Fortune Telling tarot- how I learnt to love telling the future.
Does Tarot foretell the future?
Can the future be predicted?
Is it ethical to foretell the future?
For anyone involved in tarot, the complexities of "fortune telling" has to be considered at sometime.
My opinions have changed over time. When I first started professionally I was quite worried about the responsibility of the sowing the seeds of future possibilities in a clients mind. And yet even when I did readings clearly grounded in guidance & counselling- some cards hinted at future possibilities and to ignore them seemed strange.
I was particularity challenged when a client came to me very upset about a prediction another Tarot reader had offered concerning her health, and the future happiness of a pregnancy. She came to me to re-read the future and confirm the other readers prediction.
This was a nightmare situation;
Health, and pregnancy.
Third party reading (involving two children & the husband)
Re-looking at another readers prediction
And yet here was a client in genuine distress seeking guidance. I felt compelled to try and help. I did a general prediction spread and saw the same dark future as the other reader. He anxiety would split the family apart- and indeed potentially harm her pregnancy. Having seen this in the cards (and assured of my competence) it was surely my duty to be honest. But what point of telling her difficult times ahead- if I had no clear advice.
This reading, and several similar really clarified how I wanted to use Tarot. I was gently honest about the future contained in this reading.
And yet, I firmly believe the future is not fixed. That with each breath, each thought, each action, we are changing our future.
So I left the spread out, and pulled some clarity cards for advice. How could my client create a happier future? I can not remember all of the cards, but I do know they were all swords (strange how often these cards are swords cards) For me swords cards are mind. And mind is good- often it is the only thing in life we can really change. We talked about ways she could calm her anxiety, meditation, hypnotherapy, counselling. She agreed she felt these techniques would help- and committed to finding professional help with her anxiety.
And so I picked up all the cards, shuffled whilst connecting to this new energy, new hope, new direction. Then I laid out the same spread- and the cards told a very different story. The cards told of a healthy pregnancy, happy family, and much joy. I have kept in touch with her over the years and her family is healthy, happy & together.
The experience of Tarot changing the future started with a reading I did for myself. A reading which predicted the clear and complete end of my marriage- about eight years ago now. Instead of accepting this I used the Tarot to find clear advice, which I followed. We are still together, still working on our marriage, but we are happy, supportive, and like many things in life it may not be perfect but it is plenty “good enough”.
Often for clients it is the shock of seeing where their current life, thoughts & habits will lead them that persuades them to make changes. I see life stress & unhappiness as like the “boiling a frog alive” analogy. Al those pressures build up so slowly clients don't realise how depressed and apathetic they are becoming.
I understand just how this works myself.
I went to university...because I got good grades.
I married my boyfriend...because we'd been together for a long time.
It wasn't until some one pointed out how dead my eyes looked, that I understood how closed off I had become to life. I often see this in clients when the three of swords dominates a reading, in a blocked position. The world is grey and they can no longer “feel” anything- you can read my 3 of swords blog here.
So yes I do predict the future with Tarot.
And yes, I may be quite blunt about the life you are creating though I have found ways to be subtle, gentle, encouraging.
But, I always find ways to support a better future. It is not my job to predict doom, gloom & sadness. It is my job to inspire you to find a better way forward.
That's is what I have come to love best about being a tarot reader. I don't only predict a clients current future, I help them find their best future.
