9 Reasons Why Tarot Cards Can Be Wrong (Explained)

When people have many questions about any aspect of their life, they can ask for a tarot reading to gain insight. Tarot is a divination tool that helps people find the answers they seek, but the question of whether the tarot cards could be wrong still stands.

The cards themselves may be telling the truth, but the tarot card reading can be wrong either because the reader misread or misinterpreted the cards, or the seeker changed their course of action.

Tarot reading involves the seeker and the reader. The reader is responsible for weaving all the meanings acquired in the process into a concise message that will shed light on the seeker’s question. However, they both have the responsibility to reduce the risk of the cards being wrong.

How Can Tarot Cards Be Wrong?

Tarot is an ancient form of divination, and it’s believed to be the mirror of a person’s soul. A tarot reading can be done by a psychic or anyone who learned to interpret the tarot cards.

Every tarot reader has their way of reading the cards. Moreover, they have different preparations before doing a reading, use different tarot systems, and use different decks. All of these affect how the card is interpreted in a reading.

To a degree, the cards never lie. However, when readers or seekers feel like the cards are wrong, it might be because of any of the reasons mentioned below:

1. The Personal Bias of the Tarot Reader

At the end of the day, tarot readers are humans. It’s inevitable to sometimes let personal bias get in the way of a tarot reading. The reader might be heavily invested in the subject matter and mistake prejudice for intuition.

One of the disadvantages of doing a reading yourself is the possibility of letting your emotions reflect on your reading. If one lets their intense emotional energy manipulate readings, then the cards will end up being misinterpreted.

2. Drained Energy Sources

It’s easy to misread and misinterpret the cards when the reader is not in their right physical, emotional, and mental state. Energy plays a vital role in tarot readings. When the reader feels tired or is drained of energy, then the cards will reflect those same vibrations.

3. Choosing the Wrong Tarot Spread

There are different types of spreads for various intentions, and each position in the spread has a meaning. Some questions need straightforward, concise answers, while others require in-depth ones.

The spread plays a significant role in interpreting the meaning of the cards. Therefore, choosing the right spread is crucial.

For example, a one-card tarot reading is perfect for those who want concise but compelling insights. Ten-card tarot reading spreads, on the other hand, have layers upon layers of meaning, which provide the seeker more complex and deeper insights.

4. Reading Tarot Reversals the Wrong Way

Reversed tarot cards mean the opposite of their traditional meaning only in yes or no questions. In general, reversals don’t mean the opposite of their traditional meaning.

The Ace of Swords upright means breakthroughs, new ideas, mental clarity, and success. A reversed Ace of Swords, however, doesn’t mean decline, old ideas, and failure, but inner clarity and rethinking an idea.

5. The Reader Not Being Consistent

It takes years of experience before one can get very accurate answers. Tarot reading is a form of divination that requires consistency.

Tarot readers have rituals that are unique to them. These rituals involve repeating the same steps when doing readings (like talking to their cards before the reading or shuffling the deck strictly three times). Being consistent will give you more access to your Higher or Inner Self.

6. The Reader Not Knowing the Tarot System They’re Using

There are three main tarot systems. These are the Rider Waite Smith (RWS) tarot, the Thoth tarot, and the modern tarot decks that are crossovers or mixtures of different systems. Each of these systems has unique card imagery. One can’t use a Thoth tarot deck and interpret it in RWS style.

7. Not All Tarot Readers Are Psychic

Anyone can learn to read tarot. However, the advantage of getting a reading from an actual psychic is that the psychic can read the energies of the cards better. Psychics have abilities such as clairsentience, clairvoyance, and clairaudience that allow them to provide more insightful readings.

8. The Tarot Cards Are Not Cleansed

Tarot cards, like anything in this world, absorb energy regardless of whether they’re good or bad. Sometimes, the readings seem off because some negative energy is attached to the cards. Deck cleansing is needed when:

• Other people have touched the cards
• It’s a newly acquired deck
• You’ve done a draining tarot reading for yourself or a client
• The cards were unused for a while
• The cards were exposed to negative energy
• You’re feeling stuck in your readings
• You feel like reconnecting with the cards

Below are some ways to clear and cleanse tarot cards.

• Sort and shuffle the cards several times.
• Meditate and let the positive energy of the Universe flow into you and the cards.
• Let the cards bathe under the full moon.
• Bury your cards in salt. Make sure to tightly wrap the cards in a plastic bag before doing so to prevent damaging the card stock.
• Burn a smudge stick and allow the smoke to cleanse the cards.
• To keep the cards clean, keep them in a cloth or a box. Create a specially made altar and place the cards there. Placing a quartz crystal near or on the cards is also a good cleansing technique (but make sure to cleanse the crystals too).

9. Seeker’s Error

In a tarot reading, both past and present energies are picked up. If the seeker tells the reader that the reader is inaccurate, it might be because of an altered trajectory.

Tarot readings aren’t absolute. The reader might receive information from the cards and predict that something will happen in the future. It’s crucial to take note that future events aren’t set in stone because free will exists.

There’s also the case when the seeker doesn’t see the possibilities presented by the reader now, but the reading might make sense in the future. The cards are only showing current energy and potential possibilities.

Sometimes, more time is needed before the seeker feels resonance with the information acquired from the reading. You might find yourself looking back and realizing that there’s a reason why nothing made sense in the initial reading.

Another mistake a seeker might make is not clearly wording their questions. Asking the right questions in a tarot reading is very important. Some questions need to be more specific if you want a clearer answer.

The cards can tell if the seeker isn’t ready for the answer. If you’re not ready for the truth, you might deny what the cards are telling you. Other times, the seeker isn’t supposed to know the answer; therefore, the cards won’t give clear answers.

How to Reduce the Risk of the Cards Being Wrong

• Don’t read when you’re emotionally invested in the subject matter.

Objectivity is extremely important in interpreting the meanings of the cards. If you know that your personal bias and emotional attachments might affect your reading, then it’s best to ask another reader to do it for you.

• Ground yourself.

One of the most important preparations before doing a reading is grounding. Tarot readers do different preparations or rituals to ensure a more accurate reading. Meditating, working with crystals, and clearing energies by burning incense are some effective ways to ground yourself.

• Don’t read when you’re not in a balanced mental state.

As previously mentioned, energy plays a vital role in readings. Don’t read if you’re too tired or drained of energy because it will only lead to inaccurate readings.

Tarot readings use a lot of the reader’s energy. You must always take care of both your soul and your physical body.

If doing a reading for several people in a day, make sure to take breaks in between. Rest, hydrate, and eat well.

• Listen to your intuition.

Your intuition will tell you if you should or shouldn’t do a reading. It’s better to wait once you’re ready than proceed and get inaccurate readings.

Final Thoughts

As previously mentioned, the tarot cards always tell the truth (to a certain degree). However, the possibility of the reader (or even the seeker) making an error remains. Aside from following the simple ways to reduce the risk of the cards being wrong, you might want to consider going to an experienced reader.

Professional psychics on this website who specialize in tarot readings are known for their accurate and insightful readings. Asking a psychic for a tarot reading has its advantages. They can read the cards’ energies better, and their insights tend to be more intuitive and holistic.