Suggestion for Avoiding Wishful Thinking When Reading for Oneself

[Clay]

I don't know if anyone else has already posted a similar suggestion, but I thought others might be interested in this excellent way to avoid wishful thinking when interpreting a reading for yourself. The method I'm suggesting can get a little time-consuming when used for large spreads, but it's fast enough for smaller spreads of, say, three to five or six cards.

I first purposely choose the cards that I would really like to see come up in each position. If there's a position I'm not sure about, I might pick two or three cards as "acceptable" alternatives. Then I often even "read" the layout with the chosen cards and write down what I'd like the reading to say. Afterwards, I put all the cards back in the deck and do the layout and reading in the usual way. If a card I "wished for" actually comes up in the layout in the same position I had put it in, I consider that very significant. This almost never happens, but I find that having done the "wished for" reading first, I am able to be much more objective when reading the "real" layout.

Clay

 

[Ibis]

That's clever! Many times what I do is to come to this website or the book I most trust and read the results! LOL It's not that I don't know the meanings of the cards (for myself), but it's one way of staying unbiased. Or, I pretend a friend of mine has asked the question, they are sitting across from me and I read the results for them. I've even surprised myself.

Another thing I have been fortunate in is that I can usually predict one card in each 3 card draw. When I start shuffling, I can see one card.

Ibis

 

[thorhammer]

Yes, I like this idea. When I am feeling particularly . . . conscientious I will try it. Yes. Also, it might help me to question illusions that I might have about what card might be good in what situation . . . very thought provoking, thank you Clay! I hope you give us some more great ideas soon!

\m/ Kat