Tarot readings can take two forms:
- A general query about the state of one’s life right now and what to pay attention to.
- A specific question about a topic of interest, such as work, love, or personal development.
The most vital part of any reading is to come up with the right question to ask the cards in the first place. Even with a general query, if you don’t have clarity on what you’re asking, the answer will be similarly vague, and if your question is too rigid (e.g. ‘either/or’), the answer may be too limiting to be helpful; for instance, if it’s not the answer you want, that can be quite demoralising and cause you to feel deprived of agency. It’s important to take some time to find the right words for your query, so that the cards have the opportunity to expand on elements of your situation, providing a much richer experience. This will also help you to get into the right mindset for tuning in to their response and reflecting on what it means for you.
Here are some examples of questions that could be reframed to elicit a more meaningful response:
- Rather than ‘Should I take this job?’, try ‘What factors do I need to take into account when considering this job offer?’
- Rather than ‘Is my relationship going to work out?’, try ‘What are the different ways I could respond to what’s going on in my relationship?’
- Rather than ‘What should I do with my life?’, try ‘What are my most important values at the moment?’
- Rather than ‘What message have the cards got for me today?‘, try ‘What energies are prevalent in my life right now?’
As a former librarian, I have experience in helping people articulate more clearly what they’re really looking for, as illustrated by a concept called the ‘reference interview’. As Wikipedia puts it, ‘the librarian responds to the user’s initial explanation of their information need by first attempting to clarify that need [my italics] and then by directing the user to appropriate information resources.’ I take a similar approach in my Tarot readings: I will not begin a reading until I am sure I have fully understood your question and we have framed it appropriately; I will then consider what spread might best be applied to elicit insights; and I will then act as a sounding board for your responses to the cards when they are drawn.
That said: although it is helpful for you to ‘know’ your own question, you do not have to tell me what it is. If you would prefer me simply to draw cards ‘blind’, I can do this and give you my interpretation based purely on what the cards say to me. You may find this helpful, or you may wish to open up about certain aspects of your question if you find you need further clarification. The choice is always yours; I am merely there to facilitate your dialogue with the cards, and enable you to leave with insights that will help you move forward with your life.
Find out more about how we can use the cards to shed light on our situation.