how do you ask the tarot questions?
After doing some of my free online readings, it got me thinking about something interesting regarding how people form questions. Basically, the way someone asks a question of Tarot says a lot about their viewpoint on fate/destiny (or determinism) and free will.
I think there are three valid ways to consider it - the future is predetermined and we have no control over what will happen, we have total control over what will happen through our actions and mindsets, and a mixture of both - we have some control, but some things are beyond our control.
Whatever viewpoint you believe most strongly, will influence the way you ask questions of the Tarot.
If you believe in the first - the future is predetermined - I think you’ll be a lot more likely to ask questions that lean toward the divination aspect of the Tarot. Closed questions, such as, will I ever meet the right person? Will I get this job? Personally, I don’t find the Tarot works well for me in this way. The answers it gives are so much bigger than yes/no questions, so much more complex and nuanced, that when I’ve tried asking questions like this (and trust me, I have) more often than not I’ve come away more confused about the outcome than I was in the beginning.
If you lean more towards the second ideology - we have total control over everything, and nothing is fated or destined - you’ll tend to ask more open-ended questions. How can I be open to finding love? What do I need to do to increase my chances of getting this job? This leaves things very open - you’re not asking for a definite outcome, but instead for a greater understanding about where you’re positioned in your current situation, as well as some strategies to move forward with it. And in this, you can affect the outcome of anything, through both thought and action.
And lastly, the mixed approach - we both have control and are subject to things beyond our control. I think this is probably the most popular way of viewing our future, and this is the best way that the Tarot works for me personally. This doesn’t have to be everyone’s approach, of course, but this is how I feel most comfortable engaging it. Questions I ask are similar to the above, but also with an understanding that there are some situations where despite my thoughts or actions, I may not be able to affect change in my situation. In those cases, I often look for insight on how to best deal with the cards I’ve been dealt (pun intended!)
I find it gives me two things - a new perspective on how to mentally (be that intellectually or emotionally or otherwise) approach a situation, whether it’s one I feel I have complete control over or not, and a path forward in action based on those realizations.
By viewing the Tarot as something that gives me insight, it helps me see things in a way I hadn’t considered, truly realize things I already kind of knew (but maybe wasn’t ready to accept yet), or even reinforce beliefs I already was conscious of. For me, this is the greatest benefit of Tarot reading! I believe it can help in both situations where you have total control, and in those where you’re just dealing with what life’s given you. It’s all in your approach!
I also do believe that it can show me possible outcomes, if I continue on the path I’m on. I’ve never done a Tarot reading that gave me the sense of a definite outcome, as much as I’ve wanted it to. For example, I recently did a reading about a personal issue I was having, and the cards told me (repeatedly, in many ways, in fact) that I was being too overly emotional, and letting my feelings get in the way of thinking rationally on the conflict. The outcome was that it would eventually lead to a breakdown of communication, mistrust, and overall more conflict than was even necessary. So I took that message and I stood back from the situation and realized the truth in it, and I resolved to make a greater effort to approach things with a more calm, even approach. To think over my reactions before just exploding with the first feeling I had. And in the end, my approach helped eliminate the negative situation altogether - I mean, it’s obvious, right? Whenever you’re having conflict with someone, it’s always better to take a step back from your overwhelming emotions, and try to approach it calmly and rationally. But being caught up in the moment and in powerful emotions, before I did the reading the thought hadn’t even occurred to me in that situation!
I find the questions I ask of the Tarot always take this approach - what more can I learn about this situation, what can I do to make it better or positive, and where am I headed if I continue on the path I’m currently on? I just find that for me personally, the cards naturally lead toward and support answers to questions phrased in that way anyway, so I think it’s been a natural learning progression to adopt this approach.
Anyway, all of that said, how you approach reading Tarot cards, or how you phrase and ask your questions is of course solely up to you! I think if your intuition is telling you to go in a certain direction, or if it feels right to you, then it’s the correct way to go. I think that one of the coolest things about Tarot is that there is no “right” way to do it, and everyone can find the method that works best for them!