barefootlife
This led me to think about how we go about asking questions in Tarot. Whether we are asking for ourselves or helping someone else, the forming of the question is fundamental. To dig down to the real question is an important skill for any tarot reader.
For example, someone asks, "Does _____ love me?" A common question. I bet I am not alone in trying not to just roll my eyes at someone who asks this kind of question. But of course, that won't help anyone. So what if we ask, "Why do you want/need to know that?" Now, the person is really thinking. And we can keep digging until we get to the the REAL question and at that point the learning, the understanding can begin.
I think this is a very fundamental part of Tarot reading, as important a skill as knowing what the cards mean. It's a real test of your skill and intuition before you ever lay down a card.
I wonder if any of you have any opinions on this or any techniques you employ to get to the right question with yourself or with others.
I agree with you in principle - that kind of question is rarely interesting or particularly helpful. But sometimes trying to get down to the real meat of the matter is too much for someone who isn't used to that sort of thinking. Plus, someone who comes to tarot asking a yes/no question like that may not have experience with what the cards really do. Possibly explaining that y/n is not really the way of tarot and then asking them what result the answer of the question would bring them to is an easier way to get at what they really want to know.
Personally, I prefer my questions very broad instead of very pinpoint, although it's good to have something to go off in order to choose my spread. (I don't like the CC, I think it often confuses people new to tarot more than it guides, sometimes. Maybe that's a fault in my reading, though.)