What are court cards? Courts are funny Tarot cards that are in a class of their own. They’re classed as Minors while still being somewhat halfway to Majors. The fact that they don’t fit nicely in a neat little box can make them very confusing.
One thing that makes Tarot Courts special is their ability to be read multiple ways. The possibility that you can interpret each Court differently, in different readings for different reasons, makes Court cards both amazing and terrifying at the same time.
Therefore, you’re probably wondering, “What are Tarot Court cards?” and “How do I read Tarot Court cards?”
What Are Court Cards?
In general, Tarot Courts are the ‘people’ of the Tarot and mostly represent people in your life. However, this isn’t always the case – they can also represent a multitude of other things. Here, I’m going to share with you the top ten ways in which Tarot Courts can be read and the different things they can represent.
The Seeker
One of the most common things for a Court to symbolize is the seeker, i.e. the person who’s getting the reading. If you’re reading for someone else, they are the seeker, but if you’re reading for yourself, you are your own seeker.
The reason why Courts often represent the person getting the reading is because many of the Tarot spreads out there nowadays ask self-development questions. Typically, if you’re performing a spread on a personal development issue, all the Courts will be aspects of your personality.
When you do self-development readings such as “What can I do to improve this situation?” instead of predictive readings such as “What will happen in this situation?”, you’re essentially putting all the action and responsibility in the seeker’s hands; they alone are responsible for the actions they take.
By contrast, in predictive readings, you’re opening your seeker up to outside help and influences. Which brings me to my next point:
Another Person
Another common thing for Tarot readers to read on is their seeker’s relationships with other people. For example, their love lives, friendships, family quarrels, and readings about business associates all fall into this camp.
It’s normal in these situations for Courts to be evenly split in terms of who they symbolize. For example, half the Courts could be the seeker while the other half could be their partner/lover/cat/whoever they’re reading on. Tarot readings such as “Will my lover come back?” or “Will I get that promotion?” fall into this category.
An Outside Person
Sometimes, you’ll be performing a reading on a situation that will have an outside person’s input. For example, you might be doing a Tarot reading on a supposedly monogamous relationship, but infidelity is involved. In these cases, the Court cards can symbolize the seeker, their lover, and an outside person who has some say or involvement in the matter.
A Situation
There will be times when a Tarot Court represents a situation; for example, it’s a frequent occurrence for the Knight of Wands to mark a move of house or the Page of Cups to predict the birth of a child.
I tend to only read Courts as situations if there are other cards to support this. In the Knight of Wands case, I would only read him as a move of home if there were other ‘new home’ cards (such as the Four of Wands) to back up this interpretation.
A Course of Action
Courts can offer advice for a course of action the seeker should take or personality traits they should take on in the situation you’re reading about. The Knight of Swords could mean that the Tarot cards advise they move quickly in a situation before an opportunity evaporates, while the Knight of Pentacles could be advising that they move slowly and take their time.
Court Cards Can Be Positive
Tarot Courts can represent someone’s positive attributes. For example, the Queen of Cups would be the card of an individual who’s super caring and empathetic. Her appearance in a Tarot reading could mean that the seeker is going to meet someone like the Queen of Cups who’s going to help them in some way. Alternatively, the seeker could be the one who puts the needs of others first, and their considerate nature could pay off at a later date.
Court Cards Can Be Negative
Just as a Tarot Court card can symbolize someone’s positive attributes, they can also represent their negative ones. The Queen of Cups is caring but can also have a jealous and possessive side to her. Perhaps when she appears as a negative in a Tarot reading, this warns of someone who is envious of the seeker, or the seeker could be the one who’s the green-eyed monster and needs to tone it down a bit.
Time
While rather uncommon, there are Tarot readers who take Court cards to represent time. In general, they might read the Swords to symbolize winter. If it is the case that Swords are metaphoric for winter, each Court would show a particular time frame. For example, the Page of Swords would be early winter, the Knight of Swords early-mid winter, the Queen of Swords mid-late winter, and the King of Swords would be the card of late winter.
Maturity
I often read Tarot Courts to reflect someone’s level of maturity. Obviously, reading them this way means that I can also read them one of the other ways. For example, I might take a Court to be the seeker’s lover and then read the ‘grade’ (King, Queen, Knight, or Page) to reveal their maturity.
For example, let’s say that we have a seeker, Rhonda. She comes to us for a reading and wants to know about a guy she’s met, Sam. We do a reading and three of the spread positions are:
To have a lover (or anyone) appear as a King in the past or present but then a Page in the future usually means there’s some sort of regression when it comes to that person’s maturity. In Rhonda’s mind, she currently sees Sam as the King of Wands; responsible and mature with his shit together.
However, in the future, she discovers that he’s not really how she imagined; Sam is selfish, does things on the spur of the moment, likes to hang out with his friends most of the time, etc. The Page in the future reflects Rhonda finding out about these personality traits, which she previously overlooked because she was wearing her rose-tinted glasses and because Sam is a charmer.
Of course, just as a regression of Courts can reflect a lack of maturity, the opposite is also true.
Let’s say we have a guy called Jose who comes to us for a reading. Jose is dating a younger woman, Melissa. The age difference didn’t use to bother him, but he’s now noticed one or two things he isn’t so keen on. Melissa requires lots of attention, is needy, and is always on her iPhone.
For the same spread as Sam and Rhonda, Jose and Melissa got:
This spread would tell me that up until fairly recently, Melissa had displayed childish behavior (Page of Cups), but that she’s evolving for the long-term (Seven of Pentacles). In the future, she will be more mature and sensitive to other people’s needs (Queen of Cups). However, I can’t guarantee Jose that she’ll put down the iPhone any time soon!
A Gatekeeper
I’m frequently asked, “What does it mean when a Court card appears in the outcome position of a Tarot reading?” And my answer is usually this: “That person is a gatekeeper.”
As I mentioned above, Courts appear because they represent someone who has some sort of influence on a situation. However, there will be many times when an individual holds the entire outcome of an issue in their hands. They are the gatekeeper who controls whether a relationship, job, or opportunity thrives or dies.
When these Courts pop up in outcome positions, this can serve as either a reminder or a warning that this person holds the key. Your seeker can do what they want and bob along, but ultimately, it’s this gatekeeper who will change the fate of a situation and can turn everything on its head. Therefore, your cards are giving you a gentle nudge to tell your seeker to keep this person happy because their future depends on it!
Closing Thoughts on What Are Court Cards
If you would like to learn how to read Court cards for everyone, including complete strangers, you should check out my Tarot course, The Tarot Course. The Tarot Course opens for enrollment only once per year so be sure to check out out here.
Finally, in the comment section below, I would like for you to share with me your thoughts regarding Court cards. For you, what do they often represent? How do you interpret them? I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
Have you received lots of court cards in a Tarot reading? What does it mean when you get mostly court cards in a Tarot card reading? Don’t worry – I am going to fill you in on how to interpret this!
It’s happened to everyone. You’re sitting quite happily, shuffling your Tarot cards, performing your Tarot reading. You lay them out, flip them over on the table, and suddenly, you’re hit with ten Court cards!
Many readers would welcome ten Major cards, and many wouldn’t bat an eyelid if they got only Minors, but Court cards are different. They’re scary and special. So, what does it mean when you get mostly or only Court Cards in a Tarot reading?
Over my many years of reading Tarot and performing Tarot readings, I’ve come to realize that getting lots of Courts cards in your Tarot reading can mean a couple of things. Whichever of these explanations fits your reading obviously depends on the mood of the reading and which one you feel applies to you most.
You’re Going to Make Tons of New Connections
Sometimes, if you’ve pulled lots of Court cards, it can mean that you’re going to soon be meeting lots of new people and forming connections. How this happens could be dependent on the Court cards you have received.
For example, many Pages can mean you will soon find yourself in further education or taking a course of some type, and that you’ll meet the Pages this way. Many Queens and Kings can predict that you’ll take a step up in your career and make important new contacts. Receiving lots of Knights in a reading can represent anything from joining clubs and organizations to spending time in prison.
However, you will sometimes find that the Court cards are evenly split or contain a mixture of Court grades. If this interpretation applies to you, you will be very busy and all of the above meanings could be relevant.
In June 2014, I did a reading where I pulled all Court cards. I can vividly remember that it was a Celtic Cross – I got four Kings, three Queens, one Knight, and two Pages. Within the next year, I had won my Tarot award (Young Tarosophist of the Year), joined organizations, taken courses to improve my business, etc. And obviously, I met lots of new people along the way.
Other People Will Offer their Assistance
Similar to the above meaning, getting lots of Court cards in a Tarot reading can mean that there will be people coming into your life who will want to help you.
Anyone who has ever achieved anything great knows that the fastest way to the top is to enlist people to help you. If you want to hit goals quickly, you must find a support network.
The many Court cards in your Tarot reading could represent the people who are willing to lend you a hand so that you become successful. The personalities of the Court cards will be the players in your game.
Some Things Can be Controlled, Some Can’t
When I read Tarot, I always look at the proportions of Tarot cards first and interpret them differently. Doing this relies on using a bit of probability, and it’s a technique I use often.
If I see a lot of Majors, I read this as the outcome of a situation being mostly in the universe’s hands. What’s going to happen is meant to be, and the person getting the reading just has to go with it.
If I see mostly Minors in a reading, I take this to symbolize that the outcome of the situation is in the seeker’s hands and can be easily changed. The future is mainly dependent on how the seeker acts.
Court cards are somewhere in between: not quite destiny, not quite free will either. Having a lot of Court cards in your reading can mean that there will be some things you can control but others that will be completely out of your hands. Your cards aren’t quite ready to reveal what you can change and what you cannot, hence the confusing Court cards.
You’re Playing a Role in Someone Else’s Destiny
Similar to the point made above, getting too many Court cards in your reading can mean that you’re about to play a major role in someone else’s destiny. You may be the one who holds the key to helping somebody get the things they want.
You’re Too Easily Influenced by Others
I’ve saved the best for last because I’ve found this to be the most common reason why there are mostly (or all) Court cards in a Tarot reading.
Those who get too many Courts in their Tarot readings are usually too easily influenced by other people. You may allow others to make decisions for you and let them control your life. It’s always about what they want, not what you want.
You allow your happiness to be based on the happiness of others around you. You get too wrapped up in whether or not a guy texts you back, what your boss thinks, or how your parents perceive your actions. Other people’s moods will greatly affect your day.
Because you’re so easily influenced by other people, your reading isn’t really about you. The Court cards appearing in certain positions (or all the positions) are showing you which person will have the greatest influence over that area of your life. For example, a King of Swords in a negative position means the King of Swords character in your life won’t help you. A Page of Pentacles in the outcome position means that person decides the future of a situation, and so on.
Closing Thoughts on Lots of Court Cards in a Tarot Reading
It’s not always easy to tell why it is you’ve received lots of Court cards in your Tarot reading – it may even be a mixture of the reasons above. Whatever the reason, all will be revealed in due time, but regardless, remember to record your reading for future reference.
That’s all for what it means when you receive lots of court cards in your Tarot card readings! Have you recently received lots of court cards? How did you interpret this? What did it mean for you? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below!
Pretty much every day, I wake up at 7am, get my daughter up for school, and go down the stairs. As I make our breakfast, I wonder why I haven’t seen my cat in a couple of days. Mentally, I plan my morning, afternoon, and evening out in my head (which, obviously, never pans out that way). In many ways, I’m like any other person.
However, I have a not-so-secret obsession that’s taken over my life since I was a small child. This addiction is so ingrained in my being that it’s a major part of my identity. I work, socialize and breathe it. My drug of choice happens to be Tarot cards.
Since beginning my Tarot journey, I’ve made a career from reading and teaching divination. I’ve won an award for my work with Tarot, conducted international surveys, been interviewed for the media, and this site is set to receive around 50,000 page views this month. I’m happy to say that I set out to get other people hooked on Tarot.
Over the years, I’ve learned many things from reading Tarot, some of which I’m going to share with you in this post. So, here are 22 things I’ve learned from reading Tarot, all inspired by the Major Arcana.
The Fool: The Tarot Journey Starts with Respect
If you want to learn how to read Tarot, you don’t ‘need’ hundreds of books, fancy oils, reading cloths, £100 special edition cards, or anything remotely similar. You can start reading Tarot from as little as 0.01c if you buy secondhand decks from Amazon and use online Tarot card meanings. However, one thing that’s essential for a beginner is respect for Tarot as a practice.
I hate when people make comments such as, “Tarot cards are only pieces of cardboard.” On the surface, they are indeed cardboard, but underneath, they’re much more than that.
Those pieces of cardboard know all your secrets. Your Tarot cards will be there for you at times when no-one else ever will be. They’ll grow old with you, adapt with you, and form impurities and age marks along with the hands you use to handle them.
There will be times when the Tarot is your only companion. It will advise you on which roads to take during your longest nights and deepest depressions. Your cards will give you hope when there is none and snap you back into reality when you’re chasing impossible dreams.
Your Tarot deck will hold your tears, your nervous sweats, and the energy from every promotion they predicted and failed love affairs you tackled together.
Now, tell me, how are they only pieces of cardboard?
If you want to get off to a good start with your deck, the relationship must be there. They must be ‘special’ to you. Carry them around, shuffle them often, and have a special place for them. Don’t let other people play with them. Keep them wrapped up. Don’t believe in these things? Design your own personal rituals. All that special attention forms a special relationship that pays off.
Can I read with any deck? Damn right I can. But it’s just not the same as reading with my own deck, which is like an old pal. I can blow dust with any old deck, but I can move mountains with my primary one.
The Magician: It Takes Will
Tarot isn’t something you’re born with. Learning Tarot is a commitment that, if you stick to it, will bring you results. It’s a lifelong process of late nights, notes, and practice readings. However, Tarot is also a lifelong process of meeting new people and having a constant companion you can refer to for advice and guidance on demand. If you have the will to learn, you have what it takes to read Tarot.
The High Priestess: There are Things we are not Meant to Know
One thing I learned very quickly is that there are times when my Tarot cards just won’t allow my questions to be answered. This is because there really are things we’re sometimes not meant to know or have to work out for ourselves.
I think some newer readers confuse not being able to get a straight answer with not being able to interpret a card. If a situation is emotionally-charged and you’re not confident in your Tarot skills, pull as few cards as possible to answer your question! If you don’t get a straight answer, it’s okay to do another reading on the subject in six weeks (some say more) or so, or when the situation changes (when more things are revealed).
Similarly, don’t feel under pressure to give a client an answer. It’s sometimes okay to say, “You know what? I don’t know.” It’s far better to admit uncertainty than to make up a lie. This level of confidence is not easy to build, but once you do, you’re unstoppable.
The Empress: There is an Abundance of Tarot-Related Information
The name of the game is abundance, and that game is the maze of Tarot information available. There are some excellent resources for learning out there, so try not to stick to only one or two for your entire journey. There are books, YouTube videos, blogs, social networks, and free downloadable guides to get you started. Alternatively, join newsletters to get info directly in your inbox!
This wealth of information can be daunting at first, but you’ll eventually get to know your preferences.
Do you want an author or blogger who’s very serious, or more laid back and relaxed? Is it experience or a fresh approach you’re looking for? Once you discover what you like, suggestions for things to try will come out of nowhere. Trying out different learning mediums is a great opportunity to meet people and make friends.
The Emperor: It’s Who You Know
In the Tarot world, there are two kinds of people: those in the industry and those not in the industry. Those who aren’t in the industry don’t realize that much of what you see or are exposed to about Tarot is a result of the close-knit Tarot community.
This close-knit Tarot community decides what trends are popular, what books are worth publishing, and whose opinions matter. This industry works in a completely different way from what those outside of it expect to see.
For example, an author writes a book. The authors know that a book will be worth publishing because the community shows its support. Decks used in a book are not chosen by accident, but selected because the author usually knows the creator. Books are promoted by people within the community; in a lot of cases, favors such as cross-promotions are exchanged. A lot of the reviews you see on Amazon are usually not without bias, because many will be written by friends of the author or bloggers who have received a free copy.
Becoming prolific in any industry depends on who you know, and Tarot is no different. However, this may seem unfair to those outside the community, who have no idea that reviews of that Tarot book and the accompanying course have been written by 20 of the author’s friends.
If you want to learn or improve your Tarot reading skills but don’t know if someone is worth the hype, check them out. Download their e-guides, attend their free workshops, follow them on social media. Discover for yourself if they’re good enough for you to make investments in with your time and money.
The Hierophant: Tarot is NOT a Cult
You honestly don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.
I’ve observed that the New Age seems to be a bit of a religion in itself, and that a lot of people who read Tarot are involved with the New Age movement. I had people telling me that if I didn’t “center cleanse” or whatever before a reading, I was damaging myself (this was after I had been a reader for a good 16 years, mind you). In my opinion, it’s not necessary; any ritual you uphold before reading is a personal choice.
I once had another reader tell me that my opinion wasn’t worth his time because I didn’t incorporate the Kabbalah into my readings. Apparently, according to him, I was too stupid.
Tarot is not a cult. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, and you’re not above or below anyone in any way if you choose to do or not do certain things.
The Lovers: Passion Pays
How do you become an award-winning Tarot reader and get noticed in this industry? This would entail a post in itself, but in a nutshell, Tarot must be your passion. You must really have a knack for asking questions, studying, and committing yourself to Tarot. Instead of watching movies, you would rather read Tarot. Tarot should be your ‘go-to’ for everything. You must want to share this passion with the world – or at least whoever you can.
The Chariot: Fame isn’t Everything
Honestly, it’s not. I know some readers who have over 200k followers on Facebook but cannot cope with life.
It’s easy to look at the success of some Tarot readers and start to feel major comparison anxiety. However, there’s a lot of work that goes into maintaining a following, especially if you have that following because of a sensitive or unusual subject matter such as divination.
There was one point in my career when I had a successful fortune-telling blog, and about 15K subscribers and followers. Trust me, back then, that was a lot for a diviner. I thought that was what I wanted, but I was relatively young (24-25) and found my popularity difficult to cope with.
I would go to the bathroom and come back with 90 new notifications. I had other readers rating me one star on my business page and sending me messages and hate mail calling me ‘gypo’ and ‘bitch’. When one of my best friends was low on money, she stole my business ideas and tried to destroy my company. I had crazy clients who became obsessed.
The pressure I was under from my business and personal life caused me to eventually have a bit of a breakdown and delete my website, along with many of my social media accounts. Once I realized what I had done, it was too late, and all the hard work I had put in over the years vanished. I went into a depression for quite some time.
Now that I’m older and more experienced, I know how to handle the reality of having lots of monthly visitors to my site, but I still never expected to get to that point. Learning Tarot has taken my life in a direction I never would have dreamed on my own.
Justice: Problem Cards can be Fixed
A problem card is a card you just can’t ‘get’, and for a long time, Justice was my ‘problem’ card. However, I eventually had a couple of personal experiences that changed the way I went about interpreting this card.
Sometimes, you just have to go with the flow of life. Often, you won’t truly ‘get’ a card, but don’t worry or fret about it. As time goes on and you experience life, you’ll eventually overcome this issue. As for Justice, it took me a good 15 years to properly understand it, but I got there eventually.
The Hermit: Don’t Forget You’re Doing it for You
I have a kind of love-hate relationship with the Tarot community in general. There are those who I love and those who I despise. There are months on end when I’ll happily converse with anyone and everyone, and times when I can’t bear to scroll through my Facebook feed.
From what I’ve observed over many years, I think many folk in the community feel the same way. But you know what? That isn’t Tarot. Tarot isn’t pedantic. Tarot doesn’t steal ideas, have an ego, or be hypocritical. Tarot is what it is, and it’s sad that people allow themselves to be worn down by others. We didn’t get involved in Tarot to have to deal with other people.
Most Tarot readers read in solidarity – they don’t start in order to make friends. You don’t have to make Tarot friends or deal with anyone in the Tarot community if you don’t want to. Something that starts as an enjoyable hobby shouldn’t end because of bigger kids in the playground. The only friend you need when reading Tarot is Tarot.
The Wheel of Fortune: Interest in Tarot Waxes and Wanes
Remember I said that passion pays? Well, breaks are also normal.
There will be times when you feel you’re going around in circles with your Tarot studies. You’ll feel filled with enthusiasm one day, then suddenly not want to look at your deck for months on end. Don’t feel guilty about abandoning your deck for weeks, months, or even years at a time. Life experience is Tarot experience, so soak some of that up on days when you’re less enthusiastic over Tarot. Tarot should be fun, not a chore.
Strength: You Must Grow Confidence
To be a good Tarot reader, you must put yourself out there. If you’re reading a seeker and you get a feeling this card means this or that, go with your gut and say so. If your confidence doesn’t pay off, don’t worry about it.
Confidence and accuracy isn’t something you can force. Even the best readers still crap themselves. In fact, probably only great readers crap themselves or have a little anxiety with new seekers, because they care about Tarot and doing a good job (those who always do a bad job often don’t worry about it so much!).
The Hanged Man: You May Not Like the Answers You Seek
Through a Tarot reading, you may discover that things are completely different from the way you imagine them. Relationships might not be as fulfilling as you envision. That fabulous career opportunity might not be all it’s cracked up to be. Be prepared to be told these things through your Tarot cards.
Also, when asking questions to the wider Tarot community, be prepared not to get the answers you would prefer or the ones you’re looking for. Be open to opinions and the views of others, as this is what community is all about. There wouldn’t be much growth in Tarot if we were all vanilla.
It doesn’t happen often, but every now and then, you really do get a literal reading, which is so much fun and worth adding to your diary or journal (if you have one). Again, this is one of the reasons why you should learn how to form a relationship with your deck; if you have a good connection, you can often tell the difference between whether a reading is literal or figurative.
Be constantly open to new interpretations. Play around, have fun, and see what you can come up with.
Temperance: Give Yourself Credit
A lot of readers think they aren’t so good or don’t give themselves the credit they deserve. However, if you work your ass off for Tarot, there’s nothing wrong with saying, “I’m quite a good reader.”
Moreover, if you’re working on your mediumship skills and consider yourself to be a psychic, there’s nothing wrong with calling yourself a psychic and using these abilities in your readings. Be who you are.
You need to have a realistic balance of confidence and modesty, because this means you can concentrate on your strengths and tackle your weaknesses. Saying you’re good at something you’ve studied hard at isn’t a bad thing. It is healthy.
There is a difference, however, between knowing you’re good at something and thinking you’re the be-all and end-all authority on it.
The theme of Tarot is that there’s always something new to learn, and that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Never forget the fact that, although you’re a good reader, there may always be better out there. I may have once won the Young Tarosophist of the Year Award, but there’s probably some 14-year-old at home in an apartment in the city who can wipe the floor with me. Balance goes a long way.
The Devil: Check Your Motives
It’s pretty obvious who’s in certain businesses for the wrong reasons – the wrong reasons here being money and fame. As I mentioned before, the psychic industry runs on trends, and with this comes the fact that everyone wants to be or discover the next big thing. Everyone crawls onto the bandwagon when they think something’s going to make the big bucks and be the next Angel Therapy or The Secret. It will be very shady and noticeable by others in your industry if you rebrand your whole spirituality to follow trends that are clearly gaining momentum. Stick to what you genuinely believe in.
When I was first online, I noticed how much my style of doing things differed from a lot of other people. I tend to focus on teaching predictive readings that can be applied to real life. I’m not afraid to venture down the ‘will he come back?’ rabbit hole and take my students with me.
When I first got online, it appeared that no-one else openly admitted they gave or taught what I would consider ordinary readings. Often, this is actively discouraged. I faced a lot of criticism and backlash that greatly affected my life and business. There was a time when I was even hounded daily for something I once thought was standard in this industry. It wasn’t until after I made a name for myself through blogging that I stopped getting public abuse on my social networks (nowadays, I just get the anonymous emails from self-help nutters).
Surprisingly, in the last couple of years, the tide has turned and predictive reading has become rather popular. Tarot readers are actively showing an interest in learning how to make predictions on ‘mundane’ matters, and every month, this website welcomes more and more visitors. It’s safe to say that sticking to my style has paid off.
There will be times when you haven’t yet found yourself or your reading style, and that’s okay. This is something you discover in time, and it’s constantly changing as well. As you develop as a person, your identity as a Tarot reader will also.
The Tower: Tarot Doesn’t Have to be a Career Move
You know what? Tarot study can remain a hobby. I’ve noticed a lot of business courses and professional things flying around, but don’t feel pressured to take the leap and change your life. Trust me that when it comes to knowledge, the studier can be as good as the master; it’s not a competition. You can study Tarot and still keep your day job.
The Star: There is Always Hope
Above all else, Tarot is a fabulous opportunity for happiness. Many people are scared to get their cards read in case something bad comes of it. However, if anything, Tarot shows us that there’s always hope, no matter how bad or dire a situation appears.
The Star is one of my favorite cards, not only because I’m an Aquarius but because of its message. The Star shows us that there’s always hope and a chance for happiness. The message of The Star is that you will get what you want, but not always what you ask for or expect, and I think this reflects all Tarot readings in one way or another.
You may not be able to control the exact outcome of a situation, but there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. There will be a moment of happiness and contentment eventually. If life goes down, it must also come up. For every ‘bad’ card we receive, there are better ones waiting for their turn to take center stage.
The Moon: Tarot is a Gateway to the Occult
Often, readers start on one form of divination and are then opened up to others out of curiosity. I learned Tarot first, but then took a heavy interest in Romany Gypsy symbolism and learned how to read dreams, tea leaves, crystal balls, and natural omens. After this, when I became an adult, I learned how to read with Lenormand.
After discovering Tarot, you’ll delve further and further into the occult, and this is very much a positive thing.
Something I loved has very much become a lifestyle and a huge part of myself. Who would have thought a chance encounter with a relative’s cards would have set me up on this great and wonderful journey?
The Sun: Tarot is a Fabulous Opportunity
The many ways in which Tarot is an opportunity aren’t even countable. It’s an opportunity to predict the future or gain advice. It’s an opportunity to grow spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. It’s an opportunity to make lifelong friends and meet people, to laugh, to cry, and to simply enjoy discussing a crappy past, a better present, and a brighter future. It’s an opportunity to leave your day job (if you so desire) and risk everything to give others guidance and help in their time of need. It’s an opportunity to be yourself, share your secrets, and perfect your skills. It’s an opportunity not just to learn, but to experience the wonders of Tarot.
Judgment: This Hobby Could Be Your Destiny
I’m a bit of a romantic. I believe in free will but like to think there are some things in this world that are meant to be. I feel that I was born to be a reader – the signs were always there. Any time I tried to make a career or living out of something else, I was never able to. With Tarot, everything truly fell into place.
Divination pursued me. I once applied for hundreds of jobs and couldn’t get them; I would print off applications and the computer would break, interviews would be disastrous, etc. Oddly, I would always reach for my Tarot cards for answers. The answer was following me around all along. The answer was Tarot. Tarot is my calling. Is the Tarot calling you?
The World: The Journey is Never Ending
The main thing Tarot taught me is that there’s always something new to learn and different ways to learn it. Tarot is read all over the world, and a lot of the juicy stuff hasn’t even hit the English-speaking market yet. You can really take part in lifelong learning with Tarot. You may feel like you’ve learned everything you need to know once you’ve learned the meanings of the 78 cards. But trust me, the journey has only just begun.
Closing Thoughts
What have your learned from reading Tarot? What have been your main Tarot reading lessons? Feel free to share with myself and the Divinerism community in the comments section below (I am dying to hear from you!)
Are Tarot cards dangerous? Is Tarot reading evil? Is it true that Tarot is forbidden in the Bible? And that practicing divination is against God? This is what I am going to cover today.
So, you’d like to learn Tarot but worry that, somehow, it’s dangerous, evil, or forbidden. However, you can’t help yourself. You’ve heard all the bad rumors about Tarot but are beginning to question if they’re really true.
I don’t know exactly why you think they’re bad, but an educated guess would be that you were raised in a religious household or saw something in the media, and this has made you paranoid that Tarot is somehow evil or dangerous. You probably want to experiment with Tarot but worry you’re on the fast-track to possession. If this is something that resonates with you, read on.
First, a bit of background. My name is Lisa Boswell, I’m a Romany Gypsy, and I’ve been reading Tarot since I was 7 years old. I don’t come from a religious background per se, but one that’s very spiritual, superstitious, and yes, even paranoid (more on Gypsy spirituality here). At age 24, I won an award for my work with Tarot (Young Tarosophist of the Year) and have appeared in various media all over the world. If you’re curious what I look like, below is a pic:
I run this site and company Divinerism. Other than my interest in divination, I frequently research religious studies, anthropology, culture, and ancient history; my main focus is on mythology, spirituality, death, burial, and related customs. I study these things because they’re part of my spiritual work, and because they fascinate me personally as well. I also have a college education in psychology and sociology.
I have been practicing divination, especially Tarot, since the age of seven. I also teach divination. I have never been possessed yet!
Therefore, I know a lot about this stuff. Spirituality has literally been part of my life since birth, and Tarot has been a large part of that for over 20 years now.
The purpose of this post is not to sway you in any way toward reading Tarot. Far from it – I believe that spirituality is personal and that if you don’t feel called to reading Tarot, you don’t have to. However, you shouldn’t be avoiding something because it petrifies you, but simply because you have no interest in it. If you have an interest in Tarot, I honestly believe you have the potential to be a reader and shouldn’t be scared off.
Below, I’ve included the most common questions people have around the subject of Tarot being evil, causing possession, and all that jazz. Once you see the evidence from the other side, you can decide for yourself whether Tarot is or is not a bad thing.
Is Tarot & Divination Against God? Does God Forbid it?
I want to get this point out first and foremost because it’s so important to me. I can’t say that I believe in this, because to call it a belief wouldn’t be enough. I’m as aware of the truth in this as I am in the truth of my own existence:
DIVINATION IS A CONVERSATION WITH GOD.
When you read Tarot, you can select to work with whoever you want – God, the spirits, the energy of the universe, anyone. By asking for God’s help in performing your reading, you’re essentially saying that you would like to use the cards as a tool to discover what he has planned for you, the matter you’re reading on, and really anything you like. In essence, Tarot is merely your translation dictionary for what God has to say. It’s no different than using a Japanese-English dictionary.
If you’re paranoid that you’ll be chatting to a demon and not God, all you need to do is set your intentions to work with and receive God’s word before you perform your reading. If you set the intention of working with God, he will pull through for you:
If any of you lack wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt.”
James 1:5
Setting your intention on who you’re working with is very important in Tarot – not because not doing so is dangerous, but because your divination simply won’t work. It doesn’t make your Tarot cards dangerous but your readings will be no deeper than shaking a magic 8 ball. If you’re setting out for divine guidance, you have to ask for it:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.
Psalm 32: 8-9
Personally, I work with spirits of relatives who have passed and sometimes the energy of God in my readings. The best readings I’ve performed (and the only ones that have worked) are those where I’ve set out to receive advice from God and the spirits and didn’t just ‘wing it’.
Isn’t God Against Mediums and Psychics?
What is a medium? Someone who has the ability to channel information? Isn’t that what the prophets do? Isn’t Moses a medium? Isn’t Noah a medium? Isn’t Jesus a medium? Most people who make this point confuse God with being against channeling because quotes like this one have been taken out of context:
He did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire the Lord
Chronicles 10:14
However, this phrase isn’t saying that God is against mediums or spirit work; what it’s saying is that Saul was punished because he received guidance from a source outside of God; he didn’t ask God directly.
To be clear, I’m not against visiting other readers, getting readings in general, and receiving advice – far from it. However, I don’t believe this is the best way to receive guidance. Instead, the best way to get guidance is to build up a relationship with spirit yourself. Learn how to read for yourself – go directly to the source. You can do this using your ‘translation book’, i.e. Tarot cards (or another form of divination if you prefer).
For example, there’s a method of divination known as cledonism. Cledonism is when you hear things that have spiritual significance, and this form of divination actually appears in the Bible and is recommended by God:
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.
Isaiah 30:21
Cledonism is something you have to practice yourself – it cannot be practiced for you. You have to hear the word of God and/or the spirits and interpret them.
In fact, any time divination is shunned in the Bible, it’s because God is warning against someone else practicing it for you:
When they say to you, “Consult the mediums and spirits who whisper and mutter,” should not a people consult their God?
Isaiah 9:19
Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 19:31
In fact, the Bible includes many instances where people have practiced pulling lots, interpreting the weather, interpreting dreams, etc. to determine the will of God for themselves. The Bible is one big channeling exercise of God’s will.
Tarot and Divination isn’t Condemned in the Bible
When most people think of the Bible damning divination, they’re often referring to this:
There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens or a sorcerer.
Deuteronomy 18:10
However, this verse refers to a very particular form of divination involving child sacrifice, not other methods that are practiced openly in the Bible (such as dream interpretation).
In the part of the world where the stories in the Bible take place, sacrifice was common. The sacrifice of children was not so common, but did happen during times of drought or other epidemics. Often, this involved taking the crisis as a sign of a god (typically Baal’s) unhappiness and then sacrificing a child or baby in order to appease him. When sacrificed, the child was thrown alive into a fiery pit – obviously an act that the Christian God didn’t and does not like.
Human sacrifice is now viewed as evil by most religions, and in the Bible, God forbids it after he tests Abraham. In cultures and religions that practice human sacrifice, an essential part of it is divination before the sacrifice takes place. However, this does not mean that divination is evil – all it means is that human sacrifice potentially is.
Let’s say someone wants to kill their partner. Murder is obviously a sin. They choose to do so by slowly killing them with potatoes, which would result in starch poisoning. Buying potatoes is not an evil act, and neither is cooking them, but murder is. You can’t argue that buying, peeling, and cooking potatoes is evil just because they can be used as a tool to aid another sinful act.
The same applies to Tarot reading. You can’t say that just because divination is used in human sacrifice, it’s evil. In this case, divination is completely neutral. Doing so would be like saying that the fire used in the sacrifice is also evil, or even that the sacrificed child is evil. In the Bible, God condemned human sacrifice, but he doesn’t condemn divining for his guidance.
Are Tarot Cards Even in the Bible?
No, Tarot cards are not in the Bible. The first Tarot cards didn’t even appear until a millennium and a half after the birth of Christ.
In fact, Tarot cards are in the same class of divination as receiving random guidance from the Bible is. If you ever open up your Bible at a random page to get guidance or inspiration, you’re actually practicing a form of divination called bibliomancy (divination using books or paper). The section of Tarot cards can also be called Bibliomancy. Bibliomancy is not in the Bible – it practically is the bible!
Is Tarot Divination?
Yes, Tarot is a form of divination. Divination has a bad reputation, and therefore, Tarot also has a bad reputation. However, the goal of divination is not to be bad or meddle in evil. Divination tools are simply used to help decipher the words of God and the spirits. I can honestly say that I’ve never met anyone who uses Tarot or any other form of divination to communicate with the devil or evil entities – that’s just Hollywood propaganda. It might sell movies, but that doesn’t make it true.
Is Tarot Witchcraft?
No, Tarot is not witchcraft. Witchcraft involves making things happen through manifestation, the use of spells, etc. Divination and Tarot merely either predict what’s going to happen or give advice for what is, has, or will happen. Tarot isn’t magic, and neither is any other method of divination.
Is Tarot like Ouija Boards?
Tarot is like ouija boards in the sense that it’s a form of divination, just as it’s like interpreting your dreams or being superstitious. However, that’s where the similarities end.
Ouija boards were invented fairly recently by businessman Elijah Bond in 1890. Initially, they were intended to be nothing more than a party trick. It wasn’t until years later that they were used in divination.
Tarot is a form of cartomancy – a class of divination that involves using cards. Playing cards also fall into this category. By contrast, ouija boards are a type of automatic writing. Tarot is like ouija boards just as red is like blue, in that they’re both colors. Red is a hot color, but you can’t say that blue is a hot color just because it’s also a color. Therefore, you can’t say that Tarot is like ouija boards just because they’re both methods of divination.
Are Tarot Cards Evil?
Many people are paranoid that Tarot is evil. Clearly, this is not true. How can cards be evil?
I should say that I’m not one of these people who read Tarot but also says stuff like, “Tarot cards are just ink on paper!” I do believe that my cards are special because I use them to communicate with God and the spirits. Therefore, I treat them with respect – not because I believe they have any type of magical energy around them, but because I believe that looking after them shows that I respect God and the spirits; I want them to remain special for them.
However, Tarot cards in themselves don’t hold any special power; that power comes from within myself, my ability to interpret, and from God and the spirits. Tarot cards are just a tool I use to have a conversation, much like a mobile phone. Therefore, they cannot be good or evil. They are what they are – only cards. It’s my intention for them that matters.
As a tool, you can use a toothpick for good things. You can pick stuff out of your mouth and, hopefully, prevent dental infections. However, you can also use toothpicks for evil – for example, to break into locks and steal people’s things. No right-thinking human would ever argue that toothpicks are evil – they simply are what they are.
Toothpicks are not evil, and neither is Tarot and divination (and by the way, both Tarot cards and toothpicks are both made from the same materials).
Can Tarot Cards Attract Demons?
No, Tarot cards can’t attract demons, and you won’t be possessed by using them. I’ve been reading since I was a young child and can honestly say I’ve never once been possessed. My siblings, daughter, nephew, and other relatives also read Tarot and practice forms of divination, and they’ve likewise never been possessed.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not downplaying the existence of the Devil or possession. I come from a culture that’s traditionally very afraid of the Devil, demons, and evil, so much so that we won’t even say these words out loud. We’re hyper superstitious when it comes to that kind of stuff. Therefore, I’m not going to try to convince you that these things don’t exist if they’re part of your spiritual, religious, or cultural beliefs.
However, Romany Gypsies don’t associate divination with demons and possession. For us, divination is just a hobby, a job, or something someone may be particularly good at. You’ll find that this is the case in most (if not all) cultures where divination is acceptable. In fact, in many cultures where evil spirits are a belief, divination is used as a tool to help work out why they’re present; divination doesn’t attract them but can instead diagnose them, explain their existence, and even help the diviner figure out a way to expel them.
If you’re paranoid before reading Tarot or another method of divination, you can always ask God, good spirits, saints, etc. to protect you and make sure you only channel from the light. To be honest, you don’t really need to do this, because divination is already perfectly safe, but you can if it will make you feel better. And don’t worry, they will certainly protect you if you ask for it.
Why do People Say Tarot is Dangerous?
I honestly believe that church leaders in post-prophet times condemned divination and fortune-telling as being evil because they wanted to remain in control.
It’s a very powerful thing to take control of your own spirituality and to realize there are tools and methods that make it easier for you to communicate with God and the spirits. Just as the prophets did in the Bible and just as the saints do, you have access to divine knowledge and can receive guidance directly from higher sources.
However, where does that leave the church? And not the local church you know to be filled with friendly and helpful people – I mean where does it leave the church as a business, as an organization, if you suddenly figure out that you don’t need to join them or donate to them in order to get into heaven or follow the word of Jesus?
The message of Jesus and many other prophets is that God dwells within us all – we don’t need to be told what to do by any organization. You don’t have to follow rules that make no sense, or rules that take the divine phone line away from you. Divination means to divine, to experience God, not to disobey him.
The church as an organization benefits from you being afraid to practice Tarot because if you communicate with God directly, you don’t need them. They are merely the middle-man. You know within yourself if Tarot or divination is calling your name, so why let anyone else tell you otherwise?
Are Tarot Cards Against the Catholic Faith or Christianity in General?
Tarot cards are not against the Catholic faith or Christianity. In fact, many Tarot readers consider themselves to be Christian.
If you look closely at most Tarot decks, especially the Rider-Waite deck (the most famous of all Tarot decks), you’ll recognize much of the symbolism. The art on many Tarot decks relies heavily on Christian symbolism. For example, The Hierophant is a card that predicts good advice and talks about the benefits of tradition, religion, and faith. It’s hardly Tarot cards versus Christianity!
Can Tarot Cards Bring Bad Energy?
No, Tarot cards cannot bring bad energy. People bring bad energy.
In Gypsy culture, we have this concept that can be translated as ‘the mind running away with itself’. Although we believe in evil spirits and entities, we also acknowledge that the mind is a powerful entity that can work against us and play tricks, driving us mad. If you worry that Tarot is evil without any basis, your mind is going to do whatever it takes to confirm that belief.
It’s pretty much just like how many non-Christians think that all religious people ‘shove religion down their throat’. You may not be like that, but as soon as you mention your religious and spiritual beliefs, people crawl up your ass and start accusing you of trying to convert them; they’re looking for evidence to confirm their reality.
I often read stories about people who once read Tarot, but then stopped because they thought it was evil. You’ll find that every single one of these stories contains statements such as:
“I always thought Tarot was evil.”
“I always suspected it was wrong.”
“I always worried about it.”
“I wasn’t brought up like that.”
Then something crappy happens to confirm their inner worries. However, were their worries truly confirmed, or were they just looking for evidence?
Children in my family practice divination from a very young age. My nephew Liam (pictured here) says that he loves cards because they have swords in them!
Another reason why I feel these people eventually turned against Tarot isn’t because divination is evil, but merely because they didn’t feel called to it anymore. On your spiritual journey, your path will twist and change, and you’ll find new ways of hearing God, communicating with spirits, etc. It doesn’t mean that what you’ve done in the past was wrong or evil, just means that it’s not for you now and that God has a new plan.
But Can’t you Hear God without Tarot?
Yes, you can hear God without Tarot. To communicate with God, you may feel you need Tarot now, but that in the future you don’t and he will instead appear to you in dreams, or just through your general intuition.
Your inner wisdom will tell you whether Tarot or any other form of divination is right for you. If there’s a voice inside of you saying, “meh not interested,” you don’t need Tarot for your spiritual work. However, it’s important that you make these decisions based on your inner voice, needs, and feelings, and not on a fear of divination.
Can Tarot Cards Bring Bad Spirits?
No, Tarot cards cannot bring bad spirits.
It’s actually quite difficult to link with spirits (and when I say ‘link’ in this context, I mean allowing them to link with your energy and interfere in your thoughts and life). You have to know how to allow them to take over you, which takes years of practice.
I know some psychic mediums who have spent 20 years in training and still haven’t performed a spirit reading. You have to be able to devote a lot of yourself to be capable of doing such work. If attracting and linking with spirits was as simple as reading Tarot cards, everyone would be walking around possessed!
Again, if you’re paranoid about evil spirits, you can always ask God to make sure your readings are in the light and that you’re protected during readings. As I said before, you don’t really need to ask for protection, but it may help you to keep your mind at ease.
Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6
Can Tarot Open Portals?
Tarot is not a key card – so no, Tarot cards, nor any other type of divination, opens portals. To believe so is to think that opening a Bible at a random page to receive guidance, reading your horoscope in the paper, or generally being superstitious opens portals; the universe just doesn’t work like that.
Can Tarot Cards Curse You?
Just like the portals question, this is also something that just won’t happen. Do you believe in God’s power? Do you honestly believe that he would allow a practice, which isn’t even evil, to ruin your life? God is probably more concerned with sex offenders and murderers, not Tarot card readers.
Are Tarot Cards a Sin?
There’s this pervading belief that reading Tarot is sinful. In no sense of the word is Tarot a sin, but let’s look at the word ‘sin’ more closely.
Most Christians define the word sin as something that’s against one of God’s commandments as outlined to Moses in Exodus. Nowhere in the commandments does God say, “Thou should not read Tarot or practice divination.” So no, Tarot is not a sin.
I would like to take it even further and argue that, by receiving the commandments from God, Moses is actually practicing a method of divination himself known as channeling. Channeling is essentially when you put your body into a state to receive information from God, spirits, etc. One of the reasons why divination is not condemned in one of the Ten Commandments is because this would be a contradiction, as divination is how Moses receives his information from God.
In the book of Leviticus (16:8), Moses even advocates another form of divination known as cleromancy:
And Aaron shall cast lots upon two goats; one lot for the Lord, the other for the scapegoat.
Leviticus 16:8
To practice cleromancy, you must randomly draw lots to determine God’s will. Lots could be a stick, a branch, or anything else that can be selected at random. In fact, one could argue that randomly selecting Tarot cards is a form of cleromancy; hardly a sin when God commands Moses to tell Aaron he has to practice it!
How are Tarot Cards Bad?
In themselves, Tarot cards are not bad because Tarot cards are not dangerous. There are some cards that can represent negative situations, such as the Five of Swords or Ten of Swords, and this is why a lot of people think Tarot in itself is bad. However, Tarot cards only symbolize crappy situations – they can’t and don’t make them happen!
In fact, all Tarot cards can also be read with a positive slant. Most Tarot readers see even negative cards as a good thing, because these represent something that’s bad for you leaving your life. Bad cards often precede fresh starts and changes for the better.
For example, there’s a card in Tarot decks called The Devil. Many people who don’t know how to read Tarot believe that this is proof that Tarot readers worship the Devil. However, The Devil card doesn’t symbolize worship, it represents the Christian idea that the Devil is evil, and the card warns against indulging in human urges and earthly pleasures. Pulling The Devil is a sign that you need to stop addictive or toxic behavior, and possibly instead be of service to others, display compassion, and represent other Christian values.
Closing Thoughts on Are Tarot Cards Dangerous or Evil
It’s not my place to sway you either way or scare you into practicing or not practicing something. I don’t believe that reading Tarot is the only way to get to know God or receive divine guidance. Spirituality is personal, and you have to tread your own path and do what feels right for you and your spiritual journey.
I will say that Tarot has completely transformed my life for the better, and that my faith, spirituality, and relationship with God and the spirits have also become the better for it.
Remember, spiritual awakening isn’t always easy, especially if you choose to come out of the closet with your divination. However, do not fear. God, the spirits, and the universe will support you every step of the way.
That’s all for whether or not Tarot cards are dangerous or evil. Now, I want to hear your thoughts. Have you ever believed that Tarot cards are dangerous? Have you previously believed that Tarot cards are evil? Feel free to share your divination journey with the Divinerism community in the comments section below!
What are the Tarot cards that predict physical death? Can death be predicted with Tarot cards? What are the top death Tarot cards?
Before we begin on the matter of Tarot, physical death, and which cards interpret death, I’ve included some common questions people have around Tarot, death, and considering whether you can or should be predicting death. Please make sure you read this before jumping into which cards represent death.
The matter of death is a touchy subject for Tarot readers. While several readers acknowledge that Tarot cards can predict physical death, there are many who shy away from the subject and even deny that physical death can be predicted through Tarot cards at all. They argue that a major transformation or figurative death can be foretold, but not real death and dying.
Can Tarot Predict Physical Death?
I’m not in the camp that believes Tarot cannot predict physical death; in fact, I know it can. The truth is that death is a major part of life. Death is all around us, constantly, and is a feature in the cycle of the universe.
During a Tarot reading, I once predicted death. It was the summer of 2015 and I was reading someone who, at the time, was rather close to me along with her boyfriend (it was a joint reading).
I pulled them three cards and they received The Knight of Swords, Death, and the Four of Swords. In my mind, I interpreted it to represent the approach of death, the actual death, and the mourning period afterward. I didn’t tell the couple what I had seen, but she began to panic because she said that the cards looked like a death (her mum was also a Tarot reader). Two weeks later, her boyfriend’s aunt was driving down the motorway and suddenly died of a brain aneurism at the age of 31.
Should you Predict Death?
While I believe you can predict death, I don’t believe it’s a good idea to set out and try –and if you do, you certainly shouldn’t be informing the people you’re reading for that they or someone close to them is about to die.
As a diviner, you have a moral obligation to look out for your clients and your own welfare. You should not put anyone (yourself included) into a stressful situation and cause them to panic.
That being said, although Tarot can predict death, it absolutely doesn’t mean that Tarot cards cause death. Death causes death, and death is always a matter of life, so you should never fear your Tarot cards. Physical death is going to happen whether you predict it or not.
How Did I Predict Death with Tarot?
It’s very difficult to predict death by accident. I think one of the reasons I had predicted death was because, at that time, I had been teaching a lot about Tarot and death. In fact, I had taught that exact combination just that day, and it kind of freaked me out how it immediately appeared in a reading.
As you go along on your Tarot journey, you will notice strange coincidences. Frequently, the more you focus on one area of Tarot, the more you attract seekers (people wanting readings) to whom you can apply what you’re focusing on. So, if you don’t want to see death, put your attention on other subdivisions of Tarot such as love, business, or spirituality.
Top Ten Tarot Cards That Predict Physical Death
Below, I have included the top ten Tarot cards I would take to represent death. I should say right off the bat that the main cards I would take to predict death are Death, the Four of Swords, the Five of Swords, and the Knight of Swords. The other cards are less likely to symbolize death, but they can in certain situations.
I should also note that you’ll be looking for a combination of cards to represent death, or really for any subject. One card alone does not symbolize death, but many cards in a sequence will. Death will appear in stages, and your cards will reflect this.
So, to accurately predict death, you should look for a card that can represent an illness or a sudden or shocking, quick event. Then, you would pull a card that represents the death itself. Once death takes place, you would expect to see a period of mourning, or even a card that indicates an inheritance.
In the example I gave of when I predicted death, I recognized that the Knight of Swords can symbolize a shocking event, and that in ancient times, it could mean the approach of death. This matched the manner in which the seeker’s relative died, which was quick and unexpected. Then, the couple got the Death card, which was obviously the physical death. Finally, the Four of Swords appeared; the period of mourning.
Major Arcana Tarot Cards That Predict Physical Death
Death
It’s pretty obvious that Death is the most common card to predict physical death, so it doesn’t require much explanation. While the Death Tarot card doesn’t always mean physical death, there will be times when it will predict real death, albeit rarely.
If you’re unsure whether Death in a Tarot reading is a real death or a figurative one, one thing you can do is look further into the future. If the future is filled with long periods of mourning, loss, and pain, the Death card is likely to predict a real death. However, if the future after death contains relatively positive cards that can mark new beginnings, the Death card predicts a metaphorical death.
Wands Tarot Cards That Predict Physical Death
Five of Wands
The Five of Wands can be a Tarot card that predicts death for a couple of reasons. Writing in 1888, Mathers noted that the Five of Wands was a card of inheritance. Obviously, to receive an inheritance, someone must first die.
In modern times, the Five of Wands is a card that can predict conflict and competition. It’s not uncommon for families to fall apart after the death of a key member, such as a parent or grandparent. The Five of Wands can predict that there will be arguments over inheritances. For these reasons, I would take the Five of Wands to be a card of death.
Cups Tarot Cards That Predict Physical Death
Five of Cups
The Five of Cups is a card of death for two reasons. First, in ancient times, it predicted riches from an inheritance. Second, it can represent heartache, pain, and loss. While the Three of Swords often speaks of the loss of a romantic relationship, the Five of Cups is often about the loss of any type of relationship in any way. Therefore, the Five of Cups could potentially be a card of death.
Swords Tarot Cards That Predict Physical Death
Knight of Swords
As I said previously, the Knight of Swords can represent the approach of physical death. While many deaths happen in old age or after illness, the Knight of Swords can mean that the Grim Reaper is going to appear quick and suddenly.
Many readers prefer to replace The Knight of Swords with The Tower as an event that’s quick and shocking, like a sudden death. While this is true, I find that Death has a very particular personality that makes it more like the Knight of Swords. Death swoops in and leaves a presence, it encompasses things, and it leaves an energetic residue just as this Knight does. By contrast, The Tower breaks things down and then leaves you to pick up the pieces – it doesn’t linger like the Knight. Therefore, for me, the Knight of Swords is more like a sudden death, not The Tower (although you may choose to read them differently).
Queen of Swords
Traditionally, many people would not take the Queen of Swords Tarot card to predict death at all, and you may think I’m crazy for thinking the Queen of Swords is a card of death. However, given this Queen’s traditional interpretation, it’s not hard to make the link between this card and death.
From experience, I’ve found that many women who identify with the Queen of Swords have the worst luck throughout their lives when it comes to men. Many of them have partners who died young, and an interpretation for the Queen of Swords is that it can represent widowhood. Therefore, the Queen of Swords can predict the eventual death of a husband or partner, especially if you keep seeing it or have always felt it has been you (or whoever you’re reading).
Nine of Swords
The Nine of Swords is a funny card for predicting death. It can predict serious illness, anxiety, and the worry which comes from doing so. Things are usually not as bad as they appear to be with the Nine of Swords, so I’m not so keen on saying that it represents the approach of death. However, it’s possible that the Nine of Swords can symbolize anxiety over dying, so death will be on the seeker’s mind; if death is on their mind, they may have good reason to worry about it.
I think the Nine of Swords is more likely to represent the mourning period after a physical death than it is to represent actually dying from an illness. I feel this way because there’s often a time that follows death where people can’t sleep and are grief-stricken – this fits with the energy of the Nine of Swords.
For the record, I should inform you that prior to modern times, the Nine of Swords was viewed as a terrible omen because it represented time spent in churches with clergy, implying that you will be around nuns and priests because of a death. You will notice that, in playing-card divination, the Nine of Spades has a similar interpretation and is said by diviners to also predict death.
Ten of Swords
The Ten of Swords is very similar to the Death Tarot card in that it can predict physical death or a major negative, almost life-changing event happening in your life.
Although the Ten of Swords can be a physical death and transition Tarot card, it can also represent a number of other dire situations. For example, it can symbolize a major illness, but one you or your seeker may recover from; this is one of the reasons why you should make predictions based on the entire Tarot reading, not just one card.
Four of Swords
As I’ve mentioned previously, I often interpret the Four of Swords to be the card of mourning after a physical death. Not only is this a traditional interpretation, but the card can also predict a time when you have to rest, practice self-care, and look after yourself (as you would following a death).
In Rider-Waite Tarot decks, you’ll notice that the character on the card lies in a coffin; again, this is a sign that the card can signify death. However, this card also comes up during times when you’re recovering from illness, so if you’ve been ill but are taking care of yourself, try not to worry too much.
Five of Swords
I have included the Five of Swords in this list because there’s a superstition among some Tarot readers that this card can predict attending a funeral. Therefore, the Five of Swords is a Tarot card that can predict physical death. I have not heard Tarot readers discuss this belief or write about it for a while, but you may want to use it in your Tarot practice.
Pentacles Tarot Cards That Predict Physical Death
Ace of Pentacles
Finally, the Ace of Pentacles is another inheritance Tarot card. Although most of the other Tarot cards that predict death are overly negative and scary, the Ace of Pentacles is a very positive card, so most Tarot readers wouldn’t assume that it means death.
There will be times when you or someone you’re reading will experience the death of a loved one – which is obviously terrible – but where something positive will come out of it, such as an inheritance. The Ace of Pentacles can mean that you will inherit more money than you thought. Sometimes, the Ace of Pentacles can symbolize jewelry, so the card may predict that after the death of a loved one, you will receive one (or some) of their most prized possessions.
Closing Thoughts on Tarot Cards That Predict Physical Death
That’s all for Tarot cards that predict physical death? Have you ever seen death in your readings? Have you ever successfully predicted death? I would love for you to share your thoughts in the comments section!
(Please note that I do not interpret other people’s readings for them).
Do you want to use ancestral work for Tarot card readings? Do you want to develop a spiritual connection with your ancestors so that you can become more psychic, give better Tarot readings, and strengthen your ability to perform divination? If this is your goal, read on!
If you want to make predictions using Tarot cards, you can’t do so without supernatural assistance. Working with spirits is the fastest way of improving your Tarot reading abilities and predictive skills.
Years ago, I wanted desperately to make my readings more accurate. I began to buy Tarot books and jump between decks. At one point, I even considered converting from my Romany Gypsy beliefs to a form of New Ageism just so that I could petition a god/goddess who specialized in spiritual growth.
Don’t get me wrong; I was what most people would consider psychic. I had sensed spirits my entire life, could predict future events, and have always been naturally good at reading people. However, my abilities were a mess.
I would slay some Tarot readings, but others would fall flat. Sometimes I could connect with my seeker’s dead auntie Jane, sometimes I couldn’t. My ability to predict the future using Tarot (my specialty) was a hit or a miss.
In the meantime, when I started working as a professional reader, I began to see ‘signs‘ everywhere. The more I noticed these signs, the more frequently they appeared. These weren’t just any old signs; these were things I associated firmly with my ancestors (certain insects, flowers, etc.).
There was something about these signs that gave me comfort, so I began to photograph them with my phone. I started to realize that the signs would often appear around the time I was set to perform a professional Tarot reading. For example, as I would journey to my readings, I would hear the word ‘ladybug,’ see a ladybug, or catch a glimpse of a ladybug on my client’s t-shirt.
After seeing and recording the signs, I began to very quickly sense, see, hear, and experience the spirits of my past relatives, such as my grandfather, uncle, and great-grandmother. It was as if recording their messages and signs had opened a door. I had encouraged contact. They had called, and I had answered.
Then, one day in 2013, I was at the dentist’s. I loathe the dentist, so I was obviously shitting myself. While I lay back in the chair, I sensed my grandfather’s spirit in the room. I whispered out loud, “Please help me here because my anxiety is killing me.” Suddenly, any fear I had vanished. I couldn’t feel anything other than complete peace. I lay back in the chair and let the dentist go about his work.
Around six months later, I was en-route to be tested for a job in a shop as a psychic. I was very, very nervous and (while on the bus), I remembered what had once happened at the dentist’s. So, I prayed to the spirits around me for them to calm my nerves and assist me in the reading. It worked! Ever since then, I’ve been hooked on ancestral petitioning, and I even teach other diviners how they can link with their ancestors through my courses.
Working with the spirits of your ancestors is your birthright. Nobody is more invested in watching you succeed than they are. I know that the power of ancestral work is so strong that you don’t even have to believe in it to work, and it trumps pretty much every other method of psychic development.
Everyone is psychic. I genuinely believe that all humans have what it takes to develop their prediction skills. However, there’s a lot of information out there which, although it may be useful to some, does not resonate with everyone. You don’t have to resort to chakra cleansing, centering, grounding, etc. if this doesn’t work or ‘click’ for you. I am a successful and award-winning predictive Tarot reader, and I do none of these things.
I developed my Tarot reading skills by working with the spirits closest to me – my relatives. First came the signs. Now, I can feel their touch, receive messages, and give readings on demand. In a nutshell, this is how I developed my psychic and predictive abilities, and I’m going to give you some tips so you can do the same.
So, if you’re interested in working with spirit for your Tarot readings, here are my top tips for mediumship development:
Notice Signs from Spirit
If you want to try ancestral work for Tarot readings, it is essential that you follow signs in your day-to-day life. The more you notice, the more signs they will send you. One morning, try asking spirit around you for a sign, any sign. Your sign may be a lotus flower, a fox, or a feather. The more you observe signs, the more frequently spirit will contact you.
Signs are a great way to begin conversing with spirit because you can consider them ‘safe.’ Observing signs is not like linking directly with spirit, or even petitioning them to be in the same room as you.
Noticing and asking for signs is like getting a PM from a guy on Facebook. You may or may not reply – there’s no pressure. If you decide that he creeps you out and he’s not for you, you can ignore him. However, if you decide you like him, you give him the green light and meet him in person. (Using signs for divination is known as apantomancy).
The above scenario is exactly like using ancestral work for your Tarot readings. If the signs begin to bother you, your ancestors will get the hint and leave you alone. However, if you welcome the signs, photograph them, write about them, and talk about them, your spirits will take things to the next level by beginning to communicate with you in real life. It’s all about what you’re comfortable with allowing into your space.
Work with Familiar Spirits
When I perform a Tarot reading, I link with the spirits of my relatives; only a small percentage of the time do I link with the spirits who are around the person I’m reading. Why? Because I trust my spirits and know that they’re around me all the time. I therefore don’t need to use a spirit that’s unfamiliar to me. I have a relationship with these spirits, and they have a vested interest in watching me do well because we are related.
If you want to give spirit-led Tarot readings, you don’t have to link with the relatives of your seeker. The spirits of your ancestors can tell you everything you need to know about the past, present, and future of your clients. Once they’re on the other side, spirits know everything.
My ancestors act as gatekeepers between myself and my seekers (and their ancestors). I’m confident that every time I perform a reading, they will be there, so I have no reason to turn to my seeker’s spirits.
If you’re curious, I don’t have to explain these facts to my seekers. They don’t hire me to contact their relatives; they hire me for prediction with Tarot. I advertise as a diviner, not a medium, because advertising myself as a medium may cause confusion. When it comes to spirit work, you don’t have to disclose the ins and outs of your readings to your seekers; you just have to do the job!
Notice your Feelings
There’s this belief by the general population (and in Tarot circles) that everything you experience when you practice spirit work is somehow in your ‘mind’s eye’, but this is not necessarily true.
If you petition a spirit to work with you, you’ll get physical feelings each time you link. For some, this may be a chill, a grab of the hand, or an itch on the face. I used to say I couldn’t meditate because I kept getting an itchy face; it wasn’t until only a couple of years ago that I realized this was spirits’ way of making me notice I was linking with their energy.
Sensing spirit in ‘real’ forms doesn’t just happen with touch, but also sound, sight, taste, and smell. Sometimes you will smell flowers or aftershave, or a particular taste will come into your mouth. The sensations you feel as a seer are different from sensing it in your mind’s eye; these are physical experiences. So, if you’re trying to develop mediumship skills, take everything you experience into account when you’re practicing.
Take Note of Your Dreams
Spirits (usually of relatives) will visit you in your dreams if they know you’re mindful of them. If you struggle to remember your dreams, take note of anything you can remember first thing in the morning; this trains your brain into recording what you see.
You should share your dreams with others as a way to discern between dream style. There are two main types of dreams that involve spirits: dreams that are symbolic, and dreams that are premonitions or show things that have already happened. If you tell your living family members your dreams about dead family members, they can tell you if a dream has already happened, but it’s something you shouldn’t know about unless through psychic means.
Just the other day, I had a dream about my great-grandmother, who told me that when my twin and I were 2 or 3 years old, my twin fell off a stool in my uncle’s kitchen. I asked my mum, and she confirmed this to be true. Without my mother’s input, I would have never known this was a dream that wasn’t symbolic.
If someone has booked a Tarot reading with you, the night before, ask your ancestors to show you something of significance to the reading. Then, when morning rolls around, record what you saw the night before. Sometimes, the things your ancestors show you in your dream will be relevant to your seeker.
About three years ago – the night before a professional reading – I had a dream about a flooded house. In this house was a huge wooden table with elephants carved into its legs. The next day, I asked my client about the table during the reading. It turns out that the table had belonged to her husband and was a gift from his mother. The house he had inherited had flooded while he was away for work, ruining his table.
Ask Your Ancestors Before a Tarot Reading
Before you even journey to a Tarot reading (or perform one on your own), you have to ask the spirits for assistance. How you go about doing this can be as elaborate or as simple as you like, but you need to ask.
Not asking doesn’t stop them from helping you, but asking for assistance cements your intentions. If you don’t know how to ask, even a quick, “Please help me do a good job because I’m crapping myself here” is definitely better than nothing!
Before I perform a Tarot reading, I always ask my ancestors to help me calm my nerves, and then I request their assistance in reading the destiny of my seekers.
Closing Thoughts on Ancestral Work For Tarot Readers
That’s all for how you can practice ancestral work for Tarot card readings! Have you tried to use ancestral work for Tarot readings? Did you find that your readings were more accurate? You can share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section at the bottom of this post! We can’t wait to hear from you.
Are you wondering how you can use Tarot for prediction? Do you want to know how to predict the future using Tarot? Do you want to give more accurate predictions for love, business, relationships, answering yes or no questions, and more? If you want to know your future using Tarot, read on!
Prediction is the ultimate goal of most Tarot card readers. In fact, predicting the future is what brings most readers to divination in the first place. However, accurately predicting the future is something many readers struggle with.
Prediction is such a massive topic with many layers, and it’s not possible to get everything out I want to say in a single article. However, I can point you in the right direction.
How to Use Tarot for Prediction
Below are my top twelve tips I have for accurately predicting the future using Tarot cards.
Read Fate, Destiny, and Free Will
Obviously, there are a lot of parts to understanding fate, destiny, free will, and how it all relates to Tarot reading. However, it is essential that you know more about these matters if you would like to learn how to use Tarot for prediction.
I like to think of destiny as your highest good, your full potential. Your destiny is what God, the spirits, and the universe approve of. When we speak of something destined, we discuss it as if it’s something that’s ‘meant to be.’ The universe, God, and the spirits bring things that are meant to be into our lives as if by magic. For example, a chance meeting at a bus stop with the love of your life is something we can say is meant to be. However, just because something is apparently meant to be doesn’t mean that it has to be.
Humans can struggle against their highest good. As a Tarot reader, you probably see it all the time. You’ll warn a client that a guy is no good for them, yet they still pursue the relationship. You know the link is not meant to be, but they persistently go back over and over again. They use their free will to fight against what is and isn’t meant to be.
The next thing we know, fate steps in. Fate is the universe acting on our behalf. Suddenly, your client phones, crying that their shitty boyfriend has woken up one day and magically stopped loving them. Their ex is now living with a new girl, is engaged, and she’s pregnant – all within six weeks of meeting her.
When you read Tarot, you’re not just throwing cards and hoping for the best. You’re reading the cosmic dance of fate, destiny, and free will. You are respecting that not everything is in our control, but that not everything is out of it either; it’s a balance. Hold the intention of interpreting this balance, and your readings will be more accurate.
Connect to Your Ancestors
Many newbie (and even experienced) Tarot readers assume that if they want to give better Tarot readings, they need to rely on their intuition. While this is true, you also need some type of spiritual aspect to your reading practice. If you want to learn how to use Tarot for prediction, you must learn how to work with spirits outside of yourself.
Before a reading, you should always ask your ancestors for spiritual assistance from your ancestors. Tell them to show you the course of action that’s in line with your destiny. Feel their presence. Petitioning your ancestors before performing your readings will make all the difference.
Connecting to your ancestors is something I cover extensively in my workbecause I believe that this is the quickest way to be able to form a ‘link’ with spirit for readings.
Have a Ritual
Our next step for learning how to use Tarot for predictions, is to have a ritual. Most Tarot readers can predict, but they don’t remember their predictions because they make them in passing – this is especially true for people who read themselves on hard topics like love and business.
Having some type of ritual can make your readings feel important. If your readings feel special, you will take them more seriously and remember your predictions. Not taking your readings for granted also means you’ll be less likely to keep re-throwing your cards on the same thing, and you will read the entire spread (more on that below).
I’m superstitious about my cards. I don’t let other people touch them (not even my clients), and I especially don’t allow other people to read with my primary deck. Before I use a deck for readings, I form a ‘relationship’ with it; I carry it around everywhere as if it’s a second limb.
On top of these rituals, I petition my spirits into my space before a reading. For critical readings, I reorder my cards and then reshuffle them. These are only some of the things I do before a predictive reading.
You will need to design your own rituals that are personal to you. It may seem like a lot of work, but I swear they’ll make your readings more accurate.
Don’t Underestimate Court Cards
Love them or hate them, Court Cards are the backbone of prediction. Without being able to read Courts accurately, you will never be able learn how to use Tarot for prediction.
Believe it or not, 99.99% of predictive readings will involve people other than you (if you’re reading yourself) or your client (if you’re reading other people). You’re not just reading one person; you’re essentially reading the entire universe.
Our interactions with other people shape our world and significantly affect our lives. Other people are co-architects of our futures. Think about it. Relationship success is dependent on the two of you getting along. Business success is dependent on customers. Social media success is dependent on followers.
In Tarot reading, Court cards represent the other people who have an impact on the situation, so you must learn to read them effectively.
Set Your Intentions
Before you even begin to perform your Tarot reading, you have to set your intentions. Setting your plans for predicting the future will ensure that you don’t second-guess yourself and change your mind when you don’t get the outcome you desire.
All you need to say before the reading is something like, “I wish to know the future of Jose and me.” Otherwise, you’re just going to get a mountain of jigsaw pieces you’re going to have to dig through.
Use the Right Spread
Usually, Tarot readers become frustrated with their readings when they have no set framework for making predictions. They use the wrong type of spread for the job, then scratch their heads wondering why their reading never worked out the way they originally intended.
If you want to predict the future and you use spreads, you need to use a Tarot spread with the right spread positions. You must use a spread that takes all relevant factors into account so that you can conjure up a prediction.
Setting out to predict the future is one of the reasons why the Celtic Cross is so famous. The Celtic Cross sets out to predict when, where, why, and how. You can effortlessly combine all these factors together to form your prediction.
Don’t get me wrong, once you become good at prediction, selecting the correct spread becomes less critical. However, if you’re not accustomed to making predictions, a half-decent spread is the best place to start.
Work on Your Interpretations
It may sound pretty obvious, but you have to be able to interpret cards accurately on the matter you’re reading about. Otherwise, you’ll get confused. If you don’t know what cards mean when they land in certain positions in some styles of readings (for example, the Four of Pentacles in the future position of a love reading), you’re not going to know what it means when it comes up for you. If you can’t interpret cards for a range of situations, you must work on this while learning how to make predictions with Tarot.
Work on Your Techniques
One of my primary pet peeves is when Tarot readers sit on Facebook groups advising less experienced Tarot readers to throw the book away.
Don’t throw the book away; keep your books. Hold onto them because prediction is, ironically, unpredictable.
There have been times when I’ve read a technique in a book and taken a mental note of it because it was so exciting. Years later (literally ten years later), I would then use that technique in a reading. Even if it happens eons from now, something you learn today from a book can be useful in the future.
There’s nothing shameful about listening to people who bring something new to the table. Moreover, you need to be consistently learning because prediction is elusive. When you sit down at that reading, you never know what type of information you’re going to use. If you want to be a predictive reader, you must always be educating yourself.
Avoid the Self-Help Trap
Avoid the self-help trap like the plague, especially when reading for others. Don’t get me wrong; there will be situations when you give advice. If you’re not a heartless rock, you will be providing your seekers (and yourself) help, but you mustn’t stop there.
As a divination teacher, my goal is to get all of my students making predictions. Predictive divination makes the world go around!
I often see readers who give advice but don’t state specifics. You have to dig deeper. Where are you getting this advice? Where is this advice coming from? Why are you giving this specific piece of advice? What situation is it linked to?
A classic example is that of a relationship with The Tower in the future. You know it’s dying. It’s the end of the road for the partnership. Instead of giving your seeker the facts, you dance around the issues and provide them with lots of self-help tips.
Here’s the thing: you’re not reading Tarot to appease, you’re reading to be right.
You may worry that knowing the future, especially when it’s a negative one, is damaging. The reality is that you won’t be able to see things you’re not meant to see. There will of course be things you’re not supposed to see and therefore can’t predict. However, if you do see it, you need to trust that it’s there for a reason. Be sensitive, but you should always disclose what you have predicted.
If there are certain things you simply don’t like to predict, refuse to perform issues on those topics. For example, I won’t read on pregnancies. However, reading things like break-ups and business failures are part of the job, so you have to get used to the truth.
Read the Whole Spread
If you’re performing a reading (especially a love Tarot reading for yourself), you’ll probably fall into the habit of only looking at the outcome/future positions and ignoring the rest of the spread. However, if you don’t read the whole spread, your reading is invalid.
Mostly, when you sit down to perform any Tarot reading, you have the subconscious goal of predicting the future and outcome. Therefore, all cards in the spread are relevant to your question, not just the future positions in any given spread.
You must read the past, present, obstacles, opinions of others, and every other part of the spread as if it answers your question. Your spread as a whole weighs up the pros and cons. The entire reading is the essay, and the ‘outcome’ card is the conclusion; it pulls the rest of your reading together.
A good reader can predict the future even without having a spread with an outcome or future position. This is because they can read between the lines and see whether the positives outweigh the negatives. Remember, read the entire book, not just the last page!
Wait Out Your Tarot Predictions
I’m not going to lie; there have been times when I’ve been incorrect. I’ve made the wrong predictions sometimes. I’m only human, and humans make mistakes. However, there have also been plenty of times when I’ve thought I was wrong and was in fact dead wrong about that!
One of the hardest parts of learning how to use Tarot for prediction, is accepting that not all predictions will happen quickly. Sometimes you have to wait.
More times than I’d like to admit, I’ve left Tarot readings worried that I made a mistake, or saw a post on Facebook by one of my clients that reflected the complete opposite of what I had previously predicted. At the time, I kicked myself, only to later discover that my initial prediction was proven correct.
One time that especially sticks in my mind was a reading I performed on a woman. I predicted that she and her partner would soon separate. One year later, I saw a Facebook post that they had gotten engaged. I assumed no separation had taken place until she contacted me to inform me that they had actually separated after the reading. Their eventual engagement marked their reconciliation.
Another time, I was the seeker and had gotten a reading during a Tarot event. The reader told me that I would get so close to a significant commitment from my partner at the time, but that he would pull out at the last minute. I would then meet someone else at a bar.
I took the reading severely and refused to believe it. However, sure enough, a year later, my partner and I had rented a house together, but he pulled out two days before we were set to move in. I lived by myself in that house and later left my partner. The guy at the bar was an ex I had bumped into at a party in front of the bar; after that night, we reconciled our relationship. The Tarot reader was right about everything.
Just because your predictions look like they’re not set to happen now doesn’t mean they won’t occur in the future. Moreover, what you see from your clients on social media is always only half the story. You could be right all along and don’t even realize it, so don’t let being ‘wrong’ affect your confidence in yourself for making predictions.
Have Confidence if You Want to Learn How to Make Predictions with Tarot
You can’t be afraid of being wrong. If you want to be able to make predictions with Tarot accurately, you must have the confidence to put out there whatever’s in your mind and heart.
This might sound strange, but confidence with Tarot doesn’t come from confidence-building exercise and chakra clearings. Instead, confidence originates from being 100% certain that your ancestors are there. It comes from knowing that you’re in this line of work for a reason. Not to sound like a basic Instagram meme, but you have to trust the process.
One way I teach my students to build their confidence is to show them how to work with signs. A form of divination known as apantomancy, working with signs is relatively easy. All you have to do is ask your ancestors for spirits for signs – these are manifestations of your ancestors’ presence in real life.
When you’re shown time and time again that spirit is there and the universe is aligning, it makes you more confident in your readings. Doubt fades away. You know what’s going to happen, and that knowing is clear. For you, there will be no ifs, ands, or buts about it; an outcome will be an outcome whether your client argues with you or not.
Having confidence in your predictions also means having the courage to tell your clients when you don’t know the future. If you perform a reading and the outcome looks uncertain or you can only predict for a short time, say so! Never be afraid to tell your clients something like, “There’s going to be a make or break discussion, but I can’t see what’s beyond that.”
Closing Thoughts on How to Use Tarot For Prediction
That is all for how to use Tarot for prediction! How are you getting on learning how to use Tarot for prediction? Have your predictions been accurate? Are you struggling to learn how to predict the future with Tarot? Feel free to share your thoughts with myself and my Divinerism community in the comments section below!
Do you want to know how to buy Tarot cards? Curious if you can purchase your own Tarot deck? Are you wondering where you can even buy a Tarot deck? Unsure whether or not you might accidentally get the wrong one? What’s the best deck for beginners? Read on…
This is the ultimate guide to Tarot decks, designed primarily to get you to the point where you’re confident enough to purchase your own, but without giving you so much information as to scare you off! So, if you’re wondering where there are decks for sale, or if you’re curious about whether or not you can buy your own deck, you’re in the right place!
Ever since I’ve been online teaching Tarot, I’ve been asked many questions by budding Tarot card readers such as yourself. Usually, these queries are caused by issues around getting started with reading and owning a deck. Therefore, I’m going to answer the most common questions I receive!
Can I Buy My First Tarot Deck?
There’s quite a common belief that you cannot buy your own Tarot decks; they must be gifted to you for them to work. Because this is a question I’m asked frequently, I’m going to tackle it first.
Yes, you can buy your own decks – it honestly doesn’t matter. It’s not wrong or weird to buy yourself your first Tarot deck, and your deck will still ‘work’ the same.
Many Tarot readers like to sit on Facebook and theorize where this myth came from, and some believe it’s an idea that started with Romany Gypsies. As a Gypsy myself, I can categorically say that no, we didn’t start the rumor that you can’t buy your own deck, because we simply don’t believe in those types of superstitious. This belief is a European one.
Because I started reading Tarot as a child, my mum did, in fact, buy me my first deck (because I couldn’t buy my own). However, as an adult, I have bought many of my own decks, and they work just fine.
It’s probably actually better to buy your own deck than to have someone give you one. You’ll have a stronger bond with a deck you’ve selected yourself. A deck you hunt down and find will feel special. Plus, there’s nothing worse than being stuck with a first deck you hate! Therefore, I in fact recommend that you always buy your own first deck.
How Can I Buy a Tarot Deck?
Believe it or not, where there are books, there are Tarot decks. Where there’s anything related to witchy stuff, crystals, and healing oils, there are likewise Tarot decks. Therefore, when it comes to looking for Tarot decks for sale, you have two main options.
The most common place you can go to obtain a Tarot deck is anywhere you can buy a book. For example, Amazon, Barns and Noble, WH Smith, Waterstones, and even eBay all stock Tarot card decks. From most of these places, you have the luxury of either buying online or in-store.
Another option for getting a Tarot deck is to go to your local mystical shop. Your nearest mind, body, spirit store will have Tarot decks for sale. If you’re unsure of where the one is closest to you, simply type something into Google like, ‘local psychic shop’ or ‘mind, body, spirit stores near me’ and go from there.
These are the main places to buy Tarot decks in the UK, USA, and Australia, so I’m assuming that pretty much across the world, you can get decks from these kinds of places as well.
How Many Cards are in a Tarot Deck?
You must know how many cards are in a Tarot deck because this is how you will recognize it as a Tarot deck. There should be 78 cards in your deck. Some decks might include one or two extra cards that you can keep and mess around with, but as a general rule, your deck should have 78 cards. If it doesn’t include at least 78 cards, it’s not a Tarot deck.
Which Tarot Deck Should I Buy?
To be honest, if you’re just learning and have no clue what you’re doing, you should buy a Rider-Waite Tarot deck (sometimes called a Rider-Waite-Smith Deck). This is the most commonly used Tarot deck and is recognized as such. It has 78 cards and will be for sale pretty much everywhere there are decks.
This is a Rider Waite Smith deck. It is the deck that beginners and pros alike most commonly use for their Tarot card readings.
In shops, your standard Rider-Waite deck will have a deep blue box with gold detailing. You can get Rider-Waite decks with different boxes, but if you’re confused and worried you’ll get the wrong thing, look for the Rider-Waite deck with the blue box and gold detailing.
This deck has more muted colors – it is the one I use.
Once you own and use your standard Rider-Waite Tarot deck, you’ll become familiar with Tarot. When you own one Tarot deck, you will be able to recognize other decks. Your confidence will increase when it comes to the structure of Tarot, and you’ll know the difference between Tarot and other types of decks. Which brings me to my next point:
How Do I Know that it’s a Tarot Card Deck?
As I said, Tarot decks will have 78 cards. It will have the word ‘Tarot’ written on the box. If it doesn’t specifically say that it’s a Tarot deck, it isn’t one. For example, if it says ‘Oracle’ deck, it’s not a Tarot deck. Tarot decks are always called by that name. If you are unsure how to buy Tarot cards, make sure that your deck has the word ‘Tarot’ on there.
What Cards Should be in my Tarot Deck?
There are 78 cards in a Tarot deck. The structure of your deck should look similar to a playing card deck with four suits – Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles (Pentacles are sometimes called Coins, but they are the same thing). Just like playing cards, there will be Court cards, but instead of 3 Courts, there are 4 of these.
So, you will have a total of 56 of these cards including the Ace of Wands, King of Cups, Five of Swords, and so on. On top of these cards, you will have 22 ‘Major’ cards that don’t appear in playing card decks. Together, these are what make up the 78 total cards.
Confused? Don’t be! Here’s a complete list of the 78 cards that should be in your deck:
(Note: in some decks, Strength and Justice are switched around, but this still counts as a Tarot deck).
You will notice that most decks are numbered with Roman numerals, not regular numbers. This is just tradition and is something you will get used to. And don’t worry, the cards all mean the same thing regardless of whether one is labeled a II of Wands or a Two of Wands.
There are cases where the Tarot deck designer has gotten creative and named their cards something different (for example, Prince and Princess instead of Page or Knight). For beginners, the renaming of some cards can be confusing. This is why I recommend you stick to reading with a Rider-Waite Tarot deck until you get familiar and confident with the structure of Tarot. If you’re struggling with how to buy Tarot cards, stick to the trusted Rider-Waite deck.
What Should I Do After I Buy My First Tarot Deck?
After buying your first Tarot deck, you should learn some Tarot card meanings. Once you own a deck, learning the meanings is the next step in reading Tarot. You can learn some of these Tarot card meanings on this website.
How to Buy Tarot Cards: A Recap
So, as a quick round-up, here are the points to remember:
You can buy your first Tarot deck yourself.
You can buy a deck from places like Amazon or your local mind, body, spirit shop.
There are 78 cards in a Tarot deck.
If you’re a beginner, you should buy a Rider-Waite Tarot deck. It comes in a blue box with gold detailing. Or, you can purchase the same deck I use here.
You’ll know it’s a Tarot deck if it says ‘Tarot’ on the box and has 78 cards.
Your deck will be made up of 22 special cards and 56 other cards that look like playing cards, but the suits are called Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles.
In some decks, the suits and Court cards may be called different things.
Decks are traditionally numbered in Roman numerals.
Once you buy your first Tarot deck, you should begin to learn the meanings of each card.
Closing Thoughts on How to Buy Tarot Cards
That’s all for how to buy Tarot cards! Are you rushing out to purchase your new deck? Have you already bought your Tarot card deck? Which one did you select? Feel free to let me know in the comments section below!
The Love Tarot Spread has 15 spread positions that I’ve chosen specifically for the task of giving the most detail on a relationship or potential relationship.
Below, I’m going to perform a real reading on myself and a guy I’ve been seeing (with his permission). For a bit of background, the relationship is somewhat casual and relaxed.
First, pre-reading. For your readings to be accurate, you must first set your intentions. Before this Tarot reading, the exact question I asked was, “Will my and X’s relationship go well for the next six months?” I then performed the reading.
The Ultimate Love Tarot Spread
We actually got quite a good reading, thank God, otherwise this would have been awkward! Here’s what the spread looks like:
I’m going to interpret my spread based on my current relationship using the Tarot card meanings from my Love Tarot Meanings e-book. (If you’re interested in Tarot spreads, I also have a Love Tarot Spreads e-book with 50 card spreads for every possible relationship situation imaginable.)
So, here are my interpretations!
Love Tarot Spread: Positions 1-5
The Past
Card Received: The Four of Cups
Position one in this spread symbolizes the past of the relationship – how we got here and the foundation of the matter. Obviously, as with most spreads, this one includes a past position and will tell me what’s happened previously in the relationship.
For this position, my partner and I received the Four of Cups. When this card appears in the Past spread position, the Love Tarot Meanings predicts the following:
“It is possible that this relationship/potential relationship began out of sheer boredom. Both you and your partner were looking for something new to do because you have grown tired of your circumstances. There was also an extended period in the past when one of you was very unhappy.”
I would say this is correct. At the time we started dating, we had both just gotten out of painful relationships. Neither of us was looking for anything too serious, just someone to spend time with as friends, which then developed into something more.
The Present
Card Received: The Sun
Position two – the present – represents what’s happening in our relationship now and the current state of our love life. We got The Sun, which is actually rather good!
When it appears in the Present spread position, the Love Tarot Meanings predicts that The Sun card means:
“The Sun can represent a time of happiness together. You enjoy each other’s company. If you’re not yet in a relationship with someone, don’t worry because your chances of getting one look very promising. Also, you may have some bumps in the road with your partner, but they are minor and are not so severe you should worry about them.”
Currently, we do just enjoy each other’s company. It’s great to have someone to spend time with and create experiences.
Your Feelings: Ace of Wands
Card Received: Ace of Wands
The third position in the Love Tarot Spread reveals my feelings for my lover. Here, we received the Ace of Wands. It’s not exactly the Ace of Cups, but still a rather okay spread.
When it appears in the Your Feelings spread position, the Love Tarot Meanings predicts that the Ace of Wands means:
“You want your relationship with this person to be more than what it is currently. You feel as though the two of you could make something great and develop into a more serious relationship. Perhaps you want to go to the next level?”
I’m sort of sitting on the fence with this interpretation. On one hand, it’s correct that I’d like our partnership to develop into something more serious, but on the other hand, I currently don’t have the time! However, if I was to get more serious with anyone, it would be my current partner.
Your Lover’s Feelings
Card Received: Five of Wands
Clearly, the fourth position in this spread will tell me how my lover feels about me and views our relationship in general. We received the Five of Wands for this position; this card can be good or bad depending on your circumstances.
When it appears in the Your Lover’s Feelings spread position, the Love Tarot Meanings predicts that the Five of Wands card means:
“Your potential lover has other love interests on their mind, and this affects their judgment. They have not chosen for certain the person who they want to be with long-term. Alternatively, this card can mean that your partner worries that you are not giving them the attention they feel they deserve; they feel they are competing for you.”
I don’t think the first half of this interpretation is correct; my current partner isn’t seeing another person. I feel that the second part of the interpretation – that they feel as though they have to fight for my affection – is more accurate for our circumstances.
I’m a bit wary about giving this partner too much of my attention because I like to be the one pursued by my partners, not the other way around. However, my current partner is laid back and not very dominant. He’s not the type of person who will try to force a relationship.
My partner is also not a business person, so he doesn’t understand why I have to work all the time. I’ve recently felt as though he does want more attention, so I would say that this interpretation is accurate.
Positives
Card Received: The Tower
Here, in spread position five, I will find all the positives and good things about my relationship. My partner and I received The Tower, which is often negative in readings. However, The Tower can sometimes represent bad things without it predicting negativity for the relationship itself.
When it appears in the Positives spread position, the Love Tarot Meanings predicts that the Tower card means:
“When The Tower appears as a positive, this means that you’re going through transitions in your love life which will eventually be good for you. They’re hard to see now, but one day, you will look back and see that this destruction and hurt made way for something better.”
I’m assuming that this card is discussing my ex-relationships. Before I was with my current partner (at the start of the year), I had gone through a really bad break-up; it was pure hell. My past relationship does hang over me now and greatly affects my decisions. It’s one of the reasons why I’m far less keen on progressing my current partnership.
It’s also possible that my current relationship is breaking down without my knowledge. However, I’m not so attached to this relationship, so I wouldn’t view it as a ‘Tower’ situation. I’m much keener on labeling my previous relationship as a Tower card.
The Ultimate Love Tarot Spread: Position 6-10
Negatives
Card Received: Three of Swords
The sixth position represents any negatives in my relationship, and will reveal factors that are damaging to my and my partner’s relationship. For this position, we received the Three of Swords.
When it appears in the Negatives spread position, the Love Tarot Meanings predicts that the Three of Swords card means:
“This relationship is too painful for you or your lover to handle; it is not going how you thought it would when you first connected. Also, one or both of you may be afraid to love, and this makes forming a relationship difficult. There is also the possibility that fertility issues are at play.”
The above interpretation makes three very good points, all of which actually do apply to myself and my partner.
The first is obviously the point that this relationship isn’t going how I originally thought it would, which is true. I thought this relationship would help me get over issues with my past relationship, but this wasn’t the case. Therefore, I’ve dragged the partnership a bit and went much more slowly than I normally would.
The second point is the idea that one or both of us are afraid to love. As I said, I’m wary. My partner has picked up on this, and because he knows I’m apprehensive, he’s now tip-toeing. Clearly, lack of action is not good for a relationship.
Thirdly, the fertility issues are at the back of my mind. I don’t have problems with fertility per se, but I do have other health problems that may or may not affect my fertility. I don’t know for certain, but this obviously has a negative impact on my love life, otherwise it wouldn’t come up in a reading.
Hopes
Card Received: The High Priestess
Position seven of this spread is pretty straightforward in that it reveals my hopes and what I want to happen. For this position, we got The High Priestess. The High Priestess is a card that most readers find very difficult to interpret for love readings. However, because I have the Love Tarot Meanings e-book to refer to, it isn’t that hard!
When it appears in the Hopes spread position, the Love Tarot Meanings predicts that this card means:
“You hope that your intuition is correct. You are praying that your intuition is telling you that everything is going to be fine. There may also be a desire to keep the relationship a secret.”
Both parts of the above interpretation are true. I hope that my intuition is correct (that my partner is not an asshole), and I also wish to keep the relationship a secret for now.
I’m a professional spirituality blogger and have been one for the last five years. In those years, I have grown my Divination & Fortune Telling blog to receive over 170,000 visitors every month. Clearly, because I’m constantly being watched, a lot of people know the ins and outs of my life. Therefore, if I’m seeing someone, I do like to keep it somewhat secret until the relationship is serious.
Fears
Card Received:Eight of Swords
Position eight of this spread represents my fears and what I don’t want to happen. For this placement, my partner and I received the Eight of Swords, which is pretty standard for a phobia position.
When it appears in the Fears spread position, the Love Tarot Meanings predicts that the Eight of Swords means:
“You fear that you are trapped in your partnership/potential partnership. You may even fear falling in love to one day realize that your lover is an abuser or control freak; you like to protect yourself.”
I am an Aquarius with half a dozen planets in Capricorn. Once I have my mind made up that I want a lover to leave me alone, I can’t pretend to love them anymore. I was once in a long-term relationship for four years, but fell out of love and really hurt my ex in the process (who had done some things wrong but wasn’t a bad person). I never imagined that I would be capable of harming someone so badly, but since that happened, I don’t intend on hurting anyone again.
One fear I have is that I may make my relationship with my lover more serious, only to hurt them if I later realize that a life with them isn’t what I want. I know that, if we had a serious relationship, he would want to tie me down, so I have to be 100% certain that I could be with him long-term.
Aim
Card Received:Knight of Pentacles
The Aim position (spread position nine) represents the things I should aim for when looking for a relationship. I’m going to interpret this position and assess whether or not my current lover matches this description. If they do, this is a good sign. If they don’t, this is obviously a bad omen.
For my Aim, I received the Knight of Pentacles. When it appears in the Aim spread position, the Love Tarot Meanings predicts that this card means:
“Aim for a relationship with someone who is no stranger to hard work. Pursue people who can show you that they are responsible.”
My lover is a very hard worker. Although he’s not in business like I am, he has a reputation for being devoted to his job. He can be a bit lackadaisical with his time management, but other than that, he’s very much like the Knight of Pentacles.
Avoid
Card Received:Page of Wands
Obviously, the Avoid position (position ten) represents what I should be avoiding when looking for relationships. The Page of Wands appeared here for me.
When it pops up in the Avoid spread position, the Love Tarot Meanings predicts that this card means:
“Avoid situations which imply you’re only out for a good time. Make sure your partners or potential partners know that you are pursuing a real relationship and not just something less serious.”
The above interpretation sends up red flags for me because I think I do give my partner the impression that they’re just someone I can spend time with, and that I’m not thinking about the two of us sharing a future together. I do want us to potentially have a future, but as I said, I’m cautious.
The Ultimate Love Tarot Spread: Position 11-15
Environment
Card Received: Ace of Cups
In this spread, position eleven represents the environment of myself and my lover. Things that appear in this part of the layout symbolize things, people, and situations that have an impact on our relationship and don’t directly come from us – for example, our children, family, parents, pets, career, businesses, friends, and anything else that affect us are going to show up in position eleven.
For this position, we received the Ace of Cups. When it appears in the Environment spread position, the Love Tarot Meanings predicts that this card means:
“Traditionally, the Ace of Cups is associated with females. It is possible that you and your partner/potential partner have many women in your life; not as lovers but as friends, family, etc. These women influence you. If the females are in your lover’s life, be sure to impress them!”
Both my and his family are relatively female-heavy; we have a lot of women in our families. We both have sisters. I don’t think he would like to sustain a relationship with someone who doesn’t get along with his sisters, so I’ll keep this in mind!
Other People
Card Received: Nine of Cups
Position twelve of this spread is similar to the last position, but deals purely with how other people perceive the partnership; this position can be important because it can reveal things other people can see that I cannot. Here, I will discover if outsiders are supportive of me and my lover’s relationship or not.
When it appears in the Other People spread position, the Love Tarot Meanings predicts that this card means:
“Friends and family desire a relationship for the two of you. However, the Nine of Cups Tarot card has a bit of a reputation for being a very selfish card, so sometimes, it indicates that other people are too wrapped up in themselves to care too much about your relationship (which, in this case, is good).”
I feel as though other people do desire a relationship for us – both probably with other people, not each other! I also agree that our friends and family aren’t yet aware that there’s anything more between us than just friendship.
What to Do
Card Received: The Lovers
Obviously, the spread in position thirteen is going to give me guidance for what I should do if I want to achieve the things I desire regarding my love life and relationship with my partner.
When it appears in the What to Do spread position, the Love Tarot Meanings predicts that The Lovers card means:
“You have to go all in with your partner/potential partner if you want it to work. You must spend every spare minute with your love interest and really make this partnership a priority. Also, remember to be romantic and thoughtful with your partner; this is something they are searching for. However, try not to be too physical too soon, or the relationship might become only about sex.”
The first part of the above interpretation is scarily accurate. I know I don’t make my lover a priority, but that I probably should if I want the relationship to grow and develop. I usually am thoughtful and romantic, but recently haven’t had the time. The second part of this interpretation definitely doesn’t apply to us!
The Unknown
Card Received: Six of Cups
There will be factors affecting my relationship that are unknown or hidden from me; this spread position (position fourteen) will reveal the things I’m unaware of. Here, I received the Six of Cups.
When it appears in the Unknown spread position, the Love Tarot Meanings predicts that the Six of Cups means:
“Deep down, you have a burning desire to return to an idealized view of your relationship; one which you held in the past. You would like to go back to the point when you felt puppy love, and everything was new and exciting. If you had one wish, it would be to re-experience how love felt before you matured and discovered how much your lovers could hurt you.”
I’ve known my partner my entire life and had a crush on him when I was younger. Sometimes, I do wonder what it would have been like if he and I had gotten together years ago. I feel as though it would have been better for us, because I’ve experienced a lot of hurt in my relationships that have changed the way I approach relationships in general.
It’s actually quite surprising that something like this would come up in our relationship reading. However, I guess that having such a detailed reading is probably down to having the right Tarot spread for the job as I do here!
The Future
Card Received: Three of Cups
The final position of this spread looks at the future or outcome of the relationship. As I only wanted to see a short distance into the future (6 months) and set this intention at the beginning of my reading, I know that this is the timeframe I’m looking at. Happily, I received the Three of Cups for this spread position.
When it appears in the Future spread position, the Love Tarot Meanings predicts that the Three of Cups means:
“In the future, you and your partner have much to look forward to; weddings, baptisms, parties, and births are all predicted. That’s not to say that you will be getting married and having babies any time soon. The card can mean that, but know that the future is fun, bright, and rosy for the two of you. If you’re reading on a potential relationship, sometimes the Three of Cups predicts that you will get your chance to woo your lover over during a social gathering.”
Not to blow my own horn, but the above interpretation I previously wrote is so true! My lover and I will certainly be attending parties, baptisms, weddings, etc. in the near future, as we already have quite a few of these planned in the coming months. Time will tell if in that time, I woo him (or he woos me!).
Closing Thoughts on the Ultimate Love Tarot Spread
That’s all for the ultimate love Tarot spread! Are you going to give this spread a try for your own readings? Have you tried this spread? Do you find it accurate? Feel free to share your thoughts with the Divinerism community in the comments section below!
(Please note that I do not interpret other people’s readings for them. If you’re looking for help interpreting your Tarot readings, feel free to check out the Love Tarot Meanings e-book).
As Tarot readers, there are certain things we want to say to our clients but because of lack of confidence, safety concerns, or to protect your feelings.
Believe it or not, us Tarot card readers are only human, so as Tarot readers, there are some things we’re all burning to say to our clients but choose not to. In this post, I’m going to tell you the things that your card reader wants to say but won’t or can’t due to lack of confidence, safety concerns, or a desire to protect their seeker’s feelings.
My Story
Many years ago, one chilly March morning, I visited a client who had booked me for a Tarot reading at her home. The woman was in her late 50s, single, chain-smoking, unemployed, and from her own admission, was always financially unstable and in and out of intense relationships.
Just like in most Tarot readings, my seeker desired to know what the future held – specifically, when she was going to meet Mr. Right and what she could do to speed up the process.
Rather early on during our sitting – five minutes after meeting her, in fact – she told me she wouldn’t settle. She refused to date anyone she described as ‘old’ (over the age of 25), someone pale (we live in Scotland), someone who wasn’t ‘gorgeous’, or someone who wasn’t rich. She also refused to try not only online dating but really anything that involved leaving the house to attract this man.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m a believer. I do think that some things are meant to be and that the right person does come along at the right time. However, I also know that the universe comes to those who go out and look for the things they want. I didn’t need to perform a Tarot reading to tell me that my seeker’s chances of finding Mr. Right while she sat on her couch were pretty slim.
I shuffled and laid down her cards; they didn’t look good.
I slowly tried to think up ways to tell her that her chances of fulfilling her fantasies were rather slim. I conjured this prediction not just from her reading, but also from her unwillingness to compromise her incredibly high expectations when she wasn’t in a position to offer anything to this young, beautiful, wealthy, Arabian prince she so desperately ached for. However, I didn’t get far enough to break the terrible news to her.
I said something that could be classed as somewhat pessimistic, and she blew that thing way out of proportion (I can’t remember exactly what it was, it was so insignificant). I don’t think I even got through 5 cards in her reading, but she spent the whole afternoon basically screaming, “fuck the universe.” There was one point where she disappeared into her kitchen, and I thought she was going to come back with a knife and murder me. Yeah, it was brutal.
That day sticks in my mind because it was probably the most awkward, frightening, and downright bizarre experience of my life. Not only was it the worst Tarot reading experience I’d ever had, but I left that session with many regrets. I never got far enough to say to her, “You need to lower your expectations.”
I’ve since realized that many readers have had similar experiences; those experiences will vary in seriousness, but a common theme is that they wish they’d said certain things that they never got the chance to.
Therefore, I’ve created this list of things your readers want to say to their clients but probably don’t. And trust me, Tarot readers aren’t immunes from this list; I’ve read other readers who I also wish I would have said one or two of these things to. Enjoy!
“You’re Too Picky”
I wish I had said this to my ex-client. I’m all for holding out for the right guy; however, it must be for the right reasons. Are you holding out due to superficial reasons such as age and looks? Or are you holding out for the right reasons such as values, morals, and ethics? If it’s the former, you might want to check yourself and be realistic while doing so.
Not only should you look for a partner for the right reasons, but you should keep in mind that a Tarot reading isn’t magic. Hiring a Tarot reader is only one step in the list of things you could do to meet a partner. You have to actually leave the house if you want to meet new people. You can’t hire a Tarot reader and expect them to predict what will happen if you’ve closed off all possibility of ever having a relationship.
“You’re Too Clingy”
Okay, I get it. You’ve been dating a guy for all but six weeks now, and you’re starting to wonder if he’s the one. We’re only human, and everyone does it occasionally because we don’t want to waste our time on the wrong person.
However, there’s a limit between planning for the future and being a bit creepy and stalkerish. Dating a guy and pondering the future of the relationship? In this instance, it’s okay to get a reading. Starting to see/date a guy and wanting a reader to tell you if you have a shot at a future? This can be iffy, but okay if you have lots to lose in the relationship, like if you’ve been hurt in the past.
Spot a guy at the bus stop and want to get a reading because you suspect he’s The One? Want to know if the guy on Instagram who liked your picture is husband material? These instances both cross over into kind of creepy. As a general rule, the less contact you have with a guy, the less likely you should be to run to a reader.
“I’m Not God”
There’s a particular type of client who’s never happy with their readings, no matter how much information you provide. No joke, I’ve performed phone readings where I’ve told the seeker the color of their partner’s t-shirt, the name of their dogs, and their mother’s date of birth, and they were still unimpressed.
By contrast, I’ve performed other readings that were an hour of very general, self-help-style advice (drink more water, love yourself, etc.), and the clients raved about it.
Some people will never be happy with their readings no matter what. You have to remember that your reader isn’t God. Tarot readers are not all-knowing magical beings. If you find you have unrealistic expectations, you may want to pull them back a bit. Which brings me to my next point:
“Psychic Demonstrations on TV Are Not Real Life”
Seriously. When you watch these shows on TV, they’ve been edited in such a way to make the psychic seem magical. However, remember that you could be (and probably are) watching demonstrations taped over hours, with all the mistakes, awkwardness, connecting time, and blank stares edited out.
It’s also important to note that these mediums have the energy of hundreds of people to choose from, whereas in one-on-one readings, they have to try to connect with only you. Different readers connect to different people differently. One medium may be fantastic with one person but uninspiring with you. That’s the risk you take when you hire a reader.
“We Are Not All the Same”
Often, seekers get disappointed because they choose the wrong type of reader. Do you want predictions? You’re looking for a fortune-teller. Want someone who can connect with spirit? You’re looking for a medium. Just because someone has Tarot reading skills doesn’t automatically mean they can speak to the dead, predict the future, or heal your pain.
In the same respect, it’s the responsibility of the reader to be truthful with how they market their services if they either don’t perform a particular reading style or aren’t confident in doing so.
For example, I’m a medium, but I rarely advertise as such for two reasons. Firstly, where I live, people usually assume that you’re formally trained or affiliated with a spiritualist church (because there’s such a church five minutes away from my house, people often falsely assumed I was affiliated with them).
Secondly, I grew up when mediums were all the rave on British TV, and people often have unreal expectations of mediums because of this fact. I would rather have someone book me and be pleasantly surprise than book me expecting mediumship and be disappointed if I can’t connect as well as another medium could. Therefore, I like to avoid even mentioning mediumship.
Closing Thoughts on What Your Tarot Reader Wants to Say, But Doesn’t
So, that’s it for the list of five things that your Tarot reader wants to say but probably doesn’t. Remember, before you get a Tarot reading, be sure to ask yourself:
Am I too picky?
Am I too clingy?
Do I expect too much from my reader?
Do I have realistic expectations of my Tarot reading?
Finally, do I understand what my reader’s abilities are?
As a professional reader, is there anything you wish that you could say to your clients? Feel free to share with us in the comments section if there is anything you are holding back from telling your seekers.
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