Contradictory answers

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 14 Feb 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

bangbang	14 Feb 2004
Hi. I`m a little confused and I would like to get some advice as to why the same question gives completely contradictory answers. There are some authors like Don Milo Duquette and others that advice against Tarot self readings (he suggests the I Ching in that case), and Elizabeth Gill that advices about just once a week time for a oneself reading and also Clive Barret . I read Tarot mostly for myself and I use several decks on the same question to check if the outcomes are similar, but many times they seem to contradict very much one with the other and now I`ve lost confidence in my abilities and in some of the decks. Advice please.

skytwig	14 Feb 2004
One of the things you can do, bangbang, is keep a journal of your readings and see how many prove to be accurate..... Then, after seeing the results, you can decide for yourself whether self reading is for you..... I self read and have been for years.... I find that the readings get more and more accurate as go along.... Why would Spirit/the Univers/God/Goddess forbid us from using such a remarkable tool for communicating with Her/Him/It..... Remember, Earth is a planet that likes to create 'rules' and laws..... But we have the Existential Choice of deciding which rules and laws are appropriate for each of us....... :) Hope this helps. skytwig :)

Shesawolf	14 Feb 2004
I find that each of my decks has a different "personality"... for instance my Goddess deck, of course, gives very femine (versus masculine) type of responses, the Dragon Tarot is much more masculine, my Quest deck is more esoteric, and the RW deck is a bit more 'down to Earth'... Perhaps, Bangbang, each of your decks is just giving a different perspective on the same answer... As suggested by skytwig, keep a journal. That way you can learn the 'voice' of each of your decks. Another thought just came to me... the contradiction could exist because of your own doubt... like the cards are projecting your own lack of confidence in them??? Just a thought. Shesawolf

Alissa	15 Feb 2004
Everyone does have a different opinion on what's "right," that's the curse of reading too many books. In the hopes of being studious and learning, we fill our heads with too many varying approaches and become blocked, unsure who to "believe" or what to do next. Doing too many readings can also cloud an issue more than enlighten. More cards, and more readings, doesn't necessarily mean more information... at best, it's too much information. At worse, it confuses the reader to the point of inability to interpret, which can indeed lead to a loss of faith in the cards as helpful tools. My advice would be, try reading just once with just one deck. If the issue is still pressing on you, read again, with another deck if you like, on the same issue, but allow some time to pass. A few days, perhaps a week. Journalling is great advice. This allows you to begin to see the "bigger picture," which usually only emerges over long periods of time.

VGimlet	15 Feb 2004
It seems to me as though doing several readings on the same question with different decks would be somewhat like second-guessing yourself when you make decisions - you sometimes end up where you started, except a little more frustrated and confused, and no closer to deciding. I rarely read for myself every day, because of time reasons, and because my personal tarot theory is that the cards are tools to give me insight, and maybe a heads-up about things I need to pay attention to. Maybe 2-4 times a week, max, often much less. As in all things tarot, the bottom line is you need to do what feels right to you, and your mileage may vary.

ncefafn	15 Feb 2004
I once did a reading for a querent and after I'd finished, she said (paraphrasing and changing for confidentiality), "Well, I've had three other readings on the same topic and they all told me this, the exact opposite from what you say." And immediately I thought, but didn't say, Well, if you already got the answer you wanted, why did you ask again? I've done self-readings on the same topic more than once in one month, and the Tarot has basically said to me what I thought regarding that querent. I think there comes a time when you have to put down the cards and go live your life.

bangbang	16 Feb 2004
Thank you for your much appreciatted advice. I guess I have to let things cool off a little between readings.

Lady Eclipse	17 Feb 2004
Quote: Originally posted by bangbang Hi. I`m a little confused and I would like to get some advice as to why the same question gives completely contradictory answers. There are some authors like Don Milo Duquette and others that advice against Tarot self readings (he suggests the I Ching in that case), and Elizabeth Gill that advices about just once a week time for a oneself reading and also Clive Barret . I read Tarot mostly for myself and I use several decks on the same question to check if the outcomes are similar, but many times they seem to contradict very much one with the other and now I`ve lost confidence in my abilities and in some of the decks. Advice please. Hi, One thing I learned a long time ago was to never ask the same question twice, especially when reading for yourself. What is happening to you is the end result of doing the same reading more than once. From what I've seen and experienced, this seems to be a pretty universal outcome for most people who keep asking the same question over and over again. As for the other things you mentioned, everyone is different so if someone tells you that you shouldn't read for yourself or should only do it once a week, then, what they're really saying is they can't read for themself or can only read for themself once a week. Personally, I can't stand it when people try to push their own personal limitations on others, especially when it comes to tarot. These habits may be well within their comfort zone but that certainly doesn't mean that their own personal limitations should apply to you or to anyone else. When it comes to readings, do what feels right for you. :-) Joy to you, Maralee

The Contradictory answers thread was originally posted on 14 Feb 2004 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.