I need help with tarot cards!

[xdxb]

I have a few questions

1) Will the tarot cards show you random answers they want to show you? Or rather, will they answer strictly the question one is asking??
2) How to prepare for unfortunate circumstances? Can Tarot cards cause this? Or is it that they're pointing out bad situations beforehand? Opinions?
3) Dumb Question, But what are the forces behind tarot cards? Where do these answers come from?


Please help me interpret this reading if you may..I asked the cards about what the relationship with a guy I like is going to play out in the future..but I don't think the cards are telling me about this relationship, but instead looking at the bigger picture of my life, so I am confused and WORRIED. The 'near future' position says I'm going to experience and unfortunate coincidence, and I can't tell if it's directed at my original question or about another part of my life.

Please look at my previous topics. The one about me getting raped. I was unsure about what to do for a while but now I've decided I want to ask the detective to investigate my case further (instead of letting go and forgetting about it).. but in another tarot reading I've done, I pulled up the "judgement" card.. and in this reading I pulled "4 of pentacles (reversed)"..the description on the website I got it from said: "Perfect Storm. An unfortunate coincidence for which one is not prepared" in the near future position :(

If someone can PLEASE help me sort this out I would very much appreciate it!! Thank you.

My reading in regard to "what my relationship with x person be like in the future"
Card 1: The Devil (inverted)...this position represents the person asking the question
Card 2: 8 of wands (inverted)...this position represents opposing forces the querent faces
Card 3: Page of wands (inverted)...this position represents histories crucial to current situation
Card 4: 4 of pentacles (inverted)...this position represents the near future
Card 5: 8 of pentacles (inverted)..this represents strategies that will assist the querent
Card 6: 5 of swords...the wholeness position represents the final outcome of a situation

[Quintessence]

I'm not in the mood to interpret a reading for you, but I will briefly touch upon the other three questions. The answers to all three vary depending on personal philosophies of divination, so take any responses with a grain of salt.

To the first, when you do divination (doesn't matter what type, really) you, the diviner, interpret the medium with respect to the question you are asking. You're the one who gleans the messages from the medium. Some readers will stick strongly to interpreting only within the confines of the original question. Others will allow the medium to inspire them more spontaneously (what you're calling "random answers"). It's a matter of personal style, I guess. It's as strict as you, the diviner, want your session to be. I don't always ask a specific question when doing divinations, and in those cases, the messages I receive are whatever the gods see fit to show me.

To the second, I assume you mean to ask what do you do when the results of a reading indicate something you find unpleasant. Deal with it like you deal with anything else unpleasant in life; I assume you've developed all sorts of coping strategies by this point in life. As for whether or not divination causes or points out misfortune, there's a sizable number of diviners who don't even believe divination predicts the future in the first place. I myself think that's a terrible use for divination because it is far better to do readings that enable you to be proactive. How to prepare for unfortunate circumstances? Now that's a good question to do a divination on: "what are some ways I can strengthen myself for today's challenges?"

To the third, you're going to get wildly different answers depending on people's religious/philosophical backgrounds. I can't answer that one for you, because I believe that is something you have to decide for yourself.

In closing, though again I'm not going to interpret the reading for you, I would strongly suggest you don't use divination as a fortune telling device. Use it for personal strength and advice. Don't ask "what my relationship with x person be like in the future." Instead ask something like "what are some things I can do to cultivate a healthy, positive relationship with person X?"

[norseman]

xdxb, two points to mull over. Five inverted cards out of six ? Not impossible but unlikely.
To your questions. You already know the answers. Tarot cards provide a trigger for your own subconscious/intuition, no external "powers" involved.
Finally, not a good idea reading for yourself. You will tend to be either over-optimistic or over-pessimistic.
Those are my views for what they are worth.

[Emmalevine]

Listen to your heart, foremost. Easier said than done I know, but it's generally good advice to take.

I use oracle and occasionally tarot but wouldn't rely on them for important life decisions because as Norseman said, your own wishes will most likely cloud your interpretation of the cards.

That said, I pick oracle cards each morning regardless of whether I need to ask anything or not, and I have found that I seem to pick the same ones (say a bunch of 5 or 6) over and over, regardless of my shuffling or choosing from different points in the pack. I have even checked the pack when not using it to ensure there's only one of each card, which there is!

What I have deemed from this is that cards can help guide you, but the answers are already within. Sometimes you just need a little nudge. It is best not to use the cards when you particularly desire an outcome because the tendency is to view the cards in accordance with what you want them to say.

Oh and interestingly, I have found a greater synchronicity with the cards when I'm generally tuned in more to spirit. Maybe try using cards everyday until your subconscious works with your conscious mind on a deeper level. Then you may find the answers you seek.