Specific vs. vague readings, and how to tell which one you're getting.
You've probably been there. I know I have.
You're in a psychic or tarot reading and the reader said something. They seem convinced. And they come with so much 'authority'. And so that thing that they're telling you — that lands a little off when you hear it — suddenly finds its way into your reality.
Oh, yeah. That's… kind of true.
You leave, head slightly spinning. And with a strange feeling of having been somehow hijacked lurking underneath. And despite all the words that were just spoken, you'd struggle to actually tell your friend what they said over your next cup of coffee together. It's all just…vague.
The Barnum Effect
What just happened is what's known as the Barnum effect and it's not just you. It's also sometimes called the Forer effect, after the psychologist who demonstrated it in 1948 by giving people a "personality profile" that was identical for everyone. Most of them rated it as strikingly accurate. It's a feature of how the human brain works: we pattern-match to ourselves. If you're told "you have a need for other people to like and approve of you," you'll find the example in your life within about four seconds.
A vague psychic or tarot reading is a Barnum statement with a costume on. And while it's a little limp, it's not entirely without merit. The fact is, we probably do all embody all different traits and characteristics in one way or another at different times, and to a great extent, if what's being brought to your attention through the reader is helpful, who cares? A useful mirror is a useful mirror, regardless of how it comes.
Here’s what vague actually sounds like:
"You've been holding things in for a while and it's starting to catch up with you."
"There's a decision coming that you're not ready for yet."
"Someone in your life is not being honest with you about how they feel."
"You're doing more for other people than you're allowing yourself."
These are true. They're also true for roughly 80% of the people who book a reading. They require no information about you specifically. They're the spiritual equivalent of "you're going to have a good week."
The reason vague readings are more common is that they're easier. They require less from the reader. They can be delivered on autopilot. They're safer, because they can't be wrong. "You've been holding things in" can't be disproven. Specific readings are harder. They require the reader to actually be in the work, to be present, to be willing to say the thing that might be wrong.
I don't judge every reader for saying things like that. I've done it myself, for different reasons — many of them legitimate. Honestly, maybe I'm sensing you're not ready to hear more than that. Maybe your guides don't want you to know what's next as it would ruin your whole next chapter of growth and learning. Maybe it would take away your agency, or influence your decisions in a negative way. And maybe that's my initial impression — the guidance I get often genuinely does begin with a feeling, a general theme, a sensation. That unfolds as the dialogue develops and new information comes in, but a vague entry point is a common 'way in' to a reading. There’s a whole host of reasons for vague statements beyond imcompetence.
Are these considerations going on for every reader who makes a vague comment though? Probably not.
There are probably quite a few chancers out there. I don't know.
Specific readings
A specific reading, on the other hand, is something else, and it will look different for every reader, as every reader's intuition works in a different way. For me, my usual way in to a reading is to hear a line for them from their guides.
"They need more time before they make that decision."
"That person no longer needs to be in their life."
"They've outgrown that work."
It's situationally highly relevant and it's often uncomfortable to deliver. It's the truth that lands with both relief and fear of the consequences.
In a reading this is usually backed up by specific imagery as well as a bunch of physical sensations and emotions of the people involved. I also get a specific steer coming in from your guides — they want you to succeed. Combined, it gives me a clear immersion into the world of what's going on.
"My chest feels tight and my body feels heavy. It's signaling your wife feels trapped and stuck."
"I'm seeing an image of her and that good-looking friend from work together at a restaurant. Lots of wine."
"One of your guides is pulling me to the left, they want you to go in a different direction."
But it's not always a direct translation. I might see a vision of you as a ball of light, with different pathways and connections coming from it, or something very distinct but abstract, and have to explain what that means in human terms. Here I know I'm wading into the danger zone of 'vague'. So often in those cases I offer exactly what I'm seeing, because it might mean more to you than it does to me. Even if it feels totally unrelated. An exotic animal. A colour. A memory. I trust that it's coming through for a reason.
The specific version often comes from what you could consider a "deeper" or more mystical place — from someone's guides, allies or Higher Self — but also can be understood as simply coming from "here". It's there in the question, in the energy of the person asking, in the cards or the moment or whatever the tool is. I'm not guessing. I'm not cold-reading. I'm receiving something that's specific to this person, this situation, this moment.
And it's also the skill of thousands of readings — knowing what to listen for, what to name, and what to leave alone. It's about being sensitive to a particular dynamic, a particular person, a particular timing, a particular mechanism, rather than just jumping in with answers. It's the difference between "you're stuck in a pattern" and "you keep choosing the person who's slightly too busy to be available, and you've done it three times now, and the third time you're telling yourself it's different because they're nicer, but the structure is the same."
Accuracy
It’s worth pointing out that just because a reading is specific, and even it’s genuinely coming from somewhere real, it doesn’t mean it’s necessarily accurate or ‘correct’. This is a common trap and I’ve fallen for it myself loads of times. I know a lot of very psychic people. I’ve had plenty of them come up to me telling me about something that was about to happen, or that I would end up doing one thing or another. Teaching qi gong in China. Meeting a Javanese healer who’d change my life (and later didn’t). All kinds of things. And in the beginning I simply believed them. Now, I’m much more cautious about who I listen to and how I take on the information. It always goes through a filter of “what in this is useful for me right now?”. “What empowers me to make a sovereign, informed decision?” The rest, I just filter out like background noise.
What to do in a reading
The body test
The biggest test for any information you receive in a reading is:
"How does this information feel in my body?"
Regardless of whether or not it could be applied to anyone, when you hear something that may or may not be true, check how it lands. Not whether you 'like' the information — that's a different question entirely. You might want to push it away, you might love it and latch onto it — both are signs the information is doing something in your system. Does it feel 'right' though? In the way opening your exam results feels like just what it is. If that's not clicking, just let it wash over you, no need to get caught up in the spiel.
The swap test
When the reader says something, ask yourself: could I have said this about my friend? About a stranger? If yes, it's a category statement. If no — if it's yours in a way that's slightly uncomfortable to have named out loud — it's specific.
The "how did they know that" test
Not "oh, that's true" (that's Barnum). "How did they know that?" — where "that" is a detail you didn't share, a dynamic you hadn't articulated, a timing you hadn't figured out yet. If you have a genuine "how" question, you're getting something real.
The silence test
A vague reader fills every pause. They keep talking because the content is thin and they know it. A specific reader will be quiet for a while, because they're waiting for something to come through, and the silence has weight in it. If the silence feels like work rather than performance, you're probably in the right room.
And if you're getting 'vague' it’s not a reason to totally write off the reader. But it is a call to dig in deeper. You can ask a follow-up question that forces specificity: "Can you say more about that person? What are they doing that you're picking up?"
When I get those questions it often takes me a moment. I have to tune in again and ask. The guides may tell me it's enough already, in which case I'll say so. Or I'll tell you when I'm not sure or something isn't coming through clearly. I won't fill the silence with a platitude just to make you feel like you got something. If the session is thin, I'd rather you know that than leave feeling like you paid for fog.
And if you’ve tried that and all you’re getting is a load of drivel — you don’t need to take it on. You’re allowed to walk out and forget the whole thing. You know who you are and what you need. A reading should simply be a safe space to remind you of it.
