EmpyreanKnight Posted October 27, 2017 Posted October 27, 2017 For those who perform self-readings, do you blame yourself if something happens which catches you utterly by surprise, and which you feel like you should have foreseen in one of your previous readings and maybe even prevented? Do you try to escape that mindset? If so, what are the most effective techniques that you'd recommend? Or do you hold your regrets and disappointments close to your heart, to remind yourself that you should always strive to be better, or as an impetus to never be careless again?
Lantana Posted October 27, 2017 Posted October 27, 2017 Great topic! Hindsight is 20/20. Of course after the fact you can look at the reading and see all the signs, but before you can really only go by your intuition and your previous knowledge of the cards. If you read a reading like Ace of Pentacles plus Five of Cups and think its failing a job offer but instead you get the job and find yourself hating it, all you can really do is learn from your mistakes for next time. There’s also been times where I’ve done this because I was too invested in the answer, and was skewing the cards to fit my hopes. (I want to believe we’ve all fallen for this at some point, right? :-[) Then afterwards you look at the cards and you think “I was such a fool, it was so obvious...” and you learn to be more objective. Either way, sometimes we miss things or try to prevent the inevitable and it falls through. We aren’t perfect, and a pack of tarot cards can’t protect you from life’s bumps and twists forever. So when something like that happens I try to be kind to myself and learn from it.
EmpyreanKnight Posted November 4, 2017 Author Posted November 4, 2017 Thanks for the kind words, Lantana. Everything that you said - well I know and feel that it's all true. I just have to take them to heart, but I guess that's the hard part, isn't it? You're quite a wise one. :D
Trogon Posted November 4, 2017 Posted November 4, 2017 To a large extent, most of my self-readings tend to be about spiritual things, or working on personal issues and so forth. I have found that, for me, trying to predict what may happen isn't as important as just being in a good place mentally and working through the problems. But then again, I do want to look ahead in certain situations, such as planning a big trip, or some other event. I have found that unless I'm looking at something specific like that, my future sight tends to be rather myopic. Having said all that, I do think there have been a couple of times when I've done readings and missed some salient point which, in retrospect, I felt I should have picked up on. In those cases, I've felt that there wasn't much to do other than cope in the here and now and perhaps make a note in my journal. While I do feel that the future is changeable if we can be forewarned of something, it is something that most people have trouble doing. And, since we are people, I expect we fit into that. I've told people before that I am much better at giving advice from a Tarot reading than I am at taking my own advice. But I do think that these instances are best looked at as learning experiences. I have learned that beating myself up over something that happened isn't productive. Though I still tend to do so when I've made a situation worse than it needed to be.
EmpyreanKnight Posted November 6, 2017 Author Posted November 6, 2017 To a large extent, most of my self-readings tend to be about spiritual things, or working on personal issues and so forth. I have found that, for me, trying to predict what may happen isn't as important as just being in a good place mentally and working through the problems. . . . I have found that unless I'm looking at something specific like that, my future sight tends to be rather myopic. I've told people before that I am much better at giving advice from a Tarot reading than I am at taking my own advice. But I do think that these instances are best looked at as learning experiences. I have learned that beating myself up over something that happened isn't productive. Though I still tend to do so when I've made a situation worse than it needed to be. I didn't know that we have quite a few things in common, Trogon. And thanks for these. Only three paragraphs and I've already saved some gems that would anchor me when I need some perspective. It's just that I've always been taught to prize goals and ends above everything, and I automatically apply the same mindset to almost everything I get involved in, like in health, relationships, and even the Tarot. Maybe I should just chill a bit.
Trogon Posted November 8, 2017 Posted November 8, 2017 To a large extent, most of my self-readings tend to be about spiritual things, or working on personal issues and so forth. I have found that, for me, trying to predict what may happen isn't as important as just being in a good place mentally and working through the problems. . . . I have found that unless I'm looking at something specific like that, my future sight tends to be rather myopic. I've told people before that I am much better at giving advice from a Tarot reading than I am at taking my own advice. But I do think that these instances are best looked at as learning experiences. I have learned that beating myself up over something that happened isn't productive. Though I still tend to do so when I've made a situation worse than it needed to be. I didn't know that we have quite a few things in common, Trogon. And thanks for these. Only three paragraphs and I've already saved some gems that would anchor me when I need some perspective. It's just that I've always been taught to prize goals and ends above everything, and I automatically apply the same mindset to almost everything I get involved in, like in health, relationships, and even the Tarot. Maybe I should just chill a bit. ... You could always do a Tarot reading on that. ;D
saintsandliars Posted November 8, 2017 Posted November 8, 2017 Tarot gives answers that come down to our own interpretations. When we're focused in a certain direction, it can be really easy to misinterpret something, and only to see later what the message might truly have been. For me, that's a learning experience - I've found a new way to interpret the cards, or broadened my interpretation of a spread to include something else. It can also be very easy to reverse-engineer our readings, making something that had a relevant other meaning in the moment into a 'warning' for something that hadn't yet been on our radar. It's really easy to find ways to blame ourselves for not seeing something coming, even if it was something entirely out of left field that really couldn't have been forseen. But ultimately, I think it's important to remember that there's no power in the world that will ever allow us to see everything in our future. We have blind spots, and all cartomancy (and most other forms of divination, tbh) requires interpretation. Blaming ourselves for something is, in its way, an attempt to take power back over a situation that makes us feel powerless, because clearly it should have been within our abilities to control this aspect of our lives. Unfortunately, it doesn't actually work that way. We're not in control of everything, and it's important to acknowledge that and not try to post-engineer the 'should haves' into our lives, even when we've got cartomancy as a method to clarify our thoughts on the future.
EmpyreanKnight Posted November 9, 2017 Author Posted November 9, 2017 Thanks saintsandliars. I know that very few people have the gift of absolute foresight, and it's a well nigh impossible bar to aim for. I guess I should just aim to get better and better every year until I become really good at this. I know that we can do it. :) And maybe I just need a bit more maturity to accept frailties and weaknesses.
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