Yes/No-Questions

[Lady Mary]

I’ve read very different opinions about this subject. Some say the Tarot isn’t the medium for oracles and too complex for yes/no-questions. Other say, it’s OK to use – for example – a three-cards-spread to get an answer to a question, such as:
Should I move to a new apartment / stay at the old apartment / look for a totally different solution?
How do you think about YES/NO-questions?

[Kiama]

I think Tarot CAN be used with Yes/No questions, but not just to get a simple yes/no answer...

To me, if I want a simple yes/no, I'll toss a coin, but the Tarot, IMO, can tell us ROUGHLY (I say this cuz it can be quite ambiguous sometimes as to what the answer is) whether the answer is yes/no, and at the same time, it can tell us details of the circumstances...

For instance, if I were to ask... 'Will my trip to Glastonbury go ok?' And deal... 3 cards, as is the norm for me, I am asking a yes/no question, but the cards I get, for instance:

Sun
10 of Cups
Queen of Wands

will not only tell me yes/no (In this case, yes judging by the positivity of all three cards) but will add deatils, in this case 'It's gonna be great, with lotsa fun and social stuff... And it'll most probably bring out the best in me!' (Very bad and quick interpretation there!)

Hmmm, I feel I have babbled on too long.

Kiama

[Lady Mary]

Mary Greer in her book "Tarot for yourself" suggests to pick for example three cards about a specific question and to also use reversed cards. So if the majority of the cards (in this case two cards) were reversed, than the answer is NO.
I think it's a bit strange to use Tarot in this way. I did it once and I regretted it very much because (for me) there is always this self-fulfilling-prophecy. If I think something is going to be negative than the probability is high that it really turns out to be negative, because of my negative expectations.

[Aerin]

My view on this is strongly related to my beliefs about the importance of empowerment. Most yes/ no questions for me give away the power of choice to the cards, and I don't think that is healthy. I would far rather ask questions such as 'What do I need to know about X' or 'What are the pros and cons of making choice Z' since this makes it clear that it is down to me to have the final call.

I rather like Joan Bunning's take on questions, see www.learntarot.com and have a look at Lesson 7.

Aerin

[SunChariot]

Originally Posted by Lady Mary

Mary Greer in her book "Tarot for yourself" suggests to pick for example three cards about a specific question and to also use reversed cards. So if the majority of the cards (in this case two cards) were reversed, than the answer is NO.
I think it's a bit strange to use Tarot in this way. I did it once and I regretted it very much because (for me) there is always this self-fulfilling-prophecy. If I think something is going to be negative than the probability is high that it really turns out to be negative, because of my negative expectations.

I tried this once and it did not work for me. The yes/no answers I got using that method were very very contradictory from one day to the next. To the point where I literally did a reading and asked if this method was or could give me accurate answers. Would you beleive the cards said "No"!!!???

I dropped it like a hot potato afterwards and in fact I still won't do yes/no answers.

Now if I want to know something with a yes/no asnwer I try to rephrase in another way that will give me the answer anyway. Like if I wanted to know if I will have a good time on a trip I ask "How will I feel while on this trip? If the cards say I will feel happy, then I know I will have a good time. Or if I want to know if I should take a specific job. I pull one card for each job prospect I have and ask what will happen if I take each, then I pick the most positive.

There are ways to get the same answers you would find in a yes/no question in other ways. So that is what I do now.

Bar

[SunChariot]

Originally Posted by Aerin

My view on this is strongly related to my beliefs about the importance of empowerment. Most yes/ no questions for me give away the power of choice to the cards, and I don't think that is healthy. I would far rather ask questions such as 'What do I need to know about X' or 'What are the pros and cons of making choice Z' since this makes it clear that it is down to me to have the final call.

I rather like Joan Bunning's take on questions, see www.learntarot.com and have a look at Lesson 7.

Aerin

very much agree with that as well.

Bar

[Moonchild1721]

I don't like to use tarot for yes/no questions myself. It's too difinitive. So much goes into a situation that it's hard to answer anything with a yes or a no. Just my opinion. Different things work for different people.
Samantha

[sams]

Originally Posted by SunChariot

I tried this once and it did not work for me. The yes/no answers I got using that method were very very contradictory from one day to the next. To the point where I literally did a reading and asked if this method was or could give me accurate answers. Would you beleive the cards said "No"!!!???

I dropped it like a hot potato afterwards and in fact I still won't do yes/no answers.

Now if I want to know something with a yes/no asnwer I try to rephrase in another way that will give me the answer anyway. Like if I wanted to know if I will have a good time on a trip I ask "How will I feel while on this trip? If the cards say I will feel happy, then I know I will have a good time. Or if I want to know if I should take a specific job. I pull one card for each job prospect I have and ask what will happen if I take each, then I pick the most positive.

There are ways to get the same answers you would find in a yes/no question in other ways. So that is what I do now.

Bar

I was doing the reversal/non-reversal 3 card spread for yes/no's and had the same experiences as you. When i asked my cards if they were giving me accurate answers, they said no aswell!!

[rabbitstu]

I have the opinion also that yes/ no is too vague, but you know what?
I still do it..LOL

I usually end any queries with an actual layout that I trust...

especially if the question is very important to me.

*corrected spelling*

[zach bender]

I read for myself daily, and the only question, ever, is: what is it I need to be hearing just now? and I use a full-blown celtic cross, just to keep things confusing . . .

. . . the other day I did lay out a three-card spread on a mislaid object. Very interesting results, but the "jury" is still out . . .

zb