Framing the Question
Tags questions, techniques, basic concepts
I remember teachers in school insisting that there was no such thing as a bad question. I disagree wholeheartedly with that idea. I can think of many examples of bad questions, starting with those that trap the listener: "When did you stop beating your wife?" When it comes to reading tarot cards, asking the right question is crucial. Let's start with bad examples, and move up to good examples.
Don't:
- Tempt the source No matter who you think you're asking, don't ask, "Does my butt look big in this?" or "Will my spouse find out about that little indiscretion last month?" or you may get slapped in the face with your answer.
- Offend the source Again, even if you're just asking a human reader a question, some questions are too inane to voice. "Will I be the prettiest girl at the party?" is not a question worth bothering about.
- Flumox the source Some questions simply cannot be answered by cards. Avoid asking the unknowable, the unfathomable, and the unanswerable. "Will I go to heaven?" is maybe not a question you want to be asking this way.
- Expect too much Cards cannot provide you with names, dates, or places you do not already have inside you. Don't ask, it's dumb.
- Seek proof Never, never, never seek to use tarot cards to establish the guilt or innocence of another. They cannot, and must not be used in this way.
Do:
- Ask the itchy questions The kind of question that eats at the back of your head, the kind that won't leave you alone. The kind no one can answer, but for which you desperately need an answer.
- Ask about omens If you have been having recurring dreams or nightmares, or signs that keep showing up, this is something to share with your fortune teller; they need to know.
- Be specific If you can formulate your questions for highest interpersonal accuracy, you can avoid many sources of confusion. "What caused my sales to fail this quarter?" is a better question than, "Why am I so dumb?"
- Use self-directed questions It is far easier to provide you with information about you than anything else. Truly, this is what divination does best. So use "I" questions, as if you were seeing a therapist. "Why do I seek out men who aren't available?" rather than, "How do these married men keep finding me?" or "Are there any single men on the planet?"
- Take responsibility Please remember that the cards have no effect on your life, and that you are ultimately responsible for your own destiny. All action is either predetermined by physics or invented via our own creative force. If you wish to navigate the waters of fate, you must be willing to act.