How reliable are 'Pick a Card tarot' readings?

[Jimjam]

Hello all, its been a while since I posted here. Unfortunately, I lost my tarot cards two months ago and havent really gotten around to buying a new deck, even of the same company. Just felt unnatural and meaningless.

 

Instead I have been using Labyrinthos' Pick a Card readings where you have multiple options. Basically you choose a spread (1 card, 3 card, 5 card spreads) with pre-built questions on each and then you tap on each card in that position to see what you got.

 

Can anyone tell me how reliable it is to pick cards on the internet? Emotionally, I feel I might never connect with a deck again, so I want to look into options like these.

 

Has anyone ever done Labyrinthos' pick a card reading? 

[gregory]

If the cards feel meaningless, I'm not sure a pick-a-card reading would have much real relevance either - why would it be any more of a connection ? Just my ten cents.

[DanielJUK]

The answer to this is always going to be subjective and based on our personal ideas on how tarot works. Some people don't believe in digital reading, apps and websites and do believe in a connection to the deck. Somehow your energy is on the physical deck and it's a real ritual when you do the reading. There needs to be an actual connection.

 

In my view, digital readings can be accurate and can connect with us. But it's hugely important in how the reading works. It's about the programming and code it's written with. It's about the algorithms and also the random chance of getting each card. It needs to be balanced. I have never used the Labyrinthos' Pick a Card readings but I have tried out many apps and sites out of interest. There is a real spectrum of quality with them and some of them I notice only ever pick like the same 5 cards from the 78, that's going to be a very unbalanced reading. So for a good reading, you need good mechanics of the programming of the site/ app. For the best outcomes of these readings, I would make sure it lets you shuffle in some form and pick out the cards for positions. There is some very clever digital shuffling systems on those places. Also I wouldn't use their meanings, apart from basic guidance. They are generic meanings, I would work on the cards that came up and work out my own interpretations which are more relevant to the question asked.

 

How reliable it is, comes down in the end to your personal experiences. Why not do a reading on a week ahead and see how accurate it is? Test it. Whilst I am someone who is positive about digital selection and readings, I do still think that real physical readings are the gold standard. Actually using the cards. Also there is a joy in tarot and divination, I love doing it! Digital readings are good for me for something quick or when travelling, but when I want to get deep or into a topic, I do it myself.

 

Maybe if you are having a problem with connection, buying a reading from a professional is a better solution?

 

 

[Jimjam]

@gregory

Somehow the pressure seems to increase when I am pulling cards from the deck. I did not feel a lot of pressure when tapping on online cards. Its a very irrational argument but somehow buying a deck is creating a certain fear in me. Something I have to figure out

[Jimjam]

@DanielJUK

 

I hear you.

 

Guess it all boils down to algorithm for online readings...I have done Labyrinthos for about 4 readings now and it has turned out to be pretty good, in terms of the cards not repeating (unless the situation calls for it) or the algorithm etc.

 

Plus I love how aesthetic the whole thing is and I get to choose different decks. Somehow I always feel connected to that one particular deck which is why I keep going back to it but didnt know if online readings would actually connect with your energies...

 

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Jimjam said:

 

Somehow the pressure seems to increase when I am pulling cards from the deck. I did not feel a lot of pressure when tapping on online cards. Its a very irrational argument but somehow buying a deck is creating a certain fear in me. Something I have to figure out

 

Some readers only feel a connection with their material tactilely, when they can hold a physical deck in their hands. Cyber divination leaves them cold, so your being the exact opposite seems like a very interesting case. 

 

I have tried digital Tarot before, but in the form of apps. In my case, they did work in the sense that I was able to get accurate readings out of them. I did stop though, because their extreme ease of access meant that I'm beginning to use Tarot too much like a crutch, consulting them even in making light decisions. I was making multiple self-readings a day, so yeah I had to put a stop to it. 

 

In any case, I think that if online readings serve you well - if you find them helpful and highly accurate - then you should have no problem with them and just continue to use them. AFAIK Labyrinthos also offers free app/s, so check them out if you haven't already done so. 

[DanielJUK]

Someone else posted on here before a while ago that their app is free and good but you must register for a free Labyrinthos account to use it. So you do need to give them some of your details and log in for their full experience 🙂 

[Misterei]

5 hours ago, Jimjam said:

... Somehow the pressure seems to increase when I am pulling cards from the deck. I did not feel a lot of pressure when tapping on online cards. Its a very irrational argument but somehow buying a deck is creating a certain fear in me. Something I have to figure out

Here's the thing. Maybe that Pressure is GOOD. I want a little frisson or excitement about reading. I feel this enhances my psychic ability. I'm a mystic when it comes to Tarot. I feel reverence for its power and history. That frisson is part of the respect I feel for a 600 year old oracle which can bless me with information gleaned from the subtle planes and my own Higher Mind.

3 hours ago, Akhilleus said:

... Some readers only feel a connection with their material tactilely, when they can hold a physical deck in their hands. Cyber divination leaves them cold, so your being the exact opposite seems like a very interesting case. 

Cyber divination leaves me cold. Perhaps younger generations raised on apps as "mother's milk" might feel more of a connection to cyber divination. I can't help but feel something is lost. I don't even like photo collage decks. I want Tarots drawn or painted by a human.

3 hours ago, Akhilleus said:

I have tried digital Tarot before, but in the form of apps. In my case, they did work in the sense that I was able to get accurate readings out of them. I did stop though, because their extreme ease of access meant that I'm beginning to use Tarot too much like a crutch, consulting them even in making light decisions. I was making multiple self-readings a day, so yeah I had to put a stop to it. 

Yes, this goes back to my above point that I WANT that little bit of pressure or frisson when reading. Tarot has gravitas for me. Even when it has a sense of humor ... this is different than taking it for granted or making it shallow.

3 hours ago, Akhilleus said:

.... AFAIK Labyrinthos also offers free app/s, so check them out if you haven't already done so. 

I must confess I truly dislike Labrythos. I hate their philosophy, I despise their decks. I will stop here becuase if I continue, the mods will be forced to delete this post. Let's just say words can't express how awful I find Labrynthos' philosophy about Tarot.

[gregory]

2 hours ago, Misterei said:

I must confess I truly dislike Labrynthos. I hate their philosophy, I despise their decks. I will stop here becuase if I continue, the mods will be forced to delete this post. Let's just say words can't express how awful I find Labrynthos' philosophy about Tarot.

 

Ahem. You are not alone. Let us huddle in a corner and mutter....

[Jimjam]

@Akhilleus

 

Omg yes!! That is so true. I do see my frequency of readings increase with online readings. And that can honestly lead to no good. But I see your point.

[Jimjam]

@Misterei

 

That was very well put. I too believe digital readings dont connect well with the energies first hand, hence the question. Its the sense of 'touch' and 'physicality' that I definitely missed. But I didnt know if I was overthinking about it. Guess I wasnt.

 

But like @Akhilleus said, I guess it was the 'quick access' part that got me going

 

 

[Jimjam]

@DanielJUK I dont know what 'full experience' is, but I was actually able to access their 'readings' section quite easily. Didnt have to download the app either

[akiva]

19 hours ago, DanielJUK said:

but I have tried out many apps and sites out of interest. There is a real spectrum of quality with them and some of them I notice only ever pick like the same 5 cards from the 78, that's going to be a very unbalanced reading. So for a good reading, you need good mechanics of the programming of the site/ app.

I think the difference in quality from the apps comes down to if they're using pseudo-random number generators (they tend to be built into programming languages) or if they're using cryptographic pseudo random number generators (these tend to be external APIs).

 

When you use PRNG, eventually it stops being random and patterns start to repeat, which makes it terrible for cartomancy apps, and security on the web. The CPRNGs use entropy to make things less predictable and a bit more random. It's still not quite the same as if you were to roll a dice in real life, though good enough for online poker 🤣

 

It's incredibly difficult to generate true randomness with computers, IIRC computers can't actually do it and the only way to do is to measure unpredictable variables like decaying isotopes or something crazy like that 😅

[Fallon]

I have the Shadowscapes App on all my devices. My mom has the real deck but I got a little jelly but didn't want to have the same one so I got the app (it was like 2 bucks on my iPhone.) Ended up being able to download on iPad and newer Mac without paying again. Comes in handy for forum exchanges and the like, or checking things on the go. Seems no more or less accurate than a physical deck, but I prefer my own meanings to the elaborate descriptions it gives.