My Morning Tarot Head-Scratcher

So today I pull cards for a friend who was feeling really torn about a job offer. We were using my trusty Rider-Waite deck. I laid out a simple three-card spread: past, present, future. The past card was the Wheel of Fortune – made sense, lots of changes recently. Present was the Two of Wands crossed by the Seven of Swords? Huh. That combo felt… muddy. Like, ambition meets secrecy? But why? It just didn’t click for either of us. My friend looked confused, and honestly, I kinda was too. Felt like the story wasn’t quite coming through.

Remembering the ‘Helper Card’ Trick

I totally stalled out. My brain went blank for a sec. Then I remembered something I heard ages ago but never really used much – pulling an extra card just to shed light on a confusing one. I think people call it a ‘clarifying card’? Honestly, I wasn’t sure how it worked exactly. But hey, couldn’t hurt, right? That muddy Seven of Swords was the main offender.

I took a deep breath, focused on the Seven of Swords, and asked silently: “Okay, what’s really going on here? What am I missing?” I shuffled just those few remaining cards left in my hand (felt right to keep it small) and pulled one single card to sit right beside the troublesome Seven.

Bam! The Page of Cups landed next to it.

Suddenly, The Picture Got Clear

Seeing that Page of Cups next to the Seven of Swords? It was like someone turned on a light. The Seven of Swords often screams “deception” or “getting away with something,” right? But paired with the Page? The Page is all about gentle messages, creative feelings, maybe youthful inexperience or even innocent gossip. Suddenly, it clicked for both of us.

• The Seven of Swords wasn’t about a big nasty secret at work.
• That Page of Cups pointed way more to naive idealism or not sharing full feelings.

My friend immediately lit up: “Oh! That makes sense! I’ve been kinda daydreaming about this role, not really being honest with myself about how much responsibility it actually is! And I haven’t told the hiring manager all my concerns either…” Bingo! The extra card totally untangled the knot.

When It’s Not Always Sunny

But look, it’s not magic. Sometimes you pull that extra card and… it just makes things messier! Yeah, that’s happened. You get something like The Tower or the Nine of Swords, and you’re like, “Great, more doom and gloom? Helpful.” So here’s what I try now:

• Only pull one for a card that genuinely makes ZERO sense. Not just “oh this is tricky,” but “I have NO clue what this is saying here.”
• Keep it simple. Don’t pull clarifiers for every single card. It drowns the message.
• Ask a specific question. Like “What aspect of this card is key?” or “What’s the feeling behind this?” Silent is fine, but focus matters.

And if the extra card confuses you MORE? Yeah, it’s okay to put it aside. Maybe the original muddle is the message itself: “This is confusing right now, period.” Or try a different question later.

So, How I Roll With It Now

Since that lightbulb moment this morning, I see clarifying cards totally different. They’re not cheat codes. They’re more like saying, “Hey, could you explain that bit again? I missed it.” It’s a practical little helper when the reading hits a real speed bump. Used when you’re genuinely stuck on one card (or one super awkward combo), and focused well, it can seriously save the day. Changed how I deal with confusion at the table. Just remember – it’s a tool, not the whole toolbox!