How Do I Know If I've Done Too Many Tarot Readings?

[Echo_of_shadows]

I just got my first tarot deck last month and I've done a few readings. They've all been for myself, except for one I did to try to understand someone else and what seems to be a miscommunication between us. Mostly, I draw a single card for a preview of what the day ahead holds or try to interpret what my dreams might mean.
My question is how do you know if you're doing too many readings, or if such is possible?
I've read that you shouldn't turn to divination for every little question because it might hinder your intuition in some way.
Can anyone give me advice or opinions?

[kay 32]

Hi Hello
Interesting question. I've had my cards since 2004. I usually carry them with me most places that I go. I travel quite a lot so were always together. I'm no huge expert but I never use my cards over much. Like a say I carry them everywhere with me and I often sleep with them under my pillow and keep them close by most of the time. I think that you develop a bond with your cards. I will do the same as you from time to time and just ask one card about the day or the situation, but I don't do that on a daily basis. I also have done many readings for myself which are sometimes spooky accurate. I put that down to the close bond that I have with my cards.

I have also done a few (not many readings for others too) I think as with all things you need to study and interperet the cards for what they are they have a lot of detail in the pictures which can mean quite a lot. They say that sometimes the answers they provide will be clear and easy to understand and other times they may not make any sense at all, perhaps for several weeks or more, so I wouldn't suggest that you do too many quick fire readings one after the other.

Like that you might give time a chance to let things happen. On the other hand I also have a dowsing pendulum that was a gift from my daughter. Like the cards I gave it time and let myself bond with it. For a while it worked great, but lately I'm finding it to be confused and will often use the same direction for yes / no , or give the wrong answer. This I think is through myself . Perhaps I was not in the right frame of mind or not calm within myself. I hope that this might be of some help.
Blessed Be Kay.
PS Do we have a spell checker on here ?

[Xiao Rong]

I don't use Tarot, but I do a fair bit of runic divination, and yes, I think there's definitely such a thing as doing too many readings. A daily reading isn't such a bad idea, and is a great way to get to know your cards better and spot patterns and get personal experience. But I can think of some people who use it as a crutch in their every decision, or take their results way too literally as fortune-telling. Some things are meant to be a mystery, and we need that element of the unknown in our life. And divination isn't meant to be a literal prophecy, but to kind of give us a peek behind the door at what's ahead (or what's behind us!) to nudge us along. I also don't approve of the practice of doing a reading, not liking the result, and then re-doing the reading until you get the answer that you want - I feel like that defeats the purpose (I think this is distinct from doing a reading, having more questions opened up, and doing another reading for new questions).

For a while it worked great, but lately I'm finding it to be confused and will often use the same direction for yes / no , or give the wrong answer. This I think is through myself . Perhaps I was not in the right frame of mind or not calm within myself. I hope that this might be of some help.

I've definitely noticed this in my experience, when I'm freaking out about some personal problem, I have a harder time understanding what my runes are telling me. Sometimes you need someone else to help you see things from a different angle.

[kay 32]

Yes I agree Perhaps I should have added regarding the pendulum. If it doesn't seem to work or is confused. then put it away. Today is not the day. I also agree about doing a reading and then repeating it until you get the answer your seeking is not the way to do things. I hope that I didn't give that impression, I certainly don't do that. If your not in the right frame of mind or not calm and relaxed. It's not really a good time to try. If you do have some one to help that's great.

[Xiao Rong]

I also agree about doing a reading and then repeating it until you get the answer your seeking is not the way to do things. I hope that I didn't give that impression, I certainly don't do that.

Oh, no, not at all, Kay, I was just responding to the original question about if there was such a thing about "too much reading". No aspersions on your practice at all. You brought up a great point about patience - if you don't think you're in the right frame of mind for asking the question, then you should just try again later.

[kay 32]

Nice to meet you. No I didn't think wrong of your answer at all You know I never really aired any of my views about stuff like this on a forum at all. So although I've been practicing these things for quite some time. It's still a bit scary saying things standing on a soap box so to speak (if you get my point) so I was just a little worried that I'd given the wrong impression about what I do. Even with the cards. Sometimes I can interpret (Yeah I spelt it right that time !) them easily and the reading is quite clear and positive and yet other times it's so vague and the answer might not be apparent for some weeks. You know I learn a lot of stuff the same way as most of us do I guess. By reading and yes from internet too.
When I got my pendulum. I just read and watched stuff how to use it and from practice and learning is how I did it. When I watched about using a pendulum they said to ask questions you know. Like is today Friday and so on until your sure your getting it right. Then you can proceed. Sometimes that's where I find that I'm getting wrong answers and like they said. If it's not doing it, then leave it alone for another day. I followed that rule.
Now I would like to ask you a question. I like making my own things and I have been to a place where I have collected some lovely flat white small stones, creamy white in colour and would make a lovely set of runes. I plan to make them some time towards the end of this month or perhaps early next month when I have the time. Would you give me some guidance on how you use yours please. I would be very grateful for a few pointers please
Thanks for your writings
Blessed Be
Kay

[Xiao Rong]

Nice to meet you. No I didn't think wrong of your answer at all You know I never really aired any of my views about stuff like this on a forum at all. So although I've been practicing these things for quite some time. It's still a bit scary saying things standing on a soap box so to speak (if you get my point) so I was just a little worried that I'd given the wrong impression about what I do.

I know the feeling : ) But luckily in this forum, I feel like we are mostly just information-sharing, and everyone's experiences and knowledge are valuable!

When I got my pendulum. I just read and watched stuff how to use it and from practice and learning is how I did it. When I watched about using a pendulum they said to ask questions you know. Like is today Friday and so on until your sure your getting it right. Then you can proceed. Sometimes that's where I find that I'm getting wrong answers and like they said. If it's not doing it, then leave it alone for another day. I followed that rule.

That's really interesting - I think pendulum and runes are just really different methods of divination, and whereas it's useful to "calibrate" (so to speak) your pendulum for yes/no questions, I don't think it's useful for runic divination. I'm of the general opinion that it's less useful to ask questions in runic divination like, "Will my boyfriend and I get married?" (for example) and more useful to ask things like, "What should I know about my relationship with my boyfriend?" because the runes (and Tarot I imagine to be similar) are complex symbols that don't lend themselves easily to yes/no answers.

As for the question about runes ... I will get back to you on another thread! (because this one is about Tarot)

[kay 32]

Yes OK I understand
Thanks K

[Echo_of_shadows]

Thank you, Kay and Xiao, for your answers.
I've experienced precognitive abilities since my teens. I'm going to say at least 12 years, since I don't remember when it started exactly. It's nothing big or anything that I can control, but I'm used to it and I'm a little worried that by using divination too often will have an negative effect on my natural intuition.

PS Do we have a spell checker on here ?

Whenever you misspell a word in the response field, a little red squiggly line appears beneath it to let you know that it's an error. On my computer, I can right click on the misspelled word and bring up a menu that includes asking Google for suggestions as to what the correct spelling might be. I believe that grammatical errors are unlined by a squiggly grey line.
I don't know what sort of spell check options are available for cell phones users.

[kay 32]

Hi Thanks for the spelling tip. I'll try that. Well I hope that the answers you got were of some use.
Yes I know what you mean about gut intuition and getting that feeling. Trust that if it works
Good luck and drop a line any time
K

[kay 32]

Hi Thanks for the spelling tip. I'll try that. Well I hope that the answers you got were of some use.
Yes I know what you mean about gut intuition and getting that feeling. Trust that if it works
Good luck and drop a line any time
K

[Vervain]

Personally, this is what I would say:

I try to always keep a deck on me because I often run into people who want Tarot readings, and sometimes I need one myself, so it's always good to have one in case.

That said, if you can answer your question with common sense or mundane research, do so. The Tarot is not made for answering that kind of question. If it's a particularly difficult answer that common sense gives you, feel free to go to the Tarot, but don't expect a different answer.

I would NOT advise going to the Tarot more than once for the same issue/situation/question before giving it time to pan out, before giving yourself time to understand what the cards were actually trying to say. Often the interpretation you come up with right away is not quite as right as what you come up with after a few hours/days of stewing. I always write down my readings for this reason.

If the situation changes soon enough, this could be hours. It's usually a few days or weeks, or sometimes even longer. Don't tell yourself it's time for another reading just because you're impatient. I have done this, and the cards turned away from me. That was years ago and I've learned my lesson, but am still sometimes tempted.

This is all my personal point of view. Please don't take offense if anything sounded too "one true way," if it came out that way it wasn't meant to.

[Echo_of_shadows]

Thanks for taking the time to respond to my question, Vervain. I'm very glad to get another bit of insight on it.

Now that I'm thinking of it, I'm going to change this a little: I'm wondering if there's a point between doing a lot of readings for the sake of practice (I've only started using the tarot in August), and using the tarot so much to the point that it limits natural intuition. I hope that makes sense.

[Vervain]

It does make sense. I would try to use your natural intuition first, and then, for practice, see how the Tarot lines up with it. Also, find friends who will let you read for them (or do readings in the free readings section here) for practice. You're less likely (I think) to mess with your intuition if it's for people you've never actually met.

[Holdasown]

If you feel you reading too much you probably are. I don't carry my cards but I get the feeling I should pick them up and do readings or at least offer them online.