How to Do a Tarot Reading With One Card
- 1). Pick a time when you can do your reading undisturbed. You want to be relaxed and open to receiving messages. When you first wake up, right before bed or after dinner are good times. Avoid trying to do them at work or when you are rushed and stressed.
- 2). Turn off your phone and TV. Music is OK, especially if it helps you loosen up, but keep it low and soothing.
- 3). Focus on your question or the situation you want to ask about while you shuffle the cards. State your query as an open-ended question since the tarot describes scenarios instead of simply answering "yes" or "no."
- 4). Shuffle and cut the cards until you feel ready to stop.
- 5). Draw a card from the deck wherever you feel is appropriate---top, middle, near the bottom---and turn it face up. Flip it over sideways instead of turning it from top to bottom so you don't accidentally reverse it and get the wrong interpretation.
- 6). Look up the meaning of the card in the tarot interpretation book. If the card is reversed and the book doesn't give definitions for reversals, its meaning is generally the opposite of the face-up interpretation.
- 7). Heed ideas or impressions that come to you as you read the meaning. Tarot is meant to conjure insights. Having sudden "ah-ha!" thoughts are breakthroughs that heighten the reading experience. For instance, you might ask, "How did a rumor at work get started about me?" and pull the Ten of Swords, which is related to a vulgar use of power. On the card, a figure lies on the ground with 10 swords plunged into him. It may hit you that someone in a position of power has betrayed you by stabbing you in the back. Such thoughts aren't mere coincidence.
- 8). Examine the picture in relation to your question. Do its symbols answer your questions? Say you've asked, "Will my relationship with my best friend remain intact after the fight we had?" and draw the Three of Cups card, which shows three women lifting their goblets in celebration. The picture of celebration and camaraderie shows it's likely your bond will remain. However, if this card was reversed, the friendship has literally been turned upside down. It is a strong sign that things will not fare well.
- 9). Check an online tarot card source for a back-up interpretation if you are confused by the reading (see Resources.) Keep your mind open about how the card could apply to your question or situation; perhaps you are taking its meaning too literally. An obscure reading could clear up in a few days when other events come to pass. Write down the reading so you can refer to it later.
- 10
Try again only once if a reading is unclear. Follow Steps 3 through 7 to do a second attempt. If the reading is still murky, put the cards aside and try the next day. Too many tries at once will frustrate you and aggrevate the problem. - 11
Store your cards in a private place. Wrap them in a scarf or put them in a container to preserve them from picking up other energies besides your own.
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