What You’ll Discover in This Post: If you’ve ever felt confused or stuck when reading tarot cards, you’re not alone. After teaching tarot for over a decade, I’ve noticed three common patterns that keep emerging witchy women from accessing the full wisdom of their cards. In this post, you’ll learn how to read tarot as a cohesive story rather than isolated meanings, why releasing gender constructs opens up deeper card interpretations, and how to work with court cards as energies instead of just people. These shifts will transform your tarot practice from overwhelming to empowering – whether you’re pulling your first card or deepening an established spiritual practice.
My tarot journey started in the most unexpected place – a gift shop in Disney World, Orlando, Florida. I was there on a band trip (yes, I played trumpet), and while browsing, I stumbled upon a tarot deck packaged with a little palm reading book. That purchase, made over twenty-five years ago, became my gateway into the wild world of witchery, energy work, and eventually, my exploration of women’s empowerment and gender studies.
Since 2016, I’ve been teaching tarot to thousands of witchy women who are ready to use this powerful tool to create energy rather than simply respond to it. And in all that time, I’ve noticed three consistent patterns that trip people up when they’re learning to read cards or trying to deepen their practice.
Today, I want to clear those up for you.
The Foundation: You Can’t Get Tarot Reading Wrong
Before we dive into the three shifts, let me say this clearly: you cannot get tarot reading wrong.
Sure, there are traditional meanings attached to the cards. But those meanings are highly subjective – influenced by who created the deck, what source material you’re reading, and even which historical perspective you’re learning from. The tarot itself is full of beautiful gray areas, and that’s exactly where the magic lives.
So release any pressure to be “perfect” at this. Your intuition is valid. Your interpretations matter. Hold it all loosely, give it a shot, and trust yourself.
Shift #1: Read the Cards as a Story, Not Individual Meanings
The first major shift I want to invite you to make is viewing your tarot readings as a story rather than interpreting each card as its own isolated thing.
When we lay out a spread, it’s easy to fall into the trap of looking at one card, checking the placement, looking up the meaning, and then moving to the next card. But when we approach tarot this way, our readings fall flat. They don’t land. They don’t connect.
Here’s why: The cards form a collective. They work together as an energetic unit – like characters on a stage, weaving themes together into a narrative.
How to Read Tarot as a Story
Think of your spread like this:
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The Minor Arcana are the fine details – the everyday experiences and emotions
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The Major Arcana represent the bigger themes and life lessons
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The Court Cards can amplify energies, represent archetypes, or add dimension to other cards
When you pull multiple cards, they’re not speaking in isolation. They’re in conversation with each other. Notice which way the figures are facing. Are they looking at each other? Turning away? What element appears most frequently? Where’s the energy moving?
Instead of thinking “The Three of Swords means heartbreak” and stopping there, ask: What story is this Three of Swords telling when it sits next to the Star card? How does the Page of Cups change the narrative?
This shift alone will transform your readings from a list of meanings into a rich, meaningful message that actually resonates.
Shift #2: Release Gender Constructs from Your Card Interpretations
The second shift is subtle but powerful: stop gendering the cards according to societal constructs.
Many tarot cards are clearly gendered in their imagery – the Empress, the Emperor, the High Priestess. And often, we unconsciously project our cultural understanding of “masculine” and “feminine” onto those cards.
But when we do this, we drastically limit what the cards can teach us.
Look Deeper Than Surface Gender
Let’s take the Empress as an example. In many decks, she’s pregnant. It’s easy to look at her and think, “This is about mothering, nurturing, or pregnancy.”
But what if we look deeper?
The Empress is about creation. Yes, that can include creating life – but it also includes creating ideas, businesses, homes, communities, and art. The Empress is pregnant with possibility, with something waiting to be born into the world.
On the flip side, the Emperor isn’t just about authoritative men or masculine energy. The Emperor is about protecting what was created. It’s about structure, boundaries, and safeguarding the things that matter most.
When we remove our socialized gender constructs from the equation, we can see these cards as universal energies:
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Creating and protecting
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Intuition and action
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Receptivity and assertion
These themes are genderless. They live in all of us, regardless of gender identity or expression. And when we read the cards this way, we open ourselves to receiving so much more wisdom.
“As you start to read tarot or deepen into your tarot practice, shift from interpreting one card at a time to finding the story within them as a unit.” – Sara Walka
Shift #3: Court Cards Are Energies, Not Just People
The third common pattern I see – especially with folks new to tarot – is trying to make the court cards represent specific people.
I get it. The Pages, Knights, Queens, and Kings look like people. They’re depicted as part of a royal court, a family system. So it feels natural to think, “The Knight of Wands must be a person in my life – maybe that guy from work?”
But here’s the truth: Court cards can be so much more than people.
How to Work with Court Cards as Energies
Court cards can represent:
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Energies or qualities (fiery passion, watery emotion, grounded stability)
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Experiences (a fast-moving situation, a moment of contemplation)
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Places (a creative workspace, a peaceful sanctuary)
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Descriptions or adjectives that modify other cards in your spread
Let’s go back to that Knight of Wands example. Yes, this card can represent a person who moves fast without thinking. But it can also represent:
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A passionate, fiery situation heating up quickly
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An amplification of creative energy or an argument
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The feeling of rushing forward without a clear plan
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A call to take bold action
When you allow the court cards to be energetic descriptors rather than forcing them to be people, they become so much more useful. They add texture, emotion, and dimension to your readings.
Think of them as adjectives in your tarot story – words that describe how something is happening, not just what or who.
Bringing It All Together: Your Tarot Reading Toolkit
Let’s recap these three powerful shifts:
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Read your cards as a story, not isolated meanings. Look for how the cards interact, create themes, and build narrative together.
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Release gendered interpretations based on societal constructs. Let the cards speak to universal energies, archetypes, and themes that transcend gender.
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Use court cards as energies, not just people. Allow them to describe experiences, amplify themes, and add emotional texture to your readings.
When you integrate these three shifts, your tarot practice transforms from something confusing and overwhelming into a powerful tool for self-trust, intuition, and creating energy in your life.
Because that’s what witches do – we create energy. We don’t just respond to it.
Your Next Steps for Deepening Your Tarot Practice
If you’re ready to continue your tarot journey, here’s what I invite you to do:
Practice with intention. Next time you pull cards, pause and ask yourself: What story are these cards telling together? What themes are emerging? What energies are at play?
Experiment with court cards. Instead of asking “who is this?” ask “what does this energy feel like?” or “how is this energy showing up in this situation?”
Trust your intuition. Your inner knowing is the most powerful tarot guidebook you’ll ever have. The cards are mirrors – they reflect back what you already know deep down.
Remember, you can’t get this wrong. Tarot reading is a practice, a conversation, and a journey. The more you do it, the more your unique voice and interpretation will emerge.
And that’s exactly as it should be.
Grab our free “Bad” Cards of Tarot PDF HERE – it includes tarot spreads for the Devil, Death, and Three of Swords that’ll stretch how you see these powerful cards. Plus, join our Stay Magic newsletter for weekly witchy wisdom delivered straight to your inbox.
FAQ: Common Questions About Reading Tarot Cards
Q: How do I know if I’m interpreting tarot cards correctly?
There’s no single “correct” way to read tarot—the meanings are subjective and deeply personal. Focus on reading the cards as a story rather than memorizing rigid definitions. Trust your intuition and notice what feelings or insights arise when you look at the cards together. Your interpretation is valid, especially when you’re honoring the narrative that emerges from the full spread.
Q: Can court cards represent situations instead of people?
Absolutely. Court cards can represent energies, experiences, places, and qualities rather than specific individuals. For example, the Knight of Wands might indicate a fast-moving passionate situation or amplified creative energy, not necessarily a person. This approach gives you much more flexibility and depth in your readings, especially when you’re practicing everyday magic and trying to understand the energies at play in your life.
Q: Do I need to follow traditional gender roles when reading cards like the Empress or Emperor?
No—and releasing those constructs will actually deepen your tarot practice. Instead of seeing the Empress as strictly about motherhood or femininity, view her as the energy of creation itself (ideas, projects, communities). The Emperor represents protection and structure, not just masculine authority. When you look beyond societal gender expectations, these cards reveal universal themes that apply to all aspects of life regardless of gender identity.
Q: What’s the best way to start reading tarot for beginners?
Begin by pulling a single card daily and noticing what story it tells about your day. As you progress, practice reading small spreads (2-3 cards) and focus on how the cards interact with each other rather than memorizing individual meanings. Don’t worry about getting it “wrong”—tarot is a deeply intuitive practice where your personal connection to the cards matters most. The more you practice reading them as stories, the more natural it will become.
Q: How can I use tarot to reclaim my power and trust my intuition?
Tarot is one of the most powerful tools for developing self-trust and inner knowing. When you read cards, you’re not looking for external validation—you’re using the images as mirrors to reflect back what you already sense deep down. Practice asking open-ended questions instead of yes/no queries, and notice which interpretations resonate emotionally. Over time, this strengthens your ability to trust yourself and create energy rather than just respond to life’s circumstances.
About the Author
Sara Walka is the founder of The Sisters Enchanted, a transformational community helping midlife witchy women reclaim their power and remember their magic. With over 25 years of tarot experience and a decade of teaching spiritual practices, Sara holds a Master’s in Education and training in life coaching, ADHD coaching, and positive discipline. She’s the author of Magical Self-Care (Amazon bestseller) and host of the Stay Magic podcast, which has reached over one million downloads. Sara built The Sisters Enchanted from the ground up—earning the company over $1 million in revenue while raising two young children. Her approach blends practical magic with emotional sovereignty, helping women trust themselves deeply and live intentionally magical lives. When she’s not teaching tarot or creating transformational content, you can find her honoring the seasons, working with the moon, and reminding witchy women everywhere that they were born magic.