Beyond Yes or No: How Tarot Actually Works

Can Tarot Really Say Yes or No? Busting the Binary Myth

There’s no doubt that we all want specificity from the cards. We hit them with our burning specific questions and expect to get the same quality answers – yes or no. We ask, “Will the X college accept me?” “Will John marry me in two months?” “Will I go to Paris this year?” or “Will I get this job?” and hope for a huge neon straightforward answer to pulsate in a second. Well, on the one hand, it’s human nature that usually wants everything at once. But…can tarot actually give binary answers? Or is it more nuanced and should be used for deeper practices?  

Let’s go in order.

A lot of users are tempted to demand clarity from the spirits. Whether they do in-person or online yes or no tarot reading with professional practitioners, they expect decisive answers. But the reality is that in an unpredictable world that we all live in, the very idea of the spirits providing a clear yes or no answer seems to be too good to be true. What is more, tarot cards aren’t even designed to provide you with that kind of message. Instead, they are used as an intuitive and reflective tool that has nothing to do with ‘black and white’ but rather all shades of gray. And you just have to deal with that.

What's the Problem with Yes/No Spreads?

While some practitioners may be OK to do that kind of spread for you, their more experienced colleagues raise an eyebrow at such practices. Why? Because tarot cards are not a source of guarantees, but a guidance. If you demand the answer here and now, you actually deprive yourself of the whole scope of energy that tarot can provide you with. Here’s why:

• ‍You try to oversimplify. But life’s not simple (no matter how hard you try to change it), and no decisions that you make are binary. With the help of tarot, it is better to explore things like challenges, contexts, motivations, etc.

• You try to make cards responsible for your life. But the reality is that spirits are more effective when you ask them to empower your decision-making, not dictate what you actually should do.
• Some insights may be missed. If the clear final answer is the only thing you expect, chances are you might ignore important nuances that tarots offer.

So, the question is – is there a yes or no vibe in tarot readings?

Well, some readers tend to interpret the messages from certain cards as yes or no, especially when it’s cards like The World, The Sun, or The Ace of Pentacles that readers usually consider as a positive message. As for The Ten of Swords, The Tower, or Five of Cups, each might be read as a negative answer. But the trick is that even these interpretations aren’t precise but rather subjective. In other words, you have to look at the cards next to them and take into account what your intuition says. For instance, a “bad” card might actually serve as encouragement, while the “good” one might come with some conditions in a pack.  

So, What Are Better Ways to Approach Cards?

It’s really simple. Do not be in a hurry to ask cards, “Will I be enrolled in this college?” but approach the deck with the following requests:

• What can I do to improve my chances of studying at this college?
• What energy surrounds this college?
• What are the benefits and negative consequences of attending this college?

As you can see, the questions above are open-ended, inviting the spirits to provide you with clear guidance, depth, and clarity that no yes or no question can guarantee. However, if you are still looking for a direct answer, you can use some tried and tested techniques, such as:

• Using upright and reversed cards to get the desired answer.
• Pulling an odd number of tarots to interpret the majority as a negative or positive answer.
• Add oracle cards to the tarot pack to get results that are more precise for you.  

But keep in mind that even if you go this way, you still have to remember that tarot cards are not a magic wand. It’s a tool to use as part of the psychological or spiritual journey. 

The rest depends on you.

Considering everything above, you may ask yourself – what is the real power of cards? Is there any? Well, the answer is yes. However, you shouldn’t expect that cards will tell you what to do. Instead, they will help you see clearly all of your options, challenges, blind spots, and all the energies that are at your service. Tarot will never judge you, but simply reflect what is hidden inside. In other words, when you ask, “Will I be accepted to this college?” cards won’t give you the immediate positive or negative answer, but rather show you what stands in your way and why you want to study at this particular educational institution. This kind of awareness will help you get a better idea of how to move forward.

Yes, No…or?

The bad news is that tarot is not meant to change your life in a flash. Of course, a quick yes and no answer may bring you some kind of relief and help you avoid decision making and, as a result, responsibility. But let’s face it - everyday decisions and responsibilities are the core elements that life is made of. Instead of using cards for immediate clarification, it is much more interesting to listen to the stories that cards have to tell. They help you uncover the truths and serve as support along the way. That is why, the next time you are about to demand a quick and simple answer from your deck, take a moment to rephrase your question to make sure the spirits will provide you with the wisdom you really need that goes far beyond the primitive yes or no.

Stay tuned for more mystical deep dives and modern spirituality guides with Woke Waves—where intuition meets insight for Gen Z soul-seekers. #TarotTruths #SpiritualGenZ #MysticMindset #CardTalks #WokeWaves