So, you’re wondering how to read tarot cards? Maybe how to use tarot cards for yourself? Or maybe you’re already a card slingin’ magic maker. But are you reading tarot to the best of your ability? Here’s the thing—there is no one “right” way to read tarot, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn new strategies, flex your intuition, and feel really comfortable reading tarot cards! Continue reading below to learn the difference between questions, guidance, and advice in Tarot  

A common belief about tarot is that it is a fortune telling tool and, in some cultures, this is totally the case. Here at The Sisters Enchanted, we prefer to think of tarot as a tool for improvement, personal growth, and inner guidance. A key part of this way of practice is the understanding that the future is ever changing, so the cards can give us an idea of the path that we’re on now, but we have the ultimate authority on creating that future. Understanding the difference between seeking advice, asking questions, and looking inward for guidance is one way to get the most from tarot and plot the course of your future in an empowered, meaningful, and useful way. 

What is the difference between questions, guidance and advice? Let’s start with questions. 

Asking Tarot Cards Questions

Questions evoke curiosity, possibility, and wonder. Questions are what encourage us to dig deeper, really peel back the layers of a situation, and consider angles we hadn’t previously considered. Why ask a question if you’re not looking for an answer, right?  

When you’re asking a question of your cards, there is no predetermined answer. If you’re asking a question with the intent of validation, that errs more on the side of advice, which we’ll get to. When asking a question of your deck, it’s always good practice to steer away from yes or no questions. This is because, naturally, tarot cards aren’t as cut and dry as yes or no.

When you have a specific question in mind, it’s also important not to pull cards for that question too often! Doing several readings for the same situation, especially in a short amount of time, can cause confusion as well. Try not to do this, even though it may be tempting! Getting better at asking questions is the key when figuring out how to use tarot cards for yourself. It’s the useful questions that will bring the useful answers. 

Here’s some examples of good questions to ask:  

• What is in store for me today?  
• What do I need to do to take advantage of this opportunity?  
• What barriers may I face in this situation?  
• What am I doing to block this opportunity from coming my way?  

Using Tarot Cards For Guidance

Guidance is looking for information aimed at resolving a problem. Guidance is particularly great when you’re bouncing between possible answers and trying to resolve a problem. Let’s dive into an example! 

You’re feeling unfulfilled at your job and you’re not sure what to do about it. So far, the solutions that you’ve come up with are either moving on and finding a new job or sticking it out for the chance at growth with your current company. You pull some cards for guidance. Perhaps you pull a card from the suit of wands, which may be urging you to start fresh somewhere else, perhaps you pull a pentacle which tells you that there will be a career opportunity coming your way. From this reading, maybe you conclude that an opportunity for career growth will come to you when you begin your fresh start and that’s what you decide to ultimately do. 

The thing about guidance is that you already have a sense as to the way forward but might just need a little help in feeling confident enough to do what you know you need to do. Guidance is looking for the answers you already have and trusting in them.

We often ask for advice when we want to be validated in our own feelings and experiences.

Asking Tarot Cards For Advice

Advice may be driven by ego. We often ask for advice when we want to be validated in our own feelings and experiences. What does this look like? Let’s use the above example again!

Internally, you’ve already decided that what you want is to leave your job but are nervous about the prospect of not only finding a new job, but also the judgment of your peers for taking this step for yourself. You may decide to pull some cards with the intention of validation for your decision. Of course, there’s no guarantee that the cards will agree! But seeking validation in your decisions is an entirely normal thing to do as our ability to choose can actually make choices that much harder.

We have endless choices and thus, some of us can become overwhelmed and need to be reassured that we’re on the right path. So, what do you do if your cards disagree with what you’ve already decided internally? Well, as we all have free will, obviously it is ultimately our choice on what to do. If your cards appear to disagree with your assessment and decision, consider a couple options:  

• Shadow work—learn about your shadow self. This may shed some light on why you’re feeling the way you are!  
• Journaling—journaling is always a super great tool for self-reflection and you may realize some things about yourself that you hadn’t consciously known before!  
• Expand your reading—ask the cards to elaborate! You might be surprised at what you discover!  

When you learn to ask great questions, your inner guidance is going to be loud and clear. Our advice is to steer clear of advice (just not this advice). You know the answers, you only need listen and feel confident in your inner knowing.  

We know that tarot is powerful and that’s why we teach two different programs just on this transformational tool.

Here’s what one of our students had to say after taking our Tarot Coach program: 

“Loved showing my clients to take back their power with the tarot. It’s thrilling to watch them make connections & view their situation differently.”

Click below to learn more about both and you’ll be on your way to asking great tarot questions and trusting your inner guidance in no time.