Man, sometimes life just hits you with those questions, right? Like, should I take that gig? Or, is it really time to move? And you’re sitting there, staring at your tarot deck, knowing deep down it’s got answers, but you also know a full-blown Celtic Cross spread is gonna take you an hour to interpret, and you just don’t have that kind of brainpower after a long day. That was me, all the time. Just stuck in this loop of wanting guidance but not wanting the whole song and dance for every little “yes or no” type of thing.
I mean, I love my spreads, don’t get me wrong. There’s beauty in the story a ten-card layout tells. But for those quick, nagging doubts, it felt like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. I’d pull a few cards, try to squint at them, and my mind would just go in circles. “Is the Three of Swords a ‘no’ because it’s heartbreak, or a ‘yes’ because it’s a truth revealed?” See? That kind of nonsense, just overthinking every single flicker of intuition.
So, one evening, I was just about fed up. I had this super simple question buzzing around my head, something about taking on a small freelance project, and I just needed a clear “yay” or “nay.” No fluff, no deep dive into my soul’s journey. Just a damn answer. I looked at my deck, and a thought just popped into my head, loud and clear: What if I just made a cheat sheet? Like, literally go through every single card and decide, for myself, if it’s a “yes” or a “no.”
It sounds simple, right? But believe me, it was a journey. I grabbed my deck, a big ol’ notebook, and a pen. I told myself, “No more messing around. You’re going to assign a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to each card, and that’s that.”
Starting the Tally: Major Arcana First
I started with the Major Arcana. The big guns. These ones felt easier in some ways, harder in others. Cards like The Sun, The Chariot, The Star, The World – those were easy ‘yeses’. Full of optimism, movement, success. No brainer. But then you hit The Tower or The Devil. Definitely ‘nos’ for me, representing destruction or being trapped. Empress, Emperor, Hierophant – those leaned ‘yes’ because they’re about stability, leadership, manifestation. Justice, Strength – also ‘yes’ because they’re about courage and fairness prevailing. The tricky ones were cards like The Hanged Man or Death. For a simple ‘yes/no’, I had to dig deep into my gut feeling. The Hanged Man felt like a definite ‘no’ for action, more of a ‘wait’. Death wasn’t a ‘no’ in the bad sense, but a ‘no’ to the old way, a ‘yes’ to change. See? Even with a simple list, it makes you think.
Into the Suits: Swords, Wands, Cups, Pentacles
Then came the Minors. This is where it really got granular. I started with the Suits.
- Swords: Oh boy, Swords. Lots of ‘no’ energy here. Conflict, struggle, sorrow. The Three of Swords, Five of Swords, Ten of Swords – hard ‘nos’. But Aces are always ‘yes’ for beginnings, so Ace of Swords was a ‘yes’ for a clear decision. The Knight of Swords, though quick, often brings conflict, so I leaned ‘no’.
- Wands: Wands, for me, scream ‘yes’! Action, passion, creativity. Most of the Wands were a ‘yes’ unless they were clearly blocked, like the Ten of Wands feeling weighed down. Even then, it felt more like a ‘yes, but it’ll be hard.’ But for the list, I tried to keep it definitive. Ace of Wands, Eight of Wands – big ‘yeses’.
- Cups: Cups are feelings and relationships. A lot of ‘yes’ if it’s about emotional fulfillment or connection. The Two of Cups, Nine of Cups, Ten of Cups – easy ‘yeses’. But then you hit the Five of Cups, the Seven of Cups – those leaned ‘no’ for outcomes, or ‘no’ for clear action.
- Pentacles: Grounded, material, practical. Lots of ‘yes’ for manifestation, security, growth. The Ace of Pentacles, Nine of Pentacles, Ten of Pentacles – definite ‘yeses’. Even the Six of Pentacles for giving/receiving. But the Five of Pentacles, of course, a clear ‘no’ for lack or hardship.
It took me a few days, honestly. Not just jotting them down, but really sitting with each card, shuffling, pulling it, and asking myself, “If I saw this card right now for a simple yes/no question, what’s my first, gut reaction?” I ignored the nuanced readings for this specific project. It was about raw, instant interpretation. I even started testing it. Whenever a minor “should I” or “will it” question popped into my head, I’d pull a single card and then check my freshly minted list. If the card was a “yes,” I’d notice if things leaned that way. If “no,” I’d see if the path closed off.
It wasn’t perfect from day one, obviously. There were a couple of cards I flipped from ‘yes’ to ‘no’ or vice versa after seeing how they played out in real life a few times. Like, I initially had the Seven of Wands as a ‘yes’ because it’s about defending your position, but in practice, it often pointed to resistance or struggle, which for a quick ‘yes/no’ was more of a ‘no’ for easy success. So I adjusted.
The beauty of it? Now, when I have those quick questions, I don’t dread pulling a card. I just pull one, glance at my list, and bam! Instant clarity. It’s not about predicting the future with 100% accuracy, it’s about getting that immediate gut check, that fast push or pause you need. It cleared up so much of my mental clutter around daily decisions. And that, my friends, is pure gold.
