General question

[jamie65672]

I’m new to Tarot.  So I don’t know all the ins and outs.

 

Sometimes I’ll ask a question, and the cards don’t appear to answer it directly, but it pertains to my life.  Is it possible the cards don’t always answer directly, but instead show you what you really should be looking at?

[katrinka]

They answer what you ask them. Putting it in context is part of the learning process.

[Yaroslav]

Hi Jamie,

1 hour ago, katrinka said:

They answer what you ask them.

Exactly! Asking the right question is half the job; and best put it in writing - it helps you to focus.

You need to decide what type of question is most suitable. For example, if you want a particular situation to evolve in a certain way, should you ask "What will happen?" or would it be better to ask "How can I make this happen?"

 

[Pretzel]

As Yaroslav said, I also highly suggest writing down your question. This is because in the beginning it's very easy to mix up our question during the reading - e.g. We might ask "What do I need to know about xyz situation" then during the reading start thinking "what will happen with xyz situation". 

 

In the beginning I experienced the same thing as you. I couldn't figure out how certain cards were 'advice'. That's because I was thinking strictly about what I had read the card meant. How the heck is The Tower advice? Isn't that meant to be that some big change is coming toward me? One possibility here is the advice to shake things up - maybe even shake up your thinking.

[fire cat pickles]

2 hours ago, jamie65672 said:

I’m new to Tarot.  So I don’t know all the ins and outs.

 

Sometimes I’ll ask a question, and the cards don’t appear to answer it directly, but it pertains to my life.  Is it possible the cards don’t always answer directly, but instead show you what you really should be looking at?

Both. The cards will answer what you ask them what @katrinka said but there also may be relative information to your life, depending on the spread you use. 

 

Like @Yaroslav says, write down the question. I would add to write down any background information as it does pertain to your life too. It may help make the connection to the cards, the spread and the question. Your readings should start coming together once you start writing it all down.

 

 

Edited December 5, 2021 by fire cat pickles

[Rodney]

Ever hear the phrase, "Garbage in, garbage out"? A well-phrased question is the cornerstone of a good reading. Definitely write the question down! And make sure that the question you've written down asks what you really want to know. As others have said, it's very easy to switch gears when doing a reading, leading to confusion. Not only should you write the question down, but you should log the entire reading - question, spread, deck (if you use more than one) AND your interpretations. A lot of people don't like to hear this, but sometimes readings only make sense in retrospect. And unless you have logged all the things I've suggested, you won't be able to go back and relate how things worked out to the cards you actually got. That's also part of the learning process with tarot.

 

I still have the readings I logged in pen and paper from when I started my tarot journey in 1991.

 

To the other part of your question, if you ask about A, tarot may tell you about B if that is more pressing, but in my 30+ years of experience with tarot, that is the exception and not the rule. Like it might happen less than a handful of times (with fingers left over) in a lifetime of tarot readings. My general rule of thumb is that the cards answer the question you asked. Not the question you meant to ask.

 

Enjoy your tarot journey!

[jamie65672]

Thank you very much for all your responses.  Yes, I write  my question, what I draw, and sometimes I write context of my life.  I do not ask yes or no questions, I ask open ended.  Still confused about the answer more than 50 percent of the time. The cards pertain to my life, they just don’t always seem to answer the question.

[gregory]

1 hour ago, jamie65672 said:

Thank you very much for all your responses.  Yes, I write  my question, what I draw, and sometimes I write context of my life.  I do not ask yes or no questions, I ask open ended.  Still confused about the answer more than 50 percent of the time. The cards pertain to my life, they just don’t always seem to answer the question.

 

Then you may not be listening properly. We all know what we expect and hope. That can so often colour things.

[Rodney]

1 hour ago, jamie65672 said:

Thank you very much for all your responses.  Yes, I write  my question, what I draw, and sometimes I write context of my life.  I do not ask yes or no questions, I ask open ended.  Still confused about the answer more than 50 percent of the time. The cards pertain to my life, they just don’t always seem to answer the question.

This isn't the forum for that, but you're asking for help/input on a situation in which you've only provided generalities. Unless the reading is of a sensitive nature, post it in the Personal Readings forum and link to it here. Other readers can hopefully provide insights on the reading that you missed.

[katrinka]

2 hours ago, jamie65672 said:

I do not ask yes or no questions, I ask open ended.  Still confused about the answer more than 50 percent of the time. The cards pertain to my life, they just don’t always seem to answer the question.

Open ended questions will get you open ended answers. Try being specific.

[jamie65672]

4 hours ago, Rodney said:

This isn't the forum for that, but you're asking for help/input on a situation in which you've only provided generalities. Unless the reading is of a sensitive nature, post it in the Personal Readings forum and link to it here. Other readers can hopefully provide insights on the reading that you missed.

I provided generalizations because it was a general question.  I’m not looking for a reading.  

[Pretzel]

Also meditate on the cards while you shuffle, before you draw them. Keep thinking about your question and feel like you're letting your question move into the cards.

Try to also learn lots of different applications for the same card. For example, the 4 of Swords could mean taking time out to rest; or it could mean meditation. In a love relationship it could mean 'taking time out'.

I highly suggest a book called Advanced Tarot by Paul Fenton Smith. He goes over each card with different scenarios, e.g. love, health, work, general.

Hope that helps.

[Rodney]

6 hours ago, jamie65672 said:

I provided generalizations because it was a general question.  I’m not looking for a reading.  

You're looking for people to explain why the readings you do don't seem to answer the questions you've asked but still seem to be pertinent to you. Without seeing one such reading, we can't give you anything but generalities in return.

[ilweran]

On 12/5/2021 at 9:04 PM, jamie65672 said:

I’m new to Tarot.  So I don’t know all the ins and outs.

 

Sometimes I’ll ask a question, and the cards don’t appear to answer it directly, but it pertains to my life.  Is it possible the cards don’t always answer directly, but instead show you what you really should be looking at?

In my experience they can answer a different question if it's something you're preoccupied with.

 

And sometimes things just aren't clear straightaway. I did a reading a week ago, and it was card 1 - yes, got it, card 2 - yes got it, card 3 - yes, got, card 4 - ???. And I'm still musing on that card occasionally. I might have to have a look at the whole spread again this evening...

[gregory]

I've had readings take literally weeks to make sense. One reason I shall never make a business of it - I can't keep sitters waiting that long...  

[ilweran]

Same here. And I like taking my time over it!

 

I have enough things in my life that must be done NOW. Or yesterday...

[Eric13]

You're receiving some very good advice from expert readers. 

But the answer may not be in the definition of the card/cards. it may be in the number, the picture, the integration of the cards in a spread. Even in one card with a direct question you can find the answer. The other question is also, are you just not accepting what the cards are showing you?

[katrinka]

Yep.
Ask a clear question. And don't ask if you don't want to know.
Keep your card meanings unambiguous. That means the 10 of Swords, for instance, isn't a "good card."
Very simple.
And if that fails - if you get shiny happy cards for something that plays out badly, not just once but again and again - it's possible that Tarot isn't your oracle. And that's OK. Nothing is for everybody, and you might excel at something else. Be flexible.