Not Clicking For Me

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 18 Jun 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

sunflowr	18 Jun 2005
I seem to have a problem. None of my tarot readings are making any sense. I use different decks, I do daily card pulls, and simple spreads. But I am just not "feeling" it. The cards arent accurate for me and they don't make sense. I want to click better, but I feel I am missing something. Maybe tarot isnt for me? I have similar trouble with oracles too sometimes, but tarot even more I think. I always thought one's "guide" helps you when you pull a card and that there is no such thing as an inaccurate reading (unless interpreted wrong) and no such thing as pulling the wrong card. But I don't seem to be hitting the nail on the head most of the time. I do get a few "aha" moments, mostly with the good ol' Rider Waite (radiant edition). I guess I should just stick to that deck, but I like using different decks. I'm befuddled. ;) Seriously, what am I doing wrong? Or do I just need to meditate on my readings more and see where the "truth" of the reading is?

WhiteRaven	18 Jun 2005
First off....it's really hard to read for yourself...and be able to see the cards objectively...even if it's just a daily draw... Are you journaling your cards and thoughts? If so, have you read through them to see where you "think" you've gone wrong and if, after the fact, such as in daily draws...if you can "see" it now that things have happened... Do you read for others? Have you tried one of the Circle readings in the Exchange yet? Circle readings....reading for others...could be empowering in itself...and to me, it's much easier to read for someone else..than to read for myself. WR

Chronata	18 Jun 2005
Sounds like you just need a little break from it for a while, Sunflowr! Doing so many readings for yourself like that can just lead to a mess of cards without serious meanings... and yes, I totally agree with WhiteRaven...it is really hard to read for yourself. Not objective enough...you are just too close to your own thoughts. I like using oracles that have a nice book with them. That way...you end up doing a bit of bibliomancy for yourself...getting a certain card leads to a collection of certain words...where something there will stand out for you, and be clear. But even that doesn't work all the time! Don't give up on the tarot! Just breathe...and take a giant step back. And reading exchanges are great ideas too...:)

sunflowr	18 Jun 2005
I had forgotten about journaling. Good idea! Maybe something that doesnt make sense to me now will make perfect sense next week or next month or even next year! Great idea! I'd do the Reading Exchanges but I have done readings for people before (online) and havent quite "hit" on anything there either. I won't quit my day job, let's put it that way. ;p Maybe I just don't have that knack yet. I too prefer oracles, but I do love the tarot.

sarahava	18 Jun 2005
Hi Sunflower, I had this problem awhile back and just needed to take a break. I'll second the journaling suggestion though, too. I did a five-card daily spread and kept track of it, then "tallied" the cards at the end of the week. I would look at how many Majors I had, how many of each suit, how many of each number, and I paid special attention to some repeating cards. Sometimes looking at it collectively helped. Rest assured though, even if you feel like it's not "clicking" it will at some point. After a bit of a break, I got right back into it and was even more in-tune with my decks than before. :)

psychic sue	19 Jun 2005
I think it's really very hard to read for yourself. Why don't you post a reading in "your readings" (if you feel comfortable doing this) and get other people's input too? Sue x

Rogan	19 Jun 2005
I never read for myself for that very reason - It's too personal and confronting for me, and because IM too stubborn, I dont believe what Im seeing... Even when I get a reading done, I make sure I dont look at the cards draw (VERY hard not to look, but I have to force myself, otherwise I sit there and think "Nope, that card doesn't mean that for me...")

Umbrae	19 Jun 2005
Journal - and learn to read with regular playing cards. Why? Well if you were journaling already, your words would contain the clues. And I don't know if you're left or right braining it...but perhaps you've simply overloaded the circuits - got to many decks, and too much imagry swimming around up there...go back to basics. put away the cute, the cuddy, the dark, and the deep. Use RWS, Swiss 1JJ, or Regular Playiing cards for a year. Give yourself a break. Oh...and only read for strangers...

wizzle	19 Jun 2005
Read the books, did the journaling, yadda yadda. Maybe you've made your studies too serious and too much like work. Here are a couple of things that helped me: 1. Select a deck with illustrated minors. Shuffle and cut as usual. Then deal three cards from the top. Have the cards "talk" to each other. Or tell a little story about how they are interacting. Go through the whole deck dealing three cards at a time. If nothing else, you'll get a better appreciation of the deck. 2. Do a reading for a tree, your telephone, the garbage can etc. 3. Ask a profound, but silly question like "why isn't there the same range of sizes in cats as in dogs?" Do NOT journal or consult a book when playing with your decks. Make up your own games. Have fun and all the best.

mythos	19 Jun 2005
If I am having trouble reading for myself ... which I only do when I have that 'restless feeling' that precedes a change in consciousness/life ... I do the old therapists 'empty chair' technique. I read for the person in the empty chair (me of course), but as though I were an unknown querent who has come to me for a reading. Helps me by-pass all the cognitive and 'ego-freaking-out-at-change-and-fearing-its-own-annihilation' stuff. I do the reading out loud with the tape-recorder on. It helps me to forget myself and slip into the 'zone'. Dailies never did it for me until I found a nice little transits program, and began comparing my cards with my daily transits - amazing matches. I was then able to use the two as a basis for examining my day and seeing how they related. Unfortunately my nice little transits program (free of the net) died, and I haven't been able to find it again or reinstall it ... but, it has helped pull a few bricks from the wall of blockage.

sunflowr	19 Jun 2005
wizzle wrote: Read the books, did the journaling, yadda yadda. Maybe you've made your studies too serious and too much like work. Here are a couple of things that helped me: 1. Select a deck with illustrated minors. Shuffle and cut as usual. Then deal three cards from the top. Have the cards "talk" to each other. Or tell a little story about how they are interacting. Go through the whole deck dealing three cards at a time. If nothing else, you'll get a better appreciation of the deck. 2. Do a reading for a tree, your telephone, the garbage can etc. 3. Ask a profound, but silly question like "why isn't there the same range of sizes in cats as in dogs?" Do NOT journal or consult a book when playing with your decks. Make up your own games. Have fun and all the best. I love many of the ideas here. :) I don't think I want to give up Tarot, however. But I may go for "simple" instead of decks with too much going on. Basic is better for me right now, I think. Or go with a deck that has a humourous slant, to fit my personality. Housewives Tarot, perhaps. :) I have that deck and have always enjoyed the readings I get with it. Simple spreads. Nothing too much. I definitely will start journaling. I might discover alot about my readings from doing that, especially after some time has passed. I might try Reading Exchange too. I can certainly stand a reading or 2 myself. ;) Thanks for the ideas, everyone!

FireRaven	19 Jun 2005
Sunflower, I agree with the thoughts others have shared with you about journaling your readings, posting ones you just "don't get," and certainly taking a break from the cards. You can put a lot of pressure on yourself when readings aren't working, then try and do more and more with the same result until you feel like hiding under the covers! I actually read for myself a great deal, and have only had a problem when I was so emotionally close to the issue in question that I couldn't be wholly objective. When that happens I either ask someone to read to me, or use a completely different oracle...usually the Runes...for confirmation or refutation of what the cards are telling me. Relax a bit. The cards are a tool. Yes, they're full of delicious symbolism, rich philosophical and religious history, but they're also picture-stories. Here are some ideas for taking the pressure off yourself, some of which echo Wizzle's advice: 1. Do a reading for your cat, dog, or other animal...or a friend's animal if you don't have a pet. (I do this all the time for my cat when I just need to loosen up and play. You should have seen the cards when the question I posed was, "Will I get the moth (she's an indoor only cat) of my dreams?" LOL! 2. Pick one card and free associate with it without looking at any of your books or previous journaling. See if you can put yourself in the position of the main figure. What does that feel like? Does your impression of the card meanings change? 3. Play "78 Card pick up"...or "22 Card pick up" with just the Majors. Read whatever cards land face up, in whatever way makes sense to you. Move them around, create a story, and see what the cards say. 4. Design spreads that are particularly meaningful for you with very specific positions. Modify spreads in they books you have. Sometimes the act of creating something new and specific to you is enough to break through a Tarot block. Hang in there. Things probably will get better. If not, there are other oracles...you may be being called to become an expert in another system. If so, flow with it. Blue skies, and blessings, -FireRaven

Hermgirl	19 Jun 2005
It seems like your ol' Rider Waite is trying to tell you something: Pick me! The Rider Waite and a few other decks are based on the most traditional/original cartomantic symbologies there are. I think this is the main reason that this deck is recommended for beginners. This is imagery that was developed to bring forth oracular wisdom. Those oracle decks are fine, but I think they tend to be easier for people that are comfortable with their Tarot divination skills. Not that I'm saying the RW is the only deck anyone should use, but if you're finding it gives you those aha experiences, you could really benefit from spending some time with this deck exclusively. One of my Tarot teachers said something to the effect that the Universe is trying to speak to us "oracularly" all the time. If there are too many voices going on at one time, it's hard to hear what it's trying to say.

wizzle	19 Jun 2005
More ideas for you, since you have lots of decks to choose from. Do a three card pull about something not too earthshaking. Then duplicate the pull with two other decks. Would your interpretation change with the different decks? Which seems the most accurate? etc. Move all the cards around. Use one card from each deck, etc. Somewhere in the "spreads" area is a suggestion for having your decks talk to each other. Join a study group. Figure out a fun game with a popular deck. We did a 'find the sun" game in with the Gilded deck. The Fey people always seem to have something fun going on (I'm so jealous).

The Not Clicking For Me thread was originally posted on 18 Jun 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.