Whenever I get a new Tarot or oracle card deck, I like to do a little ritual. It takes time to really “bond” with a new deck, but feeling connected to a Tarot deck is key to having great readings.
You can also do this ritual with an old deck – you don’t need to wait until you get a new one 🙂
Step 1: Look Through the Deck
I like to think of this as going on a date with my new Tarot deck – I make a big pot of tea and settle in for this one. I spend some time going through the deck, one card at a time, and just looking and getting a feel for the overall vibe of the deck.
It’s important to have no real agenda here – I’m just spending some quality time with my cards, curious about how each card is represented and just getting familiar with the deck’s personality.
Step 2: Clear the Deck
I usually always use sage or palo santo smoke to clear my new deck. I don’t typically think of a new deck as being energetically “dirty”, but I see this step as an important part of infusing the deck with my own energy. Plus I like burning things and it just feels witchy!
Step 3: Infuse the Deck with My Energy!
I take a few minutes to infuse my own energy into my new deck by shuffling the cards, holding them and visualizing energy flowing from my hands into the deck. Sometimes I’ll hold the deck to my heart, as I chug my tea.
I usually only spend a few minutes doing this, but I used to take my new Tarot decks to bed with me (I know, I know!) and either sleep with it under my pillow or on my nightstand. I’ve gotten rather lazy with age and now I just do the quick shuffle and hold technique, but it does the trick!
Step 4: Interview My Tarot Deck!
This is where things get really fun and intriguing! I will talk to my deck and ask it some questions about itself as if it were a person sitting across from me.
I start by saying (in my head) welcome! I’m so excited to work with you! and then I’ll pull a card to see what the deck has to say in response to that.
Then I’ll ask what card best describes your personality? I’ll draw a card and spend some time pondering it.
Next, I ask what kinds of things do you love to read about? and pull a card. Some decks LOVE reading about relationships (if this is the case, expect to see the Two of Cups or The Lovers) and some prefer questions about career, conflict, spirituality or creativity. Some decks love ALL the questions (expect to see The World here if that’s the case!)
Asking how can you best help me? will provide even more insights into your new deck. When I asked this about The Penumbra Tarot, I got the four of cups which seemed to say “I can help you find your spark when you feel emotionally stagnant and bored with things.”
Lastly, I’ll ask what traits do you look for in a Tarot reader? The answer is always eye opening! This will give you an idea about how to best work with this deck. For example, when I asked this about my Penumbra Tarot, I got The Magician which tells me that it loves a reader who can take the initiative and use the cards for manifesting and transformation.
Step 5: Place the Deck Somewhere Sacred and Visible
I like to place a new Tarot deck on my little altar next to my work desk, surrounded by crystals and incense. If you’re trying to connect with your Tarot deck, I think it’s important that you see it frequently and this is a good way to ensure that. I sometimes place my new deck on my coffee table or nightstand (I know, not exactly “sacred” but it works).
I want to know…
What is YOUR new Tarot deck ritual??? Tell me in the comments below…
A couple weeks ago I met up with an old friend I hadn’t seen in a while (fingers crossed she doesn’t read my blog!)
She was having some sort of crises and needed to vent.
As we sipped our lattes and I stuffed my face with Snickerdoodle cookies, she droned on incessantly about her life, her problems, her work schedule, her children, her children’s schedules.
At some point I just kind of tuned out, as one does.
After an hour straight of her talking about herself and me pretending to listen, she finally asked “So, how are your…..cats?”
Then, as I began to answer, her gaze drifted around the coffee shop, utterly disinterested in what I had to say.
Can you believe it? I had cat stories and she was bored and distracted!!!
When we said our goodbyes, we hugged and promised to get together again soon. But I know I won’t hear from her for at least six months, when she needs a favour or has some kind of problem.
Do you have friends like this? I think we all have at least one.
But what I really want to know is…..are you this kind of friend to your Tarot deck?
When you sit down to do a Tarot reading, do you take the time to connect with your deck and see what kind of mood it’s in?
Or do you immediately start peppering it with questions about your life?
How you treat your cards will affect how they show up for you when you need their advice.
When I was first learning Tarot, I bought the Robin Wood Tarot deck and used it every day for two years straight. Then I got a new, shiny deck and tossed my beloved Robin Wood aside and ignored it completely as it languished in my desk drawer.
When I brought it back out a year later, my readings with it felt….cold and disconnected. It was like it was giving me the cold shoulder, remaining closed off and tight lipped. It’s feelings were hurt.
So the next time you reach for your Tarot deck, make sure you’re not making these 3 very common mistakes…
3 signs you’re a bad friend to your Tarot deck:
1) You only pick up your deck when you have a problem and need help
2) You only ever talk about yourself and never ask it questions about itself
3)You read when you’re distracted (while watching TV or scrolling your phone) and don’t really take the time to sit with your cards and hear what they’re trying to tell you
If you’ve made the mistakes above, don’t feel bad. I’ve made them all a million times! But know that when you stop doing those 3 things and start treating your deck very differently, you’re readings will transform into something unbelievably magical!
3 ways to nourish your relationship with your Tarot deck:
1) Don’t just reach for your cards when you have a problem. Make sure you also read about light topics – your Tarot deck loves to help inspire you creatively and spiritually!
Ask it fun questions like:
♥ How can I nurture my creative side this week?
♥ How can I be more playful this month?
♥ What part of my soul longs to express itself more?
2) Don’t just focus on yourself – interview your deck and ask it some personal questions, like:
♥ How are you feeling today?
♥ What card best sums up your personality?
♥ What qualities do you look for in a Tarot reader?
3) Treat your Tarot reading time as sacred time – turn off distractions, set the mood and take your time.
It’s fine to do quickie readings at the kitchen table while the radio blares, but try to create a sacred container and eliminate distractions as much as you can.
Sometimes I’ll pull a few cards for myself as I’m watching one of my murder shows in the background and let me tell you – those readings are never very helpful. But when I put on some Enya, light a couple candles and pour a cup of tea, those readings are positively delicious!
If the cards don’t make sense right away, don’t give up. Sit for a moment and let yourself explore.
When you take your time with a reading, you can go deep and the messages you receive will be so much more powerful.
When you treat your deck right, it will open up to you. When you take the time to nurture your relationship, your readings will feel deep, connected and amazingly helpful.
May all your Tarot readings be full of discovery, inspiration and joy ♥ xoxo Kate
The following post and video is inspired by Andy Matzner’s book Tarot for Transformation.
I’m going to let you in on a little secret – a juicy Tarot secret that will help you truly understand your cards and make your readings POP!
But first, some boring backstory….
I first discovered Tarot when I was young and impatient and I immediately set about trying to learn and memorize all 78 Tarot cards.
A typical Tarot beginner move!
Not to brag or anything, but I kind of succeeded. Within a fairly short amount of time, I had a surface level grasp of what most Tarot cards represented. But I was a shitty reader and I still didn’t understand what Tarot was really all about.
Fast forward to now. I’m slowly working through Tarot for Transformation:Using the Major Arcana to Discover Your Best Self and Create a Life Worth Living by Andy Matzner.
It’s a deliciously slow process, like eating a box of chocolate caramels while stoned.
This slow process, which I’ll describe in a hot minute, allows me to stay with a card way longer than I normally would – to really climb inside it and roll around in it. And at the same time, to climb deep inside myself (which sounds a bit creepy, now that I think about it).
The more I get to know each card, the more I realize that the cards are simply there to help me get to know myself. Mind blown!
So what exactly IS this juicy Tarot secret I speak of? And how do you apply it to your readings?
The secret is this: each Tarot card is alive within you – it’s like a map of your soul. Once you understand how the themes of each card play out within you, you begin to develop a personal relationship with the Tarot. And once you come to know the Tarot intimately (seeing your self in the cards and the cards in you), the cards will open up to you and reveal their mysteries.
I’m going to take you on a little journey – we’re going to dive into The High Priestess together. Or rather, we’re going to dive into ourselves to find our inner High Priestess! Woo hoo!
Exploring the Subconscious
Mystic Meg Tarot
In Tarot for Transformation, Andy Matzner writes that The High Priestess is associated with water, intuition, repeating cycles of change, the moon, wisdom, the subconscious and many other things. Basically, all the cool stuff.
He asks: “how can we best move between the conscious and subconscious parts of ourselves?”
So let’s start there. How indeed?
I’ll let you go first. Have you found any methods or activities that help you tap into the partially hidden realms of your mind? Take a moment to ponder.
A few years ago I was hypnotized and while I was under hypnosis, the hypnotherapist asked my higher self to come forward and answer a list of questions that I’d prepared in advance. Holy moly! My higher self said all kinds of wild stuff! The session was recorded and when I listened back to it I was blown away by the wisdom, advice and insights that I got. Who knew?!
Dream Journalling, lucid dreaming, meditative journeying and various automatic writing exercises have also helped me tap into my subconscious and unearth my inner wisdom.
Often, when The High Priestess shows up in a reading, she’s telling you to go deeper. Don’t just be content to fuddle about with surface level stuff. Go deep. The answers are within you.
Honouring Your Intuition
In Tarot for Transformation, many different methods of tapping into your intuition are suggested, along with a list of journal questions like how do you know when your intuition is communicating with you? and Describe a time when listening to your intuition changed your life.
Everyday Witch Tarot by Deborah Blake
So let’s go there. What is your relationship to your intuition like? Are you in the habit of ignoring it? Have you been making attempts to honour it or even explore it in a feet first, New Age Adventurer kind of way?
For years I tuned out my intuitive feelings like you would a pesky younger sibling. My intuition felt like an inconvenient distraction from logic, reason and the goals of the ego.
But as I got older and more desperate to find real meaning in my life, I began to re-discover my intuition. And look at me now! Blogging away about intuition like I know what I’m talking about! 😉
The High Priestess reminds us to acknowledge our intuition because the way we treat our intuition mirrors the kind of relationship we have with our soul (our deeper, expanded self). Honouring your intuition is a great way to show yourself some love and respect.
Cycles & Rhythms
Now let’s shift gears a bit and talk about the moon, cycles and natural rhythms, which are all in the realm of The High Priestess.
Just as we aren’t really encouraged (in our current society) to honour our intuition, we are actively discouraged in following our natural rhythms and cycles. Tampon ads are the perfect example of this.
Google image search “tampon ad” (go ahead, I’ll wait for you) and you’ll see an array of women playing tennis, doing gymnastics, climbing walls, doing back flips and playing soccer alongside phrases like “my period doesn’t slow me down!” and my personal favourite “Serena SHUTS OUT mother nature’s monthly gift” (a Tampax Pearl ad featuring Serena Williams). Cold and flu medication ads pull the same shit.
But is it wise to push your body when you’re on your period? Or trying to get over a cold? The High Priestess says NO! Work with your cycles, not against them. There will be times of high energy and times of low energy. There is a time to shine and take action and and a time to rest, recharge and go inward.
The Anna K Tarot
In Tarot for Transformation, there are a bunch of great journalling questions about this, like “how familiar are you with your own natural rhythms?” and “when do you typically feel most drained during the day? Most energized?”
A question I want to add is how can you better honour your natural energy cycles?
Take a moment now to ponder this. Journal about it if you want.
I’ve found it much, much easier to honour my energy cycles since I became self employed and started working from home. From ages 4 – 30ish, I was always on someone else’s schedule and feeling like I had to meet the energy demands that others placed on me. Since I became fully self employed, I’ve been in control of my own schedule and the type of work that I do, allowing me to work with my energy and cycles.
Of course there are plenty of ways to honour your cycles without quitting your day job! A really neat book on how to sync your diet and exercise to your menstrual cycle is Womancode by Alisa Vitti.
Learn about the moon phases and experiment with syncing up your activities so they correspond to the moon’s energy. For example, focus on manifestation and taking action on goals when the moon is waxing and releasing things when the moon is waning.
Is there a particular time of day when you’re most energetic? Or most creative? Plan your activities accordingly. It sounds ridiculously simple but we often overlook this sort of thing.
So now you know!
Now you know the secret to really, truly understanding your Tarot cards. Dive deep, take your time and don’t just explore each Tarot card and it’s symbols, but use your cards to explore your SELF. Use your cards to ask yourself questions and don’t be afraid to get nosy and personal (it’s just you, after all!)
If you liked this approach to exploring Tarot…
Make sure you check out Tarot for Transformation by Andy Matzner. It’s a big book with plenty of great info on each Major Arcana card, along with journalling questions, exercises and tips for diving deep. Your relationship to your cards (and your self) will never be the same!
Did you learn anything new about The High Priestess (or your self) from doing this exercise? What was this exercise like for you? Feel free to share in the comments below 🙂
I’ll be live on my YouTube channel on Thursday, Sept 10th @ 12 noon PDT, ready to chat Tarot with you 🙂
From learning the Tarot card meanings, to feeling more confident while giving a reading, I’m here to share my knowledge, advice and Tarot tips with you ♥
The replay will be available to watch right here on my blog (see below…)
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….
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
Quarantined? Practising “social distancing”? Already watched all the crap on Netflix? Don’t worry! I’ve got your back.
The bright side of a mini apocalypse is having more time to devote to your Tarot studies. So don’t stress! Instead, bust out your Tarot deck and let’s get to it…
I’ve rounded up my 7 favorite Tarot exercises that will help you pass the time AND transform you into a better Tarot reader!
This one is good for Tarot beginners but more experienced Tarot readers will find some helpful tidbits, too.
Here I share my favorite techniques for learning the Tarot card meanings – techniques that will help you engage with the cards and stop relying on Tarot books or boring memorization!
A mediocre Tarot reader asks her deck questions. A sensational Tarot reader lets her deck ask her the questions! Confused yet? Then read the full article and/or watch this video…
We all know the Court Cards can be a challenge. They’re kind of boring, nothings happening in them and they all look the same. But I discovered a funny way to get to know them (and remember them!) and I think you might just like it…
Have you ever noticed that some cards in the Tarot are kind of similar? Like the Two of Cups and The Lovers? Or The Emperor and the King of Swords?
I call these similar cards sister cards and in this post I tell you what it means when a pair like this shows up in your reading and how studying the “sister cards” can help you deepen your understanding of Tarot.
This Tarot spread collection has spreads for special occasions like birthdays, Christmas and Valentines and weird stuff like a special spread for cat lovers. Plus, there’s even Tarot spreads that you will actually want to try, trust me 😉
View and download my Essential Tarot Spread Collection right HERE.
Everyone’s a little nosy every now and then and I’m no exception. So I thought I would indulge your snoopy side and give you a sneaky peek into how I do my Tarot readings – my whole process from start to finish!
If you’re a professional reader yourself, maybe this will give you some ideas and if you’re thinking about ordering a reading from me, this will give you some behind the scenes info about my reading process.
My Special Tarot Reading Method
I’ve been reading for over ten years now and I’ve read in a variety of ways – in person readings, tarot parties, over the phone or skype, written, video and audio recorded readings.
A few years ago, I finally found a method of giving a Tarot reading that just totally works for me – it allows me to really relax, tap into my intuitive flow and connect to the person I’m reading for in a deep way.
My reading space
Most of the readings I do are distance readings, meaning that the person I’m reading for is usually in a far off location and not sitting right across from me. I do my readings as audio recordings – my client sends me their questions and I record myself doing their reading, after which I send them a link to download the mp3 file and a photo of their cards.
I only offer private Tarot readings once or twice a year (always in January and sometimes in July or August. Why is this? Well, back when I used to offer private Tarot readings year round, I found it hard to switch into “reading mode” at the drop of a hat.
My work requires me to be a teacher, writer, entertainer, organizer, book keeper, marketer, etc. Being an intuitive reader requires a different skill set and a different way of being and I’ve always found it tricky to flip flop back and forth between doing readings and doing other stuff. But when I’m doing a month of readings, I can get in my “reading zone” and really get in the groove.
Keeping it Simple
When I offer readings, I only offer one type of reading and I use ONE Tarot spread for everybody. Now this may sound kind of crappy, like I’m the McDonald’s of Tarot readers, but let me explain…
When I do readings in January, it’s a Tarot forecast for the year ahead and I use my New Years Tarot Spread. In the Summer, I offer Summer Check-in readings and I use my Summer Check-in Spread.
This works for me in two ways:
1. It makes things simple and straightforward for me and my clients
2. It’s good marketing
3. It attracts the right clients
It’s good marketing because when you offer a variety of options, people either get confused or they take a while to think about what to choose. Having only one option takes the guess work out of it.
Back when I offered readings year round, you could get a written reading, a live reading or a recorded reading. You could choose between three to nine cards and you could choose from a variety of themed readings. I didn’t sell many readings. True story!
I also noticed that when I only offer one type of reading, it attracts the exact kind of people I want to read for.
Before, when the readings I offered were more open ended and didn’t follow any particular theme, I would get all kinds of people asking me to read about all kinds of weird stuff…
I got clingy clients who’d order multiple readings on the same topic and clients who only wanted to know the secret inner workings of their ex’s mind. I would find myself cringing at some of the questions and began feeling this sense of dread about doing readings, like I was back in grade five, being forced to do math homework. I even stopped doing readings completely for a while.
But when I got clear on the kind of readings I wanted to give, I attracted the kind of clients I wanted to read for.
So you might be wondering: if you use the same spread for everyone, how is that personalized?
Let me tell you…
When someone orders a reading from me, I contact them and ask if they have any questions or topics they want me to touch on during their reading. I limit it to no more than three questions. Not everyone has questions but many people do.
Usually, I can answer all their questions using my Tarot spread as is, but sometimes for really specific questions, I’ll alter the spread slightly or draw a couple extra cards towards the end of the reading.
Pre-Reading Prep
Once I hear back from my client and have a sense of what they’re wanting from the reading, I’m ready to get down to business. If I have a lot of readings in the queue, I may not be able to do their reading for a few days or even a week and I make sure to let them know the day they can expect to receive their reading.
Peace & Quiet
When it’s time to do a reading, I need peace, quiet and an hour where I won’t be interrupted. I unplug the phone and make sure the cats are sleeping – if they’re active, I put them down in the rec room with some toys and treats.
I prefer to do my readings in the day when my husband is at work or at night after he’s gone to bed. The mic I use is really sensitive and it picks up everything – if my cats are dicking around or my husband is tinkering in the kitchen, it will show up in the recording. So obviously farting is completely out of the question.
Space Clearing
I start by clearing my aura and reading space with sage. I crack a window, light my sage bundle and use a feather to waft the sage smoke up over the front of my body and all around me. While I do this, I imagine the smoke transforming me into a less dysfunctional version of myself.
I visualize the smoke clearing my energy and dissolving any stuck emotions and thoughts so that I can show up for this reading unencumbered by my own “issues” (we all have them!).
Then I waft the smoke around my reading space – I sage the Tarot deck I’ll be using, my chair, all my crystals that are nearby, my plethora of Buddha statues, my laptop and mic, you name it! Nothing escapes the wrathful purge of my sage smoke!
Then I sit down and shuffle the shit out of my Tarot deck. I typically use The Everyday Witch Tarot for my readings because it’s the easiest deck to read with and I like things that are easy 🙂
Once I feel my deck is sufficiently shuffled, I hold it in my hands, close my eyes and think of the person I’m reading for. I typically have their first and last name written down on a piece of paper in front of me, along with their questions. I say their name three times in my head.
Then I say a little prayer (in my head, not out loud):
I now connect to my heart, soul and higher self.
I pause to feel the connection. I now connect to the heart, soul and higher self of (name of client), so that together we can deliver a reading that is accurate, helpful and exactly what (client) needs to hear at this time.
Here I wait a moment until I feel a connection (like a deep sense of calm and/or tingling in my palms) and then I proceed to choose the cards. I choose the cards by looking at the spread I’ll be using. For example, the first position in my New Years Spread is opening message from spirit so I’ll ask “what message does spirit have for ______?” and then I’ll draw a card. I do this for each card position.
Dark Mansion Tarot
When choosing a card, I alternate between cutting the deck with my left hand and then picking the top card, tilting my hand to the side and letting the deck fall slightly until it parts and this other technique where I kind of throw my hand up slightly while holding onto the deck until one card pops up from the deck. See the above video for a demonstration of this.
Once I have all the cardslaid out, face down (this is important – I like to turn the cards over one at a time as I do the reading and not all at once as that can be too overwhelming), I’m ready to begin my recording.
Technical Stuff
Here’s some boring technical info for you. I use Audacity to record my readings – it’s a free audio recording and editing program that I’ve been using for years and it works great! I use a Blue Snowball mic, which just plugs into my laptop.
What I love about using Audacity to record my readings is that it lets you pause the recording, so if I need to catch my breath or if I need a minute to really sit with a card, I can just pause it and then resume when I’m ready. This is a luxury that I don’t get when I’m doing live readings!
Also, if something interrupts the reading, like my cat vomiting or the pizza boy knocking at the door, I can just press pause and it doesn’t ruin the whole reading.
The Reading
My recorded readings last between 30 – 45 min. Some readings are easy and straightforward, others are more convoluted and tricky. And sometimes I just can’t stop talking! I’ve never been great at sticking to a strict time frame with my readings so I aim for 30 min but I give myself permission to go over a bit if I need to. No one ever complains if their reading goes a bit long.
Everyday Witch Tarot
I read one card at a time but as I progress through the reading, I will see connections so I often go back and forth between cards, pointing out the similarities, etc.
When I read this way, I can truly relax and connect with the person I’m reading for. This may seem odd since my client isn’t even in the room with me, but I actually find that I have zero distractions, zero pressure and I tend to be less biased.
There are a few things that can be frustrating about reading Tarot in this way. First of all, since my client isn’t sitting in front of me (or on the phone) I can’t ask them any questions mid-reading. I can’t say “is this resonating?” or “do you enjoy your job?” or “are you single or in a relationship?” and in this way I’m forced to read blindly, trusting my other senses. Sometimes I feel like I’m groping around in the dark but this also really forces me to trust my intuition.
One thing I love about doing in person readings is involving my client in the reading process so that the reading feels like a conversation as opposed to just me talking incessantly. I counteract this in my recorded readings by sometimes asking my client questions – not ones they need to give me an answer for but questions for them to ponder on their own.
For example, I might say “The Knight of Wands is asking you what it is you’re wanting to take action on? What creative pursuit have you been wanting to explore lately?” This allows my client to do more with their reading than just listen to it – it gives them things to consider and think about beyond the reading.
Usually I’m able to answer their specific questions during the reading but other times I will wait until I’ve read all the cards and then address their questions. At the end of the reading I let my client know that if they have any questions about the reading, they can contact me.
When I first started offering these readings, my biggest fear was that people would ask me a million questions after they got their reading and that it would turn into a never ending email exchange of questions begetting more questions. So far, that’s never happened. I really have the BEST clients and that’s something I really appreciate. My clients rarely ask me follow up questions and when they do they are usually easy to answer and I’m happy to do it!
Post Reading Tech Stuff
Once I’m finished the reading, I stop the recording. Then I do some minor editing so that it sounds clear. My mic pics up a lot of background white noise and so I edit that out so the recording sounds crisp and clear. This only takes about 30 sec. Then I export the audio file as an mp3 and upload it to Google Drive. I take a photo of all the cards laid out and I email my client a link to their reading where they can download and listen.
Energetically Releasing the Reading
Since reading Tarot for someone involves tuning into their energy, it’s important to tune out of their energy once I’m done.
I don’t do anything dramatic or fancy here. I just put a check mark beside that person’s name on my reading list to signify that their reading has been done and delivered and as I do this, I imagine releasing the reading and that person’s energy. I used to sage after a reading, but I found that to be overkill. Simply intending to release the reading and let it go is enough for me.
What’s Your Reading Ritual?
Whether your a professional reader or just do readings for yourself, what is your special reading ritual? I want to hear all about it!
One of the most challenging aspects of giving a Tarot reading to someone is doing it in a specific time frame – especially if that time frame is short, like ten minutes.
I was recently hired to read Tarot at a Halloween party, which is something I don’t do that often as most of my readings are done online. Since there were around 15 people wanting readings, I had to make these readings short and sweet and keep to my ten minute time limit.
If you’re interested in becoming a professional Tarot reader, being able to do “quickie readings” is a required skill, but it’s also something that many readers (including myself) struggle with.
So I’m here to break it down for you! I’m going to tell you:
My ONE favorite tip for keeping readings short and sweet
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THREE things that can derail a “quickie” reading and turn it into a long one (and what to do about it)
My #1 Tip for keeping Tarot readings short & sweet
Have a general 3 card Tarot spread that you use with everyone. If you’re doing a Tarot party, using the same spread over and over again will help you get into a groove and you won’t waste any time trying to choose the right spread.
Here’s the one I use…
The let go card represents what might be standing in your client’s way, what’s blocking her or what she needs to release.
What you need to knowis simply what your client needs to focus on right now – sometimes this card indicates a mindset or way of operating in the world that will be helpful for that person. For example, The Empress could be saying “take a relaxed, laid back approach to life right now and focus on nurturing yourself and your dreams.”
The upcoming opportunitycard can represent an action your client needs to take or what will help hermost right now.
You can be flexible and slightly alter the positions to suit whoever you’re reading for. I find that most people getting a quickie Tarot reading just want a general reading or they want a general reading about a specific topic (love life, career, health, money, etc).
If their questions are more specific, you can adjust the spread as needed, but I find this spread works wonderfully for all sorts of questions.
Tip: Practice using this spread beforehand and keeping it to just ten minutes! Just do some pretend readings for imaginary clients – it will boost your confidence and help you flex your Tarot reading muscles.
3 Things that can derail a “quickie” Tarot reading:
Whenever you’re trying to keep a reading short and sweet, it’s inevitable that you’ll encounter obstacles at every turn – little things that will threaten to turn your quick reading into a long, drawn out affair. In order to avoid them, you need to be prepared!
1. The chitty-chatty client
Every now and then you’ll get a client who’ll want to unload their life story prior to the reading or ask a million questions, or both! As the Tarot reader, it’s your job to act as a referee in these situations and not let this person run roughshod over your time and energy.
I once had a client who, after asking her “is there anything you’d like me to focus on during your reading?” took a deep breath and then launched into a convoluted story about her ex, kids and money woes which revealed very little except that she was overwhelmed, stressed out and confused.
In this situation, I had 3 choices:
Option A) I could have let her ramble indefinitely, wasting tons of time (not a good option!)
Option B) I could interrupt her and say “it sounds like you’re going through a difficult and confusing time and would like some clarity and guidance,” and then focus the reading on the question “what does she need to focus on right now to bring peace and clarity?”
This is what I call a compassionate response – it takes the client’s feelings into account and let’s her avoid doing the heavy lifting of coming up with her own question for the cards.
The compassionate response takes a bit of skill on the readers part because you have to quickly assess how that client is feeling and form a question around that.
This way of dealing with an overly chatty client is kind of like saying “okay, I get the picture, now leave the rest to me.”
Option C) I could interrupt her and say “what is ONE question you have for the cards today?”
This is what I call a clarity question – it forces the client to quiet her mental chatter and drill down on what is truly important to her right now.
*Tip: if you’re short on time, this is actually a great question to open the reading with.
Either response B or C would be helpful here, depending on the client. Some clients might just use the clarity question to keep chatting, in which case you can move into compassionate response mode.
So I guess what I’m really saying here is don’t let your client ramble on and on before a ten minute Tarot reading. I usually allow ONE MINUTE MAX for preamble chit chat before I draw the cards.
2. BIG questions that can't be addressed in 10 min
I find that most questions or issues can at least be explored in a ten minute Tarot reading, even if you don't get super in-depth or come up with a solution/answer.
However, there are some questions that demand a longer period of time and there's just no way you'll be able to satisfy your client with a quick ten minute reading.
These include questions that are actually multiple questions in disguise or what I call questions within questions.
Here's an example: "should I accept the new job offer or stay in my current job? And if I should stay in my old job, should I ask for a raise or do anything else differently?"
For a complex, multi-layered question, you can simply take ONE aspect of their question and focus on that. In the above example, I would take the first part of the question "should I accept the new job offer or stay in my current job?" and just focus on that and let my client know we don't have time to cover all her questions.
Questions that carry a big emotional weight to them are also good to avoid when you're giving a ten minute Tarot reading.
For example, questions like "why did my marriage fall apart?","will my aunt beat cancer?" or "should I cut my sister out of my life?" aren't the kinds of topics you want to be diving into in a mini reading.
If your client asks an emotionally heavy question, you can sometimes transform it into a "light" question. For example, why did my marriage fall apart? can be turned into what was I meant to learn from my last relationship? Or even what can I do to move forward successfully?
3. Your own tendency to ramble on and on...
This is the one I struggle with the most! Sometimes when I'm reading Tarot there's a part of me that's watching myself (like in an out of body experience kind of way) and thinking oh for fucks sake Kate, get to the point! because it's hard for me to say something just once - I like to repeat myself and say the same thing but a bit differently.
Less is more. Be concise. This is especially important if you've only got 10 min to give a reading.
Another thing that's sometimes tricky is wrapping up the reading. It's especially difficult if you feel like there's still more you want to say or if you sense your client feels unsatisfied. But wrap up you must!
There's a couple good ways to wrap up a reading. I always like to quickly recap the key points of the reading, then I say "thank you for having me read your cards for you" as I gather up the cards and re-shuffle. If there's extra time (which there usually isn't in a 10 min reading) I might ask if they have any questions about their cards.
Get comfy wrapping things up. Practice doing pretend readings on imaginary clients and run through your wrap up procedure until it feels like second nature.
Make these 10 minutes really count!
Having only ten minutes to read someone's cards really forces you to focus on what's really important. When you're giving a "quickie" Tarot reading, ask yourself how can I make the most out of these ten minutes?
Don't waste time rambling about the past or blabbering endlessly about the future - save that crap for the 20 min readings! I find that focusing on the NOW and what your client can DO to make life more magical is what makes for a good ten minute reading.
A Recommendation...
If you're interested in doing Tarot reading at parties and events, a must-read book is Have Tarot Will Partyby Jenna Matlin (this is my affiliate link). She explains everything you need to know about party readings and really lays it out in a practical way.
Even though I've done party readings before, I never felt 100% at ease doing them. In fact, I've always felt a vague sense of terror while reading in a party atmosphere. But after reading Jenna's book I felt confident and excited about doing party readings. Shortly after reading her book I got hired to read at a party and for the first time I actually felt calm, relaxed and organized while doing readings. Yay!
I want to know...
What are the things that YOU struggle with when giving quick, 10-min Tarot readings? Let me know in the comments...
Last week I had the weirdest dream. I was trying to buy some booze at a liquor store and the cashier, who happened to be Jake Gyllenhaal, asked to see my ID.
But when I reached into my wallet for my driver’s license, it was gone! I panicked. I felt dizzy with anxiety over the fact that I had lost my identity.
I tried explaining to Jake Gyllenhall that I probably just misplaced my ID and it wasn’t a big deal but he called his supervisor over and she said that it WAS a big deal and they wouldn’t sell me the alcohol.
I felt powerless and sick to my stomach.
There’s a few weird elements in this dream. #1 I’m not much of a drinker, #2 I’m too old to get asked for ID and #3 I’m not even into Jake Gyllenhaal, so why is he popping up in my dreams as a miserly cashier?
Since the dream make absolutely no fucking sense to me, I decided to put my dream interpretation techniques to work!
I usually do these four steps when interpreting a dream:
Theme – what was the overall theme of the dream?
Feeling – what emotions did I experience?
Symbols – what were the main symbols in the dream?
Action – what was I mostly doing in the dream?
The theme of the dream was losing my identity. The main feeling I had was panic and anxiety. The action I was taking was trying to convince the people in the dream to give me what I wanted. And the main symbols in the dream were the lost driver’s license, liquor and Jake Gyllenhaal.
The symbols are intriguing – while my driver’s license helps me prove who I am, liquor can help me forget who I am. I still have no idea how Jake Gyllenhaal fits into any of this.
Then I tried to take what I’d learned about this dream and apply it to my real life…
Was I struggling to find my identity? In what areas of my life was I feeling panicky and anxious? Did I feel I had to convince others to give me what I wanted?
This led to hours of fascinating self reflection and journaling! Thank god I don’t have kids or a real job, so I can just sit around all day pondering this shit.
Just as these dream interpretation techniques can help you plumb the sordid depths of your psyche, they can also help you decode a Tarot card.
Okay, now let’s apply these same four questions to a Tarot reading situation!
Let’s say you’re doing a daily one card draw. You ask “what do I need to know right now?” and draw theKnight of Wands from the Everyday Witch Tarot.
Everyday Witch Tarot
What’s the overall theme of this card?
What feeling do you get when you look at it?
What action (if any) is taking place?
What are the main symbols?
If you want to practice, I’ll let you answer the above questions on your own. To see my answers, keep reading!
So I’m going to start with the symbols, because that’s the easiest bit. I see the fire breathing dragon, the mountain and the magic wand as the main symbols. You may have picked different ones and that’s totally fine.
I think the mountain and dragon symbolize a challenge or a goal. The magic wand symbolizes your own power and ability to direct your will and energy.
I feelexcited and energized when I look at this card, but also antsy, like when you drink too much coffee and then have to sit for twenty minutes in the waiting room of your waxing salon, reading People magazine while you nervously anticipate getting your pubes ripped out.
The action that seems to be unfolding is that this knight is going on a quest to vanquish the dragon.
The overall theme of this card is tackling a big goal or challenge.
So now for the tricky part! How do all these elements apply to your life? What is the advice or suggestions offered by this card?
When I consider this card and what’s going on in my life right now, there are a few possible messages:
Now is the time to tackle that BIG roadblock or fear
Having a specific goal to work towards right now will be helpful for you
What do you consider to be your biggest challenges right now?
Some things to keep in mind…
The symbols you notice and the feelings you have when you gaze at this card will depend on what’s going on in your psyche right now. This is why no two people will read this card in the exact same way.
Also, if you look at this card in a few weeks, you might see different stuff and therefore come up with a whole different message. For example, I sometimes see adventure and excitement when I look at this card, but today all I got was goals, goals, goals!
What I love about interpreting a Tarot card like a dream is that it lets you go beyond the book meaning of a card. You can go deeper into a card this way and the messages feel more personal and custom made to fit your life.
Okay, so I didn’t tell you about the second and more scandalous part of my Jake Gyllenhaal dream…
After refusing to sell me alcohol, Jake Gyllenhaal approached me in the park behind the liquor store. I was sulking at a picnic table. He leaned down and filthily whispered “come back to my place and we can do all the drugs and have all the sex.”
Can you believe it?!
Sadly, I was horrified and disgusted by his lurid offer and said “no way!”
*sigh*
I guess even Unconscious Me is an uptight prissy pants.
In the comments below, tell me your most recent weird dream…because I’m creepy/nosy like that 😉
Contrary to what many free loving, hippy Tarot readers will tell you, there IS a wrong way to read Tarot!
I know, because I’ve done it. Countless times.
When you’re Tarot readings feel shallow, confusing, unhelpful and unsatisfying, it’s not because you didn’t sage hard enough or that you ate too much dairy and it clogged up your aura.
It’s probably because you’re making one (or more!) of these seriously shitty mistakes….
Mistake #1 – Reading too frequently on the same topic
So you’ve been having a fling with a hot 23 year old named Ben. After a night of passion and confessing your love for his chiseled Crossfit bod, he suddenly ghosts you!
Wondering why you haven’t heard from him, you do a reading and ask “why hasn’t Ben texted me?”
But you don’t like the cards that come up, so you make yourself a hot chocolate and look at naked pictures of Orlando Bloom on the internet. But an hour later you bust out your cards again and you ask “why hasn’t Ben texted me?”
I used to do this kind of crap ALL THE TIME. And it would usually happen when I was all in a tizzy over some problem.
Why should you avoid doing this? I think it cheapens the readings and leads to confusing and shallow experiences with your cards. If you don’t love the cards you got, re-doing the reading can go two ways. Either you’ll get similar cards again, which will further frustrate you or you will get totally different cards which will make you doubt the validity of the whole Tarot reading experience.
But I know you – when you’re thirsty for info, you’ll stop at nothing to get it! So here are two sneaky workarounds for this type of situation:
Workaround #1: If you feel unsatisfied with a reading, it’s okay to keep probing. In fact, probe away! But ask different questions. So instead of continually asking “why hasn’t Ben texted me?” every single day, try going deeper with “what do I need to know about this relationship?” or “what action do I need to take?”
Workaround #2: Instead of reading on the issue itself, do a reading for yourself that will help you feel the way you want to feel. Ask yourself “how do I want to feel in this situation?” Once you’ve figured that out (and yes, it can take a while), then get your cards out and ask “what do I need to do to feel _______?”
We all Google random, stupid questions from time to time, like where can I buy Chakra tuning forks? Why is my BF repulsed by my high sex drive?Can you wax nipple hair? or How can I fill this dark chasm of loneliness inside my soul?
This is all fine and good but when you start asking your Tarot deck stuff like this, it never ends well. Except for the last question though – that one’s actually pretty deep.
Think of your Tarot deck as a mystical oracle of divine wisdom….or a really good friend. Either way, the more you respect your deck and treat it right, the more helpful and satisfying your readings will be.
But if you pull a card for every inane question that pops into your head, well, it’s just going to piss your deck off!
Remember this: the energy you put into your readings is reflected back to you. If you come at your deck with a frivolous and impatient energy, you’re cards will feed it back to you in the form of a confusing and unsatisfying reading.
Don’t think of your Tarot deck as a tool for getting answers – think of it as a tool for self exploration.
Sometimes readers want their deck to do all the heavy lifting, but it never works like that. Once you ask a question and draw a card, don’t expect instant crystal clarity! You may need to do some contemplating, some soul searching and some creative thinking to figure out what message your cards have for you.
Mistake #3 – Not setting an intention for the reading (or having a murky question)
I’ve lost count of all the times I’ve sat down to do a reading for myself with an overly vague question. It usually happens when I have a desire for clarity and comfort but I’m not entirely sure what the issue is and I’m too lazy to figure it out before drawing cards.
This is a big mistake because it usually leads to a murky and confusing reading. You’re Tarot cards crave direction and the clearer you are about why you’re doing this reading, the better your reading will be.
Before doing a Tarot reading, ask yourself this: what do I want to get out of this reading?
Do you want fresh ideas? Clarity? A new perspective? Comfort? Peace? Secret smutty info?
This will set the tone and help you create an intention for the reading. This makes all the difference!!!
Mistake #4 – Not sitting with a card long enough
These days everyone’s in a big fucking hurry all the time. I actually know a guy who listens to self-help podcasts on fast forward so the voices sound like chipmunks and he can get all the self-help he needs in half the time. I know, right? He needs help.
And so do you….if you are the type of Tarot reader who spends only a few seconds contemplating a card before zipping on to the next one, that is!
One of the biggest sins committed by Tarot readers everywhere (including me) is that we assume we already know what a tarot card means without truly diving into it.
We’re in such a big rush to draw our conclusions and hurry on to the next thing that we don’t take the time to just sit with a card and let it reveal it’s secrets to us. This is a big mistake!
Everyday Witch Tarot by Deborah Blake
The other day I asked my Tarot deck “what do I need to focus on right now?” and I got The High Priestess. I immediately thought oh, right. I need to focus on developing my intuition and paying attention to my dreams.
But then I sat with The High Priestess for a little longer and just gazed at her and when I did this I noticed that behind her were stacks of books and in front of her was a crystal ball that she was meditating with. The card seemed to be saying turn your back on books (aka other peoples ideas) and focus on your own experience (aka intuition). I also noticed that the cat on the card was pawing playfully at a bag of runes – this detail seemed to be conveying that I should be playful about exploring my psychic side and not take it too seriously.
When you sit with a card for a little while, specific nuggets of advice and wisdom reveal themselves!
Mistake #5 – Not turning inward
Or…immediately looking a card up in your Tarot book or online.
Most of us are so used to turning to some outside authority for answers – a book, the internet or another person – that turning inward can feel almost unnatural and unsettling.
In fact, I’m willing to bet both my left AND right ovaries that the entire success of the entertainment industry is dependent upon our rampant avoidance of our inner selves, serving as the perfect distraction. Why traverse the universe within when you could kill a couple hours watching Bachelor in Paradise?
God, I could ramble on and on….
But back to Tarot! Within every Tarot card is an opportunity to turn inward. Think of a Tarot card as a portal or doorway into your inner universe – an invitation from your soul to plumb its starry depths!
For example, let’s say you’re pissed at your live-in boyfriend because he leaves his B.O. laden t-shirts and socks draped over your red velvet chaise lounger. So you ask your Tarot cards “how can I get my boyfriend to pick up after himself?”
Universal Waite Tarot, published by US Games
Then you pull the Seven of Swords, which at first makes no fucking sense. The Seven of Swords is about deceit, being sneaky and abandoning the group.
So you consider these things and you look at the imagery – a man tiptoeing away from a tent village, clutching a bunch of swords – and you dive inward!
Where in your life are you tip toeing? What do you feel you need to be sneaky about? What do you long to get away from? What does this card remind you of?
And now the answers are obvious. You’ve been tip-toeing around your BF’s messiness because you want to avoid seeming like a bitch. You’re being sneaky because you want to influence him to pick up his mess without having to confront him directly. And of course you want to escape from this caretaker role, always cleaning up after him. It all makes sense! These are the things you must overcome if you want things to change.
But what if you’d just looked this Tarot card up in a book? You may have gotten a few ideas but the experience wouldn’t have been as personal or meaningful.
Mistake #6 – Forgetting to “make a plan” after the reading
Pop question: what do you do once you’ve finished a reading? Take notes? Record your reading somewhere? Forget about it?
If you’re like me, you probably just forget about it. I feel terrible saying this, but most of the time when I finish doing a reading for myself I think wow, that was really illuminating! and then immediately forget all about it.
But if you’re NOT like me, this is what you’d do: you’d take the advice and insights you gleaned from the reading and you’d make a plan to put that advice into action.
A few months ago I did a reading for myself where I asked how can I feel more inspired and creative in my work? I pulled a bunch of cards and each one had a brilliant suggestion for me.
The Three of Swords said confront your heartache! The Ace of Cups said do Reiki on yourself each day to get the energy moving!The Hierophant said sign up for that class you’ve been thinking about taking!
At this point I could have whipped out a pen and paper and started writing down action steps, such as 1. sign up for that class and 2. schedule in a Reiki session for myself each morning, etc.
Did I do this? NO! But if I had, who knows where it would have taken me and what transformations may have occurred as a result.
Mistake #7 – Not signing up for my 4 week Tarot course!
And this my friends, is the biggest mistake of all!
My upcoming four week course The Daily Tarot Girl’s guide to Intuitive Tarot Readingbegins on Sept 18th – have you signed up yet?
This course is designed for beginner to intermediate Tarot students who want to read Tarot with more intuition, confidence and skill!
It’s a fresh, fun Tarot course that’s packed with videos, worksheets, challenges and more! There’s a private Facebook group where you get to meet fellow students, ask me questions and interact. I will also do a live Q&A session each week.
After you take my course, you will be able to…
Tap into your intuition the moment you turn over a Tarot card
Interpret a card with your own unique flair
Read a Tarot card in ANY context
Feel connected to your Tarot cards and to your own inner wisdom as you do a reading
Clearly see the message in a Tarot reading (well, most of the time!)
Have a personal bond with your Tarot deck so that doing readings is like having a convo with a good friend
UPDATE: Registration is now closed for this course, but will re-open again in Fall 2020 🙂
I want your opinion!
Can you relate to these Tarot mistakes? Or do you have a special Tarot mistake of your own that you’d like to share? I’d love to hear from you!!!
This course is designed for beginner to intermediate Tarot students who want to read Tarot with more intuition, confidence and skill!