Why Tarot Cards and Spiritual Guidance Don’t Always Come True

A few years ago, a friend was reading tarot cards for me. At that point in my life, I was considering buying a house, so I asked her what she could see around the possibility of purchasing a home.

The reading was surprisingly detailed. She told me about things connected to my present situation, my past, and what appeared to be coming into my future. One particular message stood out. She saw a salesperson call me and encouraged me to be careful when it came to the fine print, because the first offer might not be the right match for me.

At the time, I found the reading fascinating. Surely there had to be something to it.

But there was one problem.

I never actually searched for that house.

I never contacted a seller, never received an offer, and never stood in a situation where I had to examine the fine print of a potential purchase. The future that appeared in the tarot reading simply never happened.

And that experience taught me something important about tarot, mediumship, and spiritual guidance that has stayed with me ever since.

A prediction is not necessarily a promise

I have been visiting spiritual mediums since I was a teenager in order to reconnect with my Dad and Grandma, and over the years I have received many different messages. Some turned out to be surprisingly accurate. Others were completely different from what eventually happened. Some things that were predicted never materialized at all.

I have also experienced this as an Evidential Medium through my own clients.

Several people have told me that they have been waiting for the right partner for years. They may have had readings with different mediums who told them that their future partner was just around the corner, only to find themselves still single many years later.

Does that mean the medium was necessarily dishonest?

I don't think it is quite that simple.

I once had a reading myself that was almost entirely focused on a cookbook. At that point in my life, I had been thinking about writing one. In fact, I had even started working on it. The reading contained so much information about this potential project that it seemed almost inevitable.

And yet, I eventually decided not to continue with it.

The cookbook never became a published book because I chose a different direction for my life.

Looking back, I don't see that reading as meaningless. I see it as a glimpse into something that was possible at that particular point in my life.

And that distinction is incredibly important.

We are constantly standing in front of possibilities

I believe that human beings naturally want to know what is going to happen next.

Knowing the future can make us feel safer. If we know what is coming, we imagine that we can prepare ourselves for it. This may be one reason why tarot readings, psychic readings, spiritual guidance, astrology, and other forms of divination have fascinated people for centuries.

But perhaps the future is not something that simply waits for us somewhere ahead.

Perhaps there are many possible versions of it.

Think about your own life for a moment. At some point, you probably wondered what career you might pursue. You may have considered several different subjects to study, different jobs, different places to live, or different paths you could take.

Each of those was a potential.

But only some of them became your actual life.

The possibility became reality because you chose it. You took steps toward it. You learned something, studied something, applied for something, moved somewhere, met someone, or simply continued walking in that direction.

This is why I have become increasingly careful about viewing spiritual guidance as a fixed prediction.

What we see in a tarot spread or receive during a mediumistic or spiritual reading may be a potential. It may be a possibility that exists around us at that moment.

But a possibility is not the same thing as a guarantee.

What if spiritual guidance is showing us an invitation?

I actually find this perspective much more empowering than believing that our future has already been decided.

Imagine that a tarot reading shows you a new home.

Instead of thinking, "This house is definitely going to appear," you could ask yourself:

Is this something I actually want?

If the answer is yes, the reading might become an invitation to explore that possibility.

You might start researching neighborhoods. You might speak with a real estate agent. You might visit properties. You might learn about financing and contracts. You might eventually make an offer.

The reading did not buy the house for you.

It simply gave you something to consider.

The same applies to a creative project.

If a reading suggests that you could write a book, perhaps the most useful response is not to sit back and wait for the book to magically appear in your life. You could begin writing. You could finish the manuscript. You could research publishing options. You could learn about titles, editing, marketing, and distribution.

The potential needs somewhere to land.

And often, that place is our own action.

Manifestation requires more than wishing

This is also where I think manifestation can sometimes be misunderstood.

I believe that our thoughts, beliefs, emotions, intentions, and actions all influence the direction in which we move. But I don't believe manifestation means sitting on the sofa and waiting for everything we desire to knock on the front door.

We can pray.

We can meditate.

We can visualize.

We can ask for guidance.

We can set intentions.

All of these things can help us become clearer about what we want and who we want to become.

But then we have to participate.

If you want a new home, you may need to look for one.

If you want to publish a book, you may need to write it.

If you want to build a business, you may need to offer your work to people.

If you want meaningful friendships, you need to meet people.

And if you want a loving relationship, you probably need to enter the world where relationships can actually happen.

The romantic idea of someone simply appearing at your door is beautiful in a fairy tale. In real life, unless the person happens to be your mail carrier, you are probably going to have to leave the house.

But action is only one part of the equation

There is another piece that I believe is just as important: inner healing.

Sometimes the thing standing between us and the life we desire is not a lack of opportunities. It is what we believe about ourselves.

If deep down we don't believe that we are worthy of love, we may repeatedly choose relationships that confirm that belief.

If we don't believe that we are capable, we may avoid opportunities that could prove otherwise.

If we don't believe that we are beautiful enough, successful enough, talented enough, or deserving enough, we may unconsciously stop ourselves before we ever reach the possibility we were hoping for.

This is one reason the work of people such as Dr. Joe Dispenza resonates with me. His teachings often explore the relationship between our thoughts, emotions, identity, and the reality we create through our repeated patterns.

Whether you approach this from a spiritual perspective, a psychological perspective, or somewhere in between, the principle is worth considering:

If we want a different future, we may also need to become someone who feels capable of living that future.

Discernment may be the missing piece

Recently, I heard a sermon about discernment at a spiritual gathering. What struck me was the idea that discernment can come from a combination of our intuition and the wisdom we have gained through previous experiences.

I think this applies beautifully to spiritual guidance.

Perhaps the purpose of a reading is not to tell us exactly what will happen.

Perhaps it is helping us notice something: A possibility. An opportunity. A pattern. A direction. A feeling. A question we had not considered before.

Then discernment allows us to ask:

Does this feel right for me?

Is this something I truly want?

What have my previous experiences taught me?

What would I need to change or learn to move toward this possibility?

What action can I take now?

That is very different from handing our power over to a prediction.

A few things you can do when you receive a prediction

The next time a tarot reading, spiritual reading, or intuitive message gives you a glimpse of your future, try using it as a starting point rather than a conclusion.

1. Ask whether you actually want it.
Not every potential future is one you need to pursue. You are allowed to say no.

2. Look at what is within your control.
Instead of asking when something will happen, ask what you can do to move toward it.

3. Examine your beliefs.
Notice whether fear, self-doubt, old experiences, or feelings of unworthiness are influencing your choices.

4. Take one concrete step.
Research the house. Write the first chapter. Join the group. Apply for the opportunity. Start the conversation. Make the appointment.

5. Stay open to a different outcome.
Even when something feels spiritually significant, allow life to surprise you. The path may unfold differently from what you imagined and still lead somewhere wonderful.

We have more than one possible future

I don't believe that a tarot card, mediumistic message, psychic prediction, or spiritual reading can take away our free will.

In fact, I think our freedom is what makes these possibilities so beautiful.

There may be countless potentials available to us at any given moment. Some will never become reality because we don't choose them. Others may become reality because we give them our attention, energy, courage, learning, and action.

And sometimes we may begin moving toward one possibility only to discover that we actually want something else.

That is not failure.

That is discernment.

Our loved ones in Spirit, our guides, our helpers, the Universe, Infinite Intelligence, or God, depending on what you believe, may help illuminate the path. They may offer comfort, inspiration, signs, or possibilities.

But I don't believe they are here to live our lives for us.

They can show us the door.

We still have to decide whether we want to walk through it.

And when we do, I believe we can ask for guidance along the way.

Perhaps this is ultimately what spiritual guidance is really about. Not giving us a script that tells us exactly what will happen, but helping us become more aware of the possibilities around us so that we can make conscious choices about where we want to go.

The future may contain many potentials.

Which one will you choose to move toward?

Bringing your vision into reality

If you are ready to explore manifestation, intention, and the inner work behind creating a different future, I offer guided meditations to help you slow down, connect with your intentions, and become more conscious of the possibilities you want to move toward.

Meditation cannot take the place of action, but it can help you create the inner space to recognize what you truly want, release limiting patterns, and approach your next steps with greater clarity.

Your future does not have to be something you simply wait for.

You can participate in creating it.