Moods

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 19 Dec 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Osher	19 Dec 2002
For some strange reason I find that when I am depressed and/or stressed I read much better. I'm not sure why this is. Is this the same for others? Does anyone know why? In fact, generally, how do moods effect readings?

Mojo	19 Dec 2002
No offense, but.... Duh! You're the one who looks at and interprets the cards, so of course your mood is going to make a difference. I know that my mind is more sharp when under pressure or duress, so my readings under those circumstances are edgy and keen. Fortunately for my clients, I'm seldom in a Rebecca-of-Sunnybrook-Farm mood. On those rare occasions, my readings are so vanilla I can hardly recognize them as coming from me.

Osher	19 Dec 2002
OK, your moods do change how you interpret the cards, silly question agreed. Yet, my main question still stands: why do we (as you as well) read better when stressed or depressed? Surely, we should be better when relaxed, yet as you yourself pointed out, you read better when under pressure.

Trish	19 Dec 2002
I don't know if my mood makes me read better per se, but it does certainly reflect my interpretation of the cards. If I'm in a good mood, I tend to interpret the cards in a 'happier' way. Same thing if something is really weighing on my mind. I interpret the cards in relationship to that thing. So I guess, basically, I agree with Mojo. Isn't that the kind of stuff Tarot is supposed to pick up on? :D

Pollux	20 Dec 2002
PRobably the pressure or the depression make you become more alert and attentive to outer elements, and at the same time you also become more receptive and open in a psychic or intellectual, inner" way, thus boosting your intuition and making your readings better? Just the only thing that comes to my mind... :( As for me, I don't work very well when I am depressed, nor whem I have eaten or drank more than normal, or when I am sleepy or tired... Ain't I picky and paranoid? ;)

Shadow Wolf	20 Dec 2002
When we're stressed or depressed our need for the truth is that much greater and I think that's why our readings are so much more accurate. Our need is for the real truth, the truth that we need to heed but at the same time don't want to hear. It seems that when we're stressed or depressed we're more open to anything that will make us feel better. So the cards hit us with the cold hard truth. It makes us feel better or gives us something to think about, since we're already depressed a little more bad news won't hurt us !!!! Does this make any sense to you ?? Sometimes I know exactly what I want to say but have no clue how to say it !!! Anyway, there it is !!!!!!!!

Osher	20 Dec 2002
Thanks Shadow Wolf, yes, I think that is it. I thought it was just me that is like that, but it seems others are the same way too.

WolfSpirit	22 Dec 2002
Well I'm with pollux on this one: I really don't read better when under stress. And when I feel very happy I don't do readings for myself anyway, as I don't feel there is a reason. All the cards can tell me is that the happy mood won't last... well I already know I can't be on top of the world all my life, so let me just enjoy it while I can :) And: when I don't feel too good and do a reading I always expect the cards to be negative as well...and they often tell me to cheer up, things are not that bad at all if I am prepared to work at it. I think I am a bit fatalistic (or lazy) and want to give up too soon, and the cards pull me back by my hair and tell me: stop whining and do something !

Trogon	25 Dec 2002
Interesting thoughts here. I really hadn't paid a lot of attention to how my mood might make me more, or less, accurate or intuitive. Still... after thinking about it, I'd have to say that sometimes a depression actually makes it harder for me to do a reading - but I think it's mostly that sometimes, I just don't want to have to interact with someone else at that time. In other words, I end up blocked - I guess I don't feel like opening myself up to their energy. However, if I make myself go ahead with the reading in that kind of circumstance - well, there's been a few times - then, if it's a positive reading and they've got a lot of positive energy, it can go a long way to lifting the mood. On the other hand, there's been a couple of times where a person with a lot of negative energy has brought me down too. I guess, in general, I feel that doing a Tarot reading, especially one where things really come together, has more of an affect on my mood, than the mood has on the reading.

The Moods thread was originally posted on 19 Dec 2002 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.