Most people know that tarot cards are about as evil as coloring books. Instead of being tools of some satanic force, they’re simply pieces of cardboard with pictures that help to trigger intuition. The more intuitive a reader is, and the more they know the cards and have established a dependable system to use them, the more accurate their readings are.
Of course, the question for the tarot reader is important too. General, unfocussed, or trivial questions tend to get poor results. Specific questions tend to get specific answers. Questions such as “Will I be rich?” or “When will I meet my soul mate?” are very common, but not well stated; rich means different things to different people and we all have many soul mates. “What will be with the idea I have for a business?” or “What will be with my love life in the next 6 months?” are much more appropriate questions. Also, if the questioner isn’t supposed to know something because it may interfere with his or her destined path, for example, a good reader will know the question isn’t meant to be explored.
Another important yet often overlooked factor which effects accuracy with tarot spreads is personal energy. Just as you have a great energy connection with certain friends which results in great experiences, or a poor energy connection with a neighbor who isn’t respectful, positive or negative energy between a reader and client can greatly influence the quality of the reading.
For example, when Stephen does a tarot reading for a long-standing client with whom he has a great working relationship, the energy connection is good and that person’s faith in Stephen as a reader allows the information he “receives” to flow freely and copiously. Alternatively, when he does a reading for someone who’s very critical and skeptical or who happens to be projecting, for whatever reason, a lot of negativity energy, because of Stephen’s strong empathic and spiritually sensitive state, he’ll feel blocked and not compelled to help the person.
How does tarot work? There are many theories, but we believe tarot readings can very effectively outline current and destined personal circumstances because there exists a divine order in this Universe, everyone is intimately connected to this order, and because fate exists. Also, the 78 unique tarot cards and the methods employed using them are mathematically and symbolically synchronistic with “what is.” An experienced tarot reader can tap into this synchronicity. It is not an “accident” or “coincidence” when certain cards appear in certain positions in the tarot spread of an experienced reader.
Some readers claim that their tarot spreads are “…only about the current path you are on. It’s possible you will change directions and avoid the outcome indicated.” In some cases this can be true, but some readers might say this because they lack confidence in their abilities, or to attempt to empower their clients and keep them from feeling too much fear about the future.
However, based on our 22+ years (combined 44+) of experience with metaphysics, we believe that the majority of significant future personal life events and circumstances, as outlined by tarot, comprehensive astrology and numerology, and other esoteric sciences, are immutable. If something is going to happen, it’s going to happen.
We believe, based on years of regular spreads for ourselves and others, that the future can be seen through tarot. However, as stated above, results depend heavily upon the reader and other factors listed in this column.
Lastly, to provide a better idea of why some readers don’t offer as much insight as you might hope, here are some other common reasons for inaccurate tarot readings:
*The reader, even with an extremely successful track record and a very consistent, high accuracy level, has an off reading and happens to give one of his or her inaccurate readings to the client (no reader is 100% accurate).
*The reader is inexperienced with the process and, or does not yet know at least the bulk of the symbolism found through each of the 78 cards.
*The reader is not very intuitive, or his or her intuition is blocked for whatever reason.
*The reader’s philosophies and beliefs conflict with “what is” (e.g., he or she tells the client that they can cheat fate and erase all of their tough karma without having to directly balance it, or that they can have the “relationship of their dreams” whenever they want, creating a “permanent,” blissful, conflict-free “life-partner” situation without the use of self-deception, manipulation, and conditional love).
*The day and time (universal, and the client’s personal numerological and astrological timing) of the reading strongly suggests, despite the high level of expertise and accuracy of the reader, that information imparted at that moment may not be as appropriate or accurate as it would be at other times.
*The client is fated to hear specific information in the reading that turns out to be inaccurate, but that information helps to ultimately steer them in the right direction.
*The reader is biased about the issue related to the reading; human filters can and sometimes do get in the way of spiritual guidance.
Copyright © 2006 Scott Petullo, Stephen Petullo