Alright so here’s the deal. I’ve been pulling Tarot cards for years, right? But every time I asked about someone specific – like that guy I dated or my chaotic coworker – the answers felt murky. Like soup. Couldn’t taste anything solid. So last Tuesday, I said screw it, let’s figure this out once and for all.
The Frustrating Starting Point
Grabbed my well-worn Rider-Waite deck – the one with coffee stains on the Three of Cups – and slapped three cards down about my ex. Boom: Seven of Swords, The Hermit, reversed Ten of Pentacles. My brain froze. “Is he stealing? Hiding? Broke?” Felt like reading alphabet soup.
What Went Wrong First Try:
- Asked too vague: “What’s up with John?”
- Freaked when negative cards popped up
- Kept imagining him dating someone else (projection much?)
The Game-Changing Pivot
Wednesday morning, I chugged cold brew and reshuffled hard. Changed EVERYTHING:
- Specific Question: Asked “How does John genuinely feel about our unresolved argument last month?” instead of “What’s John thinking?”
- Position Matters: Laid out three cards meaning:
- His emotional truth
- What he shows others
- Unspoken factor
Cards flipped: Knight of Cups, reversed Emperor, Four of Wands. Lightbulb moment! The Knight’s his romantic nostalgia, reversed Emperor is him feeling powerless about fixing things, Four of Wands shows he misses our friend group. Not about new lovers at ALL.
Brutal Truths Learned
After testing this on 5 different people (yes including my mom):
- Tarot shows ENERGY not facts. John’s Knight of Cups? That’s wistful energy, not “he’ll text tomorrow”
- Reversed cards aren’t automatically bad. Reversed Emperor just meant John felt he’d lost control
- If your hands shake while shuffling? Stop. You’re too emotionally invested to read fairly
Biggest ah-hah? When asking about others, you’re really holding up a mirror. That “chaotic coworker” spread? Showed MY resentment in the Nine of Wands where I thought it reflected her. Yikes.
So yeah. Still ate pizza while shuffling cards. My cat batted the Lovers card under the couch. But now? When those swords show up, I breathe and ask: “What energy is this REALLY showing?” before spiraling. Still messy but less lost.
