When you think about reading tarot cards, you probably imagine visiting a psychic’s cozy shop on some charming little streetcorner. The room is dark and heavily draped in fabric. There may be some incense burning, and plenty of books and start charts and mystical crystals line the shelves. A woman dressed in flowing robes and sparkling jewelry draws the cards and solemnly intones your fate.
That, at any rate, is the image most of us have of a tarot reading, but in today’s fast-paced, online world, you’re more likely to get a tarot reading from an app on your phone than from a practitioner of the occult arts. However, there is another way to read the cards that you may find more engaging: You can read the cards for yourself!
In this article, we’ll take a step-by-step look at how you can read your own tarot cards to get insight into key decisions, important relationships, and the path forward.
Before you read tarot cards for yourself, there is one essential element you’ll need: a pack of tarot cards. There are many different decks to choose from, ranging from a traditional deck such as the widely used Rider-Wait-Smith deck to novelty decks featuring cartoon characters or special themes such as modern witchcraft. It doesn’t matter which deck you choose, as all of them can be used for reading tarot cards. That said, a traditional tarot deck is generally preferred for beginners because the cards will have their usual assigned values and images, which will make it easier to understand and interpret their meaning. Some novelty decks have atypical images or even replace some cards with new designs, which can make interpretation more difficult, especially for a beginner.
Alternatively, there are online tarot card decks that will allow you to draw cards virtually. However, this may lack the tactile feeling of working directly with real cards, and it also leaves your reading up to the whims of an algorithm that selects cards for you.
The other key for a successful self-reading is to find a quiet, sacred space where you can get in tune with the energies of the cards. You will want to relax, take a deep breath, and clear your mind to open yourself to intuition. Try to avoid distractions as much as possible.
Doing a self-reading can be a simple process as long as you are committed to the process and open to experience. For many first-timers or newcomers to tarot, it can be helpful to experience a professional tarot reading first, so you can get a feel for how one works, before you try it yourself. You can see a professional tarot card reader in person, or you can get a discrete, private reading through an online service such as TarotAtlas, which will allow you to receive an accurate custom reading with a full explanation of the cards in your reading and their potential meanings.
When you are ready to begin your reading, you will want to center yourself with some cleansing breaths and focus on the question you want the cards to address. It’s important that this question be at the front of your mind while you draw your cards so you can focus on the question and what the cards indicate about that issue.
A successful question should be specific and focused. A vague question like “Will I succeed?” will produce a vague response, but a question that is specific and open-ended can produce more meaningful results. So, instead of asking, “Will I get a job?”, try asking “What should I focus on to improve my chances of landing a new job?” An open-ended question—one that doesn’t have a strict yes-or-no answer—will yield a more nuanced and useful result.
Once you have your question in mind, it’s time to shuffle the cards. You can shuffle them however you like and for however long you want. There is no right or wrong way to shuffle. Listen to your intuition and shuffle until the resulting mix feels right to you.
To do a reading, you need to draw cards and lay them out. There are many different ways to do this, but for the beginner, it’s recommended to choose one of three common spreads that are simple to lay out and easy to interpret.
Whichever spread you choose, it’s important to let your intuition guide you as you draw and place the cards.
In order to understand the message of the tarot, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the traditional meanings of the cards. The Major Arcana, for example, traditionally deals with major transformations and life events, while the Minor Arcana deals with day-to-day life experiences. The Minor Arcana are subdivided into four suits, each of which is related to a specific theme. Cups connect to emotions, Pentacles to the material world, Swords to challenges and reasoning, and Wands to creativity and action.
Interpreting the cards is highly personal because each interpretation draws not just on the card but on your personal experiences and intuition. Familiarize yourself with the generally accepted meaning of each card, but also consider what message you feel you respond to when you see each card. In other words, the cards can help you to access your deepest feelings and reflect on your experiences, memories, and intuition.
When you have thoughts about the cards and their meaning, it’s important to reflect on the experience, write down your thoughts about the reading and your reaction to it, and close the reading by giving thanks and expressing gratitude.
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