make a monumental and lasting, positive change in their lives. As tarot readers, we are often able to walk alongside them as they go through this change and we can support and encourage them. There may be a time when we have to step back and refer clients to more trained and licensed support services. If you have a client who is looking to schedule more time with family, increase their exercise regimes, or develop habits to be successful in the office then give it a go. If there is a medical or legal issue that needs to be resolved then it is important to know when to escalate the help to a medical or legal professional. Always remember we have legal and ethical responsibilities to know our limits. 


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