How much do the cards influence you?

Niti

Hey all,

I was just wondering how much other people let the cards influence their lives?

I know it is often said that we are, when it comes down to it, in control of our own destinies. Whatever the cards say can change if you change your approach. Hypothetically.

But what about when it comes to things like relationships and jobs, where you are only partially in control, or not at all? What about when it is all cardly-hearsay? You know those readings where you might suspect your partner is cheating on you, and the cards confirm it, or where you find out someone who has been befriending you has ulterior motives? Or if the cards tell you that you'd be happier working at one place instead of another? Or when the cards tell you without much room for doubt, "don't go on that vacation, you'll regret it!"

How do you react? Would you cut off a friendship or relationship because of tarot cards? Would you change vacation plans, or question people with no other basis of proof?

In many spreads designed to give advice, so much of it strikes a chord of truth (even the advice is usually something I already know) that it's only natural to try and follow. But when it comes to spreads like these - especially the kinds that concern other people - how much do you trust it, and where do you go from there?
 

gregory

The cards guide. They are not our masters.

I would say - I would listen - and follow the advice just as I would the advice from a really good friend.
Not slavishly, but taking what they say into account.
Any help ?
 

BodhiSeed

This quote by Susan Barber sort of sums it up for me:

"The first thing to know about divination tools is that any future events they seem to predict are not set in stone. They are possibilities, or even opportunities. Spirit has no interest in scaring us or giving us negative ideas, and everything that happens to us has a positive purpose. So it follows that if we are shown something that appears negative, we are being told either that something needs to change, or that if we just "hang in there" this seemingly negative event will turn out just fine. Then we can look to other parts of the reading for clues as to what needs changing or what the meaning is. In doing this, we will find out how to cultivate (or avoid) any outcome that's shown, or at least understand the positive underlying reason behind any temporarily negative manifestation." ~Susan Barber

Bodhran
 

Niti

Heh, I'm not exactly looking for help. It's just a question that interests me.

And I'm not talking about spreads where advice comes up. I tried to draw a line in my original post - there are some things tarot cards might reveal which are out of our control. I was curious about how people dealt with bad news or warnings from cards - as they are a very different pill to swallow than advice.

It's not really about me either. The question came up when pondering over a few readings I've done for others recently.

I don't think there are scary spirits in the tarot cards, nor is it always about divination of future events. Sometimes, readings about the past or present can be even more shocking and cause you to have to make decisions as well. The question is, if you have no proof but a few pictures on a piece of cardboard...how much would you let it influence you?
 

.traveller.

In terms of work or relationships, the cards are generally consulted when the Querent is unhappy with some aspect of the issue. In these cases, the answers almost always reflect back upon the querent and should be used to explore the whys and the whats of the situation.

For example, I recently had readings done on my work situation. Should I stay, should I look elsewhere, yada yada yada. The cards pointed out my frustrations, my paranoia, MY issues. I decided to try to change the things that bothered me (like buying a space heater to make my work area more comfortable) and focus on the aspects of my work that I enjoy. The results were that my boss paid for the new space heater, and he upgraded all of my work equipment. All of the issues I had that were making me unhappy were addressed and I received a raise on top of everything else.

If I had just taken the readings I received at face value, I would have left my current job for no good reason and would have probably ended up with a position I liked even less. Instead, I chose to be an active participant and remedy the problems.
 

MoonLitCrystal

I don't believe that people should take the cards too literally. My Aunt K tends to do this - she saw in the cards that my Aunt P (her sister) has been talking to her soon-to-be ex-husband, so she got completely furious and now guards what she tells Aunt P! Of course Aunt P got furious that Aunt K puts so much stock into the cards. Whether they are right or wrong, I don't think that Aunt K should let this get in the way of her close relationship with Aunt P. Like some of you said, the cards are guides. If what they say is true, maybe Aunt K should simply watch what she says around Aunt P, but not broadcast it to everyone.
 

Splungeman

I suppose it's all in how you react to the bad news. If I read in the cards, "Go on that vacation and you'll regret it." the biggest mistake I could make would be to cancel it and not take my vacation at all, especially if I have family or friends who planned to go with me and are looking forward to it.

"Why did you cancel the vacation?"

"Because the cards told me to."

But the cards didn't tell me to cancel the vacation. My REACTION was to cancel the vacation, and it was probably the wrong one. Instead I should check out the things involved with the vacation. Are the reservations in order? Is it snowing in Chicago and the plane won't be able to land there? Will they not let my pet Tiger through customs? I might find out that the hotel lost my reservation. Whew! Glad I got that warning from the cards! I would have been stuck in Albuquerque with no hotel!

It's like hearing on the weather forecast it's going to rain the next morning and you stay inside your house and never leave. Well that's one option....the other is to use an umbrella. :)
 

Gavriela

Except sometimes fate is still there. Don't quite know how to explain it, but I've seen it psychically and seen it in the cards. Sometimes really dumb stuff, like telling somebody to be careful what they eat cos they're likely to break a tooth tomorrow - and it happened. Sometimes more along the lines of your business partner is stealing you blind - bail now - and given the way the cards were talking (it was not ambiguous), I should have listened. I didn't. Ended up $6000 the poorer for that little disaster (and that is well more than a year's income where I live).

It's been more than that, but I can tell - hard to explain. When the cards are falling and just 'clicking' - then yes, I now pay attention, and I'll cancel the holiday, or do something seemingly out-of-left-field. It's not so much paranoia, as what my experiences have been from not paying attention to things like that. I know that western philosophy/psychology focusses very much on issues like locus of control, but that's not been my experience, nor my background, nor my cultural history.

On the days when the cards aren't 'clicking' and I'm struggling to put the pieces together - well, I take it on board, but amn't so likely to take drastic action.

For a client? If I see a world of bad, of course I'm going to be more tactful, try to offer advice, and probably not tell them all of it (we're talking readings from hell here), and try to secure anything that can be secured beforehand.

But for all that - there are much better things to do with tarot than tell the future with it, and it's not the best oracle going for that. So I'm more likely to get into the kabbalistic magical mystery tour than suffer death by a thousand 'does he really like me?' readings. But sometimes they are dead on. I prefer Lenormand-style oracles for fortunetelling, though, and yes, I do go by their advice as well - things tend to work out a whole lot better that way instead of reading something, seeing it plain as day in the cards, and then ignoring it.

Cheers.
 

gregory

Splungeman said:
It's like hearing on the weather forecast it's going to rain the next morning and you stay inside your house and never leave. Well that's one option....the other is to use an umbrella. :)
That is a much better way of saying what I wanted to say ! :D
 

Elnor

Bit long-winded, but the story shows why Niti's question resonated with me!

Years ago, when I first decided to really study the Tarot more in-depth I took a course in central London. The tutor did short readings for people in the class to show how she linked up the cards... my query was about my job, because I was so unhappy at work- I told her I wanted to go in the next morning and hand in my notice because things were pretty bad.

The outcome card for my reading was the Hanged Man, along with several pentacles cards...and she said it was important to wait; not do anything hasty but to try to stay a bit longer- that there was the possibility things were developing that I had no knowledge about as of yet, and to try to adopt a 'hands off' attitude about it.

I took her advice.
A few weeks later, I developed a medical condition that prevented me from being able to do my job due to a type of repetitive strain caused by the work that I did; I ended up having physiotherapy and scans for months... while my employers stalled as long as they could about sorting out my sick pay, until it emerged that they had in fact been in secret negotiations with other firms who had been putting in tenders towards buying the business.

They had hoped if they dragged their feet long enough that I would become desperate enough to leave of my own free will- or that the sale would go through quickly, in which case the new owners could easily have dismissed me. (it was all very complicated legally- I still don't understand the half of all the contracts and negotiations that were involved!)

As it was, they did in fact have to pay the disability earnings that I was owed.
If I had quit my job, I would have been in BIG trouble- because I wouldn't have been with a new job long enough to have been covered by any employer's medical insurance- I could have lost my flat.... everything. :eek:

So, I have to say that now when the cards give me a clear-cut response to a question that I put to them... yeah, I do tend to pay VERY close attention! :grin:

elnor