What's in a question?

The most important aspect of a Tarot reading, to my mind, is the question that is asked of the cards. After all, we’re not doing a simple fortune telling here. If you want someone to predict your future then you may as well go and buy one of those floppy film fish that you get in Christmas crackers and use that. We are usually asking the cards for guidance on a particular matter of our lives, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, so the question that is asked is of vital importance to ensure that the guidance that the cards provide is relevant and of use to the Questioner.

In my experience, it is always found it best to use open questions - who, what, where, when, why, how. Questions that can be answered by a yes or no are really not suitable for a reading. By using open questions you allow the cards and the reader scope to look beyond the matter at hand, and delve into the circumstances surrounding it, and the roles that others play in it. Conversely, too broad a question can make it hard for both cards and reader to provide guidance that is useful and relevant. There is a sweet spot to be found somewhere in the middle.

I’ll give some examples. Asking ‘What does my life have in store for me?’ would produce a reading, but there are so many variables in the path of your life based on any number of decisions and choices you may make. It makes it hard to read with any degree of assured accuracy, but it may identify patterns or cycles that the Questioner would do well to break. Asking ‘What does the year ahead hold for me?” is a more realistic question. It limits the scope to a fixed period, so what the cards show is not spread as thinly, which means that the reading will have more relevance and detail, with less variation available to influence it.

When booking a reading with me, I will always urge my clients to think on the question they want to ask before they arrive. If they have cogitated on it for a while, it shapes their intent, so when they arrive for the reading it is fairly clear in their kind what they want to get from the reading. The reading itself is designed to be a two way process, and engaging with it fully is the best way to get the most out of it. We are looking for guidance, so being honest with and responsive to the reader increases the effectiveness of the reading, enabling the reader to provide more context to what the cards show and a more accurate reading. As with most things in life, you will get out of it what you put in.