Any advice on why my readings are gloomy?

[Nanou]

Hey!
I hope you’re doing well.

So my question isn’t about a specific reading but about the general answer I presently got from all my own love readings. They are always bad, really bad, as if I were to stay single and sad forever. I mean, it’s all Five of Cups, Five of Wands, Three of Swords, Ten of Swords, Strength, Five of Pentacles, Eight of Cups, Eight of Swords...

No matter the question, no matter the position in the reading (I mostly use the Celtic Cross), it is always bad.
The only good card I got was the Two of Cups but it was in the past position...

I really don’t know what to think about all this...
I’d like to believe that it only indicates my current state of mind - one can still hope, right? - but I did another reading and the future outcome position + what is hidden position were correct (alonside with the other positions) so why should it be any different for my love readings: the card on the future position are always bad, does this mean my future in love will be bad?

I Know Tarot shows only one possible outcome and that it is up to us to act to change it if we don’t like it but I’m really at loss here...

Have you ever had that type of gloomy answers?

[Charlie Brown]

I think that you answered your own question. You said:

it is up to us to act to change it if we don’t like it

So, it seems like, right now, that you aren't on a path that's going to lead you to success. What you need to explore now, in my opinion, is what do you need to work on. What are the things holding you back? Where do you need to make changes?

[Nanou]

Thanks for your answer and insight Charlie Brown.

So, it seems like, right now, that you aren't on a path that's going to lead you to success. What you need to explore now, in my opinion, is what do you need to work on. What are the things holding you back? Where do you need to make changes?

Yeah, that’s the issue: I don’t have any idea on how to change things, on what I should work on... Like I said, I’m at loss. I even did a reading asking for what I should do / work on to improve my love Life but I didn’t get the meaning of the cards together, I gave up...

I’m not sure if it is something that can be answered through Tarot

[Charlie Brown]

Well, it's certainly something you can try with tarot. A simple spread that I like for these sorts of situations is 3 cards: something to do—something to think — something to feel.

The tricky part is getting fluent enough to read cards as, say, a directive for action. Books tend to start out with more descriptive definitions.

[Ciderwell]

I’m not sure if it is something that can be answered through Tarot

You can always try asking the questions differently/rephrasing them. Or change the game to your own advantage.
Try splitting the deck by removing every card you deem negative, then you could work with every card you deem positive. There is no rule book that says this isn't allowed! You can even play them as two decks (light/shadow), to answer the same question.

[Nanou]

Thanks, again!

When you say:

something to think — something to feel.

What does it mean exactly ?
- what should I think of to make it better ?
- what should I feel?
I don’t quite understand, sorry :/

The tricky part is getting fluent enough to read cards as, say, a directive for action.

I’m not sure I’ll be able to read that say. I’ll probably ask for help in another post to be sure I’m correctly interpreting it.

Thanks a lot!

[Charlie Brown]

An example question : how can I move my life in a more positive direction?

If I have time later, I might post a sample reading.

[Charlie Brown]

OK. I'll do this real short and quick.

Q: How can I engender more positivity in my life?

Spread: Something to do - Something to Think - Something to feel

Deck: RWS

Cards: Knight of Wands - 8 of Swords - Chariot

So, looking at these, I need to act in a Knight of Wands kind of capacity. He's quick, passionate filled with ideas.

I need to think about what's holding my back, what's binding me, what are the restrictions that I'm not seeing.

I need to make myself feel like I've got some kind of forward momentum going that I'm not, per the 8, stuck in place.

So, in sum, it's the act of doing, of actively engaging my ideas and taking actions that excite me will lead me to positivity. In this reading, the Knight and the Chariot seem to go hand-in-hand. In order to get the best out of these actions I'm going to have to reflect on what's been stopping me.

[Ciderwell]

To practice what I preach I've split the RWS cards as much as possible into a reasonably balanced, (negative) 33/45 (positive) set of two decks, and used an Elemental Dignity spread:

Air (north) Swords
Earth (south) Coins
Fire (east) Wands
Water (west) Cups

I dealt a ratio of -1:3+ negative to positive cards to ensure the ED's were stacked in your favour.

A reading asking for what I should do / work on to improve my love Life.

6 of Cups

Wheel of Fortune | The Chariot

5 of Swords

Initially the reading looks fairly obvious, as the negative (5 of Swords) card is in the Earth position you should therefore not dwell on unhealthy mental attitudes stirred up in your past, but try to combat them by thinking of happier times (6 of Cups). For example, remembering the really good gifts you have received, especially from admirers.
The two Majors might help you to understand and resolve the shadow of the past.

[TheLoracular]

Hey!
I hope you’re doing well.

They are always bad, really bad, as if I were to stay single and sad forever. I mean, it’s all Five of Cups, Five of Wands, Three of Swords, Ten of Swords, Strength, Five of Pentacles, Eight of Cups, Eight of Swords...

Have you ever had that type of gloomy answers?

So this would happen quite often when I was in my late teens and early 20s. If I was in a really dismal kind of mood and feeling hopeless or lonely and I tried to read tarot for myself, I would get cards that confirmed how I was feeling vs. helpful. The worse I felt, the worse the card draws.

So I learned to just not read cards for myself if I was in a state of mind where I secretly, unconsciously, wanted confirmation that yes, I was going to be miserable. Because if that was what I believed about myself? The cards were happy to confirm it.

I don't know if that sounds exactly like what you are going through now.