Dependable Yes/No answers

Beancrew49

Lately I've been practicing a Yes/No spread. I think it's by Llewellyn. You draw 5 cards, Major Arcana and even minors are a "Yes", Courts and odd minors are a "No", and the number of each gives you an answer by degrees, ie 5 no's is a resounding NO and 3 no's is a kind of no.

I've been asking some control questions, questions I know the answer to, and it's been coming out completely wrong a lot of the time. My question is, am I doing something wrong or are these Yes/No spreads just not very dependable. What are your thoughts?
 

Diessa

When I ask yes/no, I almost always get a description of the answer, rather than a solid yes or no. If "yes", for example, is going to lead to something described by the 5 of cups, I'll get a 5 of cups. This happens even when I try to assign "yes" to something like wands and "no" to something like swords.

I have the same issue with timing. Even trying to assign cards to segments of time is not very accurate for me. I just get a description of "near energy" or "far energy".
 

euripides

I don't think Tarot can be that precise. You may feel otherwise, of course, but to my view they are an aid to your own intuition, not something magically keyed into the universe. If they could give you an accurate yes/no, there'd be a lot of wealthy people with decks in their pockets.
 

Grizabella

Tarot can answer yes/no questions, but not with a yes or no. You're more likely to get a "well, probably yes but---" or "well, probably not unless--" if you see what I mean. It will give you a sort of rambling answer that gives you the choice to make up your own mind whether it's better to pick the yes or a no for yourself.

For some questions, a spread called "what if I do and what if I don't" work pretty well, just drawing three cards per option. That's another way that it will give you a wordy answer that you can decipher for yourself.

Really, I think Tarot's wordy answers to yes/no questions is better because it causes you to think more deeply and seriously about things than if it were to just give a yes or no on demand.
 

Tanga

A straight Yes/No in Tarot is difficult IMO. It lends itself to more rambling Yes - but... or maybe... have you thought about...No if you're going to carry on....possibly when.................................
Alla Grizabella - the sitter should make up their own mind - not have it decided for them.
 

Zephyros

The more avenues one has to an answer the more muddled it will be, especially if you're trying to find a binary yes/no answer. One Tarot card will be very difficult to pin down as yes or no and five is a whole world of meanings and shades and possibilities.

Personally I think the best divination for a yes/no answer is a simple coin toss.
 

Barleywine

Grizabella said:
Tarot can answer yes/no questions, but not with a yes or no. You're more likely to get a "well, probably yes but---" or "well, probably not unless--" if you see what I mean. It will give you a sort of rambling answer that gives you the choice to make up your own mind whether it's better to pick the yes or a no for yourself.
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Took the words right out of my keyboard, you did! I apply the same philosophy to tarot that I do to astrology: it's "descriptive" but not "prescriptive." It gives you the raw material to formulate your own "yes" or "no" answer, but you usually have to think about (and then act on) what it's trying to tell you in order to benefit. That said, it didn't stop me from putting together my own informal "yes/no/maybe" binning system based on the most basic quality or "feel" of each card as used in divination. The "yes" or "no" is almost always contingent upon some follow-up action (or inaction) by the querent.
 

euripides

Barleywine said:
it's "descriptive" but not "prescriptive." It gives you the raw material to formulate your own "yes" or "no" answer, but you usually have to think about (and then act on) what it's trying to tell you in order to benefit.
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oh I like the way you put that. and Grizabella's "rambling".
 

nisaba

Beancrew49 said:
Lately I've been practicing a Yes/No spread. I think it's by Llewellyn. You draw 5 cards, Major Arcana and even minors are a "Yes", Courts and odd minors are a "No", and the number of each gives you an answer by degrees, ie 5 no's is a resounding NO and 3 no's is a kind of no.

I've been asking some control questions, questions I know the answer to, and it's been coming out completely wrong a lot of the time. My question is, am I doing something wrong or are these Yes/No spreads just not very dependable. What are your thoughts?
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My thoughts are that Tarot wants to chat around things, not give yes/no answers. My thoughts are also that a "yes" answer is not always positive (take for example the questions "is that suspicious lump cancer" and "is my partner unfaithful"), and a no-answer is not always negative ("am I going to have an accident if I drive tomorrow" or "will I fight with my mother if I see her"). So picking positive cards for yes and negative cards for no just won't work.

I always have a couple of decks around my person, but I also always have a pendulum on me. Pendulums, so long as you *check* what swing they have for yes and no on a given day - it can change with the weather or other factors - are perfectly designed for yes/no answers, and work well around your decks.

If it really *must* be Tarot, try this.

1) find your Ace Pentacles/Coins card.

2) ask your yes/no question.

3) Holding the card high above your reading table, drop it putting a little spin on it, so that it will drop onto your table.

4) If it lands face-up, it's yes, whether to a positive or a negative question. If it lands face-down it's no, whether to a positive or a negative question.


But as I said, pendulums are better. Tarot was designed to discuss things in-depth, not to give one-word answers. Pendulums were designed to give one-word answers. Using the right tool for the purpose makes any tradesman's job a whole lot easier.
 
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