Beginner discouraged by "wrong" answers!

I have owned Tarot cards for a few years but use them only sporadically, so I still consider myself a beginner. One problem I keep running into is that I am easily discouraged when I draw a card or a spread and it does not seem to fit at all with either the spread or the question. For example earlier today I did a reading for how to cultivate peace in 2017 and drew the Queen of Wands (using Tarot Mucha, in which the Queen of Wands looks rather unpleasant and stroppy!). I did my best to interpret this but in the back of my head I couldn't stop wondering why something more fitting in my eyes didn't come up. I know the answer to this is probably just that I need to keep practising in order to access the many, many meanings each card can have but I just feel so discouraged each time the card doesn't seem right to me. I find sometimes I don't want to do a reading in case the reading doesn't make sense, which then makes me doubt whether it's worth trying in the first place... I start to feel like I must be doing something wrong, like I'm just not intuitive enough, or like I'm losing faith in the whole concept of Tarot.

Anyway, I suppose what I'm asking is whether anyone else has had this problem and what is the best way to get past my narrowmindedness?

auberose said:

I have owned Tarot cards for a few years but use them only sporadically, so I still consider myself a beginner. One problem I keep running into is that I am easily discouraged when I draw a card or a spread and it does not seem to fit at all with either the spread or the question. For example earlier today I did a reading for how to cultivate peace in 2017 and drew the Queen of Wands (using Tarot Mucha, in which the Queen of Wands looks rather unpleasant and stroppy!). I did my best to interpret this but in the back of my head I couldn't stop wondering why something more fitting in my eyes didn't come up. I know the answer to this is probably just that I need to keep practising in order to access the many, many meanings each card can have but I just feel so discouraged each time the card doesn't seem right to me. I find sometimes I don't want to do a reading in case the reading doesn't make sense, which then makes me doubt whether it's worth trying in the first place... I start to feel like I must be doing something wrong, like I'm just not intuitive enough, or like I'm losing faith in the whole concept of Tarot.

Anyway, I suppose what I'm asking is whether anyone else has had this problem and what is the best way to get past my narrowmindedness?

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Here is my take on what you said above.

I believe that the right answers always come up if we ask a question, as long as not distracted at the time and we are actually paying attention to what we're doing. That the cards (or whatever you believe answers us when we ask) want to answer us and will consistently if there is something we really want to know. That is something we can depend on.

That means when the answer has not made sense, it is usually on the reader who has misunderstood something. It happens, we're all human and sometimes things are clearer than at other times.

Another thing to consider is that ALL card meanings contain both sides of the coin to them: the positive and the negative sides, the theme and it's opposite...(and everything in between).

So let's say The Lovers card can say either that there is love there, or that there is not love there. The Empress can say that someone is very caring, or that it would benefit them to become more caring...

So let's say you asked how to cultivate peace in 2017 and there is this stroppy unpleasant looking woman on the Queen of Wands. I agree with you 100% that the advice is not likely to be to emulate this woman and try to be like her. That is not likely to be the path to take. To achieve peace.

The meaning is more likely to be asking you to take a good look at her and to try to NOT be like her. To work to eliminate any aspects of her that remain in you atm. Even if they are small things, try to let them go. Little things maybe like impatience, apathy in certain situations, whatever you see in her. Letting them go is what will bring you more peace. Put another way, if you want to experience peace, first you need to eliminate what is not peaceful inside you. When you clear that out, what remains IS peace.

Maybe it's not so much about expecting a card that feels fitting to you, but more about going into it trusting that wisdom will be given to you by the card even though you cannot anticipate in advance the form it will take. Then it is just your job to decipher the meaning. Sometimes its better not to try to anticipate the form the wisdom will come in in advance. Because if we expect something to show up in one place, we may look for it there and not look elsewhere or see the true answer that is in another place altogether.

Maybe when cards don't feel right to you (or they dont tell you what you expect to see)...better to try not to have any expectations. If you can, I think clearing those out as much as you can would help you.

Honestly I think that it all it is. The only expectation you need to hold onto is that the cards will work and answer. Drop any other preconceived notions and try not to imagine or anticipate what will come up in advance, I believe that only gets in the way. When you get the answer, it can be a bit like a jigsaw puzzle, as it can require some clear thought and you have to put the pieces together.

Babs

Don't get discouraged perhaps you haven't grasped how cards apply yet but it will come with practice, we all had to start someone and things will eventually start falling into place for you if you stick with it.

When you say 'in case it doesn't apply' does it really matter? Perhaps you're trying to 'fit' the cards rather than allowing the cards to show you how they fit so to speak. The cards will always apply but it may not be what we wish for or expect so what we need to learn to do is get our self out of the way, expectations and all in order to read efficiently.

How to cultivate peace with the Queen of Wands by your side: She says - Stand up for yourself. Make healthy boundaries. Reach in the direction of your dreams. Take control of your self, and of your life's course. These actions will help you feel at peace with yourself, and with the world.

Don't loose heart. With time and experience, many different facets of the tarot come to life.

ETA you might want to get a new deck whose images resonate with you better than those of the Art Nouveau deck.

It happens to the best of us, to be honest. Do not be afraid to consult your books or your notes or when all else fails, ask for an opinion in the Using Tarot Cards or Your Readings sub-forums here if you're still at a loss. Do read the guidelines for each though: you're still required to provide even a simple explanation of what you think the cards may mean when you start a thread. But I think that perhaps, one issue is that you have been using the Tarot for years and you still get stumped by the cards that turn up. One would think that one would gain some sort of proficiency with the cards if one has been reading for that long. So why do the cards sometimes still leave one scratching one's head in bewilderment?

You said that you only sporadically read the cards, and that you still consider of yourself a beginner. Perhaps that is one of the keys to the problem. Have you tried doing a truly in-depth study of your deck? Have you pored over huge Tarot books or read online lessons or even simply watched plenty of Tarot tutorial videos, and wrote all that you've learned in copious notes in a journal that you revisit time and time again when you have important new insights you wish to take note of? Or if you are the intuitive type: have you spent lots of time looking at and meditating on the images and rich symbolism in every single one of your card, and wrote them again in a journal? Have you tried bonding with your cards, pulling one every day for a daily draw, writing all the new associations you can think about the cards? Or at least practice your skills to hone them, make them sharper by reading for other people for example, even if only here in the exchange or in the game threads for quick pulls. Have you tried reading the cards as often as you can, learning new spreads and doing weekly spreads to see how the week ahead would shape up to be, and at the end of the said week looking up at the drawn cards to see if they somehow resonate with you and again changing or adding to your journal entries when fresh insights strike you in the course of your readings?

For in reality, I believe that only a few start off truly gifted in the Tarot, for whom their very first act of touching and seeing the cards inspire immediate visions and intuition and knowledge. For most of us, we have to work hard and read a lot and/or at the very least try to get closer to the cards by interacting with them often, meditating on them, performing readings with them, etc. I do believe that most people do get better with lots of study and practice. You would have to invest more effort and time in the cards if you truly wish to master them some day.

Alternatively, you may consider looking for and acquiring a deck that really speaks to you, that you'd be willing to roll your sleeves up and truly work with. Perhaps your deck just do not get you excited enough, or it feels stale or it did not really appeal to you that much to begin with. Time to look at the decks in Aeclectic and search for the one that you know would definitely set your pulse racing. Ideally it should have a companion book, but I guess any general book that has close enough images would be good too. Or look for the system they follow (whether RWS, Thoth or Marseilles), get a very good grounding of the principles there, and apply it to the LWB so that you can expound on the meager keywords written there. Or you can go the purely intuitive route- meditate on the images and really think what they evoke in you, write your thoughts, ideas and associations in your journal, and immerse yourself in them. It depends on which learning style suits you.

Always remember though, in order to interpret them better and be able to swiftly make the connections between the images and the question at hand, you would have to immerse yourself in the world of your cards first. Sporadic readings might not be ideal if you truly wish to master the cards. We are all busy with our day jobs and responsibilities and what-not, but I think even just 30 minutes a day (and a full hour on weekends) dedicated to Tarot study would make you better by the end of three months. You have to put some effort if you truly desire to be proficient at something, unless you're some sort of savant, which few of us really are.

Once again: practice makes perfect.

Empyreandknight, you are inspired! You said it all!

Don't be discouraged, auberose!

Are you mainly doing self readings? I primarily read for myself, but it can be challenging and confusing if I am distracted by my own emotions and hopes for how the reading will turn out. When that happens, I put the reading aside for a few days and come back to it with a fresh outlook when I've had time to settle my thoughts.

I would also recommend a meditation practice. Sometimes I will spend a few minutes deep breathing/meditating before I do a reading, so my mind will be as much of a blank slate as possible. If I find myself already thinking ahead and anticipating which cards "should" come up, then I know I have already turned my back on my intuition.

EmpyreanKnight said:

Always remember though, in order to interpret them better and be able to swiftly make the connections between the images and the question at hand, you would have to immerse yourself in the world of your cards first. Sporadic readings might not be ideal if you truly wish to master the cards. We are all busy with our day jobs and responsibilities and what-not, but I think even just 30 minutes a day (and a full hour on weekends) dedicated to Tarot study would make you better by the end of three months. You have to put some effort if you truly desire to be proficient at something, unless you're some sort of savant, which few of us really are.

Once again: practice makes perfect.

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Well stated, EmpyreanKnight. I am in agreement with this. I became much more comfortable with my cards when they became a part of my daily practice. Doesn't necessarily mean you need to study them as if you are studying for an exam! Tarot should be a passion, not an obligation. You could spend some time each day simply shuffling the cards, meditating on the images, or journaling about cards you like or don't like. You could do a daily draw, where you draw a single card and use it as your lesson or message for the day. If you have a dream, shuffle through your deck and see which images remind you of the dream. There are many ways to connect with the cards, and it does take some time, so please don't give up on yourself.

Perhaps you need to rethink your approach

I'm just starting of in my journey too, and one thing I've noticed is that decks can have different temperament, a deck may not be suitable for some questions/situations. What I would suggest is the deck interview - http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=44573
This will help you find out the best way to approach the deck, and when the best time to call on its advice would be.

I've been doing it for years, but I still feel like I am a beginner too. I'm starting to find out with some of the cards that even though their negative that you can find another message. Every time I get the ten of swords I just assume all bad things because I never thought there could be any good to that card, but when I asked a question about it, other people told me what it could mean besides just the negative.

For me, there are no negative cards. Tarot is a system designed to help people solve problems and feel better about things. Negativity does not help with either of these things. Even the message of looking at what is negative and eliminating it, is in effect a positive message.

Those are my beliefs...

Babs