What to do?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 10 Apr 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Kitty	10 Apr 2002
Hi What do others do, how to cope when you perform a reading on a question for yourself and it shows a negative outcome, something that you do not want to happen? I have had a few lately, and it gets depressing. I don't to be put off tarot reading. thanks

Butterfly	10 Apr 2002
i see it as good news- a warning so to speak. In being forewarned you can take action to make sure it doesn't happen, or that if it does, it's not as big a surprise, so you'll be able to handle it better.

destinyawaitsme	11 Apr 2002
Take it as a valuable learning experience. I went through the same thing this summer. I was in a horrible relationship. The cards were telling me that it was horrible...but I had myself convinced that the cards were wrong. But guess what? I was wrong. First of all, don't be depressed. You have the upperhand..you know in advance what is going on...take that knowl3dge and learn from it. Nobody likes bad times, but you can do it okay???

Emily	11 Apr 2002
If I get a bad reading, I had the death and devil cards show up in the last reading I did, I try to keep an open mind about what these cards are trying to signify. Usually I can see where the cards are coming from - my life is changing again at the moment and the death and devil cards were in a positive part of the spread I did and I am struggling to get out of a hell that I've made for myself (devil) and when I'm done my life will be different (death) - so when getting a bad reading look at the other cards around them, see the situation complete with the other cards - might not be as negative as you think :) Hope this helps

Kiama	11 Apr 2002
I was always told that one golden rule about Tarot reading, is that the cards only tell you what will happen, if you don't change anything; if you carry on how you were when you did the reading. If ou get a bad outcome in a reading, then you can still change things in your life to stop that from happening! Kiama

MeeWah	11 Apr 2002
Despite the emotional prejudice one may possess for favoring one outcome over another, I see it as divine guidance. As such, it represents an impartial "reckoning" or "overview" based on the accumulated energies up to the moment of the throw or reading. Aside from that vantage point of higher ground (which I occasionally see as a position akin to 7-Wands), it can also serve as a warning/heads up as to what *may* be coming. Much of what *may* be lies in how one chooses to use that information. It may prompt one to search for other options--& in that itself may be seen as a saving grace. Being forearmed with knowledge can always confer a better position & can serve as preparation. I liken it to that Boy Scout motto: "Be prepared".

Diana	11 Apr 2002
edited

Jenny-Li	11 Apr 2002
Hi! I agree with what the others have written about this, but I have another question in this area, something that has been bugging be a looooong time...! What about when you lay out a spread, any spread that has some form of "future" and/or "outcome" position/s, and all the cards are positive ones, you get all three of cups, ten of pentacles, 2 of cups, queen of wands etc - and then you end up having ten of swords for future and death for outcome. (Vague example, but I think you get the picture...!) What I mean when you make a reading where the outcome is the only negative card, even though all the other cards seem to be signaling harmony and good times...! Any theories? Jenny :)

Diana	11 Apr 2002
edited

Dragonfly	11 Apr 2002
Hi Jenny-Li What a great question. I had that happen to me on a reading for myself. I'am starting my own business and was going to see someone who would be possibly selling my product. All the cards came out positve but the out come card was the 10 of swords ruin. And sure enough she loved my stuff but if I was to sell to her I would make little or no profit. So of course the cards where right. But looking at the cards before I went did not make any sense. Hope that helps. Blessings

Umbrae	11 Apr 2002
Here is a solution for you. Before each session, ask the sitter, “Do you want me to tell you the truth? Or do you only want to hear the good things?” I know it may seem a bit like a cop-out, but think… As a reader you have a duty to tell them what you see, however how you word it is of key importance… Lawyers and doctors do it all the time. Also, nothing is set in stone, you can change the circumstances of your life, understanding that omens are warnings.

Mad Dragon	14 Apr 2002
I always see the good in cards. Like the tower. When I lay down that card I think: yes, a bad period is bein' closed Good times will come. That way I always end up happy when I use Tarot. I hope it helps you Good luck!

truthsayer	14 Apr 2002
a few years ago, i was going thru a very rough time. i need to accept some changes in my life but fought hard not to change. it was amazing but practically every reading i did on myself during this time, i drew the tower. when i finally gave in and accepted i had to undergo change then i stopped drawing the tower. recently, i started drawing the tower again. i realized there was change that i was resisting so i accepted this. i made the change. i feel better and the tower is no longer showing its face. since i am aware of when the cards are trying to tell me something, i use this information for self insight and exploration about things i need to face in my life. negative readings don't have to be negative. consider it advice from a trusted friend. in astrology, i've always been told the stars impel not compel. the same is probably true for tarot.

Diana	14 Apr 2002
edited

perils	14 Apr 2002
You are about to enter a low point and the cards are warning you of it. Several months ago, I kept on getting bad reading after bad reading in regards to a relationship. It was a relationsship that I thought totally solid, and could see nothing affecting it. I thought the cards had to be totally wrong until I went through three truly horrible months. I was devestated. The cards then started to change and then thankfully so did the relationship. The cards are still showing a great future. We have to learn to accept the bad with the good. If there were no bad, we would not appreciate all of the wonderful things that we do have in life. Chip Up! The cards WILL change for the better!

emily2otters	20 Apr 2002
whenever i get a bad outcome in a spread (or when i know quite consciously that things are already bad), I ask "what are my best tools for dealing with this?" and draw a few more cards. sometimes i also ask "how can i change this outcome?" whenever a spread leaves me scratching my head in confusion, i always draw a few more cards while asking the next question, such as (to use jenny-li's example) "how on earth did we get to the 10 of swords??" the cards i draw can usually give me a clue. this is my favorite tool for any card that seems particularly out of place.

DeLani	21 Apr 2002
It's true, negative cards/outcomes are lessons for us to learn. If I'm not sure what it's trying to tell me, I do a 5-card spread on that card, using it as a significator, asking: "what is this card trying to tell me?" Spread: 1. The nature of the question. 2. The background 3. The Querent 4. The environment 5. Advice or outcome I find that, in addition for looking for the lesson that a negative card/outcome may have in store for me, I can do an excercise I adapted from Mary Greer's "Tarot for Yourself." Find the card that you don't like. You will then go "across the wheel" to pick a breakthrough card. E.g., if it's swords, go to Cups & v/v; if it's pentacles, go to wands & v/v; if it's Major Arcana, pick another Major. So, for example, if I got the 10 of Swords, I would go to the suit of cups and look for a card that negates or heals that. I might pick the Ace, or the 10, or whatever. You can do this for as many cards in a reading that you wish. And look at the reading as a whole. What does this card's energy stem from? Are there any other cards in the same suit that might be related to it? What suits are present - are there too many of one, or none of another? As you can see, I do a lot of work with this, since when my clients get negative cards, I feel it's my duty to help them understand and work through it. DeLani

The What to do? thread was originally posted on 10 Apr 2002 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.