Is it bad to get your cards read? This is a question that pops into the minds of many people, both newbie and experienced tarot card user alike. The possibility of facing negative tarot cards can haunt over any reading and mess with the energy that we give off, and the energy that we receive from the cards themselves.
In this article, we’re going to discuss the idea of negative cards in depth. We’re going to start off by exploring why there really isn’t such a thing as “negative tarot cards” before going on to look at the benefits of seeing the messages that “less-favorable” cards might present to us.
The Tarot Reflection
We’ve all watched movies or TV shows where a character flips over that dreaded Death card. “Negative tarot cards” is a term that stems largely from the misrepresentation of tarot card reading by the media. Firstly, it’s important to understand that any tarot card can have positive or negative attributes, including Death (which often symbolizes rebirth or the end of a cycle). So to consider a select group of cards to be negative tarot cards is inaccurate.
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Secondly, tarot cards don’t bring about ill-fate. If the Death card represents the end of a cycle, you’re not causing a cycle to end by doing a tarot reading. The card is merely a reflection of events that are still to happen, are happening, or have already happened. The act of choosing to read cards or not doesn’t alter your path, it simply allows you to understand what may or may not come to pass if you don’t take action, which brings us to our next point.
Preparation
Assuming that the cards reveal something negative that is coming your way; wouldn’t you prefer to know about it? In winter, before you begin a journey do you check the weather channels to see if snow is forecast? Checking the weather channels doesn’t cause the snow to happen, even if you feel like you’ve received bad news when heavy snow is forecast across the country and you have a 2-hour drive ahead of you. However, it can help you prepare.
Negative tarot cards may seem negative when you first turn them over but in reality, they are a blessing in disguise. If you’re doing a 3 card spread read (past, present, and future) and the future card carries a warning, then that means that it isn’t too late to change it, or at the very least prepare for it.
If we continue with the snowstorm example, you could choose to set off on a different day, therefore avoiding the risk of being trapped in the snow. If the journey is one that you have to make that day, then you can pack warm clothes, food, a shovel, etc. That way you can prepare for the possibility of being trapped by the snow.
Negative Experience Shapes Us
Have you ever heard the saying “what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger”? We can’t go through life without experience negativity in some form or another. But life isn’t about avoiding negativity; it’s about facing negativity head on so that we can come out the other side stronger. Negative experiences, whether for better or for worse, shape who we are. By avoiding them altogether, it means that we’re not prepared when avoidance is no longer an option.
Think of it like this: If a tarot reading doesn’t impact the outcome of your destiny (only act as a result of the reading can do that) then you have nothing to worry about. None of us want to be involved in a house fire, but isn’t it better to know what to do if that situation should present itself? Similarly, we don’t want anyone to choke but in the event that somebody does choke, isn’t it much better to know how to handle it?
Clouded Reading
Finally, there is another aspect to negative tarot cards that many people forget about. When you’re taking part in a reading, you start off by asking your question or holding a thought in your mind, then you transfer your energy into the tarot deck. If you’re worried and scared of getting negative cards then that energy will cross over to the cards and your card selection will be tainted with fear.
Carrying out a reading requires focus, clarity, and also trust that the cards are only going to show what you need to see. After all, it is your energy and your card selection that reveals what they have to show you. You might not be able to shake all your concerns but understand that you are prepared to face whatever the future may have in store for you, which brings us nicely to our final point.
The Chinese Farmer
A wise and spiritual man by the name of Alan Watts tells the story of a Chinese farmer. One day, the farmer’s prize horse ran away. All the man’s neighbors came to offer their condolences, stating “we’re so sorry to hear that your horse ran away, that’s such bad news” to which the farmer replied “maybe”.
The following week, the horse returned. Following in its tracks were seven wild horses, all of great size and strength. When the man’s friends heard of this, they came rushing to his farm saying “we heard about the horses, that’s such good news” to which the man replied “maybe”.
Soon after, the farmer’s son tried to ride one of the new and wild horses but was kicked off and broke his leg. Friends rush to offer their aid, telling the farmer “we heard about your son, that’s such bad news” to which the farmer replied “maybe”.
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The following week, conscription officers came to recruit young men for the Chinese army. Upon seeing the farmer’s son’s broken leg, they rejected him from service. The neighbors once again rushed to the farmer stating “we heard about the rejection, that’s such great news” to which the farmer replied “maybe.
The point of this story is that while any event or prophecy (or in our case tarot card messages), we have no idea whether something will remain positive. Something can be seen as negative but offer positive outcomes, just as something seen as positive can have negative consequences.
