Confusing readings
Even the most experienced Tarot readers sometimes find that a reading just doesn’t make sense. The more you stare at it, the more confusing it becomes. You pull clarifier cards, and it gets even worse. You start to question whether the cards are wrong or if your intuition has missed something. It happens to all of us.
If you find yourself confused about a reading and struggling to see the forest through the trees, this post will highlight a few possible causes and will offer some suggestions to help you find clarity.
You aren’t in the right headspace for a reading
An effective Tarot reading takes a lot of focus. During times of stress or significant change in your life, it can be difficult to concentrate on reading the cards in front of you because your mind is preoccupied with other things. Even thoughts about mundane tasks, such as grocery shopping or housework, can clutter your mind and cloud your intuition.
Engaging in meditation prior to a reading is one way to help centre yourself and your thoughts. But if you are tired or your mind is elsewhere, you are better off putting your cards aside until you’re ready to give them your full attention.
Your cards need a cleanse
You would be surprised how much a proper cleanse can change the accuracy of your readings. If your deck is normally a clear reader and then starts spitting out cards with no apparent connection, a good cleanse can make all the difference.
It’s always a good idea to cleanse your deck before a reading, but sometimes knocking on the deck three times or blowing on the cards just isn’t enough to clear stubborn, lingering energy. If your deck starts throwing you more curve balls than usual, try cleansing each card with smoke, or resetting the deck by putting the cards back in order, as a way to freshen it up.
You haven’t asked the right question
Asking the right question is essential for an effective reading. If your question is too broad or vague, then the cards will give you an answer to match. If your question is too narrow, you don’t leave enough room for the cards to speak.
Sometimes, if an answer doesn’t align with your question, the cards may be answering a different question - the question you really wanted to ask, but didn’t. If the question you’ve asked isn’t the real answer you are seeking, the cards may take matters into their own hands and ignore your surface question, deciding to answer your true question instead.
You keep asking the same question
If you keep asking the same question in different ways hoping to get the answer you want, this can frustrate your deck and result in readings that don’t make any sense. If you play games with the Tarot, it will play games with you. So, if you don’t understand a reading, make sure that you haven’t already been given the answer and you’ve just refused to acknowledge the message.
Your spread is too big
A complex issue doesn’t necessarily require a complex spread.
If you have a spread with a lot of card positions, this can muddy the waters when you are trying to interpret the cards in context to each other. Often a simple three-card spread will paint a clearer picture than a ten-card spread. Don’t over complicate things. Get to the heart of the issue first, then you can expand on this and ask more questions as you go along.
If you’ve ruled out all of the above and still find that your reading is confusing, there are a few things that you can try.
Return to the guidebook
If you’re intuition is struggling to connect the pieces of your reading together, the guidebook can offer a perspective on a card that will help you fit the puzzle together. It may be a particular phrase or a unique interpretation of a card that will trigger the “aha” moment you need to understand what’s going on in your reading.
Write it down
Sometimes simply writing your reading down is enough to get your intuition going. If you start writing down what each card means individually and what catches your eye in the card imagery, you might notice some phrases start popping into your head that you hadn’t thought of when you were originally looking at the cards. Once you’ve been through each card, try writing down your interpretation of the cards altogether and watch the words start to flow.
Add another deck
If you have another deck you can use, try pulling clarifier cards for your reading with a second deck. Sometimes interpreting the two decks together can give you the perspective you were struggling to see with only one deck. I recommend using another Tarot deck, but an Oracle deck can also work well for this purpose.
Try a different deck
Some decks are better suited to certain readings than others. Some decks are better at forecasting and prediction, some are better at reflection. Some are nurturing and soft, some prefer a tough-love approach. Perhaps the deck you’ve chosen for your reading isn’t the best deck for delivering the message you need in this instance. So, assuming you have another deck on hand, try posing your question to a different deck and see if that makes the answer any clearer.
If, after all of this, you still aren’t having any luck decoding your reading, perhaps the Universe is trying to tell you that it’s not the right time for you to have the answer to your question. Park your question for now and pay attention to any signs and synchronicities that relate to the information you are seeking. The Universe will let you know when your question is ready to be answered.
