So yesterday I tried figuring out how tarot cards actually say “no” – like, really plainly. Grabbed my worn-out deck and just started pulling cards whenever I had simple yes/no questions buzzing in my head. Felt kinda lost at first.
The Clumsy Start
Started with a basic question: “Should I order pizza tonight?” Honestly wanted pizza, craved it. Shuffled those cards roughly, they kinda clattered on my wooden desk. Pulled the Tower – that card with lightning and people falling? Straight up looked chaotic. My gut sank a little. Felt like a big, loud NO. Didn’t order pizza. Felt grumpy but saved money.
Digging Deeper (and Messing Up)
Tried again later with something lighter: “Will my friend text back soon?” Shuffled slower this time. Pulled the 9 of Swords reversed. Just stared at it. The imagery is a person sitting up in bed looking stressed, and upside-down? Didn’t scream “yes” or “no” instantly. Got confused:
- Was the reversed part making it less negative?
- Did the swords mean overthinking?
- Did it mean yes? Maybe no? Ugh.
Ended up wasting time over-analyzing. Friend texted back hours later. I misread it. Should’ve seen the underlying stress in the image – a “no” to quick communication.
The Big Lightbulb Moment
Finally thought about questions expecting a positive outcome but getting a “no”. Asked: “Will this traffic clear fast?” Seriously late for a call. Pulled the 10 of Swords. Oof. Guy lying face down with ten swords in his back? Total defeat vibe. No sugarcoating. Felt heavy. Knew instantly: big nope, traffic jam lasting. Rerouted, still late, but accepted it.
Patterns clicked:
- Violent Pictures? Like the Tower, the 10 of Swords – usually a hard no.
- Cards with Sadness/Blocking? Five of Cups (crying over spilled cups), Seven of Swords (stealing away) – often means “stop” or “not good”.
- Reversed isn’t automatically “yes”! A reversed negative card can just mean a smaller no or a blocked “yes,” like my 9 of Swords moment showed. Still not great news.
What Actually Works for Me Now
After messing around:
- I keep it SIMPLE. “Yes/No”. Nothing fuzzy.
- I trust the gut punch feeling first. Does the card look harsh?
- I look for clear signs of ending, failure, loss, or obstruction.
- If it’s reversed, I think: is the negativity still there, just muted or tangled? Usually the answer is still leaning towards “no”.
End of the day, tarot gives clues, not guarantees. But man, when those negative cards slam down? It’s usually the universe yelling, “Nah, don’t do it,” or “Nope, won’t happen.” Took some awkward flubs and grumpy no-pizza nights to get here though.
