Unwise questions

gregory said:

THESE ! Also third party - we all have our own stance on this - but CRITICALLY - questions that need expert knowledge (health in particular, but also finance and the law.)

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Personally agree very much with the second part of this. Any question requiring professiona advise like medical or legal is best left to those professionals. Not to mention that answering legal or medical questions can get you sued if you read professionally.

But when it comes to 3rd party readings, I am not against them personally in theory. It depends, I feel I need to judge each case on a case by case basis if it if right to do or not. But my general rule is that IF the querent is asking for good positive reasons and truly has the best interests of the other person in mind, then it is fine. Eg asking for help to understand the other so they can heal a rift of fight. Presumably the other person will be happier if there is peace between the two of them two.

I once had a beautiful question from a wife who told me her husband had only 6 months to live and asked me what would make him most happy that she could do for him in that time. That I was more than happy to do.

Also did a 3rd person reading once that said the other person was becoming suicidal. And the querent was then able to help them, armed with that info. The future showed more in a better light afterwards, so I think the reading helped change that future.

But if the person is asking out of selfish or uncaring for the other reasons, then to me it would feel wrong to do the reading.


Those are my feelings on that.
Babs

I've come round to thinking anything goes. Honestly, anything. But just be prepared to torture yourself to kingdom come over what the cards might - just might - be saying. The kinds of questions mentioned here are the kinds of questions where readers never quite feel satisfied about the answers. Am I interpreting correctly? Does it mean what I think it means? If you're fine with that torture, then fine. I think Morwenna hits the nail on the head when she says if you're the kind of person obsessing over others reactions and what they think, you won't be the kind of person whose urge to move on comes from within. But yes, ask about third parties. People are nosey and you'll never feel satisfied with the answer.

Do we honestly think that when readers post the "does he love me?" reading threads that they're fine with however the cards are interpreted? Of course not, they still keep wondering and ruminating. In short, tarot doesn't help than at all.

Annabelle said:

I don't read on "big" questions -- things related to politics, economics, national or global issues, etc. -- not necessarily because I would deem it unwise, but because I just don't think it "works." I have no confidence that I'd get a worthwhile answer; too many variables are involved.

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Actually I find 'big' events relating to politics or perhaps a sporting event to be a great way to test your skills. I love reading on politics, I almost always get it right too.

What I don't like are questions not based in reality. For example, asking whether there will be a reconciliation with a guy who has made no contact with the querent for a number of years and the last time they did they told you "not to contact them again". I just get frustrated with stuff like that.

earthair said:

@Nisaba - I almost choked laughing!

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The sad thing was <hiding grin> that these weren't hypothetical. Each and every question came from a real client. The one concerning the client accusing her sister of stealing her mother's engagement ring was actually a NEIGHBOUR of mine!

Hollydoll's list reminded me in timbre of my own. We live in the same country. Perhaps there's something extra-pathetic about Australians?

Omigosh, how did I forget to include the following in my list of unsuitable questions?

I was reading in a fishing village at the time. Early in the morning a fisherman came in, objectionably slapped some money on my table, and ordered me to predict how many fish he was going to catch "if I was any good". I frostily gathered up his money, gave it back, and said "I don't need my cards to tell me what you are going to catch. You'll catch a hangover, a case of sunstroke, and the sharp edge of your woman's tongue." His mate hurried in and ushered him away. Much later in the day the mate came back alone. He told me I was dead right: his friend had dedicated himself to an eski of beer, had fallen asleep in the boat, and was even now sitting in the car with the worst case of sunburn ever seen on the continent, dreading going home to the wife.

I find it hard to have absolute boundaries about not asking some questions or taking some questions for others. For example I have chronic health and mental health problems, it tends to pop up in nearly all my readings. I don't ask for health diagnosis or treatment readings but it's a major part of my life, like career and work for another person. I did a monthly reading for someone once and it brought up a lot about their legal house selling / moving issues. I am not a professional in that area or legally trained but they didn't exactly ask about it but it was a huge stressful burden in their life. I gave advice from the cards but not professional advice. The lines merge and blur a lot on this!

I thought Enlightenment's list of questions which might be unwise was excellent As I become more experienced in tarot, I find I am more careful about what I ask. I used to ask and read for everything happening in my life. Sometimes I got upsetting and really not clear readings and I now believe I wasn't supposed to know or ask. Do I really want to know this? Can I handle this at this time? I came to tarot (and AT) during a really bad depression and I was future reading a lot, hoping for good news! But tarot was often upsetting and negative (because the depression was continuing). Suddenly the messages changed as I made progress. Now as a wiser person, I should not have kept future asking, I could not handle what the tarot told me. I should have worded it something like "tell me some good news coming my way" or "what can I do to improve things today?" slight changes improved things. I ask so much less now! My Cat was very sick and dying and I didn't read on it, I felt I should not know and see what happened. After that, a friend with a terminal illness asked me to read for them and I turned it down. I felt so uncomfortable, what happens if I had a terrible negative message come up? There was a thread soon after that on AT of people who gave hope and comfort to people with terminal illnesses with their illness but I felt I couldn't do that reading.

for my personal readings, I am careful about the questions and follow Enlightenment's list. Less readings are so much healthier and more powerful!

for readings for others, I think the lines blur a lot but my rule is I don't read on things I feel ethically uncomfortable about or out of my scope of experience as a person.

Stepping away from readings or questions is a huge learning step in tarot I think. You don't need to read on everything

@Nisaba, that is a case of the amazing nisaba in action