Is it possible to pick the wrong card?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 26 May 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Lady Maria	26 May 2005
As a beginner, I haven't exactly figured out my method for choosing my cards... whether it's by feeling the cards vibrations, or just being spontanious, or whatever. Sometimes when I'm cutting the deck, I'll go to cut it somewhere, but then my fingers move somewhere else, and I'm thinking, should I have gone with my first instinct, or where my fingers want to go? Maybe I'm overanylizing it, but, I'm wondering if it is possible to pick the wrong card? Or would the message come through, regardless of the card, with intuition and the symbols that stand out? A little clarity here would be nice! Light & Love, Maria

tarotbear	26 May 2005
If Tarot has a message for you, it will be revealed to you, whether you pick the 6th, 28th, or 52nd card. If you were to fan out all the cards in an arc and pass you hand over them until 'it feels right', you will get the answer you need. Even if you think 'I should have picked the card NEXT to that one,' you will still get the correct answer. The more you make it difficult, the more difficult it will become. Keep it simple!

Chronata	26 May 2005
When I first started reading, I had a similar issue. especially since, sometimes I just knewthat the cards that I picked were all wrong! But the cards really can't be chosen incorrectly. Any card that comes up...that you choose...by whatever method...has a message for you. It may not be the one message related to your spread, or your question....but it should be taken into account anyway. The best way to get past the Choosing Card Panic...is to pick one method.Decide THAT is the method that is going to work each time. Me, I like to cut the deck and pick the top card after the cut. And sometimes....if I feel the bottom card of the cut is right...i'll use that one too. The trick is just to be consistant. Tell the cards who's in control, and expect it to always be the right card. And if you fingers wander...and your intuition tells you to chose another card for that question....by another way...then do so! It will only add to the message that you already have.

Lady Maria	26 May 2005
Thank you both, you're right tarotbear, I do nead to just let go, and relax... I'm sure in time I'll have my method figured out. (Nice to know others have experienced that "Choosing Card Panic"!) This brings up another question for me. After you've cut the deck and laid the cards out for your spread, if you have more questions after, would you assume that the next card on top of the pile would be the answer? I noticed this method a reader used for me once. I just wondered, with the questions being so spontaneous and not on the surface while shuffling, how that works? Just the magic of the Tarot? Do most people use that method? I appreciate you taking the time with these basic questions! I'm sure they've all been answered before! Blessings, Maria

Nina*	26 May 2005
Well... if I've got another question I will lay out all the cards again... perhaps a card already drawn is needed for my new question?!?!? Only if I need to clarify a question already answered I will draw from the pile. xxx Nina

Ace	26 May 2005
Lady Maria wrote: I'm wondering if it is possible to pick the wrong card? No. Lady Maria wrote: Or would the message come through, regardless of the card, with intuition and the symbols that stand out? Absolutely! Ace

Fulgour	26 May 2005
For me it seems all too true that... the more mistakes I make the better, especially if everything goes wrong. Being right was never my plan anyway, just to learn... and so it is kind of comforting (kind of) to be reminded how little I know. It's like being given a gift, of myself.

autumn star	26 May 2005
Lady Maria, As a beginner I have similar issues with picking cards ... All the responses here are really helpful, I have come to realize that you can't pick a wrong card :)

WalesWoman	26 May 2005
My question is... how would you know if it's the wrong card? Pick another one asking... was this last card I drew the right card for me? I don't think so. The right card(s) for you, no matter what method you use to pick them, or shuffle them or deal them, will ulitimately be the one meant for you. The trick is figuring out what it means for you. On another forum I used to go to, a woman had an injured hand and couldn't shuffle, so she put her cards in a paper bag and shook them up, stirred them around with her good hand and had some wonderful readings that way. It isn't how you do your spread or even if you use one, it's the message you get from the cards themselves that is important.

Lady Maria	27 May 2005
WalesWoman wrote: My question is... how would you know if it's the wrong card? I hadn't thought about that! Good point. WalesWoman wrote: The right card(s) for you, no matter what method you use to pick them, or shuffle them or deal them, will ulitimately be the one meant for you. The trick is figuring out what it means for you. Which, once again, points to trusting intuition... It's all starting to become so clear. It's not so tricky, after all! Thank you all for being so kind in pointing out the obvious! Blessings, Maria

fourwinds	27 May 2005
I'm glad I'm not the only one who worries about this. I keep thinking that I'm doing it wrong.

Emeraldgirl	27 May 2005
I went through this when I first started learnig tarot until a very wise person told me not to stress whatever cards come up no matter how strange or far from what you were expecting there is always a reason. Sometimes you are sent warnings for things that would never have crossed your mind as a option. Look at everything discount nothing but remember nothing is set in stone :)

MeeWah	27 May 2005
No, only the wrong interpretation.

Imagemaker	27 May 2005
Quote: whatever cards come up no matter how strange or far from what you were expecting there is always a reason. It just struck me that perhaps this is why tarot users tend to become more spirit-aware (I'm specifically not saying spiritual but that's what I think :) ) about life in general. Once we begin to trust that there's a meaning in whatever turns up in the reading, we see that same possibility for meaning, or can usually figure it out, in everything that happens throughout the day. I once had a tarot teacher say of the next card on the pile: "It's for your next question, no matter what it is." ("It" being the card AND the question . . .)

SunChariot	27 May 2005
Lady Maria wrote: As a beginner, I haven't exactly figured out my method for choosing my cards... whether it's by feeling the cards vibrations, or just being spontanious, or whatever. Sometimes when I'm cutting the deck, I'll go to cut it somewhere, but then my fingers move somewhere else, and I'm thinking, should I have gone with my first instinct, or where my fingers want to go? Maybe I'm overanylizing it, but, I'm wondering if it is possible to pick the wrong card? Or would the message come through, regardless of the card, with intuition and the symbols that stand out? A little clarity here would be nice! Light & Love, Maria I think any method will work, but I think it is best to decide on the method you want to use beforehand. That being said, if you have a feeling your hand is being pulled somewhere, respect that. That is your intuition speaking and Tarot, at least to me, is about learning to develop your intuition more and to follow it. If you feel drawn there, there is a reason. Well, if you're overanalsing, I am sure that a lot of people do that in the beginning. Being calm with something and sure of your talents comes with experience. Try not to second guess yourself, although I know that is easier to say that do in the beginning. You're not in this alone. Tarot is a method to connect more to the universe. The universe is helping you pick the cards you need to.:-) And no I don't think it is possible to pick the wrong card. I know I never have anyway. If you really want the answer, the universe will lead you to pick the right one. It's trying to get the asnwer to you, you just have to listen and follow your instincts. When you feel the instinct to do something, trust it. That is how the unverse talks to us, through instincts. And trust me, it gets easier with time. The more you follow them the more accurate they get. Best of luck. PS, in case this helps, I tend to shuffle 4 time (cause 4 is the number of completion) then divide the deck into 3 piles...put my left hand over each to see which has the strongest vibrations and recombine the piles, putting the one with the strongest vibrations on top, then deal the cards. That's usually, but there have been times after shuffling 4 times, that I could feel the cards were not "ready" yet. When that happens I keep shuffling until I get that satisfied feeling that everything is complete and where it should be. And any card that falls out during the shuffling process, I feel that it has something it wants to tell me and I add it into the reading. I have one deck though that I use differently. My Faeries' Oracle is my less formal deck. I just fan out all the cards facedown and feel which card(s) my hand is drawn too, and use those in the reading. Bar

SunChariot	27 May 2005
Imagemaker wrote: It just struck me that perhaps this is why tarot users tend to become more spirit-aware (I'm specifically not saying spiritual but that's what I think :) ) about life in general. Once we begin to trust that there's a meaning in whatever turns up in the reading, we see that same possibility for meaning, or can usually figure it out, in everything that happens throughout the day. Funny you should say that. That's where I am in my life lately. Once you start to see all life's symbolism in the cards it extends outwards and you see it elsewhere in life. And then life can give you messages without the cards too. This weekend just before I was about to do a reading, I made some Crystal Light (Raspberry Ice). And it stained my index finger on my left hand a deep kindof blood red. And I was thinking, wow, the index finger is the one you point with...red like blood=life, left hand side=thought and reason......like the universe was "pointing out to me" that I should really take the time to think about what the reading would tell me about life. Apparently it was to tell me something important I needed to learn and remember about my life... Does that happen to other people too, that you see messages in everyday symbolism now that help you in your life? Love my chats with the universe. :-) Bar

Lady Maria	28 May 2005
SunChariot wrote: Once you start to see all life's symbolism in the cards it extends outwards and you see it elsewhere in life. Bar This is exactly part of the reason I decided to get into Tarot. With all the business in my life in the past few years, somewhere along the way I forgot to listen to those messages from the Universe/ Inner guide. I was hoping I could re-develope that with the help of this powerfull tool. Turns out I'm pretty rustly. I think once I open a few windows in my brain, it will all become natural. And I hope one day I will be able to rely solely on intuition/ universal messages without needing the cards. (They are fun, though! I'll probably still want to use them anyway!) Bar, your story reminds me of something that happened the other night. I was talking to my husband about a huge additude adjustment that I need to make within myself, because it's no longer usefull, and has been negatively effecting my life. As I was saying this, someone turned the tv on, and there was an image of a tall building burning, fire coming out of the windows, and instantly I was reminded of the Tower card. I remember, my first reading ever the Tower card was the first card of the spread, and back then I had related it to this same issue. It was like the universe was telling me (through tv of all things!) to for once and for all deal with this already! I'm sure most Tarot readers experience this all the time... I'd love to hear more stories! Imagemaker wrote: I once had a tarot teacher say of the next card on the pile: "It's for your next question, no matter what it is." . Imagemaker, you've found this to be true in your readings? (I think I'll decide to use this as my method). Thank you all so much for sharing your wisdom. Love & Light, Maria

Vadella	29 May 2005
Hey :) I agree that it isn't possible for the tarot to give you the wrong card. For an example, just the other day, I was doing a spread and I had estimated how many I had to put down wrong. I picked up a card for my outcome and got the 6 of swords. I put it back wondering if that was indeed the next card that I would have picked. So I put them all back and asked what the outcome card was supposed to be for that spread. Shuffled 3 times. I got the 6 of swords. :D It's cool. Don't doubt the power. Vad

firemaiden	29 May 2005
To the degree that tarot works at all, I guess you have to operate under the premise that the cards you get are the right ones, otherwise you'll spend a long time trying to get the right ones. However I have very often asked myself if these are the "wrong cards", and it has long been a sort of running joke between me and ... er.. nobody else, LOL. If you have a strong feeling about what the right cards are before you pull them, that could be important and interesting information - write it down, and compare it to the cards you do pull. Sometimes I have done this -- I have accepted the question, then asked myself what I thought the cards would be, predicted them, and then pulled the cards. It is really amazing sometimes then to see which cards do come up. I have also been tempted to ask the person being read for (if it is another AT addict) which cards he/she expected to come up, before pulling them. Then, if you have established which cards you both expect to see, it can be fascinating to see what does turn up. Sometimes I am right in my predictions, and then that is freaky and amazing. Sometimes the cards I expected show up, but in different positions, and sometimes related cards show up. For example, say I expected the Tower, but I turned over the Ace of Swords. I relate these two cards to eachother in the aspect of "lichtspaltung" - the sky cracking open, enlightenments. (I have other threads on this subject). Or perhaps I might have expected the princess of cups and turned over the princess of pentacles. -- Things like that, you know, then the relationship and the differences between what I expected and what turned up could be very telling. On the other hand, it is also useful to turn over the cards with no preconceived notions.

SunChariot	29 May 2005
Vadella wrote: Hey :) I agree that it isn't possible for the tarot to give you the wrong card. For an example, just the other day, I was doing a spread and I had estimated how many I had to put down wrong. I picked up a card for my outcome and got the 6 of swords. I put it back wondering if that was indeed the next card that I would have picked. So I put them all back and asked what the outcome card was supposed to be for that spread. Shuffled 3 times. I got the 6 of swords. :D It's cool. Don't doubt the power. Vad That happened to me once too. When I was starting I was not sure I had chosent the 3 cards in the spread right. I put them back in the deck, reshuffled, rechose 3 more cards, and the exact same 3 came up in the same order. It was so miraculous it was like I dreamed it. I kept pinching myself to see if I was awake. LOL Bar

SunChariot	29 May 2005
firemaiden wrote: Sometimes I have done this -- I have accepted the question, then asked myself what I thought the cards would be, predicted them, and then pulled the cards. It is really amazing sometimes then to see which cards do come up. I have also been tempted to ask the person being read for (if it is another AT addict) which cards he/she expected to come up, before pulling them. Sometimes I am right in my predictions, and then that is freaky and amazing. Sometimes the cards I expected show up, but in different positions, and sometimes related cards show up. For example, say I expected the Tower, but I turned over the Ace of Swords. I relate these two cards to eachother in the aspect of "lichtspaltung" - the sky cracking open, enlightenments. (I have other threads on this subject). For myself I would hope for a reading to give me something totally out of the blue that I am not expecting. That is what would make it a good reading. If I could accurately predict the answer in my mind I wouldn't see any point to doing the reading. I want to learn something new, something I don't know already. Like when you get advice from a friend, cause they are likely to see the situation from a fresh viewpoint. I want the cards to teach me to see the situation in a new way that I have never thought of yet, but that will benefit me. Bar

CelticAngel	29 May 2005
Picking a card in a deck can be viewed as completely random, or meant to be. When you have a reading done, keep your mind clear and pick only the cards that you are drawn to. That will be your fortune.

TheLovers2	01 Jun 2005
Although, it has not happened to me in a spread of several cards, I recently experienced what seemed to me to be a wrong pick with 2 cards. It just didn't "feel" right. Unfortunately, I can't remember if I asked a question at the time or just picked a card or two cards for the day. I am thinking that I asked a question, but, I can tell you that the cards did not seem right. I think a lot can depend on "intuition" and/or what interpretation you use with the card. Interps differ from book to book and sometimes, although, the differences can be slight those differences can change how you see the card considerably. It can go from, "that's not it - something's off here," to "ahhh . . . now that makes sense." I can't say it's happened a lot where I feel that DEFINITELY something was not right with the card I chose, but, IMO it has happened to me. I was pretty tired that night and I try not to read for myself when I'm tired, but, I did this night. Reading when tired, IMO is also not a good idea. What I did was I put the cards (there may have been two - don't remember) back in the deck, concentrated on my question, did my shuffling, (may have prayed over the deck) etc. and picked again. This time, I knew the message was the right one for me at this time. It just made total sense and was quite apropos to the question asked and the circumstances that were happening at the time. It wasn't anything like, Oh now I've got good news with this one, but, I didn't with the other one. It wasn't that kind of thing. (Yes, I believe it was a 2 card draw each time) and like I said the next two cards were the ones. I simply knew it. I will say that it seemed to me at the time that the first two cards really related to the recent past - A LOT - while the next to cards related to the question at hand. But, I wasn't doing a past/present spread - if I had been and I got the first two cards in a "past" position or something, then that would have made sense. Also, my cards can be "off" sometimes, if I hardly ever use a particular deck and then I pull it out to do a Reading. It can be almost as if the deck is not "warmed" to me or I to it and things are just off. Usually, if that happens I handle it a bit, shuffle more, pray over it, etc., then do my pull/Reading again and things start to make sense and I "sense" we are working together, the deck and I. This isn't always the case with a deck that I haven't been using or a new deck, but, it has happened. Bottom line is even though it may not be a popular viewpoint, I believe it can happen that one can choose the wrong card/s. I agree with the method of putting the cards back and drawing again. Sometimes, you get the same card - HELLO!! :) and sometimes you might get a different card that is essentially saying the same thing. My story and I'm sticking to it. :) TL2 :TLOVE

Vadella	01 Jun 2005
SunChariot wrote: That happened to me once too. When I was starting I was not sure I had chosent the 3 cards in the spread right. I put them back in the deck, reshuffled, rechose 3 more cards, and the exact same 3 came up in the same order. It was so miraculous it was like I dreamed it. I kept pinching myself to see if I was awake. LOL Bar So glad I wasn't the only one. :) I love when that stuff happens!!

SunChariot	01 Jun 2005
Vadella wrote: So glad I wasn't the only one. :) I love when that stuff happens!! Me too. :-) Actually in the bit over a year I have been doing Tarot, it happened maybe 2-3 times. Not something that happens often, but it does more than once. And it always remarkable when it does.:-) Bar

light2000	01 Jun 2005
I try not read tarot when i´m sad or tired. I think that our energy influence a tarot a litle, most of all because when you are pessimist you see all black, even if cards are telling you good things you see only negative things. So maybe when you arent at a good spirit can pick the wrong card.

Asenath	01 Jun 2005
light2000 wrote: I try not read tarot when i´m sad or tired. I think that our energy influence a litle tarot, most of all because you are pessimist you see all black, even if cards are telling you good things you see at one more negative form. Somaybe when you arent at a good spirit can pick the wrong card. Although I'm still learning my deck, I've found that for me I've been able to see some odd little things in my cards when I'm tired (or try to do a reading first thing in the morning or when I'm upset.) Perhaps it's just the kind of thinker that I am? (I'm a morning person and my mind gets really analytical when I am upset or bothered.) Because of this, if I end up picking a happy card it changes my mood right away (because I end up seeing more than the obvious) or when I see a card that relates to some sort of trial, I start focusing on the mood of the character(s) in my card and forget about mine...

The Is it possible to pick the wrong card? thread was originally posted on 26 May 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.