If you’re anything like me, you constantly have questions about your future that you can’t quite answer. That’s why I started to learn to read tarot cards.
I was immediately drawn to the beautiful imagery, symbols, and different themed decks. I was never a very spiritual person, but my partner at the time was, so he bought me my first tarot card deck to learn. The theme of my deck honored the many goddesses throughout history and used their stories to place themes of women empowerment and feminine strength at the center of the readings. This made me excited to learn and gave me an incentive to really connect with it. After months of discovering the meanings of the different cards and doing readings for the people in my life, I’ve learned quite a bit about tarot cards and what they can do for you. Whether you believe tarot cards can reveal something about you or hold any truth, I really think there’s something in it for everyone. Here are some of my takeaways:
#1: Trust your intuition
Yes, different cards have different meanings, but you can’t treat them like a dictionary and read them to someone verbatim. Cards adapt to the questions you ask, and it all comes down to your intuition when giving someone a reading. Cards can change meaning when paired with other ones, especially when certain images come together. No two people will read tarot the same way, which is why it’s so important for you to simply look at the cards and build your own connection to the images and symbols.
#2: … but don’t just BS
There are 76 tarot cards in a deck. After months of learning, I still don’t confidently know every card like the back of my hand. There’s no shame in referring back to a guide. The worst thing you can do is tell someone what they want to hear instead of accurately reading it.
#3: Take what resonates with you
Not every reading will make sense, and sometimes, it doesn’t apply to you at all. Take only what speaks and resonates with you. Maybe this is advice for the future and not for the present.
#4: It doesn’t tell you something you don’t already know
I truly believe that tarot cards don’t tell you something you don’t already know about yourself. While a card doesn’t give you a detailed explanation on what your entire future looks like, it does give you insight on certain issues or situations occurring in your life right now. Maybe it’s a decision you’ve been contemplating for a while, or a problem that has yet to be resolved. I’ve had friends who were unsure about their current relationships, curious about the near future regarding school or their love lives, or worried about internships. Whatever it is, you’ve likely already thought about it and considered your feelings regarding it. Tarot cards come in handy to guide you through this issue or situation, perhaps suggesting a direction you knew was right all along.
While they don’t hold all the answers, tarot cards provide something significant for us to reflect about ourselves, as well as guidance during times of uncertainty.