How Far In The Future do Tarot Cards 'Predict'?

[Mark Foot]

In my view, tarot is not about 'predicting' something in the full sense of the word as much as disclosing future tendencies. But the question is... how far in the future?

 

Let us exclude certain spreads, which, f.e, are specified for 3 or for 6 months. My question is mainly concerned with spreads based on the Celtic Cross or the three cards (past, present, future). 

Edited September 17, 2019 by Mark Foot

[Grizabella]

Since everything but the present moment is either past or future, I always contend that it's not possible not to predict the future. But I respect other people's beliefs on this. 

 

Unless we specify a time limit on a reading like 3 or 6 months or something specific like that, it's hard to say how long it takes for the prediction results to be known.   I've heard as much as two years later that something happened that I saw in the cards. I haven't necessarily pinned anyone down as to exactly how much time expired between the reading and the "something" that came about, but just from my own experience with hearing updates later on after readings, I'd say they can stretch out quite a ways. 

 

I read for a lot of people, though, and most of them I don't know in real life so I don't have a way to track. I probably wouldn't try to track anyway, but you know what I mean, I'm sure.

 

I've been re-reading your question and I think you're asking about how far into the future the Celtic Cross or a past, present, future general spread will pan out. Is that what you want to know specifically?  The old stand-by spreads we use without setting any specific time limits?

[Rodney]

The reader can build the time frame that the spread discusses into the question that's asked:

What will happen with X's relationship with Y in the next 3 months? or 6 months? or year?

How will the situation with Y evolve in the next week?

What developments will there be in X's love life by their next birthday? (Covers 1 to 365 days)

[Raggydoll]

I agree that it is useful to tailor the question so that it specifies a time frame. On occasions when I haven’t specified a time frame, I have found that most of my predictions (whether from the cards or through psychic versions) usually happen within a three months. I have done readings that aim to look further ahead than that, and the farthest I’ve attempted is a year ahead. Obviously it becomes more complicated and less reliable when it’s that far away, simply because of how many factors that might change at any given moment. 

[Catspur]

I usually build a time frame into my client's question, if it's appropriate. I find that asking specifically about a month, three months, six months, or a year tends to work pretty well. 

But also, predictions are tricky. As I frequently say when people ask for a clear-cut answer about the future, if you ask me if you're going to pass a test, and I say yes, and you use that as an excuse not to study, then you're not going to pass the test.

 

Or, in the words of an ancient sage: "Always in motion is the future." 😀

 

So I tend to reframe my client's questions, with their consent, into, "What do I need to know or do about (for example) the next three months of my love life?"

[imJonny]

Building a time frame or not, i like to stay close to 1 month, unless the question of the client is something i consider an excession.

Everything changes constantly, taking energy for example... as the month passes one thing could be turned into another already and so, most stuff would "lose validity".

I quite don't like "prediction" too, the cards are like a clock with someone reading its hours, like someone looking into an astrologic chart; different "clocks" that can only show so much hours right;

I do enjoy some questions that go off the roof in the timestamps, like subjective questions that i know aren't even supposed to be "here yet", or things i propositally am postponing, but i do see how they could easily change as the time passes.

I have some monthly spreads and i could show some data on how things change fast, even more when we're talking about objective fields of life; but yeah, for me, 1 month is being really effective and i stop in that margin but hey, that's my opinion ^^