The Future: What do they really show?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 14 Jan 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Sinner	14 Jan 2005
I've never considered this seriously before, and it may sound abit foolish but recently it feels like I've really had trouble deciding. With future spreads, ones that also include past and present influences, what do the future cards tell us? This is my dilemma: Do the future cards show us the outcome of the querent if things continue As They Are? Or Do they show us the outcome of the querent After Consulting The Cards? There is a big difference... For a while, I was convinced it was the former, but now I'm not so sure. The reason is, I did one of those readings for myself and basically, it showed a negative past and indecicive actions in the present but then a sudden contradiction to positive attitudes and actions in the near future. I assumed it was because I consulted the cards and knew what to do and that brought me success. However, the final, outcome card was pretty nasty and I'd really prefer to avoid it, the trouble is, I think it its leading from the successes. So my consulting the cards would be worse in the long run? Or, was all of this already going to happen before I looked at the cards? in which case am I to assume that I would have changed on my own even if I didnt consult the cards? Which leads to the question: how do I improve in the way I change myself if I'm already moving towards success? In a way, I'm really asking is it possible to change the future to avoid such a fate or am I doomed to face failure whatever I do? Are our destinies fixed?! Hope this makes sense. Sinner

Fulgour	14 Jan 2005
A card in the "Outcome" position indicates the outcome of the reading. "Future" cards are more aptly termed as future prospects.

dadsnook2000	14 Jan 2005
Your two questions are not mutually exclusive. It is not an "OR" situation. The outcome card shows what is likely to happen if there are no external situational changes and no internal attitude changes or alternative actions taken. The outcome card is therefore not "frozen" in meaning or in an event development but is "likely" given no situational changes. Whether the querent asks the question, or whether you help in one way or another in defining possibilities, if there was to be no change then the outcome card would be appropriate. Of course, the fact that the querent is at a point where a question is being posed suggests that the dynamics of "change" are already initiated and may alter, if continued, the outcome. Dave.

fairyhedgehog	14 Jan 2005
I don't believe that our destinies are fixed. A future card shows one possible future - one to be sought or to be avoided. It is for us to act then so that as far as possible we get the future that we want. The only way the cards can predict a definitely unhappy future is if we become so discouraged at a difficult card that we resign ourselves to that future. It can then become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you get a card that you don't want, it might be an idea to choose a card to represent a future that you would prefer, and then work towards that. So that you set up a different kind of self-fulfilling prophecy.

dadsnook2000	14 Jan 2005
Yes, fairyhedgehog, your suggestion is a very positive one. We can always choose a vision for ourselves and then strive towards fulfilling it. That is one thing that is often not done as part of a reading -- choosing a wish card and affirming that as the alternative you wish for. Dave

Sinner	15 Jan 2005
fairyhedgehog wrote: If you get a card that you don't want, it might be an idea to choose a card to represent a future that you would prefer, and then work towards that. So that you set up a different kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. That is a very interesting suggestion, I never thought of things in that way so I'll keep that in mind. I'm not saying that I'm diregarding all that's been said because they really support my own presumptions. The reason this is causing me trouble is that it showed immense short-term success and happiness but then a deterioration into a miserable unsuccessful future. This leads me into thinking that although I'm doing the best I can to change myself for the better and working harder for my aims, once I reach my goal... what then? misery? Is it telling me that maybe I should work less?? I'm sure this can be applied to many other aspects. Any further opinions would be helpful. Thanks.

Fulgour	15 Jan 2005
Sinner wrote: In a way, I'm really asking is it possible to change the future to avoid such a fate or am I doomed to face failure whatever I do? Are our destinies fixed?! Hope this makes sense. If you're using The Mythic Tarot then you might want to read more about the myths and legends behind the cards. The stories of the ancient Greeks were very often cathartic, presented in such a way so as to produce a sense of dread. It was understood that life in the real world differed greatly, though people could benefit from being able to experience great tragedy, at second hand, and gain from these insights.

Milamber	15 Jan 2005
I tend to read outcome cards in a spread as the way things are flowing, or the way things could be flowing, should the flow be changed. For example, in the celtic cross, I read position 6 as "near future," or, "this is where the situation is currently going." I read position 10 as "outcome," or, "this is where you could direct the situation to."

Sinner	15 Jan 2005
Fulgour wrote: If you're using The Mythic Tarot then you might want to read more about the myths and legends behind the cards. The stories of the ancient Greeks were very often cathartic, presented in such a way so as to produce a sense of dread. Thats something I was really thinking about at the time, although I didn't use the mythic deck at that point, I have read all the myths behind the cards and almost all the prophecies brought about by the oracles, at delphi for example, have been fulfilled one way or the other even when the "querent" has tried to 'fight back' against their fate, e.g. by killing their sons that are prophesised to overthrow them which usually ended up in them being overthrown later, thus the prophesy changes the querent instead of the other way round Its all pretty dramatic stuff. For a while I suppose I was worried that the cards were similar in that they showed the outcome after acting on the advice of the cards.Thus leading the querent to act in a certain way. I'm sure its an illogical way of thinking but it was just nagging on my mind. Are there somethings which can't be helped? soz for asking too much

Fulgour	15 Jan 2005
If you want to believe something, you should want to know what. Are you saying you do know what it is and don't want to believe, or that you do believe, beyond any doubts, but don't know what.

Sinner	15 Jan 2005
I'm not sure what to believe right now. It makes sense that the cards show the direction the querent will be headed towards in the future if everything stays the same in the querent's case from that particular point in time onwards. But sometimes I just feel that maybe there maybe certain things which are inevitable that the cards show us, but we have no way to avoid them. Can anyone sympathise? Or am I just worrying too much?

Fulgour	15 Jan 2005
Sinner wrote: But sometimes I just feel that maybe there maybe certain things which are inevitable that the cards show us, but we have no way to avoid them. Can anyone sympathise? Or am I just worrying too much? Are you asking for sympathy or a "reversal" of destiny? If you've done a Tarot reading and now are wondering, is fate destined or is destiny fated, do another reading. Each time a musician plays a tune, the Song is reborn.

Sinner	15 Jan 2005
Sound advice I guess, I will take it into account. I was merely wondering if anyone else felt any similar doubts or whether I'm alone in my queries.

Fulgour	15 Jan 2005
You are not alone. Happy Trails!

Fudugazi	15 Jan 2005
Sinner wrote: The reason this is causing me trouble is that it showed immense short-term success and happiness but then a deterioration into a miserable unsuccessful future. This leads me into thinking that although I'm doing the best I can to change myself for the better and working harder for my aims, once I reach my goal... what then? misery? Is it telling me that maybe I should work less?? Well how far away is that miserable future, and how long will it last? It is likely to be as temporary as everything else - given the cycle of life and death we are bound to (I mean life and death of what we do and love, as well as the life and death of our bodies). Ultimately, we are all destined for a miserable future, if we view death as a miserable thing. But along the way, we will know many beautiful ups, and not-so happy downs, and times in between. You are not the maker of all that happens in your life, only of how you respond to it. You do not give your parents cancer or remove it from them. Likewise, you could work hard at a business, have some success, and then a competitor comes along with a new product that puts you out of business. It's not about working less or more. If anything, I would say those cards are telling you to make as rounded a life as possible for yourself, because when hard times come, you will be the stronger for it.

Sinner	15 Jan 2005
Very insightful, I can see now how my interpretation caused me to be narrow minded enough to disregard most of these things. Thanks for clearing my mind.

Kiama	16 Jan 2005
I think some things in our lives we cannot control. Most things we can. But no man is an island, and what others do affects us too. All we can do if we see doom and gloom ahead and we think it is inevitable, is learn how best to react to it and deal with it. Try to learn something from it and make a good thing out of a bad situation. Of course, if it was me, I would fight tooth and nail against the doom and gloom. But I'm terribly stubborn. }) We can use the cards to help us find what can be learned from these inevitable bad experiences. They can also tell us how best to deal with things. Ah, the beauty of Tarot. :D Blessings, Kiama

Keslynn	17 Jan 2005
I really like the idea of choosing and laying out a wish card. It's a very neat and inspiring idea. Another method you can try to find out how you might avoid this miserable future is to do a reading to get advice how to change things. It might be helpful. I tend to read the outcome as though the querent were going to follow the advice offered, but it varies depending on the other cards in the spread or whether I get an intuitive hit. :) Kes

The The Future: What do they really show? thread was originally posted on 14 Jan 2005 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.