So today I wanna talk about this whole “Yes or No Tarot” thing because honestly, it used to drive me nuts. Like, I’d pull cards asking simple questions – “Should I take this job?”, “Is this person trustworthy?” – and get these beautiful, confusing pictures. A “yes” felt totally different from a “no.” There was no clarity. I ended up more confused than when I started!
Getting Fed Up and Looking for Answers
I reached a point a few months back where I almost chucked my deck across the room. I asked, “Should I renew my gym membership?” Simple! I pulled The Chariot. Great card, right? Forward momentum! But… was that a “yes, push forward with the gym”? Or a “no, use that energy elsewhere”? My brain did somersaults. I needed something simpler, way less vague.
Started digging online. Saw people mentioning “Yes/No Tarot lists.” Basically, assigning straightforward “Yes,” “No,” or “Maybe” meanings to individual cards for quick answers. Sounded almost too easy, like cheating on the cards’ depth. But I was desperate for some clarity, so I decided to test it out.
Building My Own List Was Key
First mistake: thinking I could just find one perfect list online and be done. Turns out, every list felt different! Some folks called The Tower a hard “No,” others said it was a “Yes” because of big change. My head spun again.
So, I grabbed my most trusted deck, my Rider-Waite clone, and my notebook. I decided to sit down and build my OWN list. Here’s how I did it step-by-step:
- Cleared the space: Lit my usual candle, shuffled slowly.
- Asked the Question: Held the deck and asked out loud: “What does this card truly mean for a simple ‘Yes’ answer?” I did this card by card.
- First Impressions & Gut Feeling: For each card, I looked at it fresh. Did it feel positive, uplifting? That felt like a “YES” or “YES, but…” Heavy, ominous? That screamed “NO.” Confusing? Straight to “MAYBE.”
- Consulted the Guidebook (but didn’t slave to it): I checked the little white book meanings, but only for context. The feeling the picture gave me was way more important for this yes/no purpose.
- Made Notes: Scribbled furiously! “Ace of Cups: Feels like a big overflowing YES, new start, good vibes.” “Ten of Swords: Ouch. Definite NO, pain, endings.” “Justice: Ugh, scales balanced… that’s a MAYBE, needs more info.“
I went through the Major Arcana first – those big fancy cards with names like The Tower or The Lovers. Then did each suit (Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles) card by card. Took me a whole rainy Sunday afternoon!
Testing My Cheat Sheet
I didn’t trust it yet. It was just my feelings on a page. Time to test.
Over the next few weeks, I forced myself to ask ONLY yes/no questions before pulling cards. Questions where I kinda knew the answer, or could check the outcome easily:
- “Is it going to rain later today?” (Checked the weather app afterward)
- “Did my brother eat the last slice of pizza?” (Could call and ask)
- “Should I text this person back right now?” (Simple action, easy consequence)
I pulled ONE card for each question and consulted MY list. No overthinking allowed. Just: Card = ? (Yes/No/Maybe).
What Actually Happened?
It wasn’t magic bullet perfect, but it was WAY clearer! Here’s the real talk:
- Blunt Cards Were Blunt: A “No” card like The Devil or Five of Pentacles? Yeah, the answer was usually a hard pass, and reality backed it up. Rain prediction worked scary well too – cards like The Star or Ace of Cups often meant clear skies!
- “Maybe” Cards Were Still Annoying (But Honest): Getting cards I listed as “Maybe” – like The Hanged Man or Two of Swords? Frustrating when you want a clear yes/no! But actually, it forced me to pause. Often, the situation WAS murky, or I needed to look deeper before deciding.
- “Yes” Cards Sometimes Lied… Or Did They? Pulled a big “YES” like The Sun for “Should I buy those expensive shoes?” Felt great! Bought them. Reality? Felt buyer’s remorse the next day. BUT… digging deeper: Did I feel happy when I saw them? YES. Did I have the money? Technically YES. Was it a smart financial decision? Probably not! The card might have answered the immediate desire (“Do I want this?”) with a YES, not the long-term wisdom question. Learned to ask SUPER precise questions.
Where I’m At Now
So, do I have a magic Yes/No list? Yeah, I built one that works for me and my deck. It lives scribbled in my notebook. Do I use it for everything? Hell no.
This list is ONLY for:
- Super simple decisions where I need a gut-check.
- Times when I’m overwhelmed and need to see a pattern quickly across multiple questions.
- Calming myself down when my brain is looping!
For big life stuff? I still do my proper spreads. But for the “Should I have coffee at 9 PM?” type questions? My hacked-together list? It’s saved my sanity more than once. The main thing? Building it myself made all the difference. Trust your feeling with your cards. Don’t just grab someone else’s list and expect miracles.
