How to Read Tarot During Stressful Times

I just did a livestream on how to read Tarot during times of stress, as I know most of us are feeling pretty overwhelmed right now. Below is the replay of that livestream, along with a PDF handout (this includes a Tarot spread, my 4 tips for reading Tarot and a worksheet). For the written version of this livecast, just keep reading….

Get the PDF handout right here.

We are most drawn to Tarot during difficult and uncertain times because this is when we crave answers, guidance and comfort!

Yet, reading Tarot when we’re stressed and hungry for “answers” is sometimes the WORST time to do a reading!

Remaining objective and unbiased can be difficult, especially if you’re reading about something near and dear to your heart. Being highly emotional can cloud your intuition and rational though, making you hyper sensitive to those “negative” cards.

Sometimes doing a Tarot reading will only create more stress than before. So what to do? Should you avoid reading Tarot altogether? No! Do this instead…

Step One – CALM YOUR ENERGY

Your intuition is best heard when you’re calm as high emotions can drown out intuitive guidance as well as rational thought. So it’s important to take the time to relax and centre yourself before you reach for your Tarot cards.

Start by accepting yourself as you are right now. Acknowledge how you feel and tell yourself that’s okay…. for example, you might say “right now I feel anxious and hopeless….and that’s okay. I love and accept myself anyway.”

Place a hand on your stomach and one on your heart. As you inhale, breathe down into your belly, so that the hand on your belly rises before the hand on your chest.

If you really want to get fancy, extend your exhale slightly. Focus on a long, smooth exhale that is slightly longer than your inhale. If you inhale for 3 seconds, exhale for 4. After just a few breaths like this you should be calm as f*ck.

Step Two – Ask HOW DO I WANT TO FEEL?

Before consulting your tarot cards, ask yourself “how do I want to feel in this situation?”

Asking “how do I want to feel?” automatically helps you shift your focus away from the problem and into a more positive mindset.

Once you are clear on how you’d like to feel, bust out your Tarot cards and ask  “how can I feel _____?”

The card(s) that you draw will give you guidance as to what actions to take, what strengths you can tap into, etc.

Step Three – ASK STRESS FREE QUESTIONS

Ask your Tarot deck questions that will reduce your stress and not add to it.

Questions to avoid…

-what should i do?

-what do i need to know?

-why is this happening?

-what will happen?

All these questions could add to your stress and create even more anxiety. If you can avoid asking directly about the issue that is bothering you, do it.

For example, instead of asking “will my finances improve this year?” ask something like “what should I focus on to improve my finances?”

Questions to ask…

-how can i feel the way I want to feel?

-how can I make things better?

-how can i make the most out of this?

-what is my PURPOSE right now?

-what should I focus on?

-what strengths do I have that will help me now?

These questions help you shift into a state of empowerment and lead to a more helpful, calming reading.

Step Four – Focus the reading on what you can DO (rather on what will HAPPEN)

This puts you in the drivers seat of your life! If you just focus a reading on The Future and what will happen, you end up feeling like a helpless wimp!

If you get any “negative” Tarot cards in your reading, know that they aren’t there to predict gloom and doom but they’re telling you what needs to be released and how to improve things.

Hope you found all this helpful and I hope it leads to some calming and helpful Tarot readings 🙂
xoxo
Kate