Since August (!), local stores and major chains alike have been decking the aisles with twinkling lights, fake snow, and artificial pine garland. Instead of muted remakes of Elton John's Rocket Man on the overhead Muzak, I'm hearing Jingle Bells and Frosty the Snowman.
In the Deep South, where we don't get snow, these are the undeniable signs that Christmas (or Yuletide, or Hanukah, or Kwanza ... insert the year-end holiday best befitting your personal spiritual or ethnic persuasion here!) has arrived. For most of us, that means coming up with a gift or two.
If you lack a knack for picking out just the right gift ... why not brainstorm the possibilities? With a handy Tarot deck in hand, you can generate dozens of appropriate gift ideas in minutes. Here's how.
I've written before about the What Would the Trumps Do process, which you can use to generate gift recommendations galore in twenty minutes or less. The idea is simple: proceed down the list of trumps, from the Fool to the World, asking yourself, "What gift would this trump ask me to consider?" (I like this wording, because it doesn't assume your gift must be something you purchase.)
If you don't have a Tarot deck handy (or if you're not familiar with the perspectives represented by each Trump), check out the handy cheat sheet I've created. With it, even total beginners can get in on the brainstorming fun!
In addition to the What Would the Trumps Do? game, I've created the following spread to help you further explore gift options for specific people on your list. Give it a try!
Shuffle the deck and randomly draw five cards, placing them face-down in the positions shown here:
The positions in this spread represent:
1) What you love most about this person
2) Something this person loves and enjoys
3) A great gift you could make
4) A great gift you could purchase
5) A great gift idea in general
Sample Reading
Kristen is one of those fortunate people who want very little more than what they already have -- a fact that drives her partner, Jenna, up the wall. "Every birthday, every anniversary, every Christmas, it's the same dilemma -- what to get for Kristen? Everything I think of, she either already has -- or doesn't need."
In hopes of coming up with a great gift idea, Jenna draws five random cards from the Bright Idea Deck and lays them out in the Gift-Giver's Spread:
Right away, Jenna saw Kristen in the Green Doing card. (Compare it to the Knight of Coins or Pentacles in other decks.) "Kristen is the consummate artist. She's creative to a fault, and that is one of the primary reasons I love her. Of the two kinds of artists here, she's more like the traditional guy on the right -- the one who works with a chisel instead of a machine. But even though she uses traditional materials in her work, she's interested in innovation and invention, so the keyword on the card makes sense, too."
Card two -- the Green 8 (8 of Coins), representing something Kristen loves or enjoys -- also struck a chord. "Kristen works constantly, because for her, work is play. She can spend hours and hours in the studio out back, stringing beads and wiring jewelry. Sometimes she works too much for my tastes. Frankly? I don't want to get her a gift associated with work, even though she loves it. I'd like to get her something that takes her mind off work for a change."
With her attention now fully focused on Kristen, Jenna brainstormed with the three gift idea cards: Trump 11 - Boldness (Strength), Trump 8 - Balance (Justice), and Blue 3 (Three of Cups) - Celebration.
At first, the keyword "Boldness" didn't suggest anything Jenna thought she could make. "A bold outfit? A bold pair of drapes? None of that sounds right." Ultimately, though, she focused on the dumbbell carried by the man on the card. "That makes me think of my personal strengths, one of which is organization. Instead of physically making something, I could make a gift of effort -- like taking over all the chores for the next three months."
Trump 8 (Balance) immediately suggested a trip Jenna could purchase. "Kristen needs more balance in her life -- since she went to work for herself making jewelry, she's obsessed with work. She works constantly, and it's caused us some stress." With this challenge in mind, Jenna hit on the idea of paying for a quick weekend getaway. "That would give us time to reconnect, and it would help her see the refreshing value of getting away and doing something besides working."
Finally, Blue 3 (Celebration, a great gift idea in general) gave Jenna her favorite idea: "I could throw a reception designed to show off Kristen's newest work and favorite jewelry pieces. We could invite friends -- but also a few local people who might be interested in showing Kristen's work in their stores. A little cheese, a little wine, a little jewelry -- even if it doesn't create sales opportunities, it honors Kristen's work and sounds like fun!"
A few minutes brainstorming gift ideas gave Jenna insights into gift-giving that she would never achieve by strolling down the aisles at the local Wal-Mart! Stuck for great gift ideas? Why not pull out your trusty Tarot deck and give the Gift-Giver's Spread a try?
Want more insights into how you can brainstorm solutions for your work or your relationship? Check out Putting the Tarot to Work (purchase it here, or read the entire text of the book online) or preview Taking the Tarot to Heart, due out in January of 2005!
