What if a reading makes no sense to you?

[JustJazzie]

For these readings, I have found that working with my pendulum helps me narrow it down quite a bit. I also journal and just write whatever comes to mind. Ill take time look up alternative interpretations until I get one that resonates with me, and then confirm thats what it means with the pendulum.

I feel like this happens to me more often, when I haven't made myself fully present to the reading. I try to get "into the zone" before a reading with crystals, and asking for guidance from my guides with some centering deep breaths, but sometimes (more often than I'd like to admit) I just shuffle and deal. Those are usually the days I have a harder time connecting to the cards.

I think making sure that Ive "asked the right question" is also important. Again, I usually check in with my pendulum about how I have worded the question and if it is right. Sometimes what i ask isn't actually what I want to know.

And if all else fails- I wait. After all, hind sight is 20/20

 

[lalunarising44]

Wow! So sorry it's taken me a while to respond, I was not aware it was actually posted since my internet was freezing up during the time I was writing the initial thread.
So nice to see so many detailed and insightful responses!

To Decan:
I think sometimes what causes the cards to not make sense might be HOW the question was asked, or maybe the specific position meanings aren't very clear. But you do bring up an interesting question!

To Nisaba:
Thanks for your reassuring words. I need to remember that this is a journey and I'm always going to be learning and I don't have all the answers neither do the cards. My cards have a way of letting me know I need to take a break for a day or two by showing me the 9 or 10 of Swords. Gets the message across rather quickly!

To Torrann:
YES! They do! I've gotten into the habit of taking a picture of the reading and also free-writing what the possible message is. I've gone back in my journal of readings to some that were confusing and it's amazing how clear the message is after some time has passed!

To Tarotquest:
I'm glad I'm not the only one! I do think that our readings don't make sense because there is something that should not be revealed just yet, or it might not be in our best interest. Hope you have found some clarity in your readings <3

To GoodnessGracious:
I also agree with this! When I go back to some old readings that didn't make sense at the time, I am surprised to see how relevant they actually were. It was just that, at the time, i was not aware of those things. And I agree with your idea of just letting the cards "speak" instead of trying to fit perfectly into a position. That's sometimes how you get the loudest and clearest message! It's amazing how the tarot works!

To JustJazzie:
May I ask how you work with your pendulum? That's very interesting! And I am also guilty of just shuffling and pulling cards without properly centering myself and connecting with my guides. My impatience gets the better of me! But that is when my readings are muddled and confusing. Thank you for your detailed advice <3

Thanks everyone! I am so lucky to be apart of this community, you guys are all so helpful!

 

[DownUnderNZer]

In the same pickle only the cards make sense just not with what is going on in my life as such. Non Tarot.

Can 3 readings months apart be off or perhaps just indirectly connected?

I have 3 months yet to see what unfolds, but right now they do not make sense with my life in some ways at all really.

Maybe a learning curve...

DND

I am exactly in the same boat! I wanted to post a thread regarding this interrogation.

Lately, I feel (as usual) that I can quite clearly read for others. However, I often don't understand the message in my own readings. I am not tired of Tarot and I ask about different topics.

This difficulty to read for myself is present since about a month. I look at the cards and I feel like, as you said, that I don't understand their language! I had some very insightful readings. but they are the exception so far!

As someone else said, I think that sometimes, the cards are more cryptic because it is not in our interest to know the answer, simply because knowing the outcome could change our behavior and alter the results, perhaps in a negative way. Tarot is there to help us in our questionings, so I feel that getting insight about a reading (or not) happens for our own good, surprisingly. But it sucks when you feel like your cards speak Chinese (when you don't!).

 

[JustJazzie]

To JustJazzie:
May I ask how you work with your pendulum? That's very interesting! And I am also guilty of just shuffling and pulling cards without properly centering myself and connecting with my guides. My impatience gets the better of me! But that is when my readings are muddled and confusing. Thank you for your detailed advice <3

Thanks everyone! I am so lucky to be apart of this community, you guys are all so helpful!

I suppose a lot of it is guessing. But for instance- if I had asked for "an open ended message from the universe" I would start by asking my pendulum if this was an earth, air, fire, water or spirit reading. That would help narrow down which questions to proceed with.

Say its a court card I'm really stuck on, I would ask "does this card represent a person in my life? (if yes) Does this card represent Fred? etc. (If not a person) Does this card represent an energy in the situation?
I might ask "does this card represent a traditional interpretation I am consciously aware of?" That would help me decide how to proceed with questions or research.

Sometimes I ask "Would it help me to pull a clarifying card? more than one card? More than two cards? More than three....etc.

I might also ask something like "is the full moon in card x related to the full moon in card y"


At the end of every reading I usually ask " all things considered, is my interpretation accurate to the best of my knowledge and ability?" Sometimes I will go through each card individually as I am reading and ask "Am I on the right track? is that what you mean? Etc.

Its an intuitive process, I guess which makes it a little hard to explain! Hopefully I didn't leave you asking more questions.

 

[Sassyinkpen]

I'm still fairly new at this, but I'm noticing that the times when I really truly just can't make any sense of a reading at all, it's because I wasn't really in the right frame of mind to be reading at all. Either I didn't prepare properly, or I'm in a bad mood, too involved in the question, too tired, or just too scattered to be reading at that time.

 

[Diege]

Sometimes if I don't understand a card I like to pay specific attention to the background and the symbols and see if there is something small that will hopefully help me to understand at least a portion of what the card is trying to say. If nothing is clicking together I like to use some sort of symbol in the card and try to connect it to the reading as best as I can if that makes sense.