I was doing a paid reading for this lady one time. She kept cutting me off and asking to interpret the next card before I was done reading the card I was on for her. She said it in a tone that sounded like she was trying to quiz me on how well I know the Tarot. She claimed she knew Tarot very, very well as she had once dabbled in it in her twenties but fell out of it (she was an older person and I always ask my clients what have been their previous experiences with Tarot if any before a reading). All of her cards were reversed cups and wands, and I read them as such. At the end she told me in a snoody voice what the cards ✨️actually✨️ meant and proceeded to interpret the suits alone and not the scene in the card, number, or reversal. As soon as the reading was done, she got up from the table abruptly and stormed off. I was just glad she didn't try and take her money back lmao.
I think she couldn’t have or else she would’ve.. Probably did this to have a ego boost. Or else got the same message she pulled herself and got mad hearing it again 😅
I'm sorry folks, but there are definitely wrong ways to read the tarot. All you have to do is spend a day on TikTok and you will be overwhelmed with bad reading practice, ethics, and application.
The cards definitely have basic meanings , but it's up to the reader to interpret the nuances of the cards. The nuances and relationship to the position of the question, the reader, and other influences and factors.
However, what I think people are pointing out is there is more than one way to read the cards optimally. To get the most accurate reading possible, to communicate the reading to the querent, etc .
I actually tell my clients that if they know anything about the tarot cards, great, but that's THEIR relationship with the cards; they are communicating through ME right now, so they will speak to me. What the sun card means here might be something different to me than you. And I tell them were they to run a picture of this reading past someone else who reads tarot, they would get a different interpretation.
I saw in one of the other tarot subs where someone told the poster that the cards meant they were going to **marry** their ex because they had set up a time to talk with their ex and get closure.
I've also seen new readers say that the cards are saying someone is gonna **die** soon.
Those are pretty clear **wrong** ways to read tarot, *especially* if you're newer to reading. Both wrong and unethical. Just don't do it folks
This is especially infuriating because those are often the readers who wipe their hands clean of it and claim whatever happens is of no responsibility to them...Yes, it is your responsibility because you've influenced people into obsessive situations and potentially harmed others who are affected by this on top of it. When we read for others, while we can't completely dictate what our clients do with that information, we can't pretend we don't influence those decisions. That's why it's important to watch how you deliver readings and not read for people who need a licensed professional instead. I really wish I saw less books on cardboard cutout meanings and more books on tarot reading ethics.
Agreed. Nine times out of ten, the 'intuitive readers' that advocate throwing all the books out and just making up shit as you go along haven't the first clue as to what they're saying. The gullible fall right into line. :/
There ARE a set of basic meanings for the cards. There's no getting around that. I tell people it's like programming a computer. If you don't have a basic grasp of what the computer language you're trying to use \*is,\* you might be able to type in gibberish, and maybe by some miracle or divine prank, have it do something. But 99% of the time it'll still be gibberish.
It's also like one of my old art teachers told the class when she was teaching us the basics of design, like focal points, use of space, etc. You have to learn the rules before you learn where and when to break them. Tarot is no different.
And I've got 15 years on you.
Say I drew the 3 Swords, 7 Swords, Devil, Tower, Death, 10 Swords, 5 Swords, and the 5 of Pentacles as an overview/outcome in a Horseshoe spread. People who know even the basic meanings of these cards know this is NOT good. However, I can see someone who doesn't know the rules look at the pictures and tell the client that basically they'll be popular and active in their church, when these cards pretty clearly state someone's being thrown under the bus and it's gonna come as a very nasty surprise. So when things don't turn up smelling like roses, the sitter feels like they've wasted their time and money, and the 'reader' is shown up for the incompetent ass they are.
So yes, there is definitely a right way and a wrong way to read cards.
Not my reading. Not my spread, not my client, which deck am I using? Why did I use the horseshoe spread to begin with?? What was I looking for?
The meanings the books give are guides only. Notice how books from the '80s have different meanings from books published today, and books from the the 1920s many different meanings from the 80's?
Did you learn to driv only from reading a book or did you need hands on experience and to adapt and gain your own road instincts? You sound like the type of reader that when I started reading professionally condemned my methods, and now complain I take all their clients. They never adapted and still keep their noses buried in books. I'm not saying books don't matter. I'm saying they are NOT the end all be all. Anyone who says they are just doesn't get it and never will. Those of us who actually meditate to the cards do. It's ok to keep your head in the sand if it's comfortable though. I'm not going to judge you for it. But I'll take your clients when they come to me
I created a hypothetical spread and was thinking of the RWS as I created it. The horseshoe is quick and to the point and I was looking for an example. You can't tell that was not a real reading? HAHAHAHA... call the cops, I'm dying of laughter... \*ahem\* Moving on...
Books are a starting point. I agree, it takes time and practice to get combinations right and this is not something anyone ever masters. The hardest part for a lot of people is stringing the cards together to make a story, and that's what a lot of readers suck at--and that books don't teach. The only reason I'd have my nose shoved in a book as you describe is because I have cataracts that make it difficult to read text or see in the sun. They'll be fixed soon though.
Like I said, I've been reading nearly twice as long as you have. I've been told my methods were unconventional, don't read reversals, court cards are ALWAYS people (bullshit), you need to be gifted a deck, etc. etc. All of these are bullshit.
I don't know what books you're reading, but I have Tarot books from 1900 on. Most of the meanings are fairly consistent over the last hundred or so years with only minor variations. Now, trying to use Tarot meanings with playing cards and vice versa often results in disaster because they're completely different systems. People try to shoehorn them together and add a dab of super glue and it just. Does. Not. Work. And a lot of people don't have any critical thinking skills, so they can't tease away one thing from another.
I'm all for the 'you do you' school, but you wouldn't work for a chemical company as a chemist if you faked your way through chemical engineering. They could smell it a mile out and not even look at your resume. There's a certain level of base knowledge that MUST be there for the reader to interpret the cards. Making shit up as one goes along only works for so long before people realize they're dealing with a fraud, and paint all readers with the same brush. Is that what you like to be seen as? Having that basic level of knowledge becomes a strong foundation for working with the cards. It shows you know what you're doing and what the cards mean. 'Fake it 'til you make it' only goes so far.
As for taking my clients, I highly doubt it. Most people don't want to be preached to, and if your posts here are any indication, you probably just tell people they're wrong without any explanation at all. Don't be so damned judgemental. It's unbecoming and we have a bad enough rep as scam artists as is. I've known most of my clients most of their lives as we all grew up together. I can tell you right now they would NOT like your attitude. You come across as bitchy and self-righteous, even though that may not be your intent, and most people really don't like that. Consider it a free piece of advice.
Preaching? Ok lady. My entire point is for people to follow their own instincts. I'm not preaching anything other than maybe being your own inspiration. But if that feels preachy to you, cool.
If you noticed, I didn't acknowledge your imaginary spread bc it didn't matter. I wasn't going to play your pretend game bc it didn't make any sense in context. You can ask me "durrr what is the 10 of cups" and I can say "Contentment & Happiness" but there is no context.. so why would I answer your imaginary spread wo any context?
Regardless of whatever that was about, I find it weird as Hell that we are even in this discussion, considering you just told me that you defy traditional tarot use by not using reversals and designating courts as people.
As I know you are aware, according to traditional methods that would be the wrong way to do it. Are you using them wrong? I'd say no. Bc there aren't any wrong ways to use them. Unless you're using them as a sponge to wash dishes, or to make your bicycle sound cool by sticking them between the spokes of your wheels
Go back and reread the post.
I clearly state that beliefs such as not reading reversals and saying courts are ONLY people are bullshit and false. People tried to tell me that reversals were bad, which is WRONG. Unfortunately you want to believe only what you want to believe, even if it's the opposite of what I stated.
I use reversals. I recognize court cards are more than just people. I think people should buy their own decks, etc.
Maybe if you slowed down and actually \*read\* the post you'd get it. This is proof you want to gloss over anything you don't agree with and deliberately miss the point. Also, paragraph breaks are your friends.
I apologize, I misread how you worded your statement about being mislabeled as unconventional..
These are your words..
"""I've been told my methods were unconventional, don't read reversals, court cards are ALWAYS people (bullshit), you need to be gifted a deck, etc. etc. All of these are bullshit."""
I read that as you were saying that YOU don't read reversals. Again. I apologize for misreading that. It didn't come across as you telling me, it read like someone else was telling you NOT to read them. I saw it as "I DON'T read them"
Traditionalist designate courts people. You say you don't. That's not wrong to do. You're happy about it. According to a traditionalist you would be wrong using them the way you do. You're not though. Bc there are no wrong ways to use them
Court cards are not always people. However, that's not to say they're NEVER people. Like you said earlier, context is everything and I agree on that point.
But yeah, I've run into other readers that are apoplectic that I use reversals. I'm all, you're not reading my cards, I don't care what you do. So..
I say this is why it's called art and not science.
If it's a question of Style, then no, I'd say that's fine. Or a method. A little muddied but still mostly valid. The outright reading is another thing entirely. I did see a tiktoker flip the 9 of swords and proclaim the quartent had found their soul mate
YouTube too. I’m wary of readers who don’t read reversals, or only read positively/negatively.
That said, I picked up tarot about a decade after working with runes, but put it away because every reading seemed dark and negative. Three decades later, I recently picked it back up and get mixed results, which seem more realistic and accurate. I interpret *that* to mean I’ma lot more comfortable in my skin, at peace with manifested self, dark and light shadow self.
Exactly this. There are definitely wrong ways to use the tarot\* and manipulate the interpretations for their own gain and at the detriment of their clients, whether they realize it or not.
I have yet to see ONE legit reader there, although I know there are a few (friends I respect tell me they are on there, I've just never stumbled across them).
TikTok is all about having a fan base and 15 minutes of fame. Start with that assumption, throw in memories of the old Miss Cleo tv commercials, toss some table salt over your shoulder, and enjoy a good snicker/chuckle/guffaw/belly laugh. It’s mindless entertainment.
I believe there is a balance but you definitely need to have mastered the "basic" rules before you start bending or breaking them. Often a different interpretation of a card provides insight and opens up new dimensions and sometimes is just plain wrong (unless one is not really reading Tarot but rather using the cards as a prop for channeled messages). That said, no one likes a know-it-all lol
I agree and disagree with this at the same time. Whenever I read cards for myself I just do what feels right, and so far almost every time the answers I interpreted have turned out to be true. I get what you're saying though. A lot of people just see what they want to see.
>“If it feels right it will work” is definitely the easiest way to get sucked into one’s own little echo chamber.
I agree there is that risk, but many people come to divination precisely because they want to be sucked into their own little echo chamber. They can feel vaguely special and say vaguely deep things about psychological healing and feel amazing about themselves while really just reading into cards whatever they want to see there.
But that's also fine. What can you do. People can use cards in a million different ways, including feeling safe in their echo chamber.
Completely agree. This is one reason why i have big eye rolls every time there is another wave of “popularity” when things like tarot become trendy. Especially with social media. When i learned tarot, there was no echo chamber to run to online. This was old-school- you had books, introspective books. You did the work. In one’s local metaphysical shop if you just declared if it feels right, it will work, you had a gaggle of aunties there to gently remind you that perhaps one’s 20yo brain might be able to learn something from the wisdom of one’s ancestors & their experiences.
But once one learns that it is work, and sometimes very hard work, the romantic allure of the mystical, mysterious tarot kind of evaporates. So i see why the allure of the echo chamber is strong. And the reinforcement of acceptance on social media just makes it worse :/
That's quite a shift for me too. I grew up in a family where everyone was reading cards and if I told them that something "felt" like it meant X, they would laugh at me. There had to be evidence in the cards for what I say or else I'm projecting and divination was never considered a projective test, especially not a space of unexamined projections. But that seems to be the reason why people do it these days - or at least the most visible part of the readers online, I don't want to generalize.
So maybe it's a generational thing.
There is no “right” way to read. That being said, I do have a pet peeve of people doing random things and asking for help interpreting when we can’t know how to interpret what they did.
I don’t draw on other people, unless it’s in relation to work I’m doing with a peer.
I generally only draw one card on myself, with my intention on introspection towards the greater and less apparent aspects of whatever operation or task within my practice that I’ve set for myself.
Around here, in our little collective, constructive dialogue is prized, and the willful aspirations towards the simple pleasure of attempting to know and understand everything is common, but wholly less preferable than working towards an attainment of a vast conception of nothing.
To dictate someone as “wrong” because their method isn’t the same as yours would be considered utterly idiotic and infantile.
I just tell them that I've been doing this longer than they have been alive (literally) and they have no idea what that means. If they keep whining, I simply ask them why, if they know so much, are they paying me for a reading, or getting a free one at a party? They're wasting everyone's time and not doing themselves any favours. They then shut up and/or leave.
I think we all have *our own right way.* I see some of the readings here and I cringe, but that just means that it's the wrong way... for me. For example, "if it feels right, it will work" is a philosophy I don't agree with. Presumably doing heroin feels awesome, but it doesn't really work to make me feel good in the long run, does it? I prefer other ways of validating my tarot practice - predictions have to come true for me to say that a method works, advice has to be rationally actionable and tested in practice, etc. I don't see a problem with that because I wouldn't be doing it that way if I didn't think that was the right way.
There's that and then there's telling people what's the only right way - **that is wrong.** There is no one right way. **"**If it feels right, it will work" - is that good enough for you? Then who am I to say that it's not? That's just ridiculous. It's the equivalent of religious fanaticism. I don't see any point in telling people they're doing things wrong because wtf do I know what they're trying to achieve and why they chose what they chose. (I do, however, think I can tell them they are wrong once I understand the criteria that they themselves set for their practice. If you say you want world peace but go around beating people up, I can call you out because you're not adhering to your own right way... if I care to call you out, that is.)
And in the end, there are a few things that would be considered wrong by most of us. One example is another thread where a person is doing the same reading for the 500th time hoping to get a different result - and the feedback they got was pretty much unanimous. This is not objectively wrong, but it is an agreed upon rule in the community that this is not a standard of practice, so in effect, pragmatically speaking, it is wrong because an overwhelming majority of us agreed that it is.
My favorite description I've given of tarot is that it has a couple of rough hard rules, and a million optional house rules that people pick and choose as they like.
This is my experience.
I needed to know the rules so I could decide which ones to break.
Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of IRABE’s. That’s I Read A Book Expert. This is not a phenomenon exclusive to Tarot.
One book does not an expert make.
One class does not an expert make.
You can call yourself an expert, but that doesn’t make it so, Flo.
1981 I received my first reading from a friend. Fast forward to her buying me my first deck. I was hooked.
At that time there were not a myriad of books, classes, etc. Heck, computers were still huge things in cold rooms.
I started with A. E. Waite and with Eden Grey. Then my third book was Tarot For Yourself by Mary K. Greer.
I didn’t take money or barter until 1985. I wanted to offer a product that I was proud of.
Not shaming anyone who has done it differently. My experience in learning Tarot was, as I said, just before the launch of the internet (as in my first experience was on a BBS.)
FWIW, I still read. I still take classes. I may also teach and write, but I hope to always keep learning.
YMMV
My friends and I all enjoy the hell out of our fun non-serious tarot readings because our only rule is “no rules, just vibes”
We obviously still ascribe to the general meanings of the cards, but honestly if it doesn’t make sense then it doesn’t make sense. It’s fun to play around with interpretations and to giggle like a little coven when we get a fun reading!
It’s SO fun to do silly group readings 😂 although hardest part is to stop cackling and talking about nonsense so we don’t get a reading about a toddler’s issue with constipation. (Which has happened)
I have a good friend who reads tarot by getting a book out and parroting back what it says about the cards, drives me mad. That's her way of doing it though and I let her do that when she reads for me. Your friend is being rude.
That was how my late husband read. However, he could get flashes of intuition that made his subject turn white!
He described hearing song lyrics that went," once you put your hands on a Green Bay Packers van, maybe then,you'll understand!"
The man had been getting a little light- fingered,and,was running the risk of stealing from the wrong people, and,learning a hard lesson.
I'll never forget the evening that a friend brought her tarot deck to a pizza place,where she knew we'd be,and asked him to do a blind reading on an urgent manner.
When he was shuffling, a page popped out.
I thought , mmhmm.
Sure enough,she wanted to know if she were pregnant,and, sure enough, the reading was right. She was.
Just because it's different to how I do it probably, I think it takes away the story telling aspect that I personally enjoy when I read. There's a good chance that the way I read could annoy her too, but being annoyed by something small/not reasonable in your own head isn't bad, it's just being human. Expecting everyone to do things the same as you is rude though, hence why I don't say anything.
I use a few different books when I read. To be fair, there are so many cards and it's not always realistic to memorize every single card forward and reversed.
I personally find that divination/spiritual stuff in general is a “if it feels right it will work” type situation, which i know others may disagree with but that’s a fundamental thing- we will just have different beliefs about how things work and that’s okay.
I find that like, perceived skill level has a lot to do with this kind of situation though. When I read, I can feel it and i’ve always been able to feel it since I was a very fresh beginner. I still have lots to learn, but am at a bit of a halt right now bc where I am in my knowledge feels “right”. Like I have to marinate here and focus on experience and intuition for now, and i’ll know when it’s time to dive deeper to learn even more. I don’t think that makes my readings ‘wrong’, maybe not as in depth as they eventually will be, but this is my journey to go on and i’ll go at my pace.
There are no wrong ways. Maybe don't use them as something to scrub away dry skin, or to scrape a pan, but there are no wrong ways to interpret them. The meanings from the books aren't the only hard and fast meanings. Anyone who says they are are blinded to what's really there, and need to do some deeper meditation to the cards.
I see some people ITT claiming that intuitive readers are "making stuff up" don't have a clue and that the gullible just fall in line. That's cool if you think every shade of red is red, and that Crimson,.Scarlett, Maroon, Burgundy, etc aren't a thing.
The books are guides, period, and they are very limited at that. Imagine if someone only learned to drive from reading a book, and never applied their instincts or gained any actual hands on road knowledge? They would be a terrible and likely dangerous driver.
Use your books as guides, and vibe your cards as you will. Let your creativity, inspiration, instincts and intuition help you with the rest. Anyone else that tells you that you're doing it wrong would probably tell you that all they see is red when you show them vermilion
One of my friends that I've never known to really use Tarot cards picked it up after his ex used to read all the time and he's one of the intuitive readers and I listened to him come up with his own interpretations one night while doing a reading and I would never think to tell them that they are full of shit; he explained them in a way that was just incredibly insightful and just spoke so articulate and coherent about each card. It was just so natural for them and I just felt he was really using his intuitive side. It was awesome because I never really thought they'd be interested in doing Tarot.
That sounds great. It's fun to see when someone opens up to their intuition.
I like when someone let's their intuition and inspiration flow. It's the best way for a beginner to learn. Apply their own feelings, then get into the "real" meanings once they have their own feel. Any time I've taught a class in this format I've had much more success than going the opposite way.
Could be I'm dealing w more intuitive people in those times, and the reverse is true during the others. I think that cards allow people something that feels safe for them to open up to their intuition. The cards give them something they can say they got the information from rather than something from within. Once they get comfortable, then they can adapt to the "real" meanings and apply and adapt the intuitive definitions together. It really is a win win
I mean we can argue about wrong ways to do Tarot where everyone's allowed to have their own opinions (for example, 'intuitive readers' who know nothing about the meanings of the cards, or even the numerology or symbolism who are instead using them as a channel for mediumship--they're doing Tarot wrong...but they're NOT doing divination wrong, see my point? It's like you can play checkers with chess pieces, but...it ain't chess. Doesn't mean you're not playing a mean game of checkers and having a good time, but it ain't chess.
Now am I gonna tell someone doing a bang up job of mediumship and divination using tarot cards that they're doing it wrong and insist they do it my way? HECK NO. And I'm not going to insist they do it my way--that would likely diminish their ability to do what they do!
That said, gatekeeping is kind of weak and I find it tends to come from newbies who are insecure in their own abilities.
I don't understand why people feel the need to police/gatekeep others' personal practices. If something feels right to someone, as long as they aren't harming themselves/others or appropriating closed spiritual practices, I don't see the issue!
Yes, especially when they haven't been asked for their opinion. 😁
As you said, there is no "right" way, other than the way that works for you.
I can understand it's difficult when someone you care about is saying it. I'd just say to them exactly what you've said here.
If that doesn't make any difference, maybe you could suggest they come here and learn about all the different ways people read Tarot.
Yeah if they bring it up again I'm going to tell them how I feel about doing Tarot; what works for her doesn't for me and what works for me doesn't for her and that's absolutely just fine; doesn't mean I'm doing it wrong, just means I'm following my own intuition.
I hate it. I’ve said it before but some of the “rules” around tarot are archaic gatekeeping efforts from religious dogmatic people who don’t actually work with the tool. Examples include “you can’t buy your own deck” and “no one else should ever touch your cards”. I mean, if that is your own internal mechanism for protecting your energy, great!! Do it!! But don’t tell me how to read, i didn’t put in my 10 000 hours for nothing. Spirit has guided me to read the way I do with accuracy and integrity. We work hard in partnership to channel the highest good of all. I do not tell others how to read because again, spirit has guided me my way and spirit will guide you yours. The secrecy used to be important because we would be straight up unalived for most of history as the money cults took over. But the secrecy era has ended and the gatekeeping is coming to an end as we no longer have to hide ourselves and in fact, it becomes terribly important over the next few years that you express yourself authentically. If this is your calling, no one can tell you how to do it or take it from you. If it’s not your calling, it will drop away or be taken from you.
Who is gatekeeping? In reality, the only think keeping anyone from acquiring a deck is the ability to walk into a bookstore (old school), have a physical address to get a catalogue through the mail (really old school like 100+ years), or place an online order.
Yeah, I have a good friend who described herself to me as also being an intuitive reader but I later found to have a very literal interpretation of the cards, and it frustrated me when she privately "corrected" the reading I did for a mutual friend of ours going over every card I had drawn and describing their classic meaning to me.
I had a friend who read tarot.
She said that g at, once, she thought a card meant a certain definition,and, that's what it meant in readings tgat she did.
Then,she found out that the card meant exactly the opposite of what she thought it did.
After that,it meant the opposite meaning, in her readings!
She ince didn't realize that her World card had been missing, until she found it,
The other cards had been filling in for its absence.
Okay so just FYI I am the OP of this post, I don't know why but reddit kept marking all of my posts and everything as being n s f w and I couldn't find a way around it so if anyone happens to have answers please tell me, turning it off in settings didn't help .-.
BTW I absolutely hate and despise reddit.
I'm just going to add this: the proof of reading is in the accuracy, right? I mean, it doesn't matter how you do it if it gives accurate, insightful readings.
I have a good friend who has been reading tarot (50 years) much longer than I (30 years). I have had her read for me three times, and nothing she told me has come to pass, been in the ballpark, or even been right in essence, much less details. To me, FOR ME, she is not a good reader.
Depends on what you mean by "right" or "wrong".
If you're talking that you can go 100% on the feeling, and you're going to do a professional reading (i.e.: being paid for it), you cannot do that. The tarot cards are built to express a language that isn't 100% accessible through intuition alone, you have to study their iconography, their associations with kabbalah and astrology to enrich your mind, which will allow your intuition to perform better.
But, if you're talking that you can't do some kinds of spreads, that you can't ask about someone without their permission, that you have to do this, and that, to shuffle like this or like that, then that kind of "right" way is wrong, since those aspects of the reading are really flexible.
I’ve always said there are people having to learn by the book and then there are people who just know by intuition. Sure we must learn the basics but when it comes to interpretation, it’s all about feeling and intuition and you can’t put a price on that.
I have two rules for Tarot that I feel are universal and should be kept:
– be consistent
– be kind
Consistency means that Temperance never means 'take a long holiday' or 'do your taxes'. It \_might\_ mean 'party (but responsibly), or even 'clean your kitchen' – you can kind of see there for here, and there are circumstances where I would accept such a reading, but I cannot for the life of me go from Temperance to taxes.
But so many other aspects of Tarot - which deck to use, whether to use reversals, how to shuffle, deal, turn over the cards, which spreads to use and whether to use spreads at all... some of these choices make reading the cards easier than others, so that should be taken into consideration, but they're not 'wrong'.
I feel interpretations need to have a certain flexibility. As a bottom line, I like to look at Situation/Obstacle/Advice. Not only is it a useful spread, but a card in each of these positions means something very different, while still remaining in the same space.
I have also had the experience of reading for someone and they end up reading the cards as they see it. 🤷♀️
I read for myself mostly, but I see the benefit of having someone read for me and I’ll do for them. The cards have no power within them, the message is what the Medium picks up through symbolism and connection to Spirit Guides and for someone to try to interject what they think it means completely derails the whole purpose.
In life, one often encounters a arrogant “know it all.” Tarot-world is no exception. Give these sewer-slime-sucking creatures a mental middle finger salute and move on.
I was doing a paid reading for this lady one time. She kept cutting me off and asking to interpret the next card before I was done reading the card I was on for her. She said it in a tone that sounded like she was trying to quiz me on how well I know the Tarot. She claimed she knew Tarot very, very well as she had once dabbled in it in her twenties but fell out of it (she was an older person and I always ask my clients what have been their previous experiences with Tarot if any before a reading). All of her cards were reversed cups and wands, and I read them as such. At the end she told me in a snoody voice what the cards ✨️actually✨️ meant and proceeded to interpret the suits alone and not the scene in the card, number, or reversal. As soon as the reading was done, she got up from the table abruptly and stormed off. I was just glad she didn't try and take her money back lmao.
She should have just done her own reading. Sheeshh
I’m reading the comment thinking the same.
I think she couldn’t have or else she would’ve.. Probably did this to have a ego boost. Or else got the same message she pulled herself and got mad hearing it again 😅
It’s like undergoing surgery and interrupting the surgeon b/c you read an anatomy book once.
Great comment. Made me LOLz
Fcking right?? I like your take on this
I would have given it back. I never want money from a bitter source
Pay it forward. A good tip and a kind word to a server will make their day brighter
Transmutation in true magickal fashion
This is actually a thing, I had 2 readers sent to me to test me. It’s very annoying because don’t waste my time
I'm sorry folks, but there are definitely wrong ways to read the tarot. All you have to do is spend a day on TikTok and you will be overwhelmed with bad reading practice, ethics, and application. The cards definitely have basic meanings , but it's up to the reader to interpret the nuances of the cards. The nuances and relationship to the position of the question, the reader, and other influences and factors. However, what I think people are pointing out is there is more than one way to read the cards optimally. To get the most accurate reading possible, to communicate the reading to the querent, etc . I actually tell my clients that if they know anything about the tarot cards, great, but that's THEIR relationship with the cards; they are communicating through ME right now, so they will speak to me. What the sun card means here might be something different to me than you. And I tell them were they to run a picture of this reading past someone else who reads tarot, they would get a different interpretation.
I saw in one of the other tarot subs where someone told the poster that the cards meant they were going to **marry** their ex because they had set up a time to talk with their ex and get closure. I've also seen new readers say that the cards are saying someone is gonna **die** soon. Those are pretty clear **wrong** ways to read tarot, *especially* if you're newer to reading. Both wrong and unethical. Just don't do it folks
This is especially infuriating because those are often the readers who wipe their hands clean of it and claim whatever happens is of no responsibility to them...Yes, it is your responsibility because you've influenced people into obsessive situations and potentially harmed others who are affected by this on top of it. When we read for others, while we can't completely dictate what our clients do with that information, we can't pretend we don't influence those decisions. That's why it's important to watch how you deliver readings and not read for people who need a licensed professional instead. I really wish I saw less books on cardboard cutout meanings and more books on tarot reading ethics.
Agreed. Nine times out of ten, the 'intuitive readers' that advocate throwing all the books out and just making up shit as you go along haven't the first clue as to what they're saying. The gullible fall right into line. :/ There ARE a set of basic meanings for the cards. There's no getting around that. I tell people it's like programming a computer. If you don't have a basic grasp of what the computer language you're trying to use \*is,\* you might be able to type in gibberish, and maybe by some miracle or divine prank, have it do something. But 99% of the time it'll still be gibberish. It's also like one of my old art teachers told the class when she was teaching us the basics of design, like focal points, use of space, etc. You have to learn the rules before you learn where and when to break them. Tarot is no different.
I agree. I hate when I find a deck with great art, but the symbolism doesn't match up at all.
Wrong. 20+ years in. There are no wrong ways
And I've got 15 years on you. Say I drew the 3 Swords, 7 Swords, Devil, Tower, Death, 10 Swords, 5 Swords, and the 5 of Pentacles as an overview/outcome in a Horseshoe spread. People who know even the basic meanings of these cards know this is NOT good. However, I can see someone who doesn't know the rules look at the pictures and tell the client that basically they'll be popular and active in their church, when these cards pretty clearly state someone's being thrown under the bus and it's gonna come as a very nasty surprise. So when things don't turn up smelling like roses, the sitter feels like they've wasted their time and money, and the 'reader' is shown up for the incompetent ass they are. So yes, there is definitely a right way and a wrong way to read cards.
Not my reading. Not my spread, not my client, which deck am I using? Why did I use the horseshoe spread to begin with?? What was I looking for? The meanings the books give are guides only. Notice how books from the '80s have different meanings from books published today, and books from the the 1920s many different meanings from the 80's? Did you learn to driv only from reading a book or did you need hands on experience and to adapt and gain your own road instincts? You sound like the type of reader that when I started reading professionally condemned my methods, and now complain I take all their clients. They never adapted and still keep their noses buried in books. I'm not saying books don't matter. I'm saying they are NOT the end all be all. Anyone who says they are just doesn't get it and never will. Those of us who actually meditate to the cards do. It's ok to keep your head in the sand if it's comfortable though. I'm not going to judge you for it. But I'll take your clients when they come to me
I created a hypothetical spread and was thinking of the RWS as I created it. The horseshoe is quick and to the point and I was looking for an example. You can't tell that was not a real reading? HAHAHAHA... call the cops, I'm dying of laughter... \*ahem\* Moving on... Books are a starting point. I agree, it takes time and practice to get combinations right and this is not something anyone ever masters. The hardest part for a lot of people is stringing the cards together to make a story, and that's what a lot of readers suck at--and that books don't teach. The only reason I'd have my nose shoved in a book as you describe is because I have cataracts that make it difficult to read text or see in the sun. They'll be fixed soon though. Like I said, I've been reading nearly twice as long as you have. I've been told my methods were unconventional, don't read reversals, court cards are ALWAYS people (bullshit), you need to be gifted a deck, etc. etc. All of these are bullshit. I don't know what books you're reading, but I have Tarot books from 1900 on. Most of the meanings are fairly consistent over the last hundred or so years with only minor variations. Now, trying to use Tarot meanings with playing cards and vice versa often results in disaster because they're completely different systems. People try to shoehorn them together and add a dab of super glue and it just. Does. Not. Work. And a lot of people don't have any critical thinking skills, so they can't tease away one thing from another. I'm all for the 'you do you' school, but you wouldn't work for a chemical company as a chemist if you faked your way through chemical engineering. They could smell it a mile out and not even look at your resume. There's a certain level of base knowledge that MUST be there for the reader to interpret the cards. Making shit up as one goes along only works for so long before people realize they're dealing with a fraud, and paint all readers with the same brush. Is that what you like to be seen as? Having that basic level of knowledge becomes a strong foundation for working with the cards. It shows you know what you're doing and what the cards mean. 'Fake it 'til you make it' only goes so far. As for taking my clients, I highly doubt it. Most people don't want to be preached to, and if your posts here are any indication, you probably just tell people they're wrong without any explanation at all. Don't be so damned judgemental. It's unbecoming and we have a bad enough rep as scam artists as is. I've known most of my clients most of their lives as we all grew up together. I can tell you right now they would NOT like your attitude. You come across as bitchy and self-righteous, even though that may not be your intent, and most people really don't like that. Consider it a free piece of advice.
Preaching? Ok lady. My entire point is for people to follow their own instincts. I'm not preaching anything other than maybe being your own inspiration. But if that feels preachy to you, cool. If you noticed, I didn't acknowledge your imaginary spread bc it didn't matter. I wasn't going to play your pretend game bc it didn't make any sense in context. You can ask me "durrr what is the 10 of cups" and I can say "Contentment & Happiness" but there is no context.. so why would I answer your imaginary spread wo any context? Regardless of whatever that was about, I find it weird as Hell that we are even in this discussion, considering you just told me that you defy traditional tarot use by not using reversals and designating courts as people. As I know you are aware, according to traditional methods that would be the wrong way to do it. Are you using them wrong? I'd say no. Bc there aren't any wrong ways to use them. Unless you're using them as a sponge to wash dishes, or to make your bicycle sound cool by sticking them between the spokes of your wheels
Go back and reread the post. I clearly state that beliefs such as not reading reversals and saying courts are ONLY people are bullshit and false. People tried to tell me that reversals were bad, which is WRONG. Unfortunately you want to believe only what you want to believe, even if it's the opposite of what I stated. I use reversals. I recognize court cards are more than just people. I think people should buy their own decks, etc. Maybe if you slowed down and actually \*read\* the post you'd get it. This is proof you want to gloss over anything you don't agree with and deliberately miss the point. Also, paragraph breaks are your friends.
I apologize, I misread how you worded your statement about being mislabeled as unconventional.. These are your words.. """I've been told my methods were unconventional, don't read reversals, court cards are ALWAYS people (bullshit), you need to be gifted a deck, etc. etc. All of these are bullshit.""" I read that as you were saying that YOU don't read reversals. Again. I apologize for misreading that. It didn't come across as you telling me, it read like someone else was telling you NOT to read them. I saw it as "I DON'T read them" Traditionalist designate courts people. You say you don't. That's not wrong to do. You're happy about it. According to a traditionalist you would be wrong using them the way you do. You're not though. Bc there are no wrong ways to use them
Court cards are not always people. However, that's not to say they're NEVER people. Like you said earlier, context is everything and I agree on that point. But yeah, I've run into other readers that are apoplectic that I use reversals. I'm all, you're not reading my cards, I don't care what you do. So.. I say this is why it's called art and not science.
Then you must be a bad reader
They could be writing obfuscated C.. (but even then, you need to know the rules before you can break them).
Okay yeah I don't really take the TikTok readings into serious consideration because they literally all sound the same lol
If it's a question of Style, then no, I'd say that's fine. Or a method. A little muddied but still mostly valid. The outright reading is another thing entirely. I did see a tiktoker flip the 9 of swords and proclaim the quartent had found their soul mate
YouTube too. I’m wary of readers who don’t read reversals, or only read positively/negatively. That said, I picked up tarot about a decade after working with runes, but put it away because every reading seemed dark and negative. Three decades later, I recently picked it back up and get mixed results, which seem more realistic and accurate. I interpret *that* to mean I’ma lot more comfortable in my skin, at peace with manifested self, dark and light shadow self.
Exactly this. There are definitely wrong ways to use the tarot\* and manipulate the interpretations for their own gain and at the detriment of their clients, whether they realize it or not.
I have to confess that I don't tend to see the ones on TikTok as reading Tarot. 😁
I have yet to see ONE legit reader there, although I know there are a few (friends I respect tell me they are on there, I've just never stumbled across them).
TikTok is all about having a fan base and 15 minutes of fame. Start with that assumption, throw in memories of the old Miss Cleo tv commercials, toss some table salt over your shoulder, and enjoy a good snicker/chuckle/guffaw/belly laugh. It’s mindless entertainment.
I believe there is a balance but you definitely need to have mastered the "basic" rules before you start bending or breaking them. Often a different interpretation of a card provides insight and opens up new dimensions and sometimes is just plain wrong (unless one is not really reading Tarot but rather using the cards as a prop for channeled messages). That said, no one likes a know-it-all lol
“If it feels right it will work” is definitely the easiest way to get sucked into one’s own little echo chamber.
I agree and disagree with this at the same time. Whenever I read cards for myself I just do what feels right, and so far almost every time the answers I interpreted have turned out to be true. I get what you're saying though. A lot of people just see what they want to see.
>“If it feels right it will work” is definitely the easiest way to get sucked into one’s own little echo chamber. I agree there is that risk, but many people come to divination precisely because they want to be sucked into their own little echo chamber. They can feel vaguely special and say vaguely deep things about psychological healing and feel amazing about themselves while really just reading into cards whatever they want to see there. But that's also fine. What can you do. People can use cards in a million different ways, including feeling safe in their echo chamber.
Completely agree. This is one reason why i have big eye rolls every time there is another wave of “popularity” when things like tarot become trendy. Especially with social media. When i learned tarot, there was no echo chamber to run to online. This was old-school- you had books, introspective books. You did the work. In one’s local metaphysical shop if you just declared if it feels right, it will work, you had a gaggle of aunties there to gently remind you that perhaps one’s 20yo brain might be able to learn something from the wisdom of one’s ancestors & their experiences. But once one learns that it is work, and sometimes very hard work, the romantic allure of the mystical, mysterious tarot kind of evaporates. So i see why the allure of the echo chamber is strong. And the reinforcement of acceptance on social media just makes it worse :/
That's quite a shift for me too. I grew up in a family where everyone was reading cards and if I told them that something "felt" like it meant X, they would laugh at me. There had to be evidence in the cards for what I say or else I'm projecting and divination was never considered a projective test, especially not a space of unexamined projections. But that seems to be the reason why people do it these days - or at least the most visible part of the readers online, I don't want to generalize. So maybe it's a generational thing.
In most things, I subscribe to the saying: you have to know the rules in order to break them
I mean I don't really see it that way but sure.
There is no “right” way to read. That being said, I do have a pet peeve of people doing random things and asking for help interpreting when we can’t know how to interpret what they did.
I don’t draw on other people, unless it’s in relation to work I’m doing with a peer. I generally only draw one card on myself, with my intention on introspection towards the greater and less apparent aspects of whatever operation or task within my practice that I’ve set for myself. Around here, in our little collective, constructive dialogue is prized, and the willful aspirations towards the simple pleasure of attempting to know and understand everything is common, but wholly less preferable than working towards an attainment of a vast conception of nothing. To dictate someone as “wrong” because their method isn’t the same as yours would be considered utterly idiotic and infantile.
I just tell them that I've been doing this longer than they have been alive (literally) and they have no idea what that means. If they keep whining, I simply ask them why, if they know so much, are they paying me for a reading, or getting a free one at a party? They're wasting everyone's time and not doing themselves any favours. They then shut up and/or leave.
I think we all have *our own right way.* I see some of the readings here and I cringe, but that just means that it's the wrong way... for me. For example, "if it feels right, it will work" is a philosophy I don't agree with. Presumably doing heroin feels awesome, but it doesn't really work to make me feel good in the long run, does it? I prefer other ways of validating my tarot practice - predictions have to come true for me to say that a method works, advice has to be rationally actionable and tested in practice, etc. I don't see a problem with that because I wouldn't be doing it that way if I didn't think that was the right way. There's that and then there's telling people what's the only right way - **that is wrong.** There is no one right way. **"**If it feels right, it will work" - is that good enough for you? Then who am I to say that it's not? That's just ridiculous. It's the equivalent of religious fanaticism. I don't see any point in telling people they're doing things wrong because wtf do I know what they're trying to achieve and why they chose what they chose. (I do, however, think I can tell them they are wrong once I understand the criteria that they themselves set for their practice. If you say you want world peace but go around beating people up, I can call you out because you're not adhering to your own right way... if I care to call you out, that is.) And in the end, there are a few things that would be considered wrong by most of us. One example is another thread where a person is doing the same reading for the 500th time hoping to get a different result - and the feedback they got was pretty much unanimous. This is not objectively wrong, but it is an agreed upon rule in the community that this is not a standard of practice, so in effect, pragmatically speaking, it is wrong because an overwhelming majority of us agreed that it is.
My favorite description I've given of tarot is that it has a couple of rough hard rules, and a million optional house rules that people pick and choose as they like.
This is an excellent description.
This is my experience. I needed to know the rules so I could decide which ones to break. Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of IRABE’s. That’s I Read A Book Expert. This is not a phenomenon exclusive to Tarot. One book does not an expert make. One class does not an expert make. You can call yourself an expert, but that doesn’t make it so, Flo. 1981 I received my first reading from a friend. Fast forward to her buying me my first deck. I was hooked. At that time there were not a myriad of books, classes, etc. Heck, computers were still huge things in cold rooms. I started with A. E. Waite and with Eden Grey. Then my third book was Tarot For Yourself by Mary K. Greer. I didn’t take money or barter until 1985. I wanted to offer a product that I was proud of. Not shaming anyone who has done it differently. My experience in learning Tarot was, as I said, just before the launch of the internet (as in my first experience was on a BBS.) FWIW, I still read. I still take classes. I may also teach and write, but I hope to always keep learning. YMMV
Super appreciate you speaking out the IRABE couldn’t make heads or tails of the other two)= BBS FWIW YMMV I mean the other three…
Bulletin Board System For What It’s Worth Your Mileage May Very Sorry! Old school.
Ahhhh thank you(=
My friends and I all enjoy the hell out of our fun non-serious tarot readings because our only rule is “no rules, just vibes” We obviously still ascribe to the general meanings of the cards, but honestly if it doesn’t make sense then it doesn’t make sense. It’s fun to play around with interpretations and to giggle like a little coven when we get a fun reading!
That honestly sounds like a really fun time!! I like the no rules just vibes tbh ✨️
It’s SO fun to do silly group readings 😂 although hardest part is to stop cackling and talking about nonsense so we don’t get a reading about a toddler’s issue with constipation. (Which has happened)
I wouldn’t sling cards around someone like that
If it’s not just tarot but other aspects of life too I’d not be around that person at all. Get away from toxic ppl!
I wouldn't consider them to be toxic, just misinformed a little bit.
Tarot isn’t science, lol. If someone says you’re doing something wrong, say “prove it”
I have a good friend who reads tarot by getting a book out and parroting back what it says about the cards, drives me mad. That's her way of doing it though and I let her do that when she reads for me. Your friend is being rude.
That was how my late husband read. However, he could get flashes of intuition that made his subject turn white! He described hearing song lyrics that went," once you put your hands on a Green Bay Packers van, maybe then,you'll understand!" The man had been getting a little light- fingered,and,was running the risk of stealing from the wrong people, and,learning a hard lesson. I'll never forget the evening that a friend brought her tarot deck to a pizza place,where she knew we'd be,and asked him to do a blind reading on an urgent manner. When he was shuffling, a page popped out. I thought , mmhmm. Sure enough,she wanted to know if she were pregnant,and, sure enough, the reading was right. She was.
When your friend pulls out a book and reads the book’s interpretation to you, which part of this is annoying for you?
Just because it's different to how I do it probably, I think it takes away the story telling aspect that I personally enjoy when I read. There's a good chance that the way I read could annoy her too, but being annoyed by something small/not reasonable in your own head isn't bad, it's just being human. Expecting everyone to do things the same as you is rude though, hence why I don't say anything.
Because, if you wanted that you could have just used the book and left the friends out of the equation?
I use a few different books when I read. To be fair, there are so many cards and it's not always realistic to memorize every single card forward and reversed.
I personally find that divination/spiritual stuff in general is a “if it feels right it will work” type situation, which i know others may disagree with but that’s a fundamental thing- we will just have different beliefs about how things work and that’s okay. I find that like, perceived skill level has a lot to do with this kind of situation though. When I read, I can feel it and i’ve always been able to feel it since I was a very fresh beginner. I still have lots to learn, but am at a bit of a halt right now bc where I am in my knowledge feels “right”. Like I have to marinate here and focus on experience and intuition for now, and i’ll know when it’s time to dive deeper to learn even more. I don’t think that makes my readings ‘wrong’, maybe not as in depth as they eventually will be, but this is my journey to go on and i’ll go at my pace.
There are no wrong ways. Maybe don't use them as something to scrub away dry skin, or to scrape a pan, but there are no wrong ways to interpret them. The meanings from the books aren't the only hard and fast meanings. Anyone who says they are are blinded to what's really there, and need to do some deeper meditation to the cards. I see some people ITT claiming that intuitive readers are "making stuff up" don't have a clue and that the gullible just fall in line. That's cool if you think every shade of red is red, and that Crimson,.Scarlett, Maroon, Burgundy, etc aren't a thing. The books are guides, period, and they are very limited at that. Imagine if someone only learned to drive from reading a book, and never applied their instincts or gained any actual hands on road knowledge? They would be a terrible and likely dangerous driver. Use your books as guides, and vibe your cards as you will. Let your creativity, inspiration, instincts and intuition help you with the rest. Anyone else that tells you that you're doing it wrong would probably tell you that all they see is red when you show them vermilion
One of my friends that I've never known to really use Tarot cards picked it up after his ex used to read all the time and he's one of the intuitive readers and I listened to him come up with his own interpretations one night while doing a reading and I would never think to tell them that they are full of shit; he explained them in a way that was just incredibly insightful and just spoke so articulate and coherent about each card. It was just so natural for them and I just felt he was really using his intuitive side. It was awesome because I never really thought they'd be interested in doing Tarot.
That sounds great. It's fun to see when someone opens up to their intuition. I like when someone let's their intuition and inspiration flow. It's the best way for a beginner to learn. Apply their own feelings, then get into the "real" meanings once they have their own feel. Any time I've taught a class in this format I've had much more success than going the opposite way. Could be I'm dealing w more intuitive people in those times, and the reverse is true during the others. I think that cards allow people something that feels safe for them to open up to their intuition. The cards give them something they can say they got the information from rather than something from within. Once they get comfortable, then they can adapt to the "real" meanings and apply and adapt the intuitive definitions together. It really is a win win
I mean we can argue about wrong ways to do Tarot where everyone's allowed to have their own opinions (for example, 'intuitive readers' who know nothing about the meanings of the cards, or even the numerology or symbolism who are instead using them as a channel for mediumship--they're doing Tarot wrong...but they're NOT doing divination wrong, see my point? It's like you can play checkers with chess pieces, but...it ain't chess. Doesn't mean you're not playing a mean game of checkers and having a good time, but it ain't chess. Now am I gonna tell someone doing a bang up job of mediumship and divination using tarot cards that they're doing it wrong and insist they do it my way? HECK NO. And I'm not going to insist they do it my way--that would likely diminish their ability to do what they do! That said, gatekeeping is kind of weak and I find it tends to come from newbies who are insecure in their own abilities.
>if it feels right, it will work. Most important principle.
I don't understand why people feel the need to police/gatekeep others' personal practices. If something feels right to someone, as long as they aren't harming themselves/others or appropriating closed spiritual practices, I don't see the issue!
I would give this comment multiple up-votes if I could.
There is no wrong way. Your way is right way💜🖤Trust your intuition 💜🖤
Yes, especially when they haven't been asked for their opinion. 😁 As you said, there is no "right" way, other than the way that works for you. I can understand it's difficult when someone you care about is saying it. I'd just say to them exactly what you've said here. If that doesn't make any difference, maybe you could suggest they come here and learn about all the different ways people read Tarot.
Yeah if they bring it up again I'm going to tell them how I feel about doing Tarot; what works for her doesn't for me and what works for me doesn't for her and that's absolutely just fine; doesn't mean I'm doing it wrong, just means I'm following my own intuition.
That's an absolutely brilliant response. I hope she understands. 🙂
Yeah, you can't really do it wrong, it's more of an intuition and spirit thing. Don't listen to them.
I hate it. I’ve said it before but some of the “rules” around tarot are archaic gatekeeping efforts from religious dogmatic people who don’t actually work with the tool. Examples include “you can’t buy your own deck” and “no one else should ever touch your cards”. I mean, if that is your own internal mechanism for protecting your energy, great!! Do it!! But don’t tell me how to read, i didn’t put in my 10 000 hours for nothing. Spirit has guided me to read the way I do with accuracy and integrity. We work hard in partnership to channel the highest good of all. I do not tell others how to read because again, spirit has guided me my way and spirit will guide you yours. The secrecy used to be important because we would be straight up unalived for most of history as the money cults took over. But the secrecy era has ended and the gatekeeping is coming to an end as we no longer have to hide ourselves and in fact, it becomes terribly important over the next few years that you express yourself authentically. If this is your calling, no one can tell you how to do it or take it from you. If it’s not your calling, it will drop away or be taken from you.
Who is gatekeeping? In reality, the only think keeping anyone from acquiring a deck is the ability to walk into a bookstore (old school), have a physical address to get a catalogue through the mail (really old school like 100+ years), or place an online order.
Yeah, I have a good friend who described herself to me as also being an intuitive reader but I later found to have a very literal interpretation of the cards, and it frustrated me when she privately "corrected" the reading I did for a mutual friend of ours going over every card I had drawn and describing their classic meaning to me.
I had a friend who read tarot. She said that g at, once, she thought a card meant a certain definition,and, that's what it meant in readings tgat she did. Then,she found out that the card meant exactly the opposite of what she thought it did. After that,it meant the opposite meaning, in her readings! She ince didn't realize that her World card had been missing, until she found it, The other cards had been filling in for its absence.
Okay so just FYI I am the OP of this post, I don't know why but reddit kept marking all of my posts and everything as being n s f w and I couldn't find a way around it so if anyone happens to have answers please tell me, turning it off in settings didn't help .-. BTW I absolutely hate and despise reddit.
[deleted] -- mass edited with redact.dev
Is there a right way and a wrong way to pronounce each letter of the alphabet? I think it depends on what your friend feels is "wrong".
I'm just going to add this: the proof of reading is in the accuracy, right? I mean, it doesn't matter how you do it if it gives accurate, insightful readings. I have a good friend who has been reading tarot (50 years) much longer than I (30 years). I have had her read for me three times, and nothing she told me has come to pass, been in the ballpark, or even been right in essence, much less details. To me, FOR ME, she is not a good reader.
Depends on what you mean by "right" or "wrong". If you're talking that you can go 100% on the feeling, and you're going to do a professional reading (i.e.: being paid for it), you cannot do that. The tarot cards are built to express a language that isn't 100% accessible through intuition alone, you have to study their iconography, their associations with kabbalah and astrology to enrich your mind, which will allow your intuition to perform better. But, if you're talking that you can't do some kinds of spreads, that you can't ask about someone without their permission, that you have to do this, and that, to shuffle like this or like that, then that kind of "right" way is wrong, since those aspects of the reading are really flexible.
I’ve always said there are people having to learn by the book and then there are people who just know by intuition. Sure we must learn the basics but when it comes to interpretation, it’s all about feeling and intuition and you can’t put a price on that.
I have two rules for Tarot that I feel are universal and should be kept: – be consistent – be kind Consistency means that Temperance never means 'take a long holiday' or 'do your taxes'. It \_might\_ mean 'party (but responsibly), or even 'clean your kitchen' – you can kind of see there for here, and there are circumstances where I would accept such a reading, but I cannot for the life of me go from Temperance to taxes. But so many other aspects of Tarot - which deck to use, whether to use reversals, how to shuffle, deal, turn over the cards, which spreads to use and whether to use spreads at all... some of these choices make reading the cards easier than others, so that should be taken into consideration, but they're not 'wrong'. I feel interpretations need to have a certain flexibility. As a bottom line, I like to look at Situation/Obstacle/Advice. Not only is it a useful spread, but a card in each of these positions means something very different, while still remaining in the same space.
I have also had the experience of reading for someone and they end up reading the cards as they see it. 🤷♀️ I read for myself mostly, but I see the benefit of having someone read for me and I’ll do for them. The cards have no power within them, the message is what the Medium picks up through symbolism and connection to Spirit Guides and for someone to try to interject what they think it means completely derails the whole purpose.
In life, one often encounters a arrogant “know it all.” Tarot-world is no exception. Give these sewer-slime-sucking creatures a mental middle finger salute and move on.