Research Experiment #1

Teheuti

Research Experiment #1: Prediction

Calling all people who are willing to try a prediction experiment -

I AM NO LONGER OFFICIALLY DOING THIS EXPERIMENT, however I encourage people to give it a try and report on it here to each other. I'll check in occasionally but as I'll be traveling a lot I may not be here often.

1) Ask a question about something where you will soon have a definitive result but which result cannot be controlled by either the querent or reader. (Soon can be a few hours or a couple of weeks.)
2) Use any spread you want (give deck, position meanings & cards).
3) Give a clear-cut, unambiguous prediction that answers your question. This prediction must be a short, single, precise answer (yes/no or a specific, verifiable fact). You can add a short commentary.
4) Report back on what actually happened. Please put the word "Result" in the final post Title and refer back to your original post number found on the bottom right (and any other clarifying posts).

We're looking for how accurate a reading can be in unambiguously predicting specific future events that are not under the control of either querent or reader.

Periodically I, or someone else, can tally up the results and summarize them. You can participate as many times as you'd like.

I should note that when doing this experiment in my tarot classes that we average only a 50% success rate or very slightly higher. Given my own results I personally don't offer these kinds of readings for money. Still, I've found that some people are better at them than others. Furthermore, the experiment might give us information about what works or doesn't work in readings.
 

Teheuti

Will he get the job?

FINAL REPORT ON THIS READING: Dave did not get the job. In fact, after Dave's getting to the final round, the man who was hiring decided to eliminate the position all together. Dave is still at his earlier job and is quite happy with it.


"Dave" has been interviewing for a new job. The final (4th) interview was Friday but he won't hear until this coming week or later.

Question: "Will he get the job?"

Deck: Deirdre of the Sorrows

Spread: 3-card Yes/No. Upright=Yes; Reversed=No; Middle card counts twice. (Can interpret cards as Past, Present, Future - left to right)

Result: 5 of Cups, 4 of Cups, 4 of Wands (all upright) = 4 counts for a YES prediction.

Comments: The 5 and 4 of Cups feature the same man, sitting facing left, with head down as if in sorrowful contemplation or waiting. This feels like the waiting game. Dave applied because a friend told him of the position and recommended him. At first it was a lark just to apply but by the 3rd interview he realized how much he wanted the job and became fearful that he wouldn't get it. (I'm not sure why the former employee is leaving the job but it might have something to do with the 5 of Cups in the Past.) The 4 of Wands shows a house with an open door and clasped hands in the foreground; one wears a wedding ring.

Last week, at the request of Dave & his wife, I did a magic spread to try and help. I chose the 4 of Wands (RWS) for the basis position of a Celtic Cross spread—the Basis being that the organization wanted to complete their community—that is, find the perfect person to welcome in. This synchronicity seems very auspicious.

Having the 4 of Wands in the Future position indicates to me that, although there may be some delay or hesitation (4 & 5 of Cups), that Dave and this company will be a good "marriage" and they will eventually ask him to take the position.

Now we only have to wait and see.
 

Imagemaker

remodeling job

I'll give this a try, trying not to ask a yes or no question. We're remodeling 3 bathrooms at once. So my question is, given a delayed bathtub and a question about wrong tile being purchased:

How will the bathroom renovation progress in the next week?:

3 cards, no defined spread:

Queen of Pentacles
Death
5 wands

I see the materials in the Queen's card, trying to organize all the parts to this job, getting all the items here in the staging area to be installed as needed.

Certainly the 5 wands shows the struggle of getting things built, as we try to get all the subcontractors going in the same direction.

And perhaps Death is the end of the first phase (which went well) and now we face the next phase, which is one of delay and waiting (Purgatory?)

So by next Saturday I'll post on how the week went.
 

Teheuti

Imagemaker said:
I'll give this a try, trying not to ask a yes or no question.
This is well worth a try to see if this kind of issue will work for the project, which requires, according to item #2, clear-cut answers as to if the prediction was true or not. I've clarified this in the original post. This may be problematic, based on how objectively ambiguous your results are. The degree to which they are dependent on subjective interpretation could create confusion. But, we'll see.

Thank you so much for being willing to play.
 

Annabelle

Okay, I'll give this a try :).

In the next week or two, I should find out if I've been elected by my colleagues to be a representative to our department's executive committee for the next academic year. The vote hasn't happened yet, but is coming up soon.

Deck: Fenestra

Spread: (Exactly the same as Teheuti's) 3-card Yes/No. Upright=Yes; Reversed=No; Middle card counts twice. (Can interpret cards as Past, Present, Future - left to right)

Result: 8 of Swords (rx), 9 of Cups, the Devil = 1 reversed and 3 upright counts as a YES answer.

It's interesting to try to read these as past, present, future in addition to the Yes/No interpretation . . . I can definitely see myself in the 8 of Swords reversed this past year - a lot of upset and confused feelings, not knowing my schedule or even the continuing status of my job from month to month and semester to semester.

As for the present, I have been feeling quite a bit like the figure in the 9 of Cups lately . . . satisfied. Getting what I want. Having achieved something.

And as for the Devil looming in the future . . . well, I put own name forward for the position on this committee, so whatever comes, I asked for it. I do suspect that, if elected, I may well feel "chained" to a lot of problems that I hadn't even known about before.

I will post again once the election has taken place and I know the outcome . . .
 

Sinduction

I'm joining in but be warned that I usually do not read reversals. :D But I do have Mary's book hanging around so I used that to help me out.

I'm calling my lawyer tomorrow because I need representation, but it is not an area he usually practices. I asked, "Will J take my case?"

Deck: Universal Waite

Spread: 3-card Yes/No. Upright=Yes; Reversed=No; Middle card counts twice. (Can interpret cards as Past, Present, Future - left to right)

Result: King of Swords, 6 Pentacles, The Magician (All reversed so I guess no!)

I think that King is saying that since J doesn't normally work in this area, he will not feel confident enough to take it on.

I think the 6 and that Magician together are telling me that he has the perfect person to refer me to in order to get my money back. I think the Magician is also telling me that this is something I cannot handle on my own.

How's that sound? Let you know what happens tomorrow. :D
 

Raya

What's gonna happen with this guy who asked me out?

Robin Wood Deck
I just pulled one card (I find it's clearer that way)
2 Wands rx
Interpretation- I'm going to be waiting a while for this guy to follow through (story of my romantic life.) Or perhaps I'll date him briefly and figure I should pass on this one and wait for something better.

ETA: I wrote this hastily before rushing off to meet a friend, and wasn't clear. A guy, to whom I only spoke only briefly last weekend, invited me to a movie this coming weekend. So what's going to happen on this date? Let me clarify my prediction. I'll go on the date with him, and while it won't be a disaster, there won't be any great chemistry, and thus there will be no impetus (I believe on my part) to see each other again. Looking back, I think that the part I wrote about "following through" was just baggage coming through. I'm standing by the second part, hopefully clarified here.
 

Teheuti

Raya said:
What's gonna happen with this guy who asked me out? . . . I'm going to be waiting a while for this guy to follow through (story of my romantic life.) Or perhaps I'll date him briefly and figure I should pass on this one and wait for something better.
Raya, I hate to say this but I don't think this is not a good question or spread for this project as it's not specific enough. We can trying following up what happens, but it will be hard to say if or when there's a definitive answer and whether or not you were accurate (you listed several possible results). If you date him successfully for a long time (six months, a year, two years?) then I guess your interpretation of the card you drew would be proved wrong. What do you think it would take?

With a research project we have to have pretty definitive guidelines. Item #1 requires that you will SOON know whether your prediction was right or wrong. Will you be able to tell us absolutely either way within a couple of weeks or less? Please let us know.