Tarot: A Quick and Easy Guide to Self-Readings 🎴

[BryWisteria]

Tarot Readings For Yourself- a Quick and Easy Guide!

Whether you are a tarot expert or a card beginner, reading for yourself has a host of benefits. Practicing tarot can be a quick part of your daily routine, or can be something you turn to for answers in times of uncertainty .

For more information about tarot, Spells8 has a Complete Tarot Video Course with informational videos to walk you through tarot step-by-step.

When most people imagine a tarot card reading, they picture two people- the card reader and the answer or guidance seeker. But this is not always the case- it is possible to use your tarot cards to do a self-reading.

So Why Do a Self-Reading?

There are several reasons why a magick practitioner would do a self-reading. These include:

1. Finding answers or seeking clarity for problems in your personal life
2. Connecting with your tarot deck
3. Practicing new spreads and learning new reading methods

Let’s Get Started- First Step: Purification Cleansing

Connecting and reading your cards is a deep and powerful process- as with any magickal ritual or spell, it is a good idea to cleanse and purify before you begin in order to attract good and helpful energies while deterring and removing negative forces.

1. Purify the space you will conduct the reading in. There are numerous good ways to purify a space- consider saying a spell or incantation, burning sage, drawing a circle, or surrounding yourself with purifying crystals. Noah Tempestrarii on YouTube has a Quick and Easy Cleansing Spell using candles, salt, and crystals that can be adjusted to suit your needs and materials.

2. Purify and cleanse your tarot deck. You can use a magick circle, salt, crystals, or burn herbs to cleanse your deck. Spells8 has a Clearing Deck Ritual that you can use or adapt to make your own. @SilverBear has also shared a fantastic method for casting a Quick and Easy Circle.

Note that you may not feel the need to cleanse or purify between every reading or every session- follow your feelings and cleanse your reading space and tarot deck as you feel is necessary. The most important thing is that your show respect to your practice and the tools you use to work your magick!

Second Step: Focus Your Intent

Before you begin your reading, clear your mind of negative thoughts and distractions. You can try visualization tactics and focus on your goal, or try a simple meditation to quiet your mind and invoke peace before you begin

Just as you may do before conducting a reading for someone else, focus now on yourself and your goals. What answers are you seeking? What do you ask the cards to reveal to you? Your cards are deeply connected with you- be sure to be open and honest with them.

Third Step: Do Your Reading

Choose a spread that works for you and your current desire, and ask those cards!

The Witch of Wonderlust on Youtube talks about doing a 1-card daily reading in her video Reading Tarot for Yourself

A very versatile and adaptable method is to use a 3-card reading. Most commonly, this involves drawing 3 cards to represent the past, present, and future aspects of your question. Check out Easy Daily Tarot Exercise for an intro to 3-card readings.

There are many spreads to choose from, and all can be adapted to suit your own unique practice- take some time to try something new, or adjust a favorite spread!

Final Step- Finishing Up

Everyone has their own closing practices. You could choose to do another purification spell or ritual to complete the reading, or perhaps thank your cards for their help and guidance . Tarot-ically Speaking has a blog discussing Opening and Closing a Tarot Reading.

One recommendation is to write down any insight the cards showed up in a tarot log or reading book . While some advice from the cards might be immediately obvious to you, some things may become clear over time. Meridian Tarot talks about Keeping Track of Tarot Readings and offers a Tarot Tracker that can be downloaded for free.

By keeping a tarot log, you can look back on previous readings and see how things played out!

Have You Ever Used Tarot for a Self-Reading?

• Yes, and I enjoyed it!
• Yes, but I probably won’t do it again
• No, but I’d like to try!
• No, and it’s not something I’m interested in

If you have any advice, resources, or interesting stories about Tarot and/or Self-Readings, please feel free to share them with everyone!

May you all be well, and may your cards always guide you to happiness!

[Francisco]

Awesome post! Thanks for all the resources!

Just as you posted this, I added this new Celtic Cross guided reading:

It’s a lot of cards compared to other easier Tarot spreads but I feel that practicing with self-readings and lots of cards is the best way to connect with any deck, just like you mentioned.

I like doing a card of the day , and maybe a simple spread if there’s something specific on my mind that day.

[roxanne]

Ohhh I gotta get busy and learn Tarot, I now have 4 decks…shuffled them and that is about all. Learning it is on my bucket List…when all gets quiet and I can concentrate…

[BryWisteria]

Wow, the 10-card spread looks amazing, @Francisco! I’ve never done anything more complex than a 4-card reading before- I appreciate the guide. It makes it so much more approachable with the steps and thorough explanations

@roxanne

Ohhh I gotta get busy and learn Tarot, I now have 4 decks…shuffled them and that is about all. Learning it is on my bucket List…when all gets quiet and I can concentrate…

Wow, 4 decks @roxanne! I know the feeling- there are so many amazing decks (with such beautiful artwork!). May I ask what decks you have, and if you recommend any of them?

My personal favorite tarot deck is the Ostara Tarot, made in a collaboration with 4 very talented artists- giving the deck 4 unique feels to it! Selena from Lavender Moon has a review on this gorgeous deck here. Despite my intense love of Tarot decks, this is currently the only deck I’ve been able to make up my mind about and purchase for myself!

[Abs53]

Similar to @Francisco I usually do a card a day or I like to shuffle while focusing on a question and draw a card to answer.

I make sure I draw, talk to or shuffle them everyday to ensure that the connection stays strong. I cleanse and charge them during the full moon

I like to do a week ahead spread every Sunday night, its become a little Sunday night Ritual now, even my husband who “doesn’t believe in woo” gets me to read for him

@TheTravelWitch I love your deck, its beautiful! My current favourite deck is The Labyrinth Tarot by Luis Royo, its a bit different almost dark and mystical but I connect really well with it and I love the images

[BryWisteria]

@Abs53

I make sure I draw, talk to or shuffle them everyday to ensure that the connection stays strong. I cleanse and charge them during the full moon

This is lovely- I’m sure your cards appreciate your love and dedication to them!

@Abs53

I like to do a week ahead spread every Sunday night, its become a little Sunday night Ritual now, even my husband who “doesn’t believe in woo” gets me to read for him

Hahaha that’s so fun that it’s become a shared ritual for you both! Yes, tarot cards are so enchanting! Even before I used them for readings, I was always drawn in by the beautiful art and symbolism. I think many a witch’s journey begins with tarot cards- they’re so approachable and enticing!

I took a look at The Labyrinth Tarot- I’m in love this one’s definitely going on the wish list (along with a hundred more- there’s so many beautiful decks out there!) . Thank you for sharing!

[Abs53]

@BryWisteria I totally agree with tarot cards being the start of the journey for a lot of people!

As a child, I used to see auras around people but after years of being told by adults that it wasn’t real I stopped seeing them. As I grew up and started to get more interested in the occult I was drawn to tarot cards first then towards astrology, moon phases, rituals, Manifesting and now I find myself here learning about spellwork my aura sight hasn’t come back sadly, maybe one day!

[BryWisteria]

@Abs53

As a child, I used to see auras around people but after years of being told by adults that it wasn’t real I stopped seeing them.

There’s a lot of power in the words of people, and while helpful and kind words of support can raise someone up and increase their power, unfortauntely the opposite is also true . But it sounds like you are trying so many exciting aspects of your practice - I also hope that your aura sight comes back to you someday!

[sherry]

Hi there. I have had my deck for many years, I am rather attached to it… how do you like to cleanse and charge your cards during the full moon?

[Abs53]

Hi @sherry, sorry for the late reply I must have missed this one!

I cleanse my deck by blowing palo Santo or sage over them and saying “I cleanse you of all negativity”. Then I leave my deck on my window sill over night to soak up the light of the full moon and say “Mother, please fill my tools with your truest intention” hope that helps