We’re asked over and over again, ‘can anybody read tarot cards?’, so we asked one of our Tarot experts, Psychic Reader Kirsty a few questions. Her response may surprise you.
Hi I’m Kirsty, I first became aware of Tarot in my early teens whilst learning about spirituality, Wicca and paganism. I used to talk to friends about the cards, look at the information available on the internet (which wasn’t much considering it was the late 90’s early 2000’s) and then I was given a deck by a friend, which sadly was misplaced when we moved house.
Fast forward through my 20’s in to my early 30’s I re-discovered my interest in Tarot which soon became a full-fledged passion for the cards.
What is Tarot?
Tarot cards have been around for a very long time. In the 1600’s The Visconti-Sforza Tarot was created for the Visconti family as a card game and this is what many people consider to be the “first” tarot deck, however, this cannot be proven. A lot of decks were created with the intention of being a card game, but it did not take long for these cards to be used in fortune telling and divination practices. Many people today have a misconception that Tarot is only used by either hack fortune tellers to scam people out of their money or by people practicing evil occult practices. This is absolutely not accurate, just a misinformed view that has been put out time and again in folk stories, literature, television and movies. Today there are literally hundreds of different Tarot decks to choose from and there are also hundreds of Oracle decks available. Oracle cards follow a similar vein to Tarot, but the decks usually have fewer cards in them and provide affirmations and sentences relating to the image that the reader can interpret for the sitter.
What can you use Tarot for?
Tarot is so versatile, it can be used for so many things such as, your romantic life, career, decision making, relationship (family/friends) issues and much more. My favourite tool for using Tarot personally is that of self-development. The way that we are able to connect with our intuition to unlock information is such a powerful tool and it can empower sitter to take actions to help overcome issues, work towards achieving a goal, work through problems to find a solution and to explore the “what would happen if I did…..” scenarios.
I believe that Tarot is a tool that we can use to access our intuitive abilities and connect us with the universal library of information which contains all that has been, all that is, and all that is to come, (also known as the Akashic Record). I do not believe these little bits of cardboard are magical or contain special powers. I do not believe that they are negative or evil and I definitely don’t believe that these little cards tell us our future in the way it is set in stone and can’t be changed. I believe that using Tarot to connect to our intuitive selves, we are able to access information that can help show us what could happen if we follow a certain path and if we don’t like what we see, well of course we can change it!
What is a Tarot Reader?
A Tarot reader is someone that can interpret the meanings of the cards and the messages received intuitively from the cards. You absolutely do not need to be psychic to read Tarot. Of course, to start reading Tarot there is some work to be done. You need to learn about each card and their reversed meanings (if you choose to read with reversals), what the combinations of cards mean as a whole, how to interpret the messages you receive that are inspired by the card and so on. This means there is a lot of commitment to make to yourself to learn about the cards and how to strengthen your ability to connect with your intuitive self.
What do you need for a reading?
All you need to do a Tarot reading is a deck of Tarot cards. It is as simple as that. Some people like to set up their space with candles, crystals, statuettes, runes or may even smudge their reading space to clear it of negative energy before they start. The truth is you DO NOT need to do this. If you feel you want to do that, then of course do, but the only thing you absolutely need to read Tarot is a Tarot deck.
What can I expect from a Tarot reading?
Tarot readings can be done in person, remotely via a video call or even through email. You do not have to be face to face with the reader, but the process is roughly the same regardless of the way the reading is conducted. Every Tarot reader works in a different way, some readers will ask you to explain what you want to know and then why you specifically want to know the answer. Others will just open the deck to see what the cards want you to know but most of the time you will be asked to ask a question. A lot of the time the question originally raised is not the deeper question that needs answering. The reader will then begin to shuffle the cards and when it feels right, they will stop and then draw the cards placing them in the relevant position for the spread they want to use. (A spread is the special way the reader lays out the cards.) Once they do this, they will spend a minute looking at the cards, seeing how they relate to each other, looking for any patterns in the cards. I personally like to make notes of my initial feelings on the reading while I do this.
The reader will then explain the cards, the spread, and what the cards and intuitive interpretations are to the sitter. Sometimes the answers pose more questions, and so the process is repeated to provide further answers.
After the reading the reader may write up a little report, summarising the questions asked, the cards drawn and the interpretations along with photographs of the cards in the spread. Sometimes readers record audio of the readings and send it to the sitter afterwards. Each reader will work differently and should inform you at the start of the reading.
What can you ask Tarot?
You can ask anything you want in a Tarot reading but you need to know that each Tarot reader will have a code of ethics they subscribe to. This is a list of principles that they feel they are morally obliged to follow. For example if you were to ask me a question in relation to health that I feel needs a doctor to answer, then I will let you know that I am not comfortable to answer that and I think you need to go to see your doctor. Another example is that I will not read for third parties, even if they have provided permission. This means if you were to come to me and ask me “tell me what my friend can expect from her relationship with Bob”. I will tell you that unfortunately I don’t provide third party readings and therefore cannot help you on this occasion and the main reason behind this is privacy for that individual.
A lot of readers, including me, will not answer questions such as “someone is very ill, will they die?”. Mainly this is because it is not ethical to answer questions like this but also because Tarot is not the type of tool to use for these types of questions, the Medical Professional is the tool.
Best results you have had in a reading?
A lady in her 60’s requested a general reading. She was going through a sticky time financially and emotionally and had recently had some significant setbacks. We explored her situation a little as she didn’t have a specific question in mind, she just wanted to know really if it would all be ok, but after looking at the deeper reasons behind her initial question we settled on “What can I do to be more proactive in my situation?”. I developed a custom spread for her so we could get as much information as possible. After her reading she sent me lovely feedback explaining that she really resonated with the reading and it gave her both hope for the future as well as empowering her to take control over her situation with some actions she could take to get back on track. This was lovely to hear as I personally feel Tarot should be used to empower the sitter.
