How do you deal with "Tarot Override?"

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 11 Feb 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Melpomone18	11 Feb 2005
So, what I refer to here as "Tarot Override" is when you ask the cards one question but they answer another one that may be perhaps more important for you to know the answer to. Generally when I read for myself I can be honest about when this is going on, but how does one deal with it when reading for other people? If you suspect that the cards are off because they're really answering a different, more pertinent question for the querant, how on earth do you tactfully tell them so? Or do you tell them so at all? If someone wants a reading from you, they would probably be less than receptive of (not to mention bored by) your hunch that the cards were answering a question that they didn't vocalize, right? I have had this happen a couple of times while reading for friends and in both cases I didn't tell them about my gut feeling (I didn't know how to) and just tried to read the cards as if they answered the question that had been asked, but in both cases it just felt wrong. Like trying to force something that wouldn't fit. Not to mention the readings were not accurate (or maybe I'm just too green when it comes to reading for others and that's my problem). How do other people deal with this?

souljourney	11 Feb 2005
Oh my... I never even thought about this before. (feel stupid now)... This must be why every once in a while the cards just make no sense to the layout or to the question. Need to think about this further... Interesting...

tarotbear	11 Feb 2005
There are times when you ask one question and seem to get the answer to another. I have always guessed from the confusion of the answer that the querent possibly let their mind wander while they were shuffling and started thinking about 'what else' thay may want to also know and things get muddled. Sometimes, however, the answer you get is somnething that is far more important than the question. An example is where a woman asked a question about selling a house and got an answer that had to do with her mother's health! Were the two questions really separate, or was her idea about buying a house going to be affected by her mother's illness? This is where a good dialogue between the reader and querent comes in. Sometimes it gets so bad that you have to stop the reading and have two readings, one for each question that appears to be raised! Once, I was doing an email reading for someone and their question, did the reading, took notes, then started to type it up. When I was compiling it, I suddenly realized that the reading had nothing to do with the Querent's relationship, but rather, applied to my own! I did give him the reading with an explanation, saying that quite possubly it will be incorrect, and later did another reading for him that he said was on target. In the midddle of someone else's reading, why would the cards want to tell me about something in my own life, not the querent's?

Mesara	11 Feb 2005
I always follow my intuition when reading. Ive had tarot overrides happen when reading for myself and others, and Ive learned to just respond to my instincts and go with the flow. Ive always been accurate when doing this, and the readings are still good and meaningful, even if they aren't what myself or my querent intended.

Moonbow*	11 Feb 2005
I have often wondered how Tarot readers who read regularly manage to keep their own private life out of the reading. I realise that the querent would shuffle the cards and that professionalism comes into play but I have found that if I have something in the front of my mind, that has been there for a while, and I think about often, that I see it in the readings I do. Sometimes, it's not until I start to speak about the reading that I realise it has resemblance to what is going on in my life, so is the reading for the querent or me? This is when I stop reading for a while. But, surely this bound to happen when intuitive readings are used, and I would be interested to know how others deal with this situation.

Simone	11 Feb 2005
This is why I simply love no-question readings! The cards that then show up will talk about the most important thing to deal with at that time... However, if I ask the cards one question and the answer to another question shows up, I usually explain that this issue seems to be more on the querents mind (and usually I get a yes ;) ) and that it needs to be clarified before moving on to the next question. I sometimes also get the feeling that the cards I read speak rather about me than for someone I am reading for; but I also have identified an interesting phenomen: if something bothers me, I tend to attract the same kind of questions from my querents - so that in the end, by giving them their answer, I am getting one at the same time ;) Love Simone

tmgrl2	11 Feb 2005
I'm with Simone here. I am moving farther away from even asking questions or seeking one from my sitters... When they do ask a question, before we begin, I help rephrase the question into an "area" of exploration, a topic, perhaps...like business/career/work or emotional/love aspects of my life.... Then...I see what happens....sometimes the topic, e.g., is emotional/love...and up come lots of coins or pentacles and somehow the two areas connect.... But I definitely feel that I am more open to all possibilities when I do an energy reading for short time frame as opposed to seeking a question. Certainly if my sitter walks in with a very specific area, I address as the area, not a single question, which can often lead the sitter to think "divinitory/predictive" as opposed to guidance. But again, this has to do with my own philosophy of reading the Tarot. So, if, for example, someone comes in and says, "I'm having trouble at work. Should I stay or quit?" ...a red flag goes up and I might say.. "Well, I don't use the cards to predict or answer questions like this, but, let's see what the cards have to tell us about the work/career aspects of your life...then I select a spread and tell them how I plan to use it to relate to work/career. It might be simple PPF or I might do my own Four of Swords and Shield of Love spread (a five-card cross...with one if two of the cards offering suggestions for what the sitter needs to persevere during this time and another as a "shield" of love to go through this time. My sitters seem to like the idea of holding the images of the Shield and of the card for perseverance (Vera) as a daily meditation. Once we finish the five-cards, they usually want some clarification or embellishment of what we have said so far, so I draw a clarifier card for some or all positions. terri

Bean Feasa	11 Feb 2005
I'm familiar with this phenomenon, and like Simone and tmgrl2 I think readings without a question can really let the insight come through unimpeded. I think when you have a very specific question there's a tendency to bend the reading to the question. When the override thing does happen though - it reminds me of when you're looking for something you've mislaid and you can't find it but you do find something you were searching feverishly for, not so long ago, lol!

Flavio	11 Feb 2005
Melpomone18 wrote: but how does one deal with it when reading for other people? If you suspect that the cards are off because they're really answering a different, more pertinent question for the querant, how on earth do you tactfully tell them so? Or do you tell them so at all? Before the reading I give Querents a small explanation about Tarot for example major arcana XIII just by itself doesn't mean physical death but transformation, how to express the question, etc... in the explanation I say that Tarot might answer something different but more important than the question already asked, so the Querent already knows there was a chance for that to happen. It has only happened to me twice and thankfully the message the Tarot sent spoke very clear to the Querent's concerns, the first time it happened I said to the lady Querent, "I know your question was about your job, but these cards tell me something about your son, because this/that... is it right?" then she started to talk about her son and the whole spread made a lot of sense, of course it wasn't about her job, she wasn't dissapointed because the reading was useful, a Tarot reading should be a dialogue if she weren't willing to talk and open during the reading it would be a waste of time. To take the best out of a Tarot override is a shared responsibility between the Reader and the Querent.

Fulgour	11 Feb 2005
At each turn all along the way, and there's always so much to think about and do (reading involves lots of busy work), I stop and relax to break the flow of my motion by pausing, and then bear down on the job at hand with determination. What happens may be a surprise, especially when the cards are loud and clear, but I keep trying to be openly receptive. Part of the art of listening is to not think about what you're going to say, to turn off the "answering machine" and focus.

Melpomone18	13 Feb 2005
I've never thought of doing two readings as Tarotbear suggested. I've also never thought about the fact that I could be projecting some of my feelings into the reading either. Interesting. I'll have to be more aware of the fact that that can happen. I also love the idea of doing questionless readings. Since I read some of the replies to this post I've experimented with it a little on my own. Wow, I feel like I have "seen the light." As I am still a little new to reading for other people (I've only been doing it for about 2 years) I know I still have a lot to learn. In general I realize that I should definitely work on getting a better dialogue going with the querant. I do talk to them about the meanings of the "scary" cards and what tarot can and can't answer, etc. But I could always be more open so that if this does happen again I can work with them to help them figure out whether or not there was something else on their mind. Or whether or not it was just me. Thanks for the great advice everyone! :)

Umbrae	13 Feb 2005
Good question. Tarot often looks at underlying causes where we may be in denial. The sitter is concered about her love life, relationship possibilities…and you draw the Eleventeen of Incisors. You and I both know the sitters love life is not faboo because of dental hygene. You’re sitting across the table from her. She's clueless. She has no idea her breath would kill a Clydesdale at twenty paces. Root Causes. Sometimes we are so busy looking in one direction we get blindsided. Tarot Override is a wonderful thing. A wake-up call. Like the shaman Zorya said, “If we are too attached to a perceived outcome, we may miss opportunities, or what is truly meant for us.” I find “Think of a question” as too limiting in a reading. I prefer to have the cards show me what they want to show me. Also, as Mary K Greer states on page 134 of Tarot for Your Self, “…Remember that the Tarot takes the question literally – always be sure you interpret the answer in terms of what you actually asked.” I love override. As to things applying to you and not the sitter? When I cook a meal of bar-b-que fresh salmon, a little onion – orange (rather then lemon), finished off with a brown sugar glaze… hand caught from the Puget Sound, and I set it before you…yeah…I get to eat too. The 78 cards apply to all of us at certain times.

MercyMe	13 Feb 2005
This just happened to me last night. I asked a question regarding a job/career and got something that had a lot more to do with relationships and emotional quandries I am struggling with. I laughed and commented to a friend that was sitting there that I guess the cards are telling me I need to deal with this *first* before I can focus on my job question. LOL. I have told others I've read for that they are welcome to ask a specific question and usually the cards will address that issue, but sometimes the cards will address a seemingly different issue, but the connection is there, and usually it is as I said above -- something that has to be ironed out in oneself before the other, the question asked, can be addressed. ~Mercy

ros	13 Feb 2005
I don't usually ask the client a question. I ask them to think of one if they want and not tell me. When the reading is done one way or the other they can figure out what they need to do. Most people are happy with what information comes from their reading.

Cerulean	13 Feb 2005
That was a brilliant summary! Once in awhile I can do a layout of cards for people who are both an experienced reader OR they know themselves and have read tarot for others. No question was done beforehand, they were talking about different issues. I will be able to ask them, "Do you think this pertains to you?" Usually the person says yes--but some people are avid readers for themselves and only use particular tools--so they will identify the card layout as about someone they know. In a peripheral way, the card layout becomes a reading that reflects their assessment or involvement or perception of the solution. The person is free to say the reading is about their friend, relative or the subject they were just discussing. But this is done in friendly environments. I am not so confident that I always know the person inside and out. I am trustful of the fact that if a person says the reading is about something only related/peripheral to themselves, whatever wisdom or chance understanding that will come out of it will only happen as the person chooses to see it then. So if a friend doesn't accept the card layout pertains to how you are reading it and is open to discussing what other option it might be, that's great. But after one layout and reading, I don't do another. Sometimes I cannot address a question right then. I understand if is my limitation, just because of where I am at, as well. I think you friends will understand if you cannot address it, even if you are kind enough to listen and want to assist. My best wishes for your readings, Cerulean

The How do you deal with "Tarot Override?" thread was originally posted on 11 Feb 2005 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.