Cult of Tarot Forum

I have a lot of questions about this:) Do you ever get readings 'wrong'?

I've been wondering, when looking back on readings that didn't seem to predict the correct outcome if it's a case of the reader not correctly interpreting the cards (i.e. the cards were right) or if the reading was off in some way (reader didn't pick the correct cards, reader wasn't attuned correctly, didn't ask the right question etc.). I've also thought of the possibility that things can change, nothing is set in stone, and what was probable at one point may change days or weeks later, and also what was shown was true, but an aspect that perhaps you are not able to verify. And how would you know which of all these possibilities is the reason for the seemingly 'wrong' prediction? Lots to think about!

I've done a couple of readings recently where the actual outcome was different to what I saw, and now I can't fathom what the cards actually meant (seemed clear as day at the time). It's dented my confidence a bit. I've also seen readings by other people where what was predicted by the reader was not what happened. So it's got me wondering about this.

What are your thoughts/experiences/advice?

This is very much a personal perspective and may not be shared by others, but I don't put much store in firm predictions from tarot readings. We all have free will and can shape our future through our choices and actions. The choices and actions of others also shape our future and I don't believe this is predetermined script.

A tarot reading for me is a snapshot in time. It captures what is going on at the time the cards were drawn, the energies of the situation. And I think a card reader also draws on universal wisdom and knowledge and synchronicities to interpret what may happen based on what is known right now, as a probability or a progression of the current picture. But I don't believe it can ever be a guarantee of the future, there are too many variables.

Asking follow up questions like "what can I do to increase my chances of a good outcome" or "what could prevent me from getting this outcome" are helpful in putting the 'outcome' into context and probing some of those variables.

I agree with Charlotte. I see the cards as my personal queen of England - they have the right to be consulted, to warn and to encourage. A negative card then would mean a warning, and not "this and that will invariably happen". If I heed the warning, the bad scenario won't be happen. And the cards have fulfilled their function.

I don't use the cards at all for "what will happen" questions because I believe in my ability to influence my life and make decisions. That includes making the wrong decisions and dealing with the outcome.

Yeah they can sometimes be wrong. Since perfection is almost impossible, one can just aim to get better and more accurate over time. As you gain a more intimate knowledge of your cards and through more practice, this becomes very likely.

This is also my approach, (what Charlotte said) to see the cards for guidance and not to predict the future.

The cards give me ideas, help me set priorities, organise my thoughts and help me focus.
For example, if I'm having a problem with a loved one, rather than wanting to know what's going to happen, I'd like to know how I can best help the situation, what do I need to remember when interacting with this person, maybe see past the surface more to the heart of a situation.

All that said, I know predicting the future with the cards is something some people like to do, at least sometimes, and I once heard this advice to practice: Take a current event or any situation with a famous person or celebrity and do a reading about it, something that will resolve soon, like an election or an award show or sports event (how many games will this year's World Series go?) that kind of thing. It's harmless fun and you get a result so you can test your prediction skills. I could see how this would be helpful for practicing certain kinds of readings like ones that require a number for an answer.

I've always meant to do this but haven't really. We do have a "Current Events" topic in the Reading Games section but I have been nervous it will turn political and I don't think anyone wants that here. I know I don't. But I don't see any harm in, as a group, us doing predictive readings about innocuous things, testing out spreads for it etc.

Of course alone you could take on any topic you like and find out how accurate you are just by reading the news.

Joan Marie wrote: ↑08 Oct 2018, 14:23
All that said, I know predicting the future with the cards is something some people like to do, at least sometimes, and I once heard this advice to practice: Take a current event or any situation with a famous person or celebrity and do a reading about it, something that will resolve soon, like an election or an award show or sports event (how many games will this year's World Series go?) that kind of thing. It's harmless fun and you get a result so you can test your prediction skills. I could see how this would be helpful for practicing certain kinds of readings like ones that require a number for an answer.

I've always meant to do this but haven't really. We do have a "Current Events" topic in the Reading Games section but I have been nervous it will turn political and I don't think anyone wants that here. I know I don't. But I don't see any harm in, as a group, us doing predictive readings about innocuous things, testing out spreads for it etc.

Of course alone you could take on any topic you like and find out how accurate you are just by reading the news.

I've been doing this in the past few months to get practice with my cards. I think it's useful as you can (to a certain extent) check your accuracy. I'd like to see some posts here on current event readings. I think it would be nice to do it as a group - have a topic and then see what everyone comes up with. I do understand what you say about it turning political though. Maybe if it was in the forum rule to keep the conversation to the reading rather than personal opinions on the topic it might help.

I've been thinking a lot about my original question and come up with some possible answers which I posted in my blog (link is in my signature). I think it's an interesting topic and something I'm sure I'll revisit again over time.

I had a look your blog post (nice blog by the way) and thought it was interesting the way it shows how one's political beliefs could colour their reading. Which I think shows the learning value to doing current events readings. You can learn how your bias' influence how you interpret cards. Learning to see past bias would help you become a more objective reader.

To be honest though, I don't think it is possible to take on modern political topics these days in a public forum like this without it getting dicey. Even with a request to leave personal feelings out of it. Because essentially, that's at the heart of the exercise, isn't it? Learning to get past that? I think it's best done in private or on one's own blog.

However I do think we could work out some kind of current event reading here, it would just be a question of finding the right topic and asking the right question about it. Sports and entertainment have a lot to offer for fun quickie predictive exercises that won't ruffle anyone's feathers.

I have an idea for one. I will open it up in the "reading games" section.

I essentially agree with CharlotteK but I would add that rather than the cards being wrong, I place emphasis on the reader's ability to be soundly objective, I think this is especially true if you're doing a reading for yourself.

I think if you can get over that hurdle then you have made a tremendous stride of progress, something akin to "mastering yourself first" before you can be a truly effective reader for others.

It's my opinion that the cards aren't wrong but the reader can misinterpret them wrongly. Whenever I do a reading that's spot on, I feel humbled that I was able to interpret the cards right. But then again, sometimes the cards were right and so was the reader but the sitter won't see the actual result till the time is right and the thing actually manifests.

Grizabella wrote: ↑04 Dec 2018, 06:41 It's my opinion that the cards aren't wrong but the reader can misinterpret them wrongly. Whenever I do a reading that's spot on, I feel humbled that I was able to interpret the cards right. But then again, sometimes the cards were right and so was the reader but the sitter won't see the actual result till the time is right and the thing actually manifests.

I think as I am becoming more experienced with my cards I'm coming to this conclusion more firmly. I find sometimes that a card immediately doesn't make sense but if I mull it over I eventually realize what it's saying, and it also shows me how my mind's symbology and associations are being conveyed through the card to give me the answer. I've had some real Ah Ha! moments!:)

I found it rarely will be wrong, but of course it will sometimes as nothing is perfect. It also take quite some time to reveal the answer that shown in the spread.