Three years of reading and I sometimes still can’t figure out how accurate tarot cards actually are. Read for a friend last week - every card was dead on, they were shook. Read for myself the next day, and it’s like the deck forgot how to speak English. Same cards, same spread, totally different results.
Starting to think accuracy isn’t even the point. Maybe the “wrong” readings are just showing us angles we refuse to see? Like when I pull Death for a job question and nothing ends, but then I realize I needed to kill my old approach to work. The misses teach me as much as the hits.
Does anyone else find that how accurate tarot cards are depends more on whether we’re ready to hear the message?
17 Likes
Deepen Your Tarot Practice Beyond the Cards
Finding meaningful tarot discussions and authentic guidance can be surprisingly difficult. Discover a space where your questions are welcomed and your intuitive growth is celebrated: Start Your Journey
When my readings are spot-on, it’s usually because the cards reflect what my brain already knows but hasn’t processed yet.
For instance, when I pull the Three of Swords for a friendship and realize I’ve been ignoring all the red flags my intuition was picking up on. The cards essentially give our subconscious a way to finally get through to us. The accuracy seems to stem from how well the symbols help us access what we already sense but can’t put into words.
Can’t really tell without examples of what felt off to you.
I read at parties and gatherings sometimes. One issue I see a lot, people ask questions that don’t work great with tarot. You need to know what kinds of questions the cards handle well. Also, everyone uses the same interpretation site or app. Cards have layers of meaning though.
Someone pulled Three of Swords at a birthday reading once and panicked because the app said heartbreak. Could’ve meant something completely different in that situation, maybe about clarity or letting something go.
Hey, so you mean prediction-style readings are only working half the time? Have you tried using tarot for self-reflection instead? Like looking at what the cards bring up for you personally, rather than trying to predict stuff. Might change how you see the cards.
Look, when someone’s in crisis, getting the cards ‘right’ isn’t really the point.
ust the act of pulling cards and talking about them can help. It gives people something to focus on besides their problems for a minute. The symbols on the cards work as conversation starters, you’d be surprised what people will open up about when they’re looking at a picture instead of making eye contact.
So yeah, give it a shot if you want. Don’t worry about being some kind of psychic or whatever.
Yeah those 78 cards are pretty thorough when you think about it.
Like, they’ve got cards for love, loss, work stuff, conflicts, new beginnings. So when we pull cards, our brain just latches onto whatever meaning fits our current situation. Kind of like how horoscopes work, they’re vague enough that we fill in the blanks ourselves.
Wait, what if the whole accuracy thing is backwards, though? It’s like judging a poem based on weather predictions. Makes no sense when you think about it.
I know what you mean about accuracy shifting.
I did a monthly spread that said I’d get a burst of creative energy at the start, then struggle with too many ideas by mid-month. That’s exactly what happened with my writing projects. The cards showed me drowning in inspiration and needing to plant my creativity somewhere specific.
I dismissed it at first because it seemed vague. Looking back, the reading was right about the creative surge and how I couldn’t focus on just one project. Maybe we can’t see the accuracy until we’re living through what the cards predicted.
I came across this Rumi quote - ‘Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment.’ Kind of stuck with me. I used to try so hard to make the cards fit together in a way that made sense.
Like forcing puzzle pieces. But when I started just sitting with the confusion instead of fighting it, something shifted. The readings got better when I stopped trying to be smart about it. Just let myself not know for a while.
same here, reading for others is smooth but self-readings are a mess just occurred to me while typing - maybe it’s because we’re playing both roles?
asking the question AND interpreting the answer. our biases probably multiply when we do that kinda like trying to surprise yourself. you can’t. we’re too wrapped up in our own stuff to read the symbols without our personal feelings messing it up
People often mention cards being ‘inaccurate,’ which I find pretty awesome.
Generally, they show us what we need to see, though it might not align with what we expect.
How do you approach your readings? Cards have depth, and what feels like an ‘off’ reading might offer insight from an unexpected angle. Look at the Pentacles suit, for example. While they hint at material concerns like money, they also touch on our relationship with the physical world and our quest for stability.
As Earth cards, they ground us in reality, covering areas like health and how we manage our day-to-day lives. Placement in a spread matters too. A card in a ‘challenges’ slot versus an ‘outcome’ slot can lead to different interpretations. Even the sequence of past, present and future alters the reading’s meaning. Your question shapes the answer as well. If you ask ‘What will happen?’ you get one kind of guidance, but ‘What do I need to understand?’ may spotlight something different.
I remember someone drawing the Five of Pentacles for advice. It wasn’t about predicting hardship; it was about recognizing available support. If you’re using illustrated decks, let the imagery guide you. Sometimes, a figure’s gesture or look points to meanings beyond traditional ideas. Books offer basic foundations, but the cards often have personal messages in their details. What attracts you to the cards?
Knowing your own connection with them can lead to new levels of understanding.
Sometimes I pull cards that make no sense for the question. Like getting the King of Swords for romance stuff or the Seven of Cups when I need concrete advice. I just dig deeper into what else the card might mean.
Every card has multiple interpretations, so I look for the less obvious ones. The Three of Swords has other meanings besides heartbreak, and the Ten of Pentacles covers way more than inheritance and family wealth.
Here’s a quick tip for improving your accuracy with tarot readings: try starting a ‘Tarot Time Capsule’ journal.
After each reading, jot down your interpretation, then seal it in an envelope with the date. Three months later, open it up and see how things turned out. You might find that some readings make more sense with a bit of time. For instance, I once had a Six of Wands reading about a promotion that I thought was off, but it actually happened a little later than expected.
This can also help you stop focusing too much on immediate results.
Same deck definitely reads differently in different places for me. My cards are super clear when I’m in my usual spot with candlelight, but I tried doing a reading at the office once and got basically nothing.
The energy of the space matters way more than I expected when I first started.
For tarot accuracy, developing intuition is important.
Think of it like picking up a new language; the more you practice, the clearer the messages from the cards become. Meditation and mindfulness exercises are useful tools in this way. It’s about tapping into your inner wisdom to make sense of the cards.
It doesn’t happen overnight, but with practice, it gets easier.
The role of the person receiving a reading is often overlooked, but is important. Their openness can greatly affect how well the reading goes.
If someone is feeling closed-off or defensive, it creates a barrier that’s tough to get through, even for skilled readers. It’s important to Maybe how your own energy might be impacting the process. Staying open and receptive can really help in getting a clearer, more accurate reading.
lol if your deck is giving you the Tower for lunch questions, yeah probably time to cleanse it.
My accuracy goes to shit when I don’t clear my cards’ energy regularly. They get cranky. I just leave mine under the moon or with selenite and they’re good again. Mercury retrograde might be screwing with things too. Always does.
You know how oracle cards are everywhere now? Like every other person has a deck. I’ve been thinking about this, my readings are way better when I’m not doom-scrolling tarot TikToks at 2am.
There’s something about being desperate for answers that makes the whole thing feel off. Maybe that’s why everyone’s calling it self-care now. The cards work better when you’re not using them as a crutch. Though honestly, some of us are still just collecting pretty decks.