Accuracy of Your Predictions.

[Saturn Celeste]

Just now, Symph said:

I mean... people can be quite suggestible.  It's how TV manipulates so well. 

TV and corrupt tarot readers.  Manipulation is exactly what happens with sleezy tarot readers who say things to keep getting their clients back for more and more money.  They recognize weakness in their customers and pick on that until they get everything they can out of that person.

 

But back on topic, I don't read for myself.  I just don't do it, I have no desire to but I do rely on people's feedback.  Without good feedback and communications a tarot reader is not as good as they can be.  But I don't always get feedback with clients, it is the fact they come back to me that really says I'm doing something right.  It's knowing that yes, I did get this or that right and that's the spark I need to keep going and continue trusting in my cards and sticking to the message of the cards.  For me, that's all it takes, good feedback!

[Barleywine]

There are a couple of issues wrapped up in this question. First, in my face-to-face professional readings, sitters usually walk out the door and I never see or hear from them again, so outcome accuracy remains an unknown (and I have yet to notice that it's any different with online readings). Secondly, there is nothing remotely approaching the scientific method in the practice of tarot (not even as much as there is in natal astrology), and there is no established database of empirical evidence we can update to demonstrate how well or poorly we as an international community of diviners are doing. That means that any proof of accuracy we are likely to get will be anecdotal: the sitter was smiling when they went out the door so the reading must have been on-the-money. (I certainly wouldn't crow about that kind of testimonial.) To test my accuracy a little more formally, I've been taking on missing person cases. When and if the person is found, I can go back and verify what I predicted for an outcome. Unfortunately, so far in most of my successful solved cases the individuals have been found dead. But in the big picture, I'm not concerned so much about my veracity as I am in providing insights that help people make their own decisions; they will create accuracy (or not) in what they do (or don't do) to either promote a positive outcome or avoid a negative one.

[katrinka]

12 hours ago, Barleywine said:

There are a couple of issues wrapped up in this question. First, in my face-to-face professional readings, sitters usually walk out the door and I never see or hear from them again, so outcome accuracy remains an unknown (and I have yet to notice that it's any different with online readings).

Well hello! And where have YOU been? 🙂

You should be getting repeat clients. People who get a reading on a regular basis will virtually always let you know about the hits and misses.

12 hours ago, Barleywine said:

Secondly, there is nothing remotely approaching the scientific method in the practice of tarot (not even as much as there is in natal astrology), and there is no established database of empirical evidence we can update to demonstrate how well or poorly we as an international community of diviners are doing.

I've never really concerned myself with readers collectively. Accuracy-wise, I monitor the quality of my own work. And that can be gauged by repeat clients, as mentioned above, and reading for myself. 

 

[Barleywine]

1 hour ago, katrinka said:

Well hello! And where have YOU been? 🙂

You should be getting repeat clients. People who get a reading on a regular basis will virtually always let you know about the hits and misses.

I've never really concerned myself with readers collectively. Accuracy-wise, I monitor the quality of my own work. And that can be gauged by repeat clients, as mentioned above, and reading for myself. 

 

Hi! I disappeared to focus on my blog and a couple of historical FB pages (Ross Caldwell's and Sherryl Smith's). I was receiving very little response to my input here and was getting bored. But it looks like the community has grown quite a bit, with a few more familiar faces, so I decided to jump back in. When I moved and left my shop-reading gig, I pretty much lost repeat clients, and I haven't got much going here yet for a local practice. Since I finally reconciled myself to doing on-line readings I've had a couple of repeats, but it's sporadic. But my readings were well-received. I don't read much for myself unless I'm testing a new spread or doing a periodic GT.

[53rdspirit]

It's hard to say about "accuracy." Repeat clients are a good gauge, I guess, but then I ask myself, did they create their own self-fulfilling prophecy because it is what I saw in the cards and told them --or are the "in-accurate" readings simply because the client(s) took my words with them and now consciously changed the outcome? So, in the end, I just read what I see, feel, or both, and let it fly.

 

I always appreciate feedback and usually say so to the folks whose cards I read. 

 

I'm uncomfortable when sitters cry, though. 😞 

[Barleywine]

9 minutes ago, 53rdspirit said:

It's hard to say about "accuracy." Repeat clients are a good gauge, I guess, but then I ask myself, did they create their own self-fulfilling prophecy because it is what I saw in the cards and told them --or are the "in-accurate" readings simply because the client(s) took my words with them and now consciously changed the outcome? So, in the end, I just read what I see, feel, or both, and let it fly.

 

I always appreciate feedback and usually say so to the folks whose cards I read. 

 

I'm uncomfortable when sitters cry, though. 😞 

I certainly hope my clients take my words with them and consciously change the outcome if it was a harsh one! After all, the reading is for their benefit, not my self-evaluation. I've never had a sitter cry, just a few squinty-eyed, skeptical ones who stopped just short of sneering.

[53rdspirit]

Just now, Barleywine said:

I certainly hope my clients take my words with them and consciously change the outcome if it was a harsh one! After all, the reading is for their benefit, not my self-evaluation. I've never had a sitter cry, just a few squinty-eyed, skeptical ones who stopped just short of sneering.

Yes, agree, on the first and second -->on the third.

[geoxena]

On 11/5/2019 at 12:59 AM, katrinka said:

A lot of people suffer from psychological disorders that can cause them to obsess on things to the point you describe. I'm not being ableist here, these can be otherwise good intelligent people, but they should be going to qualified therapists with their problems, not fortunetellers.
It's a sad commentary on our society that they come to us.
And when we see indications of such thinking, it's our responsibility to assist them in finding someone qualified to help them. NOT read their cards.

I'm so glad you said this!

[theholysticvagabond]

I feel I'm having a very well accuracy rate. But I'm still doubting if it's my psychic abilities who are very good or if I'm very in tune with my intuition.

I might also tend to remember all the things I have predicted right, and not the other ones haha. But yes, no complains here.

[Grace]

On 11/5/2019 at 6:13 AM, Symph said:

It feels like whatever I'm tapping into... it's like... in all of us.  Or it's universal I think.  Maybe even some other part of me, but maybe it really is this "collective consciousness" people speak of.  But I still strongly believe that the future isn't set in stone, I don't think it's even real. 

I would agree this with. I feel like we ALL have the natural ability, some just choose to align themselves with the universal guidance and others don't (whether they know it or not), which is ok too. There is no right or wrong in that respect. I think a lot of people mistaken tarot as 'fortune telling', when to me at least it is just another fun way to use our physicality to explain connection to source/universe/god whatever you want to call it. That fine tuning flows through and allows certain cards to be drawn to allow the querent some clarity. The universe is always on our side, and wants to give us what we want. So when 'bad' cards come up, I see it as a mirror into what is being put out into the universe - it is showing the querent that is what they are attracting into their 'future' at this moment. How wonderful that we get to provide the opportunity for someone to refocus their lives and fulfil their dreams! One of my favourite things about reading for others is not the practice itself, but of empowering people to find their own clarity beyond the 'permission slip' of ritual or mysticism, and bringing it into their everyday life.

Because of the element of the 'self fulfilling prophesy', I think it is really important to educate the seeker on what tarot reading is, and what it is NOT, before the reading. All my readings so far have been wonderfully accurate. In fact, the reason I sought out this forum in the first place was a recent 'tricky' reading - where I let my own emotions on a particular subject cloud my intuition. And I knew it. I didn't do it justice. It didn't feel easy, it didn't flow, it was nothing like the readings I had done for others in the past because I pinched myself off from receiving that guiding energy. That is my two cents anyway. ☺️

[Grace]

On 3/5/2020 at 4:20 AM, 53rdspirit said:

I'm uncomfortable when sitters cry, though. 😞 

Oh god - I've done this a two times.🤣
Both times the reader touched on something so unexpected, almost a 'forgotten pain' that I couldn't stop the waterworks. If it makes you feel better, us criers feel more uncomfortable than you do! 

[Grace]

3 hours ago, theholysticvagabond said:

I feel I'm having a very well accuracy rate. But I'm still doubting if it's my psychic abilities who are very good or if I'm very in tune with my intuition.

I might also tend to remember all the things I have predicted right, and not the other ones haha. But yes, no complains here.

I don't believe there is a difference. I actually don't like the term 'psychic', and use it reluctantly. Others don't have a problem with it and that is fine.
To me it doesn't feel inclusive and conjures up images that are 'out of the norm', and out of reach of 'normal' people (aka people who have yet to recognise their own relationship with source energy).
I think we are all connected to that energy, some let it in and others don't/have forgotten how to etc. So don't doubt your 'psychic' abilities! 
As for the ones you think you got 'wrong', just use it as a way to fine tune your intuition further (how the 'wrong' ones felt at the time vs the 'right' ones - remembering that the future is fluid anyway).
 

[Arania]

I'm about 95% accurate, at least with those I get feedback from - however this may just mean when I wasn't as spot on I don't get feedback. It is often the case that I'm getting information way too specific and then usually don't put in so many details as to not freak out people (yes that's happened before) and that is usually correct as well when I get feedback.

 

I've done 2 missing dog cases which turned out to be mostly correct.

 

My main problem is getting wrong or incomplete information from sitters. Sometimes the cards tell me of the problem but not always.

[katrinka]

On 3/4/2020 at 11:20 AM, 53rdspirit said:

It's hard to say about "accuracy." Repeat clients are a good gauge, I guess, but then I ask myself, did they create their own self-fulfilling prophecy because it is what I saw in the cards and told them --or are the "in-accurate" readings simply because the client(s) took my words with them and now consciously changed the outcome?

That brings up the whole (tired) "fate vs. free will" controversy, which ought not to be a controversy at all. 
Some circumstances (your job, your partner, etc.) can be changed. Some can't. (We are all going to die someday, for instance.)
And some things are totally outside the client's influence. If the cards predict a hurricane, for instance, it's not "self fulfilling prophecy" when it happens. The client can avoid it by travelling inland, but it still happens and they may well sustain property damage.

[Arania]

That's a good point, but I never had anyone asking about a storm yet. Nor did such a thing come up yet.

[53rdspirit]

2 hours ago, katrinka said:

That brings up the whole (tired) "fate vs. free will" controversy, which ought not to be a controversy at all. 

I thought, perhaps, if I worded it correctly, I would not be found out. 

[theholysticvagabond]

17 hours ago, Grace said:

I don't believe there is a difference. I actually don't like the term 'psychic', and use it reluctantly. Others don't have a problem with it and that is fine.
To me it doesn't feel inclusive and conjures up images that are 'out of the norm', and out of reach of 'normal' people (aka people who have yet to recognise their own relationship with source energy).
I think we are all connected to that energy, some let it in and others don't/have forgotten how to etc. So don't doubt your 'psychic' abilities! 
As for the ones you think you got 'wrong', just use it as a way to fine tune your intuition further (how the 'wrong' ones felt at the time vs the 'right' ones - remembering that the future is fluid anyway).
 

yes, I need definitely to get a closer look to the wrong one to improve. Thanks for your response! 🙂

[katrinka]

5 hours ago, Arania said:

That's a good point, but I never had anyone asking about a storm yet. Nor did such a thing come up yet.

It will.
The path of a hurricane is notoriously changeable. People will ask you if they're going to get hit, if their homes will be damaged...give it time.

LOL @53rdspirit 

 

 

[Arania]

True, we get more and more storms around here. Unfortunately.

[Symph]

On 3/7/2020 at 8:26 PM, Grace said:

I would agree this with. I feel like we ALL have the natural ability, some just choose to align themselves with the universal guidance and others don't (whether they know it or not), which is ok too. There is no right or wrong in that respect. I think a lot of people mistaken tarot as 'fortune telling', when to me at least it is just another fun way to use our physicality to explain connection to source/universe/god whatever you want to call it. That fine tuning flows through and allows certain cards to be drawn to allow the querent some clarity. The universe is always on our side, and wants to give us what we want. So when 'bad' cards come up, I see it as a mirror into what is being put out into the universe - it is showing the querent that is what they are attracting into their 'future' at this moment. How wonderful that we get to provide the opportunity for someone to refocus their lives and fulfil their dreams! One of my favourite things about reading for others is not the practice itself, but of empowering people to find their own clarity beyond the 'permission slip' of ritual or mysticism, and bringing it into their everyday life.

Because of the element of the 'self fulfilling prophesy', I think it is really important to educate the seeker on what tarot reading is, and what it is NOT, before the reading. All my readings so far have been wonderfully accurate. In fact, the reason I sought out this forum in the first place was a recent 'tricky' reading - where I let my own emotions on a particular subject cloud my intuition. And I knew it. I didn't do it justice. It didn't feel easy, it didn't flow, it was nothing like the readings I had done for others in the past because I pinched myself off from receiving that guiding energy. That is my two cents anyway. ☺️

I really like the way you think, I too strive to make sure that the sitter understands how I feel about Tarot and does not believe I'm about to "tell them their set in stone future" but rather just look at how things are and where they're heading.  I think it's actually pretty easy to get people excitable over the things you say, I have recently started giving readings at work (and it's really taking off!)  And I find that there's a surprising tendency for people to take whatever I say as law cause they believe it's like... God speaking through me, (and maybe it is but still) and I always try to notice when that seems to be the case and be like "Your life is in YOUR hands, I've given you some perspective if you don't want that outcome then CHANGE IT!"  

[Grace]

8 hours ago, Symph said:

I really like the way you think, I too strive to make sure that the sitter understands how I feel about Tarot and does not believe I'm about to "tell them their set in stone future" but rather just look at how things are and where they're heading.  I think it's actually pretty easy to get people excitable over the things you say, I have recently started giving readings at work (and it's really taking off!)  And I find that there's a surprising tendency for people to take whatever I say as law cause they believe it's like... God speaking through me, (and maybe it is but still) and I always try to notice when that seems to be the case and be like "Your life is in YOUR hands, I've given you some perspective if you don't want that outcome then CHANGE IT!"  

That's so cool that you have started readings at work that are doing well. I only do readings for friends, and friends of friends who wanted theirs done. But it has only ever been unpaid, casual over coffee type scenario. Not everyone understands the nuance of what I mean, even though they nod and say 'yes, yes', it will be followed up with a 'but will...' this happen question. 🤣 Funnily enough, the sceptics are the most fun of all. I've only read for three, but they really enjoyed the readings and insight they got from it, all the while trying not to look like they are too interested in what I'm saying. Sometimes, I feel like their lack of investment in what the cards say give them a bit of an emotional advantage (which is ironic but makes sense to me at least). 

[Symph]

4 hours ago, Grace said:

That's so cool that you have started readings at work that are doing well. I only do readings for friends, and friends of friends who wanted theirs done. But it has only ever been unpaid, casual over coffee type scenario. Not everyone understands the nuance of what I mean, even though they nod and say 'yes, yes', it will be followed up with a 'but will...' this happen question. 🤣 Funnily enough, the sceptics are the most fun of all. I've only read for three, but they really enjoyed the readings and insight they got from it, all the while trying not to look like they are too interested in what I'm saying. Sometimes, I feel like their lack of investment in what the cards say give them a bit of an emotional advantage (which is ironic but makes sense to me at least). 

My big fear is that in many ways they are tricking themselves but at the same time, are they?  Or is the universe communicating more than I realize through me?  For example, I got the King of wands as an outside influence in a celtic cross spread for one girl and I said "There is a male influence who you are being controlled by still, some male force in your life is causing you to diminish who you are and how you behave and the decisions you make" and that's ALL I said.  I then heard her talking to others after the reading and she said "He knew everything he told me about my dead brother and everything!!!"  But... I didn't lol  I just said a male influence was holding her back.  So like... did SHE just interpret it how she wanted because she wanted to BELIEVE that I was the "great oracle" or did I indeed say things the universe wanted me to and just not realize that it was going to bring up thoughts of this dead brother of her's?   I have no idea, I just hope it's not people like... projecting what they want to hear into my readings.  

[Grandma]

Perhaps you are way overthinking this, @Symph.   You read the card.  It applied to her life.  That's what you want it to do, isn't it?  

15 minutes ago, Symph said:

did I indeed say things the universe wanted me to and just not realize that it was going to bring up thoughts of this dead brother of her's?

Yes, that's probably exactly what happened and what is supposed to happen.  If we read the cards correctly they will resonate with our querents.  

Don't doubt your own ability as a reader because a client relates to what you see in the cards!

 

 

[Symph]

12 minutes ago, Grandma said:

Perhaps you are way overthinking this, @Symph.   You read the card.  It applied to her life.  That's what you want it to do, isn't it?  

Yes, that's probably exactly what happened and what is supposed to happen.  If we read the cards correctly they will resonate with our querents.  

Don't doubt your own ability as a reader because a client relates to what you see in the cards!

 

 

Always over thinking bleh... that's me!!  LOL   You are probably right Grandma... 

[Grace]

@Grandma is right @Symph! No need to doubt your ability, it doesn't serve anyone. You have ample examples to the contrary. Don't overthinking it!