negative readings, what to do?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 05 Feb 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

daneo52	05 Feb 2004
Hi! I am still new to reading tarot. Just got my first few decks, and am getting acquainted with them. Recently I have had some very positive changes and feelings in my life, after some years of hard times, things are finally going so well. I decided to do a reading asking how the next 6 months would run for me. I got a very negative reading in the last few cards, cards of humiliation, great loss, the final outcome card was the 5 of swords. Then I did a reading with the same question the next day, different deck. Same meanings, though different cards since it was a fairy deck. I am now really worried. I still am not an experienced reader, these are bascially my first serious readings after lots of just playing around and studying the pictures. Should I take these as warnings that I can avoid if careful? I love my cards, but had not prepared myself for how to handle such a negative foreboding from them. I would really appreciate thoughts from experienced readers.

Moongold	05 Feb 2004
Greetings Daneo52, Why don't you post the readings here so that we can actually see them and offer you some feedback and possibly some alternative intepretations? The ideal way to this is to post the spread, the placements and the cards as you will see in other posts here, and we can then give specific comments. The throws may not be as negative as you suppose. I look forward to seeing your updated posts. Moongold

punchinella	05 Feb 2004
Yes, I second that, I'd like to know what the cards in question were. & which deck you started out with (sounds like my on-going experience with Thoth.) P.

sagitarian	06 Feb 2004
When I do readings, it's a more "for your information", a heads up on what is coming. Some things we can change with knowing about them ahead of time, and others, it's meant to happen. Maybe avoiding this conflict isn't in your best interest...a lot of conflicts lead people to question what it is they truly want, to put an end on what is not necessary, or what isn't good for them, in order to create a new passage (very towerish here). In any case, what caught my eye is your mention of the 5 of swords. Swords in general is the representation of air, the element of air rules the intellect, or better yet, the mind in all of it's splendors. It's very complex, and we have yet to master the human mind, or to understand it, but from what I hear, psychology is still trying it's best. 5 is a number of conflict, a half way point. It can represent coming to a cross roads and questioning something in your life. This "question" can't exist without the conflict, otherwise, there would be no need of it. Instead of avoiding it, I would take it as a warning, look forward to this positively, and look at it as a time to renew something about yourself. The willingness to face the conflict knowing that what will come will be based on your decision on how you handle the conflict. When the conflict happens, know that you were forwarned about it, and the rest of "what will be" will be up to how you handle the conflict and what you decide to do to "solve" the conflict inside of yourself (which may be different then solving the conflict externally). As the others have suggested, if you remember the rest of the reading, feel free to post the entire reading and you'll be able to get a variety of feedback on the entirity of the reading vs. just one card from one person. Things are as you precieve them to be, the mind is a powerful thing. If you look at it as a negative outcome then that is what it will be. Hope this has helped.

daneo52	06 Feb 2004
I realized I should have written down the whole reading, but I didn't. It really scared me, I guess I was expecting the reading to reflect all the positive changes I have made recently. The thought of things shaking up again, of more disappointments and especially humiliations was troubling. The card on the cross were all so positive-ten of cups for example, but the last two cards were pretty negative warnings. I decided to just chalk it up to my first reading, and needed more practice. But the next day, it still was on my mind, and I did another reading, with similar results. I guess I just wanted to vent here, wondering how to deal with uneasy readings. I think I will post my next few readings in entirety here at the forum to hopefully see how more experienced readers interpret the layouts. I appreciate your time and wisdom.

Imagemaker	06 Feb 2004
I see any spread's "outcome" position as a possible future if nothing is changed about the current situation. You always have the power to change your life, habit, or decision and create a new, wholly different path to avoid manifesting that negative outcome. Perhaps the spread was notifying you not to relax too much in the improved circumstances. Even as you enjoy them, stay alert.

Umbrae	06 Feb 2004
My advice. Begin at the beginning. Go Slow, unless you strive for mediocrity. Begin with three card spreads. Begin doing three card readings (for others). Do them forever. Do a lot of them. There is no need to advance to a five-card spread until you have at least six months of reading under your belt. It is the lessons and the discipline you learn with working with the little spreads that helps later in day-to-day situations. Buy a spiral notebook. Use it as a Journal (very important). Write down every reading (both cards and your interpretation). It is part of your learning process. Most questions you could ask, will find their answers in your journal, written by your own hand. Only read for yourself no more than once a week. Throw out the LWB.

Inana	06 Feb 2004
Hi Daneo! I agree with what has been said. My suggestion when a reading looks very negative is to pick up more cards asking questions like this ones: - Why is the relation/situation/etc going to take this direction? This will give you some understanding on the issue. - How can i change things to get a better outcome? This one can give you a tip on how you can change what you dont like. - What type of energy i need to use to face this? This tells you the attitude you can assume to face unpleasant situations. Use the energy the card embodies, like the characters on the card would do. - What do I need to learn about this? If something can not be avoided, then you can learn a lesson about that. It will be useful next time. Probably there are a lot of other questions one can make, depending on the reading and the whole theme of the reading.

daneo52	06 Feb 2004
well, i decided to do a reading asking what i should focus on in the near future. i found this much more helpful. i have bought and personalized a special journal to keep right next to my cards. i have just read the latest responses, and i will take your advice and stick to 3 card spreads, done once a week. should this represent past-present-future? thanks once again for your help.

punchinella	06 Feb 2004
Hi again daneo52--in regards to 3-card spreads: past/present/future is still a bit dangerously fatalistic, IMO, if you're as sensitive as I am about negative forecasts. I've found that asking for advice/insight is much better, for me, than simply asking what's going to happen. Because a negative prediction can be psychologically devastating, no doubt about it. I use three-card spreads whenever I have a question about what to do--& my spread looks like: Don't do/The Issue/Do do (I think this originally came from Rachel Pollack, but I learned it here from lawguy51 . . . ) This way I end my reading feeling empowered--knowing what I have to do. I know that I'm actively involved, as opposed to feeling like a passive spectator in my own future life . . . Another way of reading for myself that seems to work is, whenever I have a problem or issue, to simply draw one card for each element or person involved. This tends to provide more insight than advice (although advice is always there in the background . . . ) & if curiosity does get the better of you, & you simply can't resist drawing an outcome card: bear in mind that this is the likely outcome ONLY if forces/influences remain aligned exactly as they are now, at the present moment . . . which leaves plenty of room for change, particularly if you pay attention, act carefully, & take into account the warning you've just received. All of that being said, I'd like to add that deck choice is crucial for tender souls like ourselves . . . I've found some decks just WAY TOO HARSH for personal use. Others, however, are consistently empowering & gentle. (Ancestral Path, Vision Quest . . . Tarot of Prague . . . ) Over time, if you work with several decks, you'll find the ones that help you the most (&, unfortunately, the ones that can harm). I can't emphasize this point enough. After all, reading for yourself should be a positive & strengthening, as well as enlightening, experience . . . otherwise, why do it? Hard knowledge in & of itself, so far as I'm concerned, is not enough. I want to feel good too. P.

daneo52	08 Feb 2004
thank you so much! what wonderful, caring advice. i have learned so much from this posting this subject, and feel very empowered and very educated, definitely on a better path.

Phoenyx*	08 Feb 2004
This is some really good advice, especially for us beginner readers. Edit, since I forgot this simple two-card reading. You might want to go for the "Not Only...But Also" spread that I found I believe in tarotspreads.com. 1...........2 Not Only....But Also

The negative readings, what to do? thread was originally posted on 05 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.