Hello

So I’ve been wondering how to interpret negative cards in advice positions. Whether as something to lean into, as a warning, or something where you’ve gotta walk the line of the helpful aspects of the card and the harmful ones.

For example, my advice card of the day today was the seven of swords.

For the warning, I could see it as not to bs myself today, don’t procrastinate or run away from my problems, try to be straight with people and work together with others instead of trying to go it alone or be self interested.

For the lean into it, I can see it as maybe think strategically, look out for your own interests and self / prioritize yourself and your needs, work smart and not hard, cut corners if you have to to get the job done today, etc.

For walking the line, I guess it’d be a sort of combo of the above. Like work smart but don’t cut corners because it’ll come back to bite you later, work with others and be accommodating but look out for your needs as well and be wary of people tryna cheat or trample on you or of doing that to others. That sort of thing.

What is your approach?

Hey @zurgles , do you want to just discuss this topic in a general way or talk personally about the readings that came up for you? If you want it as a general discussion, I can move it to the main forum discussion area.

Hey @DanielJUK . I’d like to discuss it in a general way, I just wasn’t sure where to put it. Thanks.

7 hours ago, zurgles said:

So I’ve been wondering how to interpret negative cards in advice positions. Whether as something to lean into, as a warning, or something where you’ve gotta walk the line of the helpful aspects of the card and the harmful ones.

For example, my advice card of the day today was the seven of swords. ... What is your approach?

Yes, this vexes all of us, I think.

Personally I find it context dependent. Frex 7 swords i read as unfinished karma [different than the standard] so I might take it as a bit of a warning that something I thought was finished ... isn't. The advice is that I might have to go back and re-do something.

Devil as advice is particularly annoying. Ugh! But in one reading Devil was telling me that it WAS helpful and important to remain attached in the situation. I tend to let go of things and move on. Sometimes to my detriment. Devil advised me to dig in, hold my ground, and keep what was mine. In relationship context Devil might be a warning that old co-dependent patterns will rear their ugly head. Conversely, advising to explore sexual aspects of a relationship. If we take away the religious stuff with Devil ... we're left with a card that can reference sexuality and animal passions. We humans are very smart monkeys when you get right down to it. We have an animal nature.

Tower as advice? The very opposite of Devil. LET GO. B/c anything you try to hold onto will just get ripped from your bleeding hands, anyhow. Or if it's a real estate question--you're going to need to do demolition to do the repairs.

I think this touches upon the bias we want everything to be "nice" or easy. Including our advice! Life isn't like that. Sometimes we must do the difficult thing or make the hard call. Malefic advice cards often suggest that sort of scenario.

Good question, @zurgles ! As I always include an Advice card in my readings, this issue comes up a lot.

I read a negative Advice card —it can be a reversed card if it was a positive card upright, or simply a negative card itself—as 'don't do that.' You may be inclined to 'do that' —but don't! It will be warning you that certain behaviours or attitudes will be a mistake.

I think the trick is to remain calm, and realise this card is giving you advice as to how best to behave, or what attitude to take. It's not forecasting what will/won't happen in terms of the occurrence itself!

For example, if The Tower upright appears as your Advice card—especially if the overall reading is somewhat negative— it's hard not to think 'OMG terrible things are happening! Be prepared!!!' The 'advice' from the tarot will be—instead—don't behave as if a catastrophe has occurred—because that kind of behaviour will not be helpful at this time.

If the Advice card is The Tower, reversed, I'd probably read it as 'no need to worry; this is not a catastrophe.'

The first is advising you about your behaviour or attitude. It's warning you against catastrophising a situation, which can only make things worse. The second is advising you not to worry, because the issue isn't as bad as you think it is.

(If the situation IS a sudden catastrophe, there are other Advice cards that will appear, telling you what your best course of action or attitude should be. The Tower will may well have appeared elsewhere in the reading.)

And yes, I've had both the upright and reversed Tower turn up as Advice. I followed the advice, and it worked out fine. The Advice cards in my personal readings are usually the most important cards in that reading. They give me something to do, or something not to do. That always seems to work out.

Edited 23 hours ago23 hr by Chariot

9 hours ago, zurgles said:

Hey @DanielJUK . I’d like to discuss it in a general way, I just wasn’t sure where to put it. Thanks.

I've moved it over to the general tarot discussion area as it's an interesting discussion to have 😀

I tend to read a negative card in advice position as the best possible manifestation of the card in question. So in the case of, say, Seven of Sword, you may actually need to be a bit sly and careful, maybe even avoid full honesty about something. For a particularly bad card, like the 10 of Swords, I might interpret it as fully accepting that something has ended and dealing with the loss, while trusting a new day will rise… and so on.

I say “best manifestation” not in a moralistic way, but in a “silver lining” sort of way. This card sucks, yeah, but if I could find something useful about it, what would it be? That tends to be my advice.

11 hours ago, Marina said:

.... For a particularly bad card, like the 10 of Swords ...

LOL the cards advise: you're totally f*cked. Might as well accept it. Practice Stoicism.

Sorry, I couldn't resist a bit of humor. I really, really hate seeing 10 swords in the advice position. But even that's better than the outcome position.