I spent today reflecting through two self-assessments. Sounds dull, and the formal one was; an academic self-assessment based upon learning criteria and… yes, I soon lost the will to continue. That’s why I’m blogging, because I’m avoiding!
The other I did enthusiastically and unprompted earlier today. After some gardening in the crisp Wiltshire air, and a short meditation, I reflected on past, present and future with the help of the Druidcraft Tarot deck. Beautiful cards that engaged the intuition, no criteria to tick off.
Both ways of approaching reflection have their merits, but I far preferred using the tarot. Part of this is my resistance to formality, mainstream academia, and working on something which I’m going to be judged on. But that aside, engaging with the images and archetypes inherent in the tarot better aids reflection for me. It does not show me something I don’t know, but it does draw it from my unconscious up to my conscious.
I’m not sure I’ll ever look at my academic self assessment again once I’ve finished it. However, the images in the tarot spread will stay with me a bit longer…
