Using Tarot for Yes/No Questions - Does it Work?

[Nikki-Phoenix]

I also hesitate to add my thoughts, but this thread totally resonated with me. I have used tarot cards to answer yes/no questions, both with the training deck and one without yes/no printed on them - the answers were the same.

I think the issue is that we are humans and have differing opinions, which is why there is no universal list of which cards are yes, no or even maybe. I think perhaps it could be one of those things which is between the deck and the Reader? As has been pointed out, some decks might not ‘do’ yes/no questions so well, whereas others might - not to mention, if the Reader isn’t entirely certain on what is yes or no then the deck probably won’t be either, any result could be questionable, perhaps? I think like with any divination tool, it requires a connection with the deck, trust in one’s intuition and ability, and an understanding between the 2 - agreeing with your deck what you consider to be a yes card and no card might be a good place to start? Also, deciding whether or not you will have a ‘maybe/unknown’ as answers too? I hate math, but if you wanted to get technical about it, there are 78 cards in the deck, so if you wanted to separate them into 3 sections, say yes, no and maybe cards, then you could do that and that would be your understanding between you and your deck.

In addition to using the 1 card method, I’ve also tried the 3 card method - pull 3 cards, if 2 or more cards are higher (or more positive), that could indicate yes, 2 or more low number (or less positive cards) could be no, and an even-looking spread is maybe. In the same way, you could agree with your deck that major arcana cards are yes, court cards are maybe and numbers are no; there are more numbered cards than any other group, so by making numbers no you’re making it (possibly) less likely to get a yes, which will be validating if you do in fact get a court card. Or, separate them (in the agreement) into major arcana, wands, cups, suits and swords to have 5 options; so you could assign a yes, no, maybe, ask later and let it go, for example.

I also prefer to double-check my results, to prove to myself that I’ve got the answer I was supposed to get; if the answers don’t match, I know that I need further insight into the situation.

x Blessed Be x

[BryWisteria]

@tracyS

If the runes deviate from this, then I take it they just ain’t playing ball today and it’s a polite way of Odin saying, make your own decision.

Always a good idea to leave a little room for chaos! If we can have days off and vacation days, it makes sense to me to let the cards/runes have their days off too. Sometimes fate is in our own hands!

Thank you, Tracy!

@Nikki-Phoenix

I think perhaps it could be one of those things which is between the deck and the Reader?

I’m seconding you on this, Nikki! It’s been enlightening hearing from you and everyone else about how you read. I do think this is another area where there is no set “right” or “wrong” answer - the viability of getting a correct yes/no result seems to vary on a lot of factors, and a big one is the particular deck and its personality/bond to the reader.

@Nikki-Phoenix

if the answers don’t match, I know that I need further insight into the situation.

You’ve got some very interesting methods on the table, and I think the practice of backing up the answer with a second result is very clever! Thank you so much for adding these in, I’m grateful you shared them with us

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Thank you again to everyone for all your thoughts, methods, advice, and experiences - they have been very enlightening!

This space will remain open for anyone who’d like to continue to discuss tarot theory and explore the potential pros/cons of using tarot for yes/no readings. I’ve opened up a separate Part II for anyone who wants to do some hands-on experimentation with spreads and methods to get a yes/no result with tarot. It can be found here:

→ Using Tarot for Yes/No Questions PART II - Tarot Spreads for a Yes/No Answer

The methods and spreads kindly shared here have been collected over there for ease of access. Regardless of your stance on tarot, if you’re in an experimenting type of mood, head on over and consider giving a new method a try - perhaps with a different deck from what you usually use! There’s nothing to lose and always experience to gain

Blessed be, tarot readers

[Hopecouture36]

I’m newly out of the "broom closest"…I’ve done tarot for 10+ years( just for myself).. i said yes, but using a pendulum works better for yes or no questions. Tarot can be more of an “opinion” of my deck…

[BryWisteria]

@Hopecouture36

i said yes, but using a pendulum works better for yes or no questions. Tarot can be more of an “opinion” of my deck

I’m not a pendulum user myself, but I know it works wonders for others - and it’s definitely a form of divination with a clear way to ask yes/no questions! Thank you for sharing your thoughts, @Hopecouture36 - may your readings continue to go well

[TommMaxx2]

My teacher told me you cannot ask Yes/No questions of Tarot. PS she is not my teacher any more. It is very difficult for me to ask for guidance from TAROT that does not end up being Yes or No questions when I am looking for clarity from a situation. I am going to explore some of the suggestions here. Thank you fro the discussion.

[dan3]

@TommMaxx2

you cannot ask Yes/No questions of Tarot.

I feel I can ask yes/no of any divination system However, a yes/no question constricts the nuances of what a Tarot card means. So, if I do decide to use the more complex Tarot system, I would modify the question with something similar to what you mentioned. I would ask for clarity about my chances of getting a (appropriate adjective here) response.

[BryWisteria]

@TommMaxx2

It is very difficult for me to ask for guidance from TAROT that does not end up being Yes or No questions

When I sit down and shuffle my deck, I’ve found the same - the way I naturally word a question tends to request a yes/no answer. “Will it rain today?”, “Is there going to be traffic?”, “Am I going to get X or Y?”. It makes me wonder if this is something that reflects on our society/culture, as wording questions that yield yes/no answers can lead to fast and efficient communication. Something for me to ponder on later!

When it comes to tarot, some people might be looking for quick and clear answers. I think, when their deck and their beliefs align with that goal, they have success getting what they seek through yes/no readings. But thanks to these experiments and the insightful discussions with others here, I’ve been realizing that my personal tarot practice doesn’t function as well with yes/no readings as it does with more open ended questions. It’s like what Dan mentioned here:

@dan3

I would modify the question with something similar to what you mentioned. I would ask for clarity about my chances of getting a (appropriate adjective here) response.

Although most of my questions come to me as yes/no questions, I’ve found that with a little mindfulness, one can reword them into something a bit more open ended.

→ “Will it rain?” becomes a three-card “What will the weather be like today?” spread, reflecting the potential changes of the weather and my moving location over the course of the day.

→ “Will there be traffic?” becomes a multi-card spread where each card depicts the state of one possible route during the next hour, allowing me to compare and contrast which route is best.

→ “Am I going to get X or Y” could be split into something like the Weighing the Props and Cons spread, to highlight the consequences or possible futures of each option.

All this is to say that I empathize with the automatic nature to ask yes/no questions, and would encourage rewording or reenvisioning the query into more open ways. Yes/no questions give a fast result and there’s nothing wrong with that, but letting tarot speak through its symbolism, art, and many potential meanings is a longer and thus deeper conversation with the cards. And they sure do have a lot to say!

@TommMaxx2

Thank you fro the discussion.

Thank you very much for joining in and sharing your thoughts!

[MeganB]

@TommMaxx2

My teacher told me you cannot ask Yes/No questions of Tarot.

I think the beautiful thing about most divination systems is that there aren’t any true rules. There might be methods that work better for you than others, and if you can come up with a system that gives you accurate answers to yes or no questions, then that is more power to you!

I have never really thought that answering yes or no questions with tarot would be accurate, at least for me, but in this whole experiment that we’re doing in the other yes or no question post that Bry started, I have answered two out of three questions with tarot correctly. The third one I’m not sure if it was just incorrect or if our situation changed and therefore the answer didn’t matter anymore. For reference, my question was about if something would happen on a trip that we were taking that day, but we didn’t end up going. So, believing in free will and not having a predetermined destiny or fate, I chalked that up to the card I pulled having the understanding that we were going on the trip for sure. Since we didn’t end up going and our plan changed, the answer didn’t matter anymore.

[georgia]

@BryWisteria

the way I naturally word a question tends to request a yes/no answer.

This may sound haughty or odd, but may offer insight on the tendency to ask yes/no questions. No insults are intended: this is just a reflection on society and how we were raised.

1. The Abrahamic tradition is based on humans being the top of the Spiritual food chain. If tools and other spirits are lower in intelligence, it is common to ask simple questions and expect simple answers.

2. I know my bird is intelligent. However I don’t always understand what he is saying. We have an agreement to clarify communication: peep for yes, stay silent for no. In this case, I am acknowledging my own lack of knowledge; yet I desire to understand, and I act on the information.

If we can expand our intelligence to a point of greater understanding, we are able to express ourselves in more detail. Thus, we are able to ask and answer more intricate questions. We still use yes/no questions sprinkled in with more intricate questions, and we hope the responder is accurate, so seeking Truth on occasion to confirm our trust is perfectly natural.

[Nikki-Phoenix]

@MeganB

I think the beautiful thing about most divination systems is that there aren’t any true rules. There might be methods that work better for you than others, and if you can come up with a system that gives you accurate answers to yes or no questions, then that is more power to you!

I feel like this is pretty much my foundation for my Craft!

The beloved queen who taught me tarot believed that yes/no questions are “beneath” divinity; she felt that sacred spiritual things shouldn’t be used for trivial matters or to satisfy our human need for instant answers. Divinity has no time frame because it is eternal, but we don’t work like that - we can drive all the mystery out of life that way.

That said, I also understand that sometimes one just wants to know what’s what and I’ve used divinity for yes/no questions, yet I do so rarely. Mainly cause it’s so damn accurate, sometimes I don’t want to know the answer. She also taught me a similar method to the questions @BryWisteria discussed - she said no matter the spread, I should always ask Spirit ‘what do I need to know about X’, because I can always draw additional for clarification, and it’s not restricted to yes, no or maybe. Tarot tells a story, and it’s hard to make a story out of yes or no.

x Blessed Be x

[BryWisteria]

@georgia

This may sound haughty or odd

Not at all, I think it’s a wonderful perspective and good food for thought - thank you for sharing your reflection on the value of yes/no questions!

@Nikki-Phoenix

Tarot tells a story, and it’s hard to make a story out of yes or no.

The storyteller in me loves this way to describe using tarot - it’s beautiful and resonates!

Thank you for sharing, Nikki

[TommMaxx2]

I have tried to use a pendulum for Yes / No answers but I found the pendulum gave me the answers I wanted or maybe I was influencing the pendulum somehow.

[Nikki-Phoenix]

@BryWisteria you’re most welcome!

@TommMaxx2

maybe I was influencing the pendulum somehow.

That is something that always bugged me, which was why I started double-checking my results. At first I thought maybe I was being overboard, but there’s no harm in making sure I get the answer I’m supposed to get, not the answer I want. When using tarot or oracle cards for yes no answers, I always ask the question more than once, and in at least 2 different ways - then I’ll use a different method to see if I get the same answer.

x Blessed Be x

[Mystique]

To avoid influencing a pendulum you can use your non dominant hand. Your brain will often tell your dominant hand what to do so what you want may often be the answer you get. Your non dominant hand is not controlled as much by your thoughts. This is also true for spirit (ouija) boards. Use only one hand on the planchette, and make sure it’s your non dominant hand.

[TommMaxx2]

Since I saw this topic and with all the new suggestions and insight I have been using Tarot with questions like “… what do I need to know now or for today…”. When I am pretty sure what situation (job, spiritual study, relationship) then I will ask “… what can you tell me about (this) situation…” . At this point my questions are really hard not to be phrase as Yes / No questions. That is when I use the pendulum. I defiantly will try using the non dominate hand with the pendulum. Thank you to all for your help.

[MeganB]

@TommMaxx2

I have been using Tarot with questions like “… what do I need to know now or for today…”

This is how I phrase my questions if I’m pulling one daily Otherwise, I do try to be more specific to a situation. I think this is a great way to do it! You’re doing a wonderful job, too – don’t forget to give yourself credit for your own work!