Inaccurate readings

[gregory]

1 hour ago, katrinka said:

 

Biddy is a CLASSIC example of the junk sites I mentioned. Nope, nope, and NOPE!
Labyrinthos appears to be built on the same model. These sites exist to sell you stuff, that's their main priority. There's no quality control.
The Tarot Guide - ack. More of the same.
Divinerism is Lisa Boswell's site. I know Lisa, and while I don't agree with her on everything, she's a good reader. Her site is also a bit of a hard sell (she's as much into marketing as reading), but it doesn't seem like that's the sole emphasis. There's some OK content there. I think it would be fine as a complement to studying source materials.

 

Agreed about Biddy - and about Labyrinthos.

LittleRed is OK - but heavily queer biased, which is not such a hot idea when you are starting out.

[katrinka]

2 hours ago, gregory said:

In my view, if someone doesn't have any connection to a reading, the results you get don't tend to be very accurate. I also (my view, personal,. no-one has to agree) feel that reading on someone without their knowledge is dodgy - but that's just me and katrinka will now disagree. Because we do disagree a lot about that !

 

Yes. My take is that insofar as a person is impacting my life, I have a right to ask questions about them. Besides, we talk about other people - card reading ethics should be the same as regular ethics, AFAIC.

And there are safeguards built in. Someone who does pointless, nosy readings on other people can end up looking like a lunatic if they tell anyone about it:

"Hortense wears old panties with holes in them."
"How do you know?"
"I asked the cards about it."

🤣

So yeah, I read on other people. I don't ask about their underwear, though.
 

2 hours ago, gregory said:

I BEG your pardon ?   (Sorry, Rosie, private joke, kinda !)

 

You're not an "OMG books are bad and they clog up my 3rd eye!" type. So it works. 😉
 

2 hours ago, gregory said:

My absolutely favourite site for meanings is this:  (yes it is actually purple, but it's a solid site.)

 

https://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/learn/meanings/

 

Thirteen is a whiz. I wish she was here. I used to ask her stuff in the days of Aeclectic.

Yes, AT is a good resource. People should bear in mind that not everyone there knew what they were talking about; still, there were some excellent readers there.

@RosieBlack - if you ask ten people what a "soulmate" is, you'll get ten different answers. Some will also talk about "twin flames", but backtrack and say most of these people never meet, or the relationship can't be maintained on this plane, or people have a lot of soulmates, like a cluster. I've never found any of that talk to be productive, so I just don't believe in any of it. I certainly wouldn't dedicate my life to someone because I was told by a reader or two that he was my "soulmate." A LOT of readers don't believe in that stuff either, and only talk about it because a number of clients seem to expect it.

 

[gregory]

7 hours ago, katrinka said:

@RosieBlack - if you ask ten people what a "soulmate" is, you'll get ten different answers. Some will also talk about "twin flames", but backtrack and say most of these people never meet, or the relationship can't be maintained on this plane, or people have a lot of soulmates, like a cluster. I've never found any of that talk to be productive, so I just don't believe in any of it. I certainly wouldn't dedicate my life to someone because I was told by a reader or two that he was my "soulmate." A LOT of readers don't believe in that stuff either, and only talk about it because a number of clients seem to expect it.

 

From me you will get "there is no such thing." I do have a number of "kindred spirits" in my life, but even my partner of well over 50 years I wouldn't describe as a soulmate (and from what I have heard of twin flames NO NO NO NO ! He isn't and I would NEVER want one.) "We fit well" is what I would say. There might be other people out there who would fit just as well, (I can think of a few I have known...) and there is certainly someone I loved with all my heart who did not, and who is married to someone who fits far better. We are all good friends. Love is NOT all you need.

 

It occurs to me that I have never actually looked at your actual reading with your actual cards; as that wasn't what you asked. I will do, later.

[RosieBlack]

8 hours ago, katrinka said:

 

Yes. My take is that insofar as a person is impacting my life, I have a right to ask questions about them. Besides, we talk about other people - card reading ethics should be the same as regular ethics, AFAIC.

And there are safeguards built in. Someone who does pointless, nosy readings on other people can end up looking like a lunatic if they tell anyone about it:

"Hortense wears old panties with holes in them."
"How do you know?"
"I asked the cards about it."

🤣

So yeah, I read on other people. I don't ask about their underwear, though.
 

 

You're not an "OMG books are bad and they clog up my 3rd eye!" type. So it works. 😉
 

Yes, AT is a good resource. People should bear in mind that not everyone there knew what they were talking about; still, there were some excellent readers there.

@RosieBlack - if you ask ten people what a "soulmate" is, you'll get ten different answers. Some will also talk about "twin flames", but backtrack and say most of these people never meet, or the relationship can't be maintained on this plane, or people have a lot of soulmates, like a cluster. I've never found any of that talk to be productive, so I just don't believe in any of it. I certainly wouldn't dedicate my life to someone because I was told by a reader or two that he was my "soulmate." A LOT of readers don't believe in that stuff either, and only talk about it because a number of clients seem to expect it.

 

 

I'm glad to know someone else also thinks it's ok to read on other people! 😄 I have the same view as you on it. Do you think that if they're not part of the reading then it won't be accurate? I did a couple of "mood" readings on a friend yesterday without his knowledge and then asked him and his mood didn't match the card. He thinks maybe it's because he's quite guarded against spiritual stuff though. I'm still trying to get a feel of whether my readings are accurate or not!

 

With regards to the soulmate thing yeah I get what you're saying. I'm not necessarily sure I believe in all that, I think the part that gets me is when people have said it's a "divine pairing" or that the universe is pushing us together. Hard to know if this is the case or not though! I think I also like to know that someone didn't just come into my life to cause me heartbreak and then leave me to pick up the pieces. I've been told this person came into my life as a learning experience for both of us and so we could grow and come back together stronger. It's very hard to know what to believe. It's a very nice thought when I'm told that something good will come out of it.

Edited September 13, 2021 by RosieBlack

[RosieBlack]

1 hour ago, gregory said:

 

From me you will get "there is no such thing." I do have a number of "kindred spirits" in my life, but even my partner of well over 50 years I wouldn't describe as a soulmate (and from what I have heard of twin flames NO NO NO NO ! He isn't and I would NEVER want one.) "We fit well" is what I would say. There might be other people out there who would fit just as well, (I can think of a few I have known...) and there is certainly someone I loved with all my heart who did not, and who is married to someone who fits far better. We are all good friends. Love is NOT all you need.

 

It occurs to me that I have never actually looked at your actual reading with your actual cards; as that wasn't what you asked. I will do, later.

 

Totally reasonable perspective. For me I see it as us being highly compatible and I think that's what I've been told as well. I did a reading on this too, asking how compatible we are in each area and the results were positive too (at least I think they were!). Compatibility is akin to being soulmates in my eyes.

 

Are you referring to my reading with actual cards or were you talking to katrinka?

[katrinka]

5 hours ago, RosieBlack said:

Do you think that if they're not part of the reading then it won't be accurate?

 

I don't have that issue. The accuracy rate is fine.
 

5 hours ago, RosieBlack said:

Are you referring to my reading with actual cards or were you talking to katrinka?

She's talking to you. It's your readings being discussed here. 😉

[RosieBlack]

12 minutes ago, katrinka said:

She's talking to you. It's your readings being discussed here. 😉

 

Oh! haha! I wasn't sure what reading and cards she was referring to! I guess I'll find out soon 😁

[RosieBlack]

By the way, do any of you do any sort of cleansing ritual before readings? And if so, do you find they increase the accuracy? I have been doing them in the hope of getting more accurate readings but the messages actually seem to not change much either way. 

 

All of this does start to become a little overwhelming. With so many different interpretations of the same card and every reader having a different view or perspective themselves, how do you ever know if you're getting the right messages? If I go to a reader and they tell me this business opportunity is going to be successful based on the cards they pull but then another reader has different interpretations of the same cards, how do you know what the truth is? Given you guys have been doing this for so long, this must be something common with tarot reading and hopefully you'll have some answers around this. Aside from doing my own readings and their accuracy, this is now another thing I'm wondering about. And of course, if I do readings for others I want to be sure I'm giving the correct message too. 

Edited September 13, 2021 by RosieBlack

[katrinka]

55 minutes ago, RosieBlack said:

By the way, do any of you do any sort of cleansing ritual before readings?

 

Nope. I have no need for that. 
 

55 minutes ago, RosieBlack said:

And if so, do you find they increase the accuracy? I have been doing them in the hope of getting more accurate readings but the messages actually seem to not change much either way. 

 

I think the time you're spending doing that would be better spent on study and practice, TBH.
 

55 minutes ago, RosieBlack said:

All of this does start to become a little overwhelming. With so many different interpretations of the same card and every reader having a different view or perspective themselves, how do you ever know if you're getting the right messages?

 

The meaning chosen is determined by neighboring cards, what the question was, and named positions and/or reversals, if any. 
 

55 minutes ago, RosieBlack said:

If I go to a reader and they tell me this business opportunity is going to be successful based on the cards they pull but then another reader has different interpretations of the same cards, how do you know what the truth is? 

 

I find it difficult to believe that two different readers  drew the same exact cards on the same question. And even if that's the case, why are you going to different readers and asking them the same thing? It sounds like looking around until you find someone who tells you what you want to hear. That doesn't get you a good reader or an accurate answer.

[TheLoracular]

@RosieBlack

So the lovely site staff got a Wild Unknown Tarot study group sub-forum opened   I included some useful links to resources that relate to your deck specifically there on a welcome page.  I am waist deep in Tarot de Marseille stuff elsewhere that will take a few days to wrap up before Wild Unknown gets my full attention but I will also be going through all those resources I linked including Scarlet Ravenswood's Youtube video talking about the symbolism.   
 

21 hours ago, gregory said:

Thirteen is a whiz. I wish she was here. I used to ask her stuff in the days of Aeclectic.

Oh gosh, there is a name I'm suddenly so nostalgic about.  

[TheLoracular]

1 hour ago, RosieBlack said:

By the way, do any of you do any sort of cleansing ritual before readings? And if so, do you find they increase the accuracy? I have been doing them in the hope of getting more accurate readings but the messages actually seem to not change much either way. 

I don't believe cards get "dirty" except for dust and me being careless 🙂  

BUT  I think that I can only do helpful and accurate readings when I'm in the right mental and emotional headspace and sometimes I take a shower, sometimes I tidy up my tarot work space, sometimes I meditate, light incense or a candle all of this designed to get me in the right zone.  And sometimes I skip all the above just grab cards, shuffle and flip.  >_>

I am a very -lazy- tarot master and Qabalistic magician.  😛  The messages tend to be accurate either way but it is still good for me and my readings if I clear the gunk from my skin, workspace and brain cells before I go to work, lol.  

[gregory]

1 hour ago, RosieBlack said:

By the way, do any of you do any sort of cleansing ritual before readings? And if so, do you find they increase the accuracy? I have been doing them in the hope of getting more accurate readings but the messages actually seem to not change much either way. 

I make sure the table is clean. That's it.

 

1 hour ago, RosieBlack said:

All of this does start to become a little overwhelming. With so many different interpretations of the same card and every reader having a different view or perspective themselves, how do you ever know if you're getting the right messages? If I go to a reader and they tell me this business opportunity is going to be successful based on the cards they pull but then another reader has different interpretations of the same cards, how do you know what the truth is? Given you guys have been doing this for so long, this must be something common with tarot reading and hopefully you'll have some answers around this. Aside from doing my own readings and their accuracy, this is now another thing I'm wondering about. And of course, if I do readings for others I want to be sure I'm giving the correct message too. 

See below. Again - you are overthinking.

7 minutes ago, katrinka said:

I think the time you're spending doing that would be better spent on study and practice, TBH.
The meaning chosen is determined by neighboring cards, what the question was, and named positions and/or reversals, if any. 
 

I find it difficult to believe that two different readers  drew the same exact cards on the same question. And even if that's the case, why are you going to different readers and asking them the same thing? It sounds like looking around until you find someone who tells you what you want to hear. That doesn't get you a good reader or an accurate answer.

 

That IS odd. I really must get around to setting up that experiment we did on AT where - I think 7 of us - agreed to read for one person, on the same question using the deck of our choice and the method of our choice. They ranged from very traditional readings with the CC and other "known" spreads to my famously insane method. We all got answers in the same ballpark, having drawn totally different cards. One of us - not even me - only drew 2.

 

You know, @RosieBlack - you could try something completely different. Take a card and see what you can get JUST FROM THE PICTURE. Not with a questioj - just what you think the picture is trying to get across to you. Then compare that to whatever set of "meanings" you have decided to run with (PLEASE not Biddy, but do pick one !) and see how they mesh.

 

7 minutes ago, TheLoracular said:

Oh gosh, there is a name I'm suddenly so nostalgic about.  

 

Me too - I REALLY miss her.

[RosieBlack]

6 minutes ago, katrinka said:

 

Nope. I have no need for that. 
 

 

I think the time you're spending doing that would be better spent on study and practice, TBH.
 

 

The meaning chosen is determined by neighboring cards, what the question was, and named positions and/or reversals, if any. 
 

 

I find it difficult to believe that two different readers  drew the same exact cards on the same question. And even if that's the case, why are you going to different readers and asking them the same thing? It sounds like looking around until you find someone who tells you what you want to hear. That doesn't get you a good reader or an accurate answer.

 

No, sorry, I didn't say I was going to different readers asking the same question. I just meant that given what I've seen on here, people seem to vary greatly in their interpretations of each card. Different readers probably wouldn't pull the same cards, but knowing what I just said there, if I have a reading and they tell me I'm going to be successful I feel like someone else would have a different interpretation of those same cards. Because the cards are what matters, right? We see the cards we're meant to see...? You said before that some readers might just be telling you what you want to hear so I suppose that is a bit of a concern. And it's the same if I do a reading for someone else - my interpretation might vary greatly to someone else's. There's a thread in the personal readings I commented on and gave my take on the cards, and I don't know how close to the mark I was, but I felt like I could have been wayyyy off depending on the actual situation. It's the same thing like I mentioned with the  5 or 7 of swords on this thread about secrecy and trickery - on the surface the message would be, this person is deceiving you, but given we're not in touch the message changes. And I feel like everyone is going to have a different perspective on what the message is so it's very difficult to choose which one is the right message.

[RosieBlack]

7 minutes ago, gregory said:

I make sure the table is clean. That's it.

 

See below. Again - you are overthinking.

 

That IS odd. I really must get around to setting up that experiment we did on AT where - I think 7 of us - agreed to read for one person, on the same question using the deck of our choice and the method of our choice. They ranged from very traditional readings with the CC and other "known" spreads to my famously insane method. We all got answers in the same ballpark, having drawn totally different cards. One of us - not even me - only drew 2.

 

You know, @RosieBlack - you could try something completely different. Take a card and see what you can get JUST FROM THE PICTURE. Not with a questioj - just what you think the picture is trying to get across to you. Then compare that to whatever set of "meanings" you have decided to run with (PLEASE not Biddy, but do pick one !) and see how they mesh.

 

 

Me too - I REALLY miss her.

 

 

Yes, sorry, I am a worrier by nature. I do overthink. But at the same time, if it's my future or anyone else's we're talking about I don't want to be making decisions based on that information if it's incorrect. And on here doing readings in the study groups makes me feel nervous too that I might be giving wrong advice. If you think that's the case that no matter what cards are pulled the reader will come out with the same message then that helps a lot.

 

I have tried looking at the cards but with some of them I just don't get anything. The 7 of pentacles in my WU deck is particularly tricky as is the 3 of wands. Many more too! 😄

[RosieBlack]

23 minutes ago, TheLoracular said:

I don't believe cards get "dirty" except for dust and me being careless 🙂  

BUT  I think that I can only do helpful and accurate readings when I'm in the right mental and emotional headspace and sometimes I take a shower, sometimes I tidy up my tarot work space, sometimes I meditate, light incense or a candle all of this designed to get me in the right zone.  And sometimes I skip all the above just grab cards, shuffle and flip.  >_>

I am a very -lazy- tarot master and Qabalistic magician.  😛  The messages tend to be accurate either way but it is still good for me and my readings if I clear the gunk from my skin, workspace and brain cells before I go to work, lol.  

 

I've just had people tell me the air needs to be cleansed with sage and that you should meditate etc. I suppose I like to be thorough and do whatever I can to ensure I'm pulling the right cards, but I too am lazy 😃. Maybe I feel like I myself should meditate given how emotionally charged I am, but then a bit of meditation doesn't always help that and I am often in a state of anxiety as to what answers I'm going to get. So maybe it's just a personal thing. 

[katrinka]

10 minutes ago, RosieBlack said:

No, sorry, I didn't say I was going to different readers asking the same question. I just meant that given what I've seen on here, people seem to vary greatly in their interpretations of each card. Different readers probably wouldn't pull the same cards, but knowing what I just said there, if I have a reading and they tell me I'm going to be successful I feel like someone else would have a different interpretation of those same cards. Because the cards are what matters, right? We see the cards we're meant to see...? You said before that some readers might just be telling you what you want to hear so I suppose that is a bit of a concern. And it's the same if I do a reading for someone else - my interpretation might vary greatly to someone else's. There's a thread in the personal readings I commented on and gave my take on the cards, and I don't know how close to the mark I was, but I felt like I could have been wayyyy off depending on the actual situation. It's the same thing like I mentioned with the  5 or 7 of swords on this thread about secrecy and trickery - on the surface the message would be, this person is deceiving you, but given we're not in touch the message changes. And I feel like everyone is going to have a different perspective on what the message is so it's very difficult to choose which one is the right message.

 

Let's look at the 7 of Swords, shall we? The written meanings speak of trickery, cheating, and intentional confusion.

 

And, using gregory's tactic of looking at the picture:

 

It's a guy stealing swords, sneaking away, looking over his shoulder. Therefore, it isn't read as "honesty." Everyone should, as gregory said, get answers in the same ballpark. I'd suggest paying attention to it. If it doesn't make sense at the time of the reading, it will later when your eyes have been opened.

[katrinka]

19 minutes ago, RosieBlack said:

The 7 of pentacles in my WU deck is particularly tricky as is the 3 of wands. Many more too!

That one never really struck me as a reading deck, TBH. Some will disagree, but I'd suggest a clearer deck, especially for someone just starting out.

[TheLoracular]

6 minutes ago, RosieBlack said:

I've just had people tell me the air needs to be cleansed with sage and that you should meditate etc. I suppose I like to be thorough and do whatever I can to ensure I'm pulling the right cards, but I too am lazy 😃. Maybe I feel like I myself should meditate given how emotionally charged I am, but then a bit of meditation doesn't always help that and I am often in a state of anxiety as to what answers I'm going to get. So maybe it's just a personal thing. 

I don't want to throw too much esotericism at you but there are two distinct camps when it comes to topics like cleansings besides "it is bunk" which is camp 3 and not helpful to the topic, lol.  

Some people believe that spirits or energy reside in objects like tarot decks and there is a spiritual mandate to show respect and to them, their tarot workspace is an altar.   Now, I was Wiccan from age 14-early 20s and I was totally in this camp back then; my transition happened slowly over decades (I'm 52 now).  

The other camp, the psychology-mentalist group (which is where I am most of the time) believes that what matters is your own headspace and it is the mind not the deck/workspace where all the magical-mystical stuff is going on and the energy (if any) is controlled by your mind, the spirits are just convenient constructs of the mind, blah blah. 

Having an anxiety disorder myself that I have spent decades learning to bring into natural equilibrium but is part of the reason I don't read professionally any more?  I can totally relate to that anxiousness of "but what if I'm doing this wrong?" 

To this day,  no matter how many hundreds, thousands of readings I've done over 35 yeas for other people?  I feel a rush of relief when someone says "That is spot-on!"  LOL!    So all I can say is ~anything~ that helps you feel more settled, less anxious before you start reading is something good to do.  And its okay to be wrong sometimes.  This won't make sense, but sometimes it isn't about being accurate as much as it is having the experience in the first place.   Humans learn a lot more from their mistakes than their achievements and tarot is a funny and powerful thing. 

 

[TheLoracular]

10 minutes ago, katrinka said:

That one never really struck me as a reading deck, TBH. Some will disagree, but I'd suggest a clearer deck, especially for someone just starting out.

I totally think it would be helpful to have a RWS deck too.  There are some lovely ones that use the basic symbolism but provide a different theme if the classic RWS is too stiff (a deck like the Robin Wood comes to mind) so everything @katrinka just said still fits because ultimately, you have the human person stealing five of seven swords, looking over their shoulder.

Here is what Carrie Marron has to say about the Wild Unknown 7 of Swords.  The fox isn't a man, but it snuggled in bed with the swords on the wall gives me the sense of the keywords:

*sneaky
*aloof 

But I don't think I would have the same answer to a specific question if I was looking at the RWS card vs. the WU.  The images say different things to me as I look at them side by side.  

[RosieBlack]

16 minutes ago, katrinka said:

That one never really struck me as a reading deck, TBH. Some will disagree, but I'd suggest a clearer deck, especially for someone just starting out.

 

I've been using this one a lot, every day since starting! 😄

 

Sure I know there are some cards that there does seem to be an overall agreement on their meaning with some cards, but not all. Some have contrasting interpretations. One of the sites you linked me too says the moon is about looking at yourself and facing some self realisation, my guidebook says it's about fears and vivid dreams and others say it's about deception and illusion. If you've got other cards in the same spread that also have multiple possible meanings it can be a hard task to form a complete picture.

[katrinka]

34 minutes ago, RosieBlack said:

One of the sites you linked me too says the moon is about looking at yourself and facing some self realisation, my guidebook says it's about fears and vivid dreams and others say it's about deception and illusion.

Those are all aspects of the same thing. In moonlight you can see some, but not perfectly. 
The card shows a dog and a wolf, and I've read that the French sometimes call twilight "between dog and wolf" because it can be hard to tell them apart in low light conditions.
The inner landscape and the subconscious are tricky like that. And things CAN be deceptive and illusory in those conditions. Wild imaginings and fears, sometimes.

Those aren't opposing meanings. They're different unpackings of the card essence, fitted to different contexts.

[gregory]

2 hours ago, RosieBlack said:

 

I've just had people tell me the air needs to be cleansed with sage and that you should meditate etc. I suppose I like to be thorough and do whatever I can to ensure I'm pulling the right cards, but I too am lazy 😃. Maybe I feel like I myself should meditate given how emotionally charged I am, but then a bit of meditation doesn't always help that and I am often in a state of anxiety as to what answers I'm going to get. So maybe it's just a personal thing. 

All sorts of people will tell you all sorts of things. Were you told you must wrap your deck in silk, and put it out in the light of the moon, and stuff ? ONLY do that stuff if you really really want to.  In that context may I suggest a rather excellent book: Estelle Daniels: Tarot Lore and Other BS

It's priceless and wonderfully debunking. There's a thread here a bit like that: ,

 

More seriously, as you sound to me to be in need of lightening up, Lynda Cowles' The Tarot Playbook is wonderful for getting to know your cards without any degree of stress or suffering. It's fun with a real purpose, and she really knows her stuff. She also did a DVD, but I don't know if it's widely available now: Tarot Stripped Bare.

 

 

1 hour ago, katrinka said:

Those are all aspects of the same thing. In moonlight you can see some, but not perfectly. 
The card shows a dog and a wolf, and I've read that the French sometimes call twilight "between dog and wolf" because it can be hard to tell them apart in low light conditions.
The inner landscape and the subconscious are tricky like that. And things CAN be deceptive and illusory in those conditions. Wild imaginings and fears, sometimes.

Those aren't opposing meanings. They're different unpackings of the card essence, fitted to different contexts.

 

Exactly this.

Edited September 13, 2021 by gregory

[Serpentia]

3 hours ago, RosieBlack said:

 

I've just had people tell me the air needs to be cleansed with sage and that you should meditate etc. I suppose I like to be thorough and do whatever I can to ensure I'm pulling the right cards, but I too am lazy 😃. Maybe I feel like I myself should meditate given how emotionally charged I am, but then a bit of meditation doesn't always help that and I am often in a state of anxiety as to what answers I'm going to get. So maybe it's just a personal thing. 

 

This is what happens when people mix New Age-ness with cartomancy, lol. You don't need a ritual every time you read the cards, UNLESS you feel that ritual is actually helpful to YOU. Cleansing the air with sage just because someone said so makes no difference. To read card you need a deck and enough "mental centredness" to be able to focus on what you want to know. Everything else is upholstery and can be swept aside if it gets in the way.

 

A clean surface also helps, but only because you may not want get your cards dirty.

 

3 hours ago, RosieBlack said:

Yes, sorry, I am a worrier by nature. I do overthink. But at the same time, if it's my future or anyone else's we're talking about I don't want to be making decisions based on that information if it's incorrect. And on here doing readings in the study groups makes me feel nervous too that I might be giving wrong advice.

 

I think you are way too nervous. First of all, you are not responsible for people making their choices - a reading offers information, it doesn't create people's lives for them. Of course, you want to offer something accurate, but what are the chances of you relaxing and trusting the process enough to actually be accurate if you are freaking out over all decisions people might make based on your reading? Relax, take it one step at a time. Do readings here in the Newbie circle - nobody is going to change their lives over a reading done there, it's a BEGINNER'S place, meant for practice and everyone is aware of that.

 

Study the cards so that you are able to grasp what they hint at from looking at the image, because that's how you develop your reading skills - practising, studying, taking note, doing readings, and, more importante, MAKING MISTAKES. Mistakes are normal. Mistakes are a sign that you are trying to learn. Don't worry about them, everyone does shitty readings, even experienced cartomancers have bad days. Don't be afraid of mistakes, know that they are the proof that you are learning something new. 😉

 

Seriously, take it easy. This forum IS the place to experiment, so you are in the right place. 

[RosieBlack]

13 hours ago, katrinka said:

Those are all aspects of the same thing. In moonlight you can see some, but not perfectly. 
The card shows a dog and a wolf, and I've read that the French sometimes call twilight "between dog and wolf" because it can be hard to tell them apart in low light conditions.
The inner landscape and the subconscious are tricky like that. And things CAN be deceptive and illusory in those conditions. Wild imaginings and fears, sometimes.

Those aren't opposing meanings. They're different unpackings of the card essence, fitted to different contexts.

 

Yes you make some good points. There are other cards with meanings that don't seem to fit though. My guidebook describes the Hierophant as being about seeking knowledge and a mentor, while the common interpretation seems to centre around traditions/religion/commitment. So like in this context if I ask the cards what I should do about something, I don't know if they're telling me to do further research or make a commitment and go for it. I guess it's just something I'm going to have to play about with and see what happens and continue asking!

[RosieBlack]

@TheLoracular Thanks for that. It does seem to be the people who are more into the magick side of things or are witches that talk about cleansing and sage and knocking the cards 3 times etc. So it does seem to be about different beliefs for sure. Kind of like religion though, isn't it? You do it this way because of those beliefs but you have no real evidence that it's necessary or that it wouldn't work otherwise. I kind of like the whole ritual though, it does seem to help me clear my head, which does always seem to be a good place to be when doing a full reading. 

 

I do have a RW deck, but I prefer by WU one. I use the RW one for reversals and I don't use reversals with the other one. I want to first fully get the hang of the upright ones so I use RW occasionally, and I'm not sure entirely how I feel about reversals, but they'd certainly help to add a layer of depth to a reading I think...give more answers than the upright ones alone because there are then so many more possibilities. I'd like to put 2 decks together - one reversed and one upright - but I haven't quite figured out how to do that. 

 

Yes I did pick up on that sneaky thing with the fox - she also describes it well in the guide book. What I was saying in my post about it was what the message is for the cards exactly and finding the right message they're trying to send you. E.g. are the cards saying this person is hiding something from you? Or are they saying this person feels bad for hiding something from you in the past and behaving in unsavoury ways? Further up in the thread I mentioned it coming up in a spread about someone's feelings for me and not knowing how to interpret it and people all have different answers.