Losing the ability

csdude

Do you think one can lose the ability to read Tarot?

I've been keeping a log of all of my readings since I picked it back up, about 2 1/2 years ago. I would do an annual reading for each month (on my birthday, drawing 1 card for each month), then subsequently do a 3-card spread on each Sunday for the upcoming week. And occasionally, I would do a spread for a specific issue ad hoc.

In the beginning I was regularly shocked at the accuracy. But lately... not so much.

I looked closely at each weekly reading going back to the beginning of May, and can only say that 1 of them was really accurate.

And of the monthly spread (the one done for an entire year), 6 were accurate and 6 were not. For example, last month was the Sun and this month was 9 of Hearts, so I was expecting something awesome, but both months were relatively pretty crappy with nothing happening that I would describe with the Sun or 9 of Hearts.

In the last few months, I've done 3 ad hoc spreads, and none of them turned out to be accurate, either. I've posted some here, and really didn't get any feedback on how I could have read them differently.

I've done several cleansing shuffles, but that didn't really help with the weekly accuracy, and wouldn't explain the monthly inaccuracy.

My next thought is to take a break, but the last time I did that it turned in to a 20 year break.

Any other suggestions? Have I just lost the ability altogether?
 

CrystalSeas

While the Majors might be expected to produce something awesome, the Minor Arcana often shows minor events, sometimes even mundane, day-to-day things that are (perhaps) boring for you.

And even the Majors might not be indicating life-changing, awesome events. Just events that are outside your control and perhaps less predictable than the quotidian events of the minors.

So it may be that as your life settles down, you need to read the cards more closely for more routine things rather than dramatic stories from more stressful times.
 

earthshine

csdude, if you like, we can test your theory. We can do a reading exchange in the appropriate sub-forum, and provide detailed feedback. See if you're really 'losing it' or just being a little hard on yourself lately, which I do sometimes as well. Tell me if you're up to it, so I can go meditate and then be happy to do an exchange with you.
 

Citrin

I think CrystalSeas has a point, sometimes it might be better to not expect everything to be predicted by the tarot. At times life is just calmer all around. :) And I personally think that we're not supposed to know every little detail that is in the near future...

Also consider what kind of questions you're asking your cards.
A while back I felt "let down" by tarot, since my readings had not warned me about my father becoming very ill and hospitalized. Looking back I understood I had actually never asked my cards about my father, about any tragedies, family problems, family anything etc and it makes sense that what we ASK we get answers to, not what we don't ask (though that sometimes happens but yeah...).

Maybe take a step back from predictive readings? Maybe explore other reading styles? Shadow work, self-improvement, getting advice, connecting with spirit guides or whatever spirituality you want to explore, etc... There's a lot more to tarot than predicting next weeks events. :)

I personally don't think you can lose your ability just like that, but perhaps intuition or psychic abilities are like any other ability, sometimes it's on point and other times you're a bit drained. I wouldn't worry about it if I was you.
 

Barleywine

Citrin said:
At times life is just calmer all around. :) And I personally think that we're not supposed to know every little detail that is in the near future...
Click to expand...

This is the point I've reached after decades of reading. My life is about as placid and stable as it could get right now, so I seldom read for myself any more. I've gone into exploring the theoretical underpinnings of tarot and have begun testing those ideas in new techniques and spreads, Right now I'm attacking things like timing and location, and of course my persistent fascination with the Tarot de Marseille. Then there is Lenormand, which has thoroughly engaged me with its practical intricacies, and astrology, and geomancy . . . . My advice is that if you feel stale or ineffective, try something entirely new.
 

Amanda

My suggestion is to take a break from reading /for yourself/ and connect more with the cards by reading for others. Get their feedback/perspective and it'll naturally give you an alignment of sorts.
 

Achlys

I don't think you lost the ability, but I think you're over thinking and affecting your ability. Do you start the readings in a neutral state or have you gone in and doubted yourself before you even began?
Another thing to remember is that the cards give the most likely outcome. Have you made any big decisions that may have affected that outcome?
Are you reading on anything that may be emotionally charged for you?
It may be best to set the cards aside for your own readings and read for others. AT forums require that feedback is given, and you can gauge your success from there.
Otherwise you may need to practice more and connect with your deck in other ways.
 

nisaba

csdude said:
Do you think one can lose the ability to read Tarot?
Click to expand...

You can.

By getting out of practice, by thinking you know what the images are about and not thinking any further for new meanings, by just getting stale with it.

And don't tell me you already know everything about each Tarot card - I started learning in the 1970s and I'm still learning. The period of my life where I was probably least skilled was the period when I spent a year or two thinking that I'd actually finished learning about Tarot. Dangerous trap to fall into, that one!
 
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