Sometimes, all that we know is that we need clarity and that Tarot can be the tool that brings it to us. Is that enough to make a reading work? Well, the answer is both yes and no. Just as a straightening shampoo works best if used together with the conditioner of the same line, Tarot works best when we understand the way in which it gives insight, allowing us to make the most out of our session.
We all love clarity, tend to prefer a black or white over the uncertainty of the greys and become anxious when uncertainty strikes. Unfortunately, most things in life are not so black or white, and there are few things that are an absolute yes or no. Tarot is no different! Is Tarot a predictive tool? Yes it is! But it is also analytic. Tarot is meant to see the forest where we are only seeing the tree, and so, the insight that we can get out of a reading is far greater than a mere yes or no.
Keep reading to discover what sort of questions is best to avoid and why, and how can you phrase your questions in the way that gives you the most information. Because knowledge is power, and the more we know, the best decisions we make!
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The Questions That Don’t Really Work
1- Yes / No questions aren’t the best we can ask because we are missing a lot of probably relevant information on the way. Also, they take away our power to change the circumstances or to decide what is best.
Let’s see an example. Imagine that you have applied for your dream job, and you want to know if you will be hired for the position. That’s a perfectly legit concern, but here’s why details are important. If you focus on the yes or no aspect and are not interested in hearing more, you could get a no when the whole story is, for instance, that they are looking for a bolder candidate and you are having a super conservative approach to this interview. Or you could get a yes when the whole story is that you will be miserable a week into the job and they will delay your paycheck on a regular basis.
Same happens with, say, a relationship question. You want to know if your ex will come back, and the answer may be yes, the big picture being that even though, you will break-up again and go through the whole heartbreak all over again. Knowing this allows you to decide whether you want it or not, or if there’s something else that you can do to make the situation right. See how knowing more could turn a no into a yes and a yes into a no?
2- Should I questions are a variation of yes or no questions that aren’t the best ones to ask either. It would be so easy if we could get an answer to that, an answer that tells us whether or not we should do this or that in a given situation. Sadly, it’s not that easy, and anyway, who would want to be stripped away from their power just like that? It’s better to approach a question like this focusing on what would be the consequences of doing this or that, and make a conscious decision later.
3- When / Where questions are usually not a great idea. While it’s possible to give a rough time-frame for something to happen or a hint about a location, again these questions are taking the power from us again and giving it to an external circumstance or situation, leaving us helpless and waiting for it to come, while a different kind of question could give us some heads up about what we can actually do to make this move and happen!
What To Ask Then?
I don’t want to make it sound like Tarot is boring and we are out of options! Nothing furthest from the truth! Now that we have seen why there are certain questions that is better to avoid, let’s get into the juicy stuff and let’s see what can change our Tarot experience for the better!
1- Open-ended questions are the best kind of questions. Changing from “Will my ex and I come back together?” to a more open “What does this relationship look like?” changes the game by giving you a lot more of information to keep in your pocket. “When will I find a job?” is a worse choice than “What chances are ahead for my career?”.
Some examples of open-ended questions:
How does my love life look like for this year?
Is there potential between this new person and me?
How is this relationship going to evolve?
How is this family conflict going to progress?
What is damaged in this relationship?
What is my career forecast for the next three months?
How am I perceived by the interviewers?
How am I perceived by my co-workers?
2- How-To questions are, from my experience, the most powerful and empowering questions we can ask Tarot. These questions are focused on learning what is in our power to do to overcome a bad situation, increase our chances of getting our way, grab opportunities and resolve conflicts. They have it all and the best thing is that it is all in our hands!
Some examples of how-to questions:
How can my partner and I work to improve this relationship?
How can I become a better partner?
How can I increase my chances of finding a suitable relationship?
How can I get over my ex-partner?
What is the lesson from this relationship?
How can I heal from this traumatic experience?
How can I become a more suitable candidate for this promotion?
How can I be perceived as a solid candidate for this position?
What is my strong point as an employee?
What can I do to attract clients to my business?
How can I gain motivation towards my job?
What is my weakest point as an employee?
How can I resolve the conflict that I’m having with my co-workers?
How can I bring back harmony to my home?
As you can see, the possibilities with this kind of questions are virtually endless and the sort of information that we can get out of such powerful questions is far more valuable than a simple yes or no, for knowing how-to makes it possible for us to change the situation to suit our desires.
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Tips For Asking The Best Questions
If you want to make sure that you are in the right tracks for getting the most useful Tarot reading, it is advised to go through this little check-list before jumping into getting a Tarot reading!
1- What do I expect to gain by asking this? Asking yourself this will help you determine if your question is actually useful and will add something of value to your current perspective of the situation or not.
2- To whom does this question give power? Imagine an answer to the question you have asked, whatever answer it may be. Does it place the power on you or on an external circumstance of person? The best questions you can ask Tarot make you feel more in control of a situation.
3- Am I learning more about the situation by asking this question? Similar to question number 1, although not exactly the same. Wondering if there’s more to add to what you know will help you determine if you actually need this Tarot reading or not.
Asking a good question with an open mind and a calm state is the best thing that we can do to ensure that we have an enriching and empowering Tarot reading experience.
And remember, regardless of the answer that we get, the aim of a Tarot reading is always to leave the session in a better state of mind than the one we had before. A Tarot reading should never leave us feeling powerless or defeated, and even if it is bad news, we should feel that we have the tools that we need to control the situation, start a healing process or change it for the better.
I declare myself “tarobsessed”. I am a Spanish Tarot & Lenormand reader, mentor, writer and in the near future deck creator. Official Crazy Cat Lady and proud Tarot Snob. I've been running The Sibyl's Tarot since 2015.
