what do you do if 'bad'cards come up here in brief-reading threads?

Grizabella said:

Drawing more cards doesn't necessarily give you more information. Often, it just muddies the waters.

I think of Tarot as a language. In our English (or other) language we have millions of words to use to express what we want to say, so we can just throw them everywhere at will and there will be many synonymous words if we can't think of the precise one. Tarot only has 78 "words". Considering it only has 78, there aren't other cards that can express "the same thing only different". Each card holds within itself the answers we're looking for. I do sometimes draw extra cards for "extra information" but I don't always do it.

That sensation you're experiencing of lack of skills in finding those few words is something that's teaching you how to do exactly that. If we only use our brains for stuff that's not hard, then we don't learn what we need to learn. You'll catch on in time, but in the meantime, do some exercises that will be less frustrating for you, just to keep yourself encouraged. It all takes time. Tarot is a lifelong study, not something we can whip out in a month or so. It just takes the time it takes, that's all.

Click to expand...

I understand and appreciate your comment. I did actually read cards since about 1984ish onward, start and stop, and had some health issues in recent years that have contributed to language problems. I am doing better and continuing to practice cards and other beneficial activities, including in things like online ear training and other brain development courses and activities. My main frustration in this thread was that it felt like the responders may not have understood what I actually wrote, which waas the search for the succinctness and accuracy in the limited realm. I find it most helpful to spend time free associating about the essence of each card in one word, or three words, and also reviewing how others have answered these questions within the limits of the individual threads. I'm still a work in progress!

donnalee said:

EDIT TO CLARIFY: I am ONLY speaking about the threads that require us to keep it down to 1 card and 1 or 3 word commentary. That is what I meant by 'brief readings'.


ORIGINAL POST: Ordinarily in the brief readings here, if I get something like death or tower or 3 or 10 swords etc., I will pull another card or two to expand it and give the reading. However, I notice that once or twice I have thought, "Sure, I'll be next in this thread about one word or three words or good news (or other brief-response-required thread)", and if I get a card like that and feel we need to tell the person what card it is but make very little commentary, I don't want to just write "Death: sucks for you" or "3 of swords: Ouch" or "Oops" or something--I feel too constrained by the format, so I just don't even write it at all and figure someone else will come along and read for that person. What do you all do about this sort of thing if it happens to you? Thanks. Again, if it's a thread where I can comment more, I continue to pull cards until I feel I have a bigger picture, so I don't censor regularly at all. Once or twice though in the short-answer threads I just did not want to sound harsh, so I did not post it.

Click to expand...

I personally don't believe there are any negative cards in Tarot. Sure there might be some you might rather see come up than others in a one card reading. But I don't believe there are any bad or negative cards. They all have all sides in them. I would just show all the sides.

Eg Death to me means that something will end. But that is HAS to and is meant to make room for something better than is meant to come into the querent's life. If it does not end, there will be no room for the better thing to come.

It's like losing a job and then getting a new one two weeks later at twice the pay kind of thing. If you did not lose the first one you would not be looking and would not find the second. So you focus on both parts. You don't just say something you care about will end and leave it there. You also talk about the part where something better will come from it that will make them feel much more satisfied in the end and once it all has played out they will be happy things went as they did....

3 of Swords, for me, is just about having caring thoughts about someone for me. But that is a long story as my way of reading is unique. LOL

But that is in the end what I do. I don't have any strictly negative cards. Eg The Tower is a card some people see as negative....the Tower just means to me sudden change that will change things forever. Nothing more than that.

That does not at all have to mean something negative. it could be a positive change. In my meaning, the card doesn't specifiy. So you just tell them things will change suddenly and forever. And I don't add anything negative in, as that is not part of my meaning. The Tower can also mean falling in love for me. Because of the two people "falling" in the image. That moment where suddenly you realize for the first time that you are in love with the other. And nothing will ever be the same between you again. And that is positive.

Although to tell you the truth, if someone told me I had to do a reading where I could only give a couple of words for an answer I don't think I would take that on. It would be too hard to get across what I was trying to say accurately. I wouldn't get involved in that personally. But then again I can be pretty long-winded in my readings. I am not exactly the concise type. LOL

Babs

donnalee said:

EDIT TO CLARIFY: I am ONLY speaking about the threads that require us to keep it down to 1 card and 1 or 3 word commentary. That is what I meant by 'brief readings'.

Click to expand...

I think (though I could be way off the mark ) Donnalee is asking for a few keywords that could be used in the threads where the rules state you can only use a word or a few words for a one card draw.
For instance:
Tower: Defenses ripped away.
Three of Swords: Words hurt.
Death: Accept the end.
But to answer your question, yes I would give them what I got without pulling another card.

BodhiSeed said:

I think (though I could be way off the mark ) Donnalee is asking for a few keywords that could be used in the threads where the rules state you can only use a word or a few words for a one card draw.
For instance:
Tower: Defenses ripped away.
Three of Swords: Words hurt.
Death: Accept the end.
But to answer your question, yes I would give them what I got without pulling another card.

Click to expand...

I thought, more or less, that she was asking about if we feel we should pull another card when a "bad" card comes up in an exercise where we can only give a meaning of a couple of words, so as not to leave a bad taste in the person's mouth, not leave them with something negative.

Then of course, as usual, I did not believe there are any bad cards. LOL So if I gave my meaning there would not be any need to pull an extra card for that reason.

At the same time, for me, I could not give my meaning in so few words and not lose something essential. Eg Death. in the fewest words I could give it without losing its essential meaning is "something ending to make room for something better that is meant to come," I cannot give my meaning in less than 13 words, as to leave out either part of the meaning is not my meaning for the card. It is both the ending AND the meaning for behind the ending. Both are essential parts of my meaning for me. Leave out one and it is no longer the Death card.

So I guess I was saying that I could not do it. It's not a matter of pulling more cards, but I could not fit my meanings into a 2-3 words and not lose part of their sense.

Babs

SunChariot said:

I thought, more or less, that she was asking about if we feel we should pull another card when a "bad" card comes up in an exercise where we can only give a meaning of a couple of words, so as not to leave a bad taste in the person's mouth, not leave them with something negative.

Then of course, as usual, I did not believe there are any bad cards. LOL So if I gave my meaning there would not be any need to pull an extra card for that reason.

At the same time, for me, I could not give my meaning in so few words and not lose something essential. Eg Death. in the fewest words I could give it without losing its essential meaning is "something ending to make room for something better that is meant to come," I cannot give my meaning in less than 13 words, as to leave out either part of the meaning is not my meaning for the card. It is both the ending AND the meaning for behind the ending. Both are essential parts of my meaning for me. Leave out one and it is no longer the Death card.

So I guess I was saying that I could not do it. It's not a matter of pulling more cards, but I could not fit my meanings into a 2-3 words and not lose part of their sense.

Babs

Click to expand...

That's more what I meant, although I want to become more concise. Some of the folks are genuinely deft at it, like the meanings given in the post above you, and some just don't come to my mind especially if it's a subject that may really be a bid deal to the querent like health or moving to a new place or relationship, and a card that to me implies drastic change comes up and I feel that "transition" or "change" sounds too mild and "cataclysm" sounds incorrectly alarmist, or maybe even correctly alarmist, but I hate the alarmist part and avoid it. I read what others wrote to get ideas still.

BodhiSeed said:

I think (though I could be way off the mark ) Donnalee is asking for a few keywords that could be used in the threads where the rules state you can only use a word or a few words for a one card draw.
For instance:
Tower: Defenses ripped away.
Three of Swords: Words hurt.
Death: Accept the end.
But to answer your question, yes I would give them what I got without pulling another card.

Click to expand...

No, this is what I mean. Some of the replies in some threads are even supposed to be one word, so things I mention below like "cataclysm" sounds alarmist, and "transition" or "change" sounds wimpy. Thanks for your ideas though, since they do help with the three-word replies.

I know what you mean, I use the game site to gather skill and understanding of cards, just a good fast way to do that.
so yes, when I first started I would be horrified when death or tower came up - sometimes pull another card or pass on playing...now I go with it. it is a great way to practice to learn and although it seems some people ask serious questions ...it is labeled games .
so I would say do the best you can, with the card you have
the book that gave me more insight into how you can see cards for different things in your life was Power Tarot by Macgregor & Vega, that opened my eyes to how meanings fit into different situations.