Common Tarot Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Avoiding Common Tarot Mistakes

There are many ways to make a mistake in tarot reading but some are more common than others. It is these common tarot mistakes that I will be covering today.

It is usually someone new to tarot reading that will make these mistakes although even more experienced readers can fall prey to them. New readers almost without exception will learn through reading for themselves. It’s a fun thing to do for sure, but it’s also the biggest potential pitfall for the unwary.

Effective reading requires objectivity and neutrality, which is why it’s so hard to read accurately for yourself. It takes a lot of practice to achieve it but it can be done although care always needs to be taken. Until you are more experienced and more aware of the lurking dangers caution should be your byword. Caution is still my byword even now if I read for myself.

You too will be able to read for yourself with practice, but you must keep your interpretation skills in neutral. It’s too easy to get a flawed reading if you don’t.

Reading When You Are Highly Emotional

There are several reasons why you should not read for yourself when you are highly emotional. First and foremost, you will not be neutral and open to the cards. The chances of misinterpretation are very high. You could twist the meanings to fit what you want or think. Or simply miss the message completely. Either way your reading will be flawed.

Always remember that through you the cards pick up on the energy and emotions you are projecting. That means that the spread itself could be compromised. Wait until you have calmed down and can be objective.

Reading on the Same Question or Situation Over and Over

This one is a classic mistake for most beginners. We are all human though, and consequently more experienced readers sometimes fall victim too.

The future is constantly changing and that’s a fact. However, that doesn’t mean you should ask the same question ten times a day. If you do then any answers you get will almost certainly not be worthwhile.

Think of it this way: If you had a friend and you phoned him or her ten times a day and asked the same question, how long do you think it would be before they hung up on you? Metaphorically speaking, that’s exactly what the Tarot will do.

It doesn’t matter how important the question is; do not read on it multiple times a day. Or even multiple times a week. Once a week will be quite adequate and for many situations once a month may be better.

Searching for Card Meanings Until You Find One That You Like

This is another big no-no and again a frequent beginner’s mistake. If you find yourself going to many different websites or thumbing through all your books looking for meanings, then stop right there!

I am sure that if you look long enough you will indeed find a meaning more favorable than most. The chances are it won’t be true for your reading. If nine people tell you the sky is blue and one says it’s green, who are you going to believe?

As the saying goes: if you don’t want to know the truth then don’t ask the question. If you do want the truth, then don’t try to manipulate it!

Ignoring Negative Cards

This one is similar to the last one in many ways. It’s no good ignoring bad cards because they don’t fit in with what you want the answer to be. If the projected outcome is a “bad” card don’t be tempted to overlook it.

The whole point of asking the Tarot anything is to get accurate information. That means good, bad, and/or indifferent. It may not be what you want to see. It may not be what you want to happen. But it is what it is. It’s a warts and all request when you consult the cards.

Drawing Too Many Clarification Cards

The most common reason for readers to pull too many clarification cards are as follows:

You don’t understand the meaning of the cards and sometimes this might simply be that you are too inexperienced for the reading you’re doing.

The cards are bad ones and so clarification cards are pulled to see if their meanings are any better. This happens more times than you might think, but it’s simply fooling yourself if you think bad will become good by pulling more cards.

The cards are very vague. This is a legitimate reason for pulling clarification cards but if you find you’re pulling a lot then you may want to rethink the consultation. It may be that you are simply not meant to know the answer to your question and that does happen sometimes. Or it may mean that there are far too many variables or unknowns in play for an accurate answer.

Either way it may be best to try again a few days later and see if anything has changed. It may also be worth considering the question you have asked. Did you ask it in the best possible way? Was your clarity of purpose accurate? If you’re not sure what I mean by that then click here.

Reading When You Are Too Tired

This error is an easy one to make. In most aspects of life trying to do something when you are tired can lead to all sorts of problems. So it is with tarot reading.

Interpreting the meaning of the cards wrongly is far and away the easiest mistake to make when you are tired. If you are lucky then it may be that no great harm has been done. You may also realize your mistake later on when you are more rested.

But what if you don’t? What if you’ve missed something really important? You don’t want to be making choices or decisions based on flawed information, do you?

Are You Guilty of Any of These Common Tarot Mistakes?

I will be the first to admit that when I first started tarot reading, I was guilty of committing several of these mistakes. What about you? Can you put your hand on your heart and say that right now you don’t commit any of them? Be honest!

The truth is that it’s very easy (even for experienced readers) to fall into the trap of committing one or more of the above sins. That’s why neutrality, grounding, balance, and openness are so important when reading.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with reading for yourself. We all started that way! The trick is not to trip over the obstacles in your way to a balanced and accurate reading. The more important a question is and the closer it is to your heart or soul, the more likely it is that you will trip up.

We have professional readers among our clients and the reason for that is simple. It really is hard to read objectively for yourself. It can be done but when it’s a really important question it may just be worth your while getting an impartial and professional reading.

Tarot Time Article by Paul