We’ve all done it: had a buringing question, pulled out our Tarot deck, laid the cards down and thought, ‘What on Earth does this mean?’ Reading for yourself can require self-discipline. Even seasoned readers will find it challenging and prefer to have another reader read for them. Here are some considerations when you want to know how to do a Tarot reading for yourself:
1. Ask yourself why you need to know the answer
The main two questions you need to be asking yourself are:
- Are your motivations for doing this reading higher-vibration, or are they coming from a lower-vibrational place?
- Should you even be doing this reading at all?
Are you asking because your curiosity is killing you, and must know? Are you just nosy about the way someone might feel about something you just did? What is your state of mind? Is it possible to ask the people involved directly instead of asking a deck of cards?
If you do decide that you want to read for yourself, here are a few tips to ensure the reading is fruitful:
2. Be objective
This is the trickiest part. Tarot cards pick up on energies. While cards don’t lie, they pick up the most prominent energies surrounding a situation. Be mindful that you can pick up on the energy of your wishful thinking, your pessimistic “worst-case scenario” thinking, your fears, and your ego.
Reading while you’re stressed can also muddy the energies; Tarot serves as a mirror that reflects energies it picks up. So, ensure you’re coming in from an objective and open place.
3. Cleanse your deck and space
When thinking of the best way on how to do a tarot reading for yourself, you need to set the tone:
- Meditate beforehand (ensure that you are in a calm headspace)
- Centre and ground yourself
- Invite stillness into your space using your cleansing method of choice (What is the best way to cleanse a space? Our aura spray is perfect for this)
- Similarly, cleanse your deck to start the reading on a ‘clean slate
- Ask your Spirit Team specifically to give you the most objective guidance for your Highest Good and those around you
- Be honest and open to receiving any information—even if your ego doesn’t like it!
4. Use a defined spread
With the prevalence of Tarot YouTubers doing “freestyle” readings, it might be tempting to just sling cards all over the table and cherry-pick positive cards to reinforce your own beliefs, expectations, or suspicions about a particular situation.
But when reading for yourself, it is more important than ever to give some structure to your readings.
- Use a defined spread with specifically designated meanings for each position in the layout.
- If you need to clarify cards, be clear to stick to the card being clarified.
- Ask precise questions (this can be scary for some as you risk getting answers that you’d rather not hear)
Having a clear-cut spread will keep you in check.
5. Take the first interpretation, don’t overthink it
Use your intuition and take the first meanings that come to mind. Trust your intuition—whether it leans on a more intuitive sense or a traditional by-the-book meaning. Don’t go into “denial mode” and start searching for alternative meanings. Combined with the defined spread, you’ll have the messages and answers you need (but may not want) to hear.
Don’t start a reading all over again from the beginning just because you didn’t like the answer. Asking the same questions over and over, hoping for a different response, is not helpful.
6. Be mindful of interpreting the cards in a constructive way
Stay level-headed and avoid getting riled up and reacting. Don’t go into “worst-case scenario” mode at the first sight of a card you need to see and look for alternative meanings online. You’re not reading cards to make yourself feel worse; you’re reading the cards to find a solution.
7. How to do a Tarot reading for yourself? Journal!
Make Tarot journalling a habit. It takes discipline to document every reading you do, but it will hopefully combat “Tarot addiction”, the practice of redoing entire readings just because you don’t like the answer. It’s also a great way to discover if reading for yourself is for you.
Not everyone can read for themselves and are better suited for helping others. If you’re always getting compliments from your friends and family about being “spot-on” but are always ‘off’ when you’re reading yourself, maybe reading for yourself isn’t for you.
8. When unsure, don’t be afraid to ask for a second opinion
Even seasoned readers will need help from their fellow readers. Don’t be afraid to ask for a second opinion from a professional who reads Tarot, as they will have a more objective voice. Sometimes you need someone to lend you an ear and somebody to talk to. We’re social animals, after all. You don’t have to deal with things alone.
