(updated post with new video)
This could have been the first post on this blog. Answering yes/no to a simple (or not that simple…) question is a classic of Tarot Reading.
Given the complexity of Tarot cards, answering with simple words like yes or no can actually be very challenging. And can the answer always be so simple anyway?
Let’s look into the ways of giving the most simple answers with one of the most complex tools ever invented.
My favorite way of dealing with a yes/no question is to ask the questioner to take 3 cards from the deck with their left hand.
The 3 cards will give me an immediate negative or positive feeling i.e a no or a yes. It’s that simple: if you have 2 or 3 positive/neutral cards, the answer is yes. If you have 2 or 3 neutral and negative cards, the answer is no. You can then see what other information this simple 3 cards spread reveals.
Here’s an example:
Will I get married?
Answer: Yes
How: First, the cards are positive. Second, we can read the cards like this: the empress will see a relationship (the Sun) elevate her to the rank of the High Priestess (associated with the Mother, the Official Woman, the Wife).
A negative spread could have been: the Devil, Justice and the Empress, we would have seen issues and a problem needing addressing to achieve this dream.
Another example:
Will I get this job?
Answer: Yes.
How: The news will be brought by a man. This news is directly linked to the financial realm (pentacle/coin). A new beginning awaits (says the Magician) and the law is involved (in this case, contracts and official matters are represented by Justice, which also means that the contract itself will be of significant importance. Maybe pay special attention to it.) The Magician & Justice in a spread are almost always linked to the professional life.
Will I have another child?
Answer: Not for now.
How: The questioner is a mother. In her soul and her body (High Priestess & Temperance). She possibly already has a child and the will to have another one. But patience is required as the man in her life is not yet ready or willing to have another child (this would call for a spread regarding the issue in the couple itself).
This is not a definitive No, because Temperance rules the game. The time is not right but the cards are not negative in essence. The questioner is also represented as a mother, which leaves the door open for a positive answer, but at a later point in her life.
When doing such a reading, simple in appearance, focus on your very first gut feeling when drawing the cards. The first spark is usually the right one. Then the cards might add nuances or information to this, but always trust your intuition in presence of the Tarot. This is a golden rule to read by!
Of course there are other ways to answer yes/no questions or specific questions, but in this particular post I want to keep things as simple as possible 🙂 Here’s one last example for the road to give a very short answer to a very specific yes/no question. Only use the major arcana for this spread, leave the minor suits out.
Question: Will I keep working in this company?
Answer: No.
Card 1: Present/Near Future – this situation is about to end abruptly.
Card 2: Outcome – This abrupt ending will bring a new beginning where the questioner will find a better balance in their life.
I would suggest to do such ‘simple’ or restrictive readings only when you feel that it is reasonable or for questions of “smaller” importance. It can also be great to finish a session and “confirm” information received in larger spreads or clarify hints given during the reading by the cards.
Life, just like Tarot, is often more complicated than yes or no and black or white. Use this for fun, small questions and complement it with deeper spreads to always have a bigger picture.
