What To Do if You Don’t Like What the Tarot Cards Told You
I recently gave a reading to a friend who wanted to know more about an upcoming opportunity in her life (she gave me permission to anonymously talk about her situation - actually, she gave me the idea for this blog entry!). She had been feeling really hopeful for how a potential opportunity had been progressing and wanted to check-in with the cards to see what to expect next. The cards that were delivered to her were, in short, kind of a let down. It left my friend feeling discouraged and ripped down from Cloud Nine. As a tarot reader - and an incredibly empathetic person - I was bummed that it made her second-guess all of the positive progress she had made. As much as I don’t believe in a “bad” reading, sometimes we really just don’t hear what we want to hear.
So what do you do if this happens to you? Here’s my advice for when the cards in your tarot reading don’t turn out like you were hoping.
First and foremost: go into the reading expecting anything. If you are getting a reading and are only open to hearing good news, you aren’t really seeking constructive guidance, you’re seeking confirmation bias. If you aren’t ready for the cards to (potentially) call you out - it’s best you don’t consult tarot for guidance! To utilize the tarot and expect to never see a bummer card here and there would be like walking through life forever expecting only sunshine and rainbows. Life just doesn’t work like that, and the tarot is designed to reflect all facets of the human life and experience, good and bad. So, just like how life can throw blessings and difficulty, so does the tarot. It’s all about how we appreciate the blessings, and work with/learn from the difficult moments as well. Both build character.
If a card(s) come out that rubs you the wrong way, ask your reader how you can reframe the cards to best work with them in a constructive and helpful light. All tarot cards hold useful medicine. Even difficult cards like The Tower, The Devil, and the Three of Swords are accompanied by helpful information for how to remedy and get through. If your tarot reader isn’t automatically going there with you, be sure to ask them for additional help so you aren’t left feeling completely at a loss. (And if your tarot reader refuses to do this for you, you may want to consider getting a different reader!).
MOST importantly, know that you are still (and will always be) the boss of your own life. If you don’t like what the cards are telling you about your current situation or your future, you have the power and authority to change what’s in front of you and what’s ahead via your own free will and personal autonomy (this sounds a lot like what Theresa Reed, The Tarot Lady teaches, so I’m trying to say this in my own words and not to steal her words verbatim but, she’s absolutely right!). The purpose of working with the tarot (at least with how I work with it) is to bring greater self-awareness, and deliver guidance and insight so you can live your best life. The cards will tell you if you aren’t doing what you need to do to live your best life, but when you get bummer results from a reading, know that it’s not the end-all-be-all to your situation but rather, helpful FYI’s so that we can move ahead accordingly. The results don’t have to be set in stone, especially because now you are aware of where you’re headed at this moment therefore, you also have been given knowledge and tools to know what you need to do to change your circumstances/outcome if you want to. It’s actually a blessing!
Think of tarot as your worthy advisor. You ask “what do I need to know about this upcoming opportunity?” and you get the Nine of Swords reversed; this can indicate that you are worrying about it more than you should be, and that in this situation, a mind-over-matter approach would be helpful so that you don’t let your concerns and anxieties run the show and self-sabotage you and your opportunities.
Let me give another example - this time I’ll use a personal example of mine! Annually, I do a “Year Ahead Spread” for myself, drawing 1 card for the energy of each of the upcoming months. Last year, I drew the Two of Cups Reversed for June. Last June, my partner and I were preparing to move in together and were house-hunting. The Two of Cups Reversed warned me that there may be some relationship disharmony in the month of June, and because I knew we had the potential for some dissonance, I made it a point to work extra hard on being cooperative and communicative with my partner. And it turned out great! We found a place that we both love and have been happily living together for a year and a half now. Voila!
So, don’t fear the tarot. There’s no such thing as a bad reading, some just require more work than others! Always remember that using spiritual tools are helpful and supplementary, but they should never overcompensate for your own free will, good judgment, and self-governance. You are always the boss of your own world; the tarot is just your worthy advisor.
Love,
Maple Eastwood
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