The Tamesis
Some other open-ended questions you can try are:
- Which patterns no longer work for me?
- What’s the best course of action now?
- What do I need to pay attention to in life?
- What qualities should I embrace?
- What does this relationship need to develop or resolve?
How to Interpret Tarot Card Readings
Just as you want to keep your questions open, you also want to keep an open mind – remember, the key is to gain a new perspective; to see yourself or a situation more clearly. “Intuition is definitely a huge part of tarot reading; that’s what makes it so special,” Howe said. “Tarot is really a tool to facilitate talking about things. Use the language that you already have, or the knowledge that you already have, so that you don’t look at it as, ‘This has all these secret meanings that I have to do all this work to access,’ but more like, ‘I know all the meanings; it’s just a matter of making connections and being able to illuminate them.'”
The four elements of earth, water, fire, and air, as well as numerology, also play an important role in tarot and can help us learn from it. “If you do that, then it’s more of your own opinion and you can interpret it more freely,” Howe said.
Tarot is an ancient practice for a reason. Each card design has inherent meaning. “The reason one card can have such a specific connection with multiple people is because Tarot is rooted in archetypes that speak the language of the collective unconscious,” explains Dean. “Our stories are told through archetypes like the Fool or the Hermit, which are familiar to us because they exist in our energetic blueprints. Remember, your interpretation of the cards is just as important, if not more important, than the traditional interpretation.”
Learn some basic tarot card reading techniques
For beginner readers, Howe recommends two basic arrangements, the three-card pull and the Celtic Cross. In the former, three cards are drawn from the deck to represent the past, present and future. Once you get better, you can increase the stakes to six cards, with two cards in each area.
The Celtic Cross, while slightly more complex, is also a traditional starting point. “The Celtic Cross is a classic deck where each card has a designated place and a designated meaning for that place. It has 10 cards, so it’s very informative and the cards are very clear,” Howe said.
However, remember that there is no one “right” way to communicate – it’s more important to keep the big picture in mind. “It’s really about the connection between the cards,” Howe said. “Depending on what cards are around a certain card, it affects its meaning. They all influence each other and sometimes even amplify each other.” Dean says it’s best to “focus on the quality of each message rather than the number of cards drawn.”
Whatever you do, don’t panic
Remember, tarot cards are not predictive. “Don’t believe everything you see in the movies about tarot cards,” Dean said. “The cards do not predict things beyond your control; they do not predict death and lead to despair—you have free will to create your own path using the guidance provided by the cards.”
