I do believe that tarot cards can predict the future. Tarot is a powerful tool, so care must be taken with predictions. Predictions can cause more harm than good in some cases. In other cases, predictions are a lifesaver.

I avoid predictions that I feel would harm the Seeker to know. When you tell someone what will happen, they expect that outcome without their intervention. That job you want? It’s coming, don’t worry! That special someone? Hold on; they’re heading your way next month!

When you predict that, the Seeker might approach things in a way that hurts the outcome you just shared. For the job hunter, you assured them “they’ve got it” after a recent interview. But the assurance you gave can cause an oversight. Because the Seeker thought the job was in the bag, they neglected to send a follow-up email after their interview. Another candidate did not; it turns out the other person got the job because of this small detail.

Assuring people something will happen can reverse the outcome, which is not a good thing.

So, I like to tell folks when something is favorable and what the cards suggest they do to get what they want. This type of information empowers the Seeker to create the reality they want and doesn’t trip them up on what already appears to be a win.

In some cases, I’m happy to predict something and share it fully. For example, I often get asked, “Is this person coming back to me?”

The cards below tell me that the person the Seeker is dating will return to their Ex, but he will return to the Seeker after it falls apart. And that the Seeker would then experience a repeat of bad behavior. He can’t seem to let go of his previous relationship.

Let’s look at cards that would indicate this. The Six of Swords shows a boat, which should have left permanently, but instead, it’s returning to the Queen (his Ex). The Six of Swords reversed has a “going backward” feel, and the Queen of Wands reversed also suggests that this Ex has a powerful hold on the guy. I say that because the Queen of Wands tends to be highly charismatic and beautiful, but reversed, she’s vain and self-centered.

Because she’s reversed, I would also read this as her fickleness. She’s welcoming the guy back but sending him off in his boat again for more heartbreak. And eventually, he returns to his dating pool to heal his heart.

In this case, the future prediction isn’t based on something a Seeker doesn’t have yet; it is based on a current situation and the cards were seeing the energy of what had already been set into motion. What this type of prediction does is help protect the Seeker from hurt. It is these kinds of predictions that I find to be the most helpful for the Seeker.

It is not the tarot’s decision (or mine) about what a Seeker should do. In the case of a broken heart, I try and steer the Seeker away from a negative situation. But in the case of predicting a new lover or job outcome, I steer clear from fortune-telling because I feel it gets in the way of their journey. Instead, we talk about how to approach the interview or what else might be helpful for them to know.

Ultimately, the Seeker must choose the path that feels best, even if the cards suggest there will be challenges with the choice. Why? In a career reading, the tough path might eventually lead them to their destiny. Sometimes winding and difficult roads lead us to the sweet spot.

A tarot reader’s job is to predict what and who takes them far away from their center. They need that center intact to make decisions for their highest good, which is what tarot should help the Seeker do.