Free practice guide · Xiyue Sansan

Observation vs Interpretation: A Tarot Journal Exercise

A short message arrives: “Can't talk today.” You feel a sudden drop in your stomach and think, “They are tired of me.” The feeling is real. The conclusion may be accurate, partly accurate, or unsupported. A useful journal leaves room for those possibilities.

The following exercise separates observation, interpretation, and action. Cards are optional; the record works without them.

Write the observation first

Record the event in words someone else could check. In this example, the observation is the message and its timing. “They rejected me” is already an interpretation. If you are reconstructing a conversation from memory, say so rather than presenting uncertain wording as an exact quote.

Give the interpretation its own line

Write “My current explanation is…” and finish the sentence. This is not a trick for dismissing your experience. It identifies the part of your account that might change when you learn more.

You might write: “My current explanation is that they do not want to hear from me.” Then ask what information supports it, what conflicts with it, and what you do not yet know. A single short reply may not answer a question about the whole relationship.

Name the response without making an identity

Describe what you noticed: sadness, worry, irritation, tension, or an urge to send another message. Avoid turning one response into “I am always needy” or “I am incapable of trust.” You are recording an experience in a particular situation.

If you use a card, keep its contribution explicit. “The Moon made me think about uncertainty” is an association. “The Moon proves they are hiding something” claims information the card does not provide.

Choose a proportionate action

You could wait until tomorrow, ask when they might be available, or return to something you had planned. The appropriate action depends on the actual relationship and circumstances. The aim is to choose deliberately rather than treating the first explanation as settled fact.

Use five lines:

• What happened: the checkable event.
• What I thought it meant: my current explanation.
• What I noticed in myself: feelings, sensations, and urges.
• What I still need to know: the missing information.
• What I will do: one proportionate action.

Revisit the record

If a later message says they were dealing with a difficult day, add that information. Keep the original response visible. The record now shows how your understanding developed, rather than pretending you knew the explanation all along.

Stop when the exercise has helped you act or rest. Repeatedly recording the same uncertainty can become another way of staying inside it. A short, revisable account is often enough.