On Accuracy, and "Fortune Telling" vs. Tarot

Every now and then, people call or write and ask me the question about my Tarot readings, "How accurate are you?"

It's kind of a hard question to answer, because it depends on what the questioner means. I'll explain.

Have I ever been wrong? Absolutely. That happens. There are some people with whom, for reasons unknown to me and probably varying, I just can't make a connection. I would say, on average, that at every big party or event where I'm reading for a lot of people, churning them through one after another, there is maybe one person who just doesn't "hit." It can be as frustrating to me as to that person. Oftentimes that person might feel left out, especially when friends around him or her are howling with surprise and laughter, or moved to tears from the cards.

There are a couple of ways I explain this. In my own defense, most often, this will be in a noisy place like a conference or a party (although even that is usually not a problem). Sometimes, I feel a bit challenged by the client--they have set out to prove me wrong--and the whole situation can feel combative and uncomfortable from where I sit. Sometimes, the person is so personally guarded and fearful of what I might see that he or she is not "letting me in." I have had some individuals who have done a lot of spiritual/New Age work and may have a belief that they are much further along than I see they are. And I have had more than one occasion when someone told me, "No, that's totally wrong, I'm not like that..." and then friends who had been watching pull me aside later and say, "You were exactly right. She just doesn't see this about herself..."

One needs to know a couple things about the Tarot. First and foremost, it is a tool for opening up the subconscious; it is psychological, and less about hocus-pocus. One needs to approach a Tarot reading understanding that everything in this life has been created by our own power. We've all seen people, or have ourselves been in a downward spiral, right? When you're on the outside of that, watching someone fall into the abyss, it's quite easy to understand how someone attracts bad things. Their minds are programmed for misery and looking to create more of it. They are actively seeking misery and failure, and finding their 'proof' in everything. We've all been there--hopefully not for long. I have not been immune.

I like to tell people that upward spirals are just as possible (and common). Our life results are set by our mindset, which is changeable. What we THINK is what we get. We see what we think and get in the Tarot cards. Likewise, the Tarot can be a powerful tool to offer suggestions to change any negative results coming up that are in our control.

So what about the fortune-telling aspect of Tarot? Will I get the job? Will I marry? Will I be rich? Well, it is my belief that this is all within the control of our attitude, as well. My cards will show you if you are on the right track, and they will offer you advice on how to do things differently, if that's your path. It may be that you think you want something in the moment, a mate or a corporate job, perhaps, but maybe that's not right for who you truly are. Maybe that's something you are not yet ready to face, because you've been trying to live up to other's expectations, and you've been missing that important part about knowing your own needs. These are the kinds of answers the Tarot will reveal.

Like any Tarot reader, I have experimented, misusing the cards and asking inappropriate questions. An example of an inappropriate question would be what horse will win a race, what are the lotto numbers, or who will win an election (the cards once gave me John McCain over Barack Obama, clear as day). I think the cards mess with us a bit in these situations. Tarot is NOT "fortune-telling" in that sense. It is only about what we can control in our lives. The fact is that presidential election or horse race (same difference, right?) is out of my personal power. Had I been reading for John McCain, Barack Obama, or the owner of a race horse, the reading would have been different. Those people are personally invested in a way that I am not.

That said, I did pick up a pack of Madame LeNormand fortune-telling cards (from the French courts of Napoleon and Josephine) which have a very different feeling to them, and yes, they are the ones to warn of losing fortunes and such. If you'd like me to bring them to your next Tarot appointment, just say so. I still need the book to translate these cards, however. I consider these cards "entertainment-only" with no promises. I have much greater trust in the Tarot.

A last word about "wrong" readings: because I believe that we are all in the driver's seat with regard to our lives, and we are creating everything to teach us what we need to know to take us to the next place on the journey, I believe that sometimes that "wrong" reading is exactly what we need to hear. I have had clients tell me that after leaving an appointment with me they were sure it didn't fit, that it felt all wrong, and then three or six months later everything I said came true.

As a never-ending student of mysticism, Tarot and Qabalah, it's my goal to risk it all and put it out there--betting one hundred percent on my intuition. I try to let go of the ego that fears I could be wrong. I know that the words I say will be exactly right for that person in that moment, because that person called me there. I still have my fearful moments. I still have that ego voice spring up now and then, wanting to make the client happy and tell him or her what they want to hear over what I see. I try to let that go. My clients might not always like it.

I hope that you'll come to me if you are open, honest, and brave enough to take control of your own life. It's not all about chance and fortune--it's about taking control of your own direction and owning your own power to create the life you want.





© Julia Gordon-Bramer 2012