you made me think about this youareafool
I don't like to use it for testing the tarot, that seems more like a party game to me. I think what I mean is that if I do predictions, I can't make guarantees! I worry about people living their lives by predictions and I love it when things come true reading for the future! But the lessons part of it, I can be more sure of.
I understand. But do you feel comfortable predicting that the sitter's future lover would have dark hair and be tall? I consider all the cards simply motifs and metaphors, so finding actual detail like that is beyond me. But I'm very interested to see how much the placebo affect comes into play. Are they more likely to look for that type of person and find them, thus confirming? Or would they pass up on really good match bc the sitter is looking for that specific quality?
I predict all the time and have feedback that's very good that I've predicted correctly a large percentage of the time. I just use Tarot for the old-fashioned purpose----telling fortunes. It works for me and I'm pretty good at it, so since it ain't broke, I'm not gonna fix it.
ETA:
If you use the cards for advice, you do predict the future. You're saying "if you do this, then this will be the result" and everything but the present is either past or future, so you DO predict but just don't think that's what you're doing.
I think there is a big difference in giving advice. As opposed to detailed premonitions, I feel like the motifs and metaphors presented by the cards provide the sitter with lessons that are universal to any sitter and any situation. This is the main reason tarot is still relevant so very long after it was created. As opposed to predicting the future, I personally feel like tarot gives advice in the present moment in whatever way the sitter needs, like a structured Rorschach (inkblot) test. With me as a guide, we see what we need to see in the cards to help the sitter ask the right questions to find peace. I can say "if you jump in the water you will get wet". , but it's also a (generally) universal truth. a truth so simple could speak completely differently to one sitter who is extremely overheated and another who is shivering cold already. I never made a leap saying that "this is what is going to happen" or "you must do this or that". I simply show them the meaning of the card, teach them the lesson, and let THEM apply it to their life. They make the connections. They are the root of their "Aha!" moment, not my tarot. I may be going way too deep with this, and if so, thanks for still reading at this point.
Back to my original question, if you do use the tarot in a predictive manner, how do you feel that prediction works? I will not reply trying to argue my thoughts. I posted them above and I am truly interested in how other people see and use tarot. I am open to the IDEA of prediction, but I'm hoping someone's explanation can bridge the gap for me =)
Fool, of course everyone has their own way to read. But I really think that all the styles work, to a degree. Tarot cards are just tools used to access the information; so the reading style matters less in the end, imo. What is important is the information you are able to "see" and the value it has to the client. No one way is better than any other way.(imo). And I think everyone here has given you some really valid points of view...
I hope I didn't make it seem like I don't believe other viewpoints of tarot wouldn't work! I celebrate the diversity of the tarot community. I believe tarot is what you make of it, however you choose to do so. Just like a flow art. You make a really good point about the value being what I can "see". All of these replies have been great =) If I ask questions, it's because I'm trying to explore the area and hear the different methods and explanations that have worked for others.
Thank you guys for taking me seriously... I really haven't had anyone to talk to about tarot before, so all these thoughts and questions have been building up for a long time. I appreciate your patience