If you need to find clarity around a situation, consider giving tarot readings a try. Let go of any preconceived notions and make space for the possibility that in a modern world, tarot cards can be a very useful tool to gain awareness and to find inner peace. Using a deck of tarot cards is easier than you think and always on point. You can go to a “professional” reader, but ultimately the best person to interpret the cards is you. It’s much cheaper than therapy.
Tarot Card Readings for Self-Discovery
What is your reaction when someone talks about reading tarot cards? Are you excited at the idea? Nervous? Does the word tarot come with connotations of something sinister? Or are you open to the idea that there may be something of value?
Perhaps you landed here today because you are exploring ways to get answers. There are times in life when we’re ready to accept any help we can get.
If you believe in Guardian Angels or that those who have passed before you are still watching over you, then you will probably find tarot cards to be a very magical tool. If you read your horoscope, you’ll find tarot card readings to be a lot more informative and gratifying.
My History with Tarot Cards
I learned about tarot card readers when I was very young. Madame Pauline had a tiny stall set up on a street filled with touristy shops in York Beach, Maine where my family would vacation every summer. I’d walked by her booth many times, but I was very surprised when my mom decided to stop in one day.
I was eleven years old. My mom got her tarot cards read, but Madame Pauline felt the most appropriate thing for someone my age was a simple palm reading.
She told me a handful of somewhat specific things about my life and wrote them down on a small piece of paper which I kept locked up among my most precious things for years. I looked at it every now and then, memorized it, but I lost that scrap of paper before I turned 18.
It’s been forty years since that reading. All but one of them have come to fruition.
Modern Tarot Card Reading
Once I got old enough, I moved on to getting tarot card readings for myself. And then I studied and taught myself how to read my own cards. Now I am also reading for others. If you would like to schedule a reading, there is a scheduling tool at the end of this post.
Integrating tarot readings for self-discovery into your life is just another tool in the toolbox on the journey to self-actualization. If there is a tool that can help you live the best version of you, isn’t it worth trying?
Do Tarot Cards Predict the Future?
I think some of the reason that tarot cards get a bad rep is because people are uncomfortable with the concept of predicting the future. While tarot readings for self-discovery can give you insight into what is likely to happen if you stay on your current track, you always retain free will.
That means if the cards show something that you interpret as unpleasant, consider it a gift from the universe that you’ve been given a heads up. You now have the knowledge you need to consider altering your course, or at minimum, being spiritually prepared for a setback.
Peace of Mind
I have had tarot card readings many times in my life. Without exception, I have always been shocked at how accurate the cards are for the current state of affairs. They have given me tremendous peace of mind in difficult times, if only because the order and numbering of tarot cards reminds us that life moves in cycles.
If it’s a high point in the cycle, great. If it’s not, this too shall pass. Tarot readings for self-discovery can provide tremendous peace of mind once you step back and sees the bigger picture of what is going on.
History of Tarot
Do tarot cards have roots in paganism and devil worship? No. If that myth has been the main reason that you have avoided a tarot card reading, I’m about to lighten your load.
Tarot cards originated in 15th century Italy. Decks illustrated with various court characters were simply an after-dinner card game for the elite. Those cards were early versions of the standard 4-suit card decks we see today and purely a form of entertainment.
Tarot decks were also a form of art, and wealthy families commissioned customized decks that were often hand painted. Examples of these can be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and several museums in Italy and London. Salvador Dali even developed his own deck in 1984. The originals are now in private collections, but you can get a refurbed version on Amazon.
Tarot Readings for Self-Discovery Today
From the 15th to the 19th centuries, tarot cards made their way through the world and imagery was adapted to have more symbolic meanings, which led to more occult uses. There’s always a bad apple to spoil the bunch.
Since then, tarot has become a more widely accepted and is a useful tool for self-discovery, personal growth and gaining insights into the human condition. Vogue recently did a story about it.
While getting your tarot cards read is still not mainstream enough to show up at your local spa or a high-end wellness resort (although The Golden Door actually has a resident tarot card reader), it isn’t hard to find everyday people (like me) who can read for you.
In person tarot readings for self-discovery are always preferable, but virtual tarot readings are a very doable option.
Tarot Card Decks
I will not get into too much detail around the tarot deck. You can read more about that and see the decks I use on my Understanding Tarot Cards page.
As a jumping off point, here are some basic insights as to how one begins to interpret a tarot reading for self-discovery:
- A standard tarot deck has 78 cards made up of 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards
- Major Arcana cards indicate more significant events in the cycle of life, major happenings and can be indicative of fate playing out.
- Minor Arcana cards are broken down into 4 suits − Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles
- Wands will give insights into ideas, passions, creativity and physical energy. They also give insights into career situations.
- Cups are all about emotions, relationships, love and connections.
- Swords are about communication and conflicts, intellect and mental fortitude.
- Pentacles give insights into material things like money, overall security and our values.
How Does a Reading Work?
A typical tarot card reading involves taking a few minutes to close your eyes and clear your mind. I might burn some incense. I might play my Himalayan singing bowl to help with focus.
You hold the deck of tarot cards while this is happening. It’s a good idea to shuffle the deck around in your hands to get your energy into it. Once you feel ready, the cards come back to me and we lay them out in a spread.
Tarot Card Spreads
There are lots of different ways to lay out the cards. When I do readings at events, I usually do a 3-card past-present-future spread. It’s a simple, high-level reading.
For private readings, the most common spread is also a past-present-future spread but it uses 9 cards and gets into more depth,
When someone has what I like to call a “burning question”, I use a Celtic Cross spread. This is a 10-card layout that gets very specific to a question, problem or situation. How did you get there? What other influences are affecting the situation? What is the likely outcome?
No matter what spread is used in a tarot reading for self-discovery, you always get the information you need. Many times, I find it confirms what we already know but gives us either the courage to allow it into our consciousness. We get relief in knowing we can always trust our gut.
Are There Bad Cards?
No. Every card in the tarot deck offers insights into the human condition. Even the cards with the most negative connotations (The Tower, The Devil, 9 of Swords, Death) offer valuable information that we can use to get perspective.
Can Tarot Predict Death?
No. Some people with psychic ability can see death, but it is rare. You will not find out you (or someone you love) is doing to die from a tarot reading.
Can I Really Learn? Don’t I Need to be Psychic?
Most tarot card readers are not psychics. They are just people who have familiarized themselves with the deck and who are able to tune in to the energies of other people. Anyone can learn to do that.
Tarot reading for self-discovery is a very personal thing. The role of the reader is simply to help you interpret the cards and offer insights as to what the combinations in your spread means. I strongly believe that anyone can learn to read tarot reading for self-discovery.
Tarot Reading for Self-Discovery — Where Do I Start?
First, you’ll want to find a deck that resonates with you. Every deck comes with a booklet that overviews the general meaning of the card. That said, if you look at a card and get a feeling from it that is not what the booklet says, you’re feeling is the actual meaning.
Over time, you will learn to use tarot readings for self-discovery by trusting the gut instinct you feel when you look at the cards. That’s why a “professional” reader is helpful, but ultimately the best readings involve active feedback from the recipient.
Tarot Cards − Some Personal Examples
As an example of how powerful the cards can be, I’ll share a personal experience. I have a deck of cards on my desk. Every Monday I shuffle them and pick one, asking the universe to give me a theme or an energy for the upcoming week.
Last week, I picked the Strength card. It was appropriate based on something that was going on in my life. I set the card upright by my computer as a reminder to harness my own inner strength and the spirit of inner grace that goes with it.
The following Monday, I put Strength back in the deck and reshuffled thoroughly.
Guess what card I picked? Strength. The odds are 1 in 78, or just over 1%. Guess the universe decided I was not done with that message. I propped that card back up and spent another week harnessing its energy. Strength is a Major Arcana card, and the fact that is showed up twice is not to be ignored.
Hindsight is 20/20
Another example I can share was already revealed in this post. The two spreads I showed from the resident reader at the Golden Door in California were done on two different decks about a week apart.
Look at the middle card – it’s the same in both readings done with different decks. That’s another 1% chance of happening two times in a row.
Each of these readings also showed a significant number of Major Arcana cards, 4 in the first reading and 5 in the second. Looking back almost 4 years later, it gives me chills to see how accurate these readings turned out.
I was going through some significant changes in my life. I was at a crossroads. These readings spoke of very positive things to come, and that I was at the beginning of a new cycle in my life. It gave me great peace of mind at that time, and also brought me excitement and hope.
Ready to Explore? Schedule a Reading
If you’re ready to see what tarot reading for self-discovery is all about, schedule a reading with me using the tool below. I do in-person readings in Dallas, Texas at The Health Collective by appointment only, $99 for a one-hour session.
If you are not local, you can schedule a virtual reading. I will shuffle the cards for you and lay them out, then share my screen to show you your spread. You can record a virtual reading or an in-person reading.
