Free practice guide · Xiyue Sansan

A Tarot Spread for a Career Decision

A career question can quickly become larger than the choice in front of you. “Should I change my career?” may refer to applying for a job, attending an interview, accepting an offer, or beginning a course. Name the actual decision before using a spread.

This five-position exercise is for reflection. It does not predict employment outcomes, establish another person's intentions, or replace the factual work of comparing arrangements.

Position 1: what am I deciding now?

Write the action and the deadline. In a fictional example, Mara is deciding whether to attend an interview next Tuesday. She is not yet deciding whether to resign. This distinction allows her to ask what she wants to learn at the meeting.

Position 2: what information do I have?

List confirmed details: the stated responsibilities, location, interview time, and information the employer has provided. Keep assumptions separate. If a card suggests teamwork to you, use that association to ask how the team operates; do not record it as evidence of a supportive culture.

Position 3: what are the costs and conditions?

Consider time, travel, preparation, privacy, care responsibilities, and any actual fee. A potential opportunity may be attractive and still require conditions you cannot currently meet. Check what can be adjusted and who has authority to agree to it.

For Mara, the immediate cost is arranging time away from work. The costs of accepting the job belong to a later decision, once an offer and its terms exist.

Position 4: what needs confirmation?

Write questions for the employer or another relevant source. For example: “Which tasks take most of the working week?” or “Is the schedule fixed?” Ask for concrete information instead of a general assurance that everything will be fine.

Keep unknown outcomes unknown. No spread can guarantee that an application will succeed or that a role will remain unchanged.

Position 5: what will I do next?

Choose one action with an owner and a time: “I will ask whether the interview can be scheduled outside my shift and send three questions about the role.” Decide when you will review the information you receive.

Compare without cards

You can use the same five positions as journal headings. If the records and conversations give you enough information, you do not need a card to authorize the next step.

Before making a consequential employment decision, obtain the actual terms and relevant professional advice where needed. Reflection helps organize the inquiry; it does not supply facts that have not been confirmed.