Does your state of mind/mood influence the reading?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 21 Jun 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Cynthia	21 Jun 2004
This is something I've wondered about lately. When doing a reading, it sometimes seems as though, if my general state of mind or mood is kind of depressed or low, I tend to get more negative readings. Maybe it's just that my interpretation is what is influenced by my mood or state of mind. It DOES seem though, that when I'm feeling low, especially with regard to the question I'm asking, the cards that I get are ones that indicate problems or potential problems, and when I'm feeling generally positive and upbeat, that's the kind of reading I get, with lots of positive and "hope" type cards. Right now I only read for myself, and so I do wonder if I tend to project my hopes, fears and anxieties onto the reading and into the interpretation. I am trying to just be quiet and listen to my intuition, but bloody-minded reason and intellect keep wanting to have their say. Any thoughts? Cynthia :-)

Rhiannon	21 Jun 2004
The cards are a reflection of your subconcious. It only makes sense for this to happen. If things are going well for you, the cards will reflect that. If things aren't so great, they will reflect that too. R :)

Cynthia	21 Jun 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Rhiannon The cards are a reflection of your subconcious. It only makes sense for this to happen. If things are going well for you, the cards will reflect that. If things aren't so great, they will reflect that too. R :) OK, that makes sense. But I wonder then, if the cards are reflecting a "down," is it best to just put them away and ask again when I'm feeling better? Or maybe just take notes on the reading, and come back to it for interpretation later? Cynthia

Rhiannon	21 Jun 2004
It may be best at those times to just shuffle. Many readers here find that just shuffling the cards and not doing readings is very relaxing and meditative. Shuffle and pull cards randomly if you feel like it. Don't attach any particular meaning to them, just do it for the practice, see if you can remember the keywords for the cards. Or ask a question like, "What can I do to pull myself out of this depressed mood?" That way at least you would be getting some constructive advice and not feeling like the cards are simply reflecting your bad mood back at you. R :)

The Does your state of mind/mood influence the reading? thread was originally posted on 21 Jun 2004 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.