Ways to Read Tarot Casually
It’s so easy to get serious when reading tarot. With cards like The Tower, The Hermit, and the Ten of Swords, who could blame you for painting sweeping pictures, waxing poetic about existential dilemmas, and focusing on the mythic in the mundane? I’ve noticed, however, that sticking to these areas when reading can lead to burnout, not to mention a limited understanding of the cards. If everything is epic, how can you go to the cards to understand smaller issues like daily decisions, exciting and low-stakes choices, or even open-ended explorations of themes?
It’s so easy to get serious when reading tarot. With cards like The Tower, The Hermit, and the Ten of Swords, who could blame you for painting sweeping pictures, waxing poetic about existential dilemmas, and focusing on the mythic in the mundane? I’ve noticed, however, that sticking to these areas when reading can lead to burnout, not to mention a limited understanding of the cards. If everything is epic, how can you go to the cards to understand smaller issues like daily decisions, exciting and low-stakes choices, or even open-ended explorations of themes?
As someone who gravitates to deeper topics over lighthearted musings, this was a challenging pivot! However, I quickly found that reading about “silly things” or engaging in more playful tarot practices vastly improved my skills as a reader. It was almost like I’d been going to the gym for years and only working on my arms. Suddenly, I had a much stronger foundation to draw upon when doing readings; the other end of the spectrum started to fill in and I could speak to nuanced situations instead of just grand, life changing chapters.
This is all to say that play and flexibility with tarot is quite important when it comes to developing a full-fledged relationship to the cards. What’s more, it can also rejuvenate your practice if you’ve been feeling stuck, stale, and uninspired. And there just may be a hidden lesson here: play is essential, not frivolous, and to be able to describe the big picture we also need a respect and understanding of the little pieces that make up the whole.
Ways to take tarot less seriously, play in your practice, and have fun with the cards
Ask silly questions
I remember the first time I tried this vividly. I was sitting in the parking lot by Marshall’s (glamorous!) and hemming and hawing about whether I should go in. Some context: One of my die-hard habits is self-flagellating over purchases of any kind. I’d just gotten a miniature deck of the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot, complete with its own tin carrying case, and it sat next to me in the middle console. Suddenly, I was struck with an idea: why not ask the cards? So I shuffled the cards and chose one: the Three of Swords. Welp! Guess a stint in Marshall’s wasn’t going to bring me anything but heartache. So I turned on my car and bopped over to my original destination, the grocery store. Now, the Three of Swords is a rough card, and if my life were a horror movie, I’d have immediately perished in a car accident on my way to do my shopping. Which is important to note, because doing smaller, lighthearted readings can also help deflate the fear and anxiety that comes with frightening-looking cards. I’m happy to say I made it to the store and now like to read for quick, silly, and daily questions.
Read to give yourself a pep-talk
A quick way to fill yourself with nervous energy is to read tarot about something you really care about with no guidelines. Will I have fun on this upcoming first date? With no set spread or intention, this innocent question can quickly spiral into worry if you draw, say, The Tower. Instead, I like to do short readings with the sole intention of gassing myself up. “Tell me something amazing about myself,” or, “How can this go swimmingly?", “In what ways am I absolutely crushing It right now?” Draw a maximum of three cards with the understanding that they’ll only tell you something positive. Get a “negative” card? It could be directing your attention to ways your triumphed against hardship, have important wisdom from past experiences, or are adept at helping/seeing/understanding this difficulty with others.
Ask about literature, pop culture, and stories
Tarot has become well-known as a tool for self-discovery and healing, and rightly so. But that doesn’t mean we have to use it to explore our lives alone. I find that reading about fictional others is also especially helpful when it comes to understanding interpersonal themes because it’s not tied up in our emotional responses, hopes, or wishes. So, do a reading about the characters in a book you’re reading, a plot on a show or film you’re enjoying. This dovetails with the classic practice of using tarot to inspire and guide creative writing projects as well, which I also heartily recommend.
See cards in the people, places, and situations around you
Life can be one big tarot scavenger hunt. It certainly is for me, but I may be uniquely nerdy when it comes to the cards. Regardless, I suggest experimenting with “seeing the world through the lens of tarot.” Witness someone cut someone off in traffic on your morning commute? What cards would you use to describe that?Become infatuated with a new coworker? What card do they most embody? The world at large can be a huge inspiration for your practice as well as a tarot playground, the whole deck running around in your actual life.
Making Your Own Tarot Spreads
Ah, tarot spreads. You’ve seen them in tarot books, the little handouts accompanying your decks, and all over the internet. Maybe you even spend hours searching for just the right one, a tarot version of spending two hours at a blockbuster trying to find a movie to rent (yes, I just dated myself!) But why search far and wide when you can make your own? In my personal practice I mainly create my own spreads (you can find some of them here). Why? Because oftentimes I want a pointed look at a specific question, I enjoy tailoring a spread to whatever’s on my mind/what I need, and I hate pointless googling.
Hopefully your spread will be less chaotic! | Image by @rm_photography
Ah, tarot spreads. You’ve seen them in tarot books, the little handouts accompanying your decks, and all over the internet. Maybe you even spend hours searching for just the right one, a tarot version of spending two hours at a blockbuster trying to find a movie to rent (yes, I just dated myself!) But why search far and wide when you can make your own? In my personal practice I mainly create my own spreads (you can find some of them here). Why? Because oftentimes I want a pointed look at a specific question, I enjoy tailoring a spread to whatever’s on my mind/what I need, and I hate pointless googling.
Making your own spread isn’t as hard as it seems, so I wanted to share some guidelines to help you on your journey. Like anything in tarot, remember that you set the stage and have the power to add, subtract, and innovate as you see fit. Depending on your style, you may want to write these objectives down so you can follow along when it comes time for your actual reading, and so that you can revisit and replicate your spread later.
Basic guidelines for creating custom tarot spreads:
Set the topic or question: What do you want to know?
Divide into pieces of information: Once you've set the theme to the reading, think about what pieces of information would be helpful. Timing? Make a card for that. Guidance? Another card. Something to watch out for? You have card #3!
Make room for mystery & steps forward: I always like to add a card for something I need to know but may not be aware of as well as a card that gives me insight into something simple I can do to start bringing my reading into reality.
Write a map of your spread: Now that you have your card placement meanings, arrange them in a map. I like to draw silhouettes of each card and assign it a number; below, I write out a key with each position meaning next to the number. Choose a shape that reflects your objective (i.e. a linear spread for a simple, future-oriented question, a ladder-shape for a path of progress, etc.) Get creative if it feels helpful and inspiring, otherwise choose a basic shape (a line or stacked rows of cards) that feels organized and readable to you.
Edit: You’ll usually find some overlapping or extraneous cards in your map. Cut those out without hesitation - simple is better in most tarot readings and the last thing you need in your life is more confusion.
Test drive: You now have a complete spread written out - it’s time to read! Draw your cards, arrange them according to your map, and do an inaugural reading.
Let it sit: Leave your reading out for a few days to see how its message sinks in.
Revisit and edit: Now that you’re armed with some perspective, see if you need to make any tweaks to your spread, and then enter it into your collection for future use.
What to Do When a Card Just Doesn't Make Sense
We've all been there before. You've laid out a big, beautiful reading and things are flowing along smoothly. All the cards seem to be telling a wonderful and cohesive story, connecting easily to each other and forming illuminating patterns. And then it happens.
One card just. doesn't. make. sense. The ease and rhythm of your reading is completely thrown off. Where the words once came easily now there's... nothing. What do you do?
This scenario fills a lot of us with fear. Why isn't this card behaving? What can't we see? Why aren't we able to pull on our knowledge to make things clear?
We've all been there before. You've laid out a big, beautiful reading and things are flowing along smoothly. All the cards seem to be telling a wonderful and cohesive story, connecting easily to each other and forming illuminating patterns. And then it happens.
One card just. doesn't. make. sense. The ease and rhythm of your reading is completely thrown off. Where the words once came easily now there's... nothing. What do you do?
This scenario fills a lot of us with fear. Why isn't this card behaving? What can't we see? Why aren't we able to pull on our knowledge to make things clear?
These hiccups happen to the best of us, no matter how much memorizing and practicing we do. But before you despair, I'd like to invite you to reframe the situation a little bit.
What if the card throwing you off is trying to tell you something important, something different? What if it's being tricky for a reason?
In my personal practice, I've found that these cards are a quick check on our ego as well as a gateway into a deeper facet of a situation. Their meaning isn't instantly clear because it requires some more work and finesse to get to the core message. As with most things, the hard work is usually worth it.
But back to that flustering, out-of-sync moment. I don't want to gloss over how unnerving it can be to find yourself at a loss for words, especially when you're reading for another person. (Sometimes, drawing a blank on a tarot card can also be as simple as a matter of stage fright.) Below I've compiled some tips for how to move beyond this moment, whether it's a matter of forgetting, nervousness, or simply being at a loss for how the card connects to the larger reading.
I hope these are helpful as you navigate similar situations. And above all, remember to breathe, be kind to yourself, and take these moments as invitations to dive deeper into the cards.
How to Deal with Confusing Tarot Cards
Take a Moment to Center - Before you move into a state of panic, take a quick breath or two to reconnect with yourself and the present moment. Remember, the stakes aren't high, and a tarot reading is as much an exploration as it is a message. Being in-control and certain 100% doesn't make for nuanced, illuminating, and intuitive readings!
Ask the Card What it Means - Look deeper into the card without consulting the rest of the reading to delve into its nuances. Let the rest of the cards fall to the wayside and imagine that you're doing a reading on the same question with just one card and voila! you've drawn your problem card. What message does it portray when viewed alone? Let your intuition lead the way and reintroduce the rest of the cards when you feel confident.
Start by Describing the Card - This technique is an oldie and a goodie and is especially helpful when reading for another person. Begin by describing the card out loud. For example, with the Four of Cups you might say, "A person is sitting beneath a tree with their arms crossed, gazing at three cups. They look bored and detached..." This exercise helps bring up any meanings and associations you may have forgotten in the heat of the moment and brings you back into the flow of the reading.
Explore Why it's Different - Take a closer look at the card. Is it making you draw a blank because it doesn't fit in with the rest of the reading? If so, look at how it differs from the rest. Could it be a warning? A new direction to move towards? A helpful attitude to embrace? In this case, the card's difficulty can point towards its meaning.
Check-In with Biases, Fears, and Resistances - Is there something about this card that puts you on edge? It could simply be a card you don't resonate with naturally or one that brings up bad memories and incompatible concepts. (I'm thinking authoritarian cards like The Emperor or cataclysmic ones like The Tower) Bring all these associations into your mind and then let them go. Swipe them to the side! Say goodbye! See what the card says to you without all this baggage. Is there a new message or meaning that's now visible?
Draw a Clarifying Card - I like to use this as a last resort, since it's easy to go overboard. This technique is helpful in situations where the tricky card seems to be missing information or only telling part of a story. Limit yourself to one card and place it next to the card that's giving you trouble. It's meaning is solely to illuminate more about the first card. Let the two form a dialogue and fill in any gaps of your understanding.
Accept the Unknown - If, after you've tried the steps above, the card is still being resistant, give it some time. I've found that in these cases the card needs extra time and space to reveal its meaning. Usually it unfolds in quite a memorable way, so be patient and see what arises as you go about your normal life. This is just another part of tarot's mysterious nature. Similarly, you can now look to this card for inspiration in your future actions. How might you act to better understand the perspective or message of the card you drew?
I hope these techniques help you when you find yourself with a card that just doesn't make sense. Above all, don't worry too much - this happens to the best of us, so welcome to the club! If anything, these cards are reminders that there's always something new to experience with the cards.
How about you? What has your experience been with tricky cards? Do you have any techniques that help you through these moments? Please share in the comments below!
Tarot & Community: The First Tarot Club Meeting
As a beginner I had a very solitary practice; it wasn't until I read for others that a lot of the depth and nuance of the cards were revealed to me. After seeing this same need in my tarot classes (the reading swaps were the most enlightening and active) I decided to start a free group where we could do just that. I called it The Tarot Club a) because it sounded fun and alluring and b) because I wanted to intentionally create an inclusive space where the only requirement for membership was enthusiasm and interest. The special space of a club without exclusivity if you will.
I had to take a day or so to process the magic and insight from our first tarot club meeting. It was a beautiful coming together of tarot enthusiasts of all stripes. In all honesty, I didn't have a clear idea of what shape the first meeting would take. I like to let things unfold in the moment, dictated by the curiosity and needs of the group. You could say I'm allergic to hierarchy. I wanted The Tarot Club to be a truly community driven space where anyone who shows up is a co-creator and co-learner. I simply offer the space (and a little light refreshment.)
I truly believe we are our own best teachers; when we can come together as a group we get a beautiful array of teachers with their own unique insights and wisdom. Setting the intention and then stepping back to let it unfold is an amazing thing, indeed!
So what happened? It was cozy, supportive, and quite surprising. We began with casual snacking and catching up, and maybe a little rosé, after which we chatted about our recent tarot experiences.
Next we dove into readings. Led by a question from one of our lovely participants, we began with a group reading where each of us chose a deck (I had a large chunk of my collection out, plus decks brought by others) and shuffled the cards with our question in mind. We decided to do a reading on the struggles unfolding in the wake of the Weinstein scandal and subsequent reveleations about sexual assault, harassment, and abuse perpetrated by men in power. Yes, go big or go home! What could we do to work with this energy to effect lasting change and how could we deal with well-meaning supporters unaware of their contributions to these issues?
As we each pulled a card and read it together we drew deeper and deeper into the trancelike state I access during readings. It was a powerful experience to travel to this place with a group and the experience was, quite honestly, magical. I'm still digesting it and the potential and healing power of community tarot readings. I'm excited to find new ways to facilitate similar experiences.
Afterwards we broke up and swapped readings, trying out new decks, troubleshooting issues, and experimenting with different decks. In between it all was lots of tea, wine, catching up, and laughter. It was a beautiful night of tarot and community - very three of cups! - that had me glowing afterwards and full of new ideas for the next meeting.
If you're in the Raleigh-Durham area I hope you'll join us next time (the third Thursday of each month from 6-8). No matter your tarot level, we'd love to have you and your insights! To learn more click here or RSVP for future meetings here.
We’re using a different deck than normal this week, for no other reason that that it was the closest to my morning writing spot - nestled in bed under a crisp, white duvet. Our cards have a similar energy, a focus on finding comfort and rest in difficult situations. Because, as you’ve likely noticed, The Tower is starting things off this week. What’s crumbling or has crumbled recently? What is making you tired?