to me, tarot reading is more about asking the right questions than it is about receiving the “correct” response.
crafting the right questions will make a lot of difference if, like me, you’re using the cards to sort yourself out rather than forecast a particular outcome or do fortune telling. you will set an goal for your reading by asking the tarot questions. they help you figure out Why is that? you’re doing what you’re doing. And once you figure out why you’re looking for guidance, whether you’re pulling cards for yourself or consulting a professional reader, you’re able to receive messages more openly.
you can’t go wrong with “how do i…” and “what can you teach me about…”
These two questions leave things open for interpretation. and you need this degree of honesty for the types of readings i do in order for the cards to show what’s going on within you (or what’s going on in your querent’s mind/heart). through asking questions like “how do i…” and “What can you teach me about…”, you can tap into your instincts and draw from deep inside. Sure, these questions are a lot tougher to answer than simple Yes/No inquiries or “when” questions (I don’t do timelines), but easier isn’t always better when it comes to tarot. digging is a necessary aspect of the job.
start with “what do i need to know when you just want a reading” or want to draw cards for yourself but don’t have any questions”
When you’re feeling particularly confused about everything in life, it can be tough to know where to even start. it can be difficult to come up with questions to ask your reader if you’re new to tarot and have never had a reading before. when this happens, just ask yourself, “what do i need to know?”” This inquiry is super open and will allow your intuition to immediately rise up to the occasion. If you ask a question like this and grab a card, the first thing that comes out of your mouth when you see the picture or interact with the card’s catchphrase will almost always lead you to what needs to be answered right away.
it should be all about you. i still avoid answering questions that get through another person’s mind for two reasons: one, it’s intrusive, and two, it takes the attention away from who the reading is aboutâĢĶyou.
I’m a big proponent of readings that serve to empower people—messages that remind you that even in really impossible situations, you can probably figure out a way to connect to your autonomy and agency. when you ask questions like, “what does she think about me?” or “how does she feel about me?”âĢĿ or âĢľwhat does he think of me?âĢĿâĢĿ you’re giving up all of your strength (along with losing valuable time).
the tarot is a reflection. it represents the inner workings of our minds and hearts.
If you pull a card trying to figure out what a person thinks of you, the message you’re actually receiving is what you think the person thinks of you. that’s a lot to take in! laugh out loud. You want a reading to come back to you in order for it to be useful and inspiring. You can ask why what this person thinks of you is so important. you should inquire as to what image you are most likely to give off, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of doing so. you might also inquire as to how you’d like to be seen by some and what that entails. all of these issues bring you back into the forefront and provide you with strategies for dealing with a breakup and reclaiming your independence.
it’s just just about what’s going to happen “in the future” on outcome cards
the “plan” or “outcome” cards are used to illustrate options in past present future readings or issue advice result spreads. it’s similar to flipping on waze and seeing all of the various routes that are open. if you believe in fate or a predetermined path for all of us, i believe it is crucial to understand that there are several paths to where we can go next. and the wonderful thing about empowering tarot readings is that they teach you many paths to take to get where you want to goyou have the option to choose
every question that yields a hard yes or a hard no is my short and dirty guideline on when not to ask.
learning not to ask yes or no questions requires time and practice. People automatically revert to this kind of inquiry whenever i post free readings on instagram posts. a yes or no answer gives you a predetermined result, which i don’t believe in. giving a simple yes or no removes the control from a case. saying yes or no, in my opinion, is a cop out because it stops you from going further. what is normally more critical than a yes or a no iswhy regardless, the question is being asked.
when someone asks me a yes or no question and i’m feeling snarky, i immediately return the question and wonder why they’re asking it in the first place.
this isn’t to say that i don’t sometimes get intuitive hits with a timeline or a preference for a yes over a no (or vice versa).
Sometimes, I’m shuffling cards for someone and then I just get a feeling that—yup, it might be better to wait things out at your current job for three months or so… or nope, it just feels like you’re better off doing x rather than y. these intuitive hits can be triggered by something i see in the cards, but most of the time they are simply my intuition speaking to me.
When this happens, I always clarify that I’m speaking directly from intuition and not anything else. people reading the cards, in my opinion, should make it clear so that the person they’re reading for understands that it’s an emotional effect rather than a predetermined result. isn’t it true that we’ve all had that “i have a dream” feeling? much of the time, it’s illogical, but trusting your gut instinct often contributes to the positive. if you phrase your answer in this way, you’re at least being straightforward while still telling the person you’re reading about that the next course of action is actually up to them.
i hope that this article has clarified any misunderstandings you might have on how to prepare questions for a reading. regular draws, in my opinion, are the perfect way to evaluate this form. every day, simply ask yourself, “what do i need to know?”And take one card from the deck. rather than being fatalistic, whatever response you get helps to reflect something about your day that you can concentrate about and care about.