How to Better Understand Your Life with Tarot Cards

What are Tarot Cards?

In Europe, tarot cards first emerged in the 1500s and were primarily just for playing card games. Over time, they have evolved into powerful tools for divination and self reflection.

How Can They Help Me to Better Understand Myself?

Essentially, tarot cards can help you to understand yourself better and what's going on around you, guiding you to make better decisions and providing clarity and affirmation.

A deck consists of 78 cards, each with their own unique symbolic imagery designed to guide you to what your intuition might be trying to tell you. Your intuition can be the universe, your higher self, God, spirit guides, or whatever you feel resonates with you the most.

How to Use Tarot Cards

Anybody can read tarot cards, you just have to practice. Each deck comes with a booklet so you can learn the meanings of each card.

To use the cards effectively, it's important to ask questions in an open-ended way rather than simple yes-no questions. Instead, ask for information that will guide you.

Tip: Never use someone else's deck, and don't let anyone else touch yours. There is energy attached to the cards.

Firstly, ask yourself a question.

You can ask general questions like:

• What should I be focusing on?

• What do I need to know?

• What's the best step for me to take [today / this week / this month]?

Shuffle the cards and, one by one, draw a card. If you're a complete beginner, start by drawing 3.

Tarot cards are there to provide insight about yourself, not others, so don't ask specific questions about particular people - especially in a romance/relationship reading.

Be open to your readings and remember, nothing is set in stone. Just because the cards suggest something, doesn't mean it can't or won't change.

Basic 3 Card Spread - 'Past, Present, and Future'

You can use a 'spread' to guide your reading. A spread assigns each card that is dealt a different meaning. Let's take the 'past, present, and future' spread for example. Tarot spreads are an essential aspect of tarot reading and can significantly influence the insights gained from a session. Understanding how to use different spreads and their meanings can really elevate your tarot practice.

Past

The first card drawn represents the energies and events from the past that continue to influence your current situation. It might reveal how your past experiences either hold you back or push you forward.

Take a moment to reflect on the card and consider how it relates to your current situation. Ask yourself what lessons can be learned from the past? What patterns or behaviours need to be acknowledged and addressed in order to move forward?

Present

The second card represents what is current happening in your life. It provides insight into the energies and influences that are shaping your present circumstances.

Are there any opportunities or challenges that are coming up in your life right now? Perhaps consider how your actions and decisions in the present moment are affecting the overall trajectory of your journey.

This card acts as a mirror, reflecting the choices and actions that are currently shaping your path.

Future

The final card in the spread offers a glimpse into the potential outcomes and direction of your journey.

It reveals possible opportunities and the path you are currently on. While the future is never set in stone, this card can help you gain clarity and make informed decisions.

Think about how your past and present choices are influencing the future depicted in the card. Use this insight to guide your actions and intentions going forward.

When Not to Read Tarot Cards

It has been recommended by others to never do a reading when you are in a potentially dangerous situation, or when your mental health is not in a good place.

Remember: The purpose of tarot is not to make your decisions for you, but to better inform your decisions and give you insight. You don't always need to take them so literally.

Tarot cards - or any other divination tool - won't work properly if you don't have a clear mind. It's recommended you be neutral and calm before doing a reading. The worst time to do a reading is usually when you most want an answer, which can lead to frustration and a block with the cards.

Author Insight: If I feel frustrated and confused, the cards literally don't come out when I shuffle them, or they reveal the same cards as previous recent readings. I can feel they don't want to reveal anything new, so I end up putting the cards back for another day when I'm in a better mindset.

Cleansing your Deck

The cards are in tune with your energy. Over time, negative energy or the energy from past readings might cling to them, giving you an inaccurate reading. You might also start to feel a bit disconnected from your cards, so now and then you may wish to cleanse them.

• Leave a crystal on top (selenite, clear quartz, amethyst)

• Burn incense

• Light a candle

Author Insight: I always use incense to cleanse my deck. I set them beside my incense and leave them there until it's burned out.

Are Tarot Cards accurate?

Yes, but it's not set in stone. Tarot predictions can be accurate, especially if the reader (or yourself) is very intuitive about what it is they're seeing being played out in the cards. But they are always open to interpretation and can sometimes be inaccurate. It just depends on how the reader interprets the cards and delivers the message.

Author Insight: Personally, every reading I've ever done - or had done by someone else - has happened in one way or another. Sometimes it might play out a little differently to how I was expecting, but it does have some truth to it. However, if I don't like something that comes from a reading, I have the power to change things in my life from the insights given.

What Deck Should I Start With?

Start with the original deck such as the Rider Waite deck. The Original Rider Waite Tarot is the most popular and widely used tarot card deck in the world. It comes with 78 cards and an instructional booklet for you to learn each card.

Alternatively, you can pick a deck that resonates with you the most. For example, Alice uses the Green Witch Tarot Deck by Ann Moura.

"Enter the world of the Green Witch, where vivid imagery and symbolism help you align with the elements, natural energies, and the Old Religion. Presenting Witchcraft practices and meaningful encounters with plants and animals, The Green Witch Tarot opens a channel between the reader and the spiritual beings of nature. Beautifully illustrated by Kiri Ostergaard Leonard and accompanied by a comprehensive guidebook for easy interpretation, this deck is full of Pagan-oriented themes and energetic wisdom you can use to find the answers you seek."

Check back for more posts about tarot cards and other divination techniques, as well as ideas on how to have a deeper connecting to nature through walks, mindfulness, yoga, journaling and more.

Want to learn how to work with tarot cards and crystals, or learn more ways to connect with nature? Join the membership for just £5 a month to get exclusive access to more content and an exclusive group to discover a community of like-minded people.