Questions for the Tarot: How and What to Ask in a Tarot Reading
Tarot reading, to me, is more about asking the right questions rather than getting the “right” answer.
If, like me, you’re using the cards to figure yourself out rather than predict a specific outcome or do fortune telling, crafting the right questions can make a world of difference. The questions you ask the tarot help you set an intention for your reading. They establish your WHY. And once you figure out why you’re looking for guidance, whether you’re pulling cards for yourself or consulting a professional reader, you’re able to receive messages more openly.
The only #practicalmagical rule you (probably) need: You can’t go wrong with “How do I…” and “What can you tell me about…”
These two questions leave things open for interpretation. And for the types of readings I do, you need this level of openness in order for the cards to reflect what’s going on inside you (or what’s happening in your querent’s mind/heart). Asking “how do I…” and “what can you tell me about…” enables you to connect to your intuition and pull from deep within. Sure, these questions are a lot tougher to answer than simple Yes/No inquiries or “when” questions (I don’t do timelines), but easier isn’t always better when it comes to tarot. Digging is part of the work.
When you just feel like getting a reading or pulling cards for yourself, but you don’t actually have any questions, start with “What do I need to know?”
When you’re feeling particularly confused about everything in life, it can be tough to know where to even start. If you’re new to tarot and have never gotten a reading before, it can be super intimidating to craft questions to ask your reader. When this happens, you can always fall back on “What do I need to know?” This inquiry is super open and will allow your intuition to immediately rise up to the occasion. Your mind may not immediately get to pinpoint the root of your discomfort, but if you ask a question like this and pull a card, the first thing that comes out of your mouth when you see the image or connect to the card’s catchphrase will almost always direct you to what needs to be addressed ASAP.
Make it about YOU. I always discourage asking questions that tap into someone else’s psyche because one, it’s invasive and two, it takes the focus off of who the reading is for—YOU.
I’m a big proponent of readings that serve to empower people—messages that remind you that even in really impossible situations, you can probably figure out a way to connect to your autonomy and agency. When you ask questions like, “What does she think about me?” or “How does he feel about me?” you’re surrendering all your power (plus wasting precious questions).
The tarot is a mirror. It reflects what’s going on inside our heads and hearts.
If you pull a card trying to figure out what a person thinks of you, the message you’re actually receiving is what you think the person thinks of you. Wrap your head around that! LOL. For a reading to be productive and empowering, you want it to circle back to you. You can ask why what this person thinks of you is so important. You can ask what impression you most likely give off and its pros and cons. You can even ask how you’d like another person to perceive you and what that means. All those questions put you back under the spotlight and give you options to handle a relationship and take your power back.
Outcome cards are never really about what’s going to happen “in the future.”
When I do Past Present Future readings or Issue Advice Outcome spreads, the “future” or “outcome” cards serve to highlight possibilities. It’s like turning on Waze and seeing the different available routes. Whether or not you believe in destiny or a fixed fate for all of us, I think it’s important to know that there are different approaches to where we go next. And the beautiful thing about tarot readings that serve to empower is they show you several ways to get where you want to go and you get to choose.
My quick and dirty rule for what NOT to ask is any question that yields a hard yes or a hard no.
It takes practice for people to learn how not to ask Yes or No questions. Every time I put out free readings on Instagram stories, people immediately resort to this type of inquiry. A yes or no gives you a fixed outcome—which again, I don’t believe in. Giving a Yes or a No takes your power out of a situation. Saying Yes or No is a cop out, I feel, because it prevents you from doing more digging. What’s more important than a Yes or a No is usually why the person is asking the question anyway.
When someone throws a Yes or No question my way and I’m feeling a little bit snarky, I throw it right back at them and ask them why they’re asking this in the first place.
Now, this isn’t to say that I don’t sometimes get intuitive hits that give a timeframe, or favor a Yes over a No (or vice versa).
Sometimes, I’m shuffling cards for someone and then I just get a feeling that—yup, it might be better to wait things out at your current job for three months or so… or nope, it just feels like you’re better off doing x rather than y. These intuitive hits may be inspired by something I see in the cards, but usually they’re just my intuition talking to me.
When this happens, I always clarify that I’m speaking directly from intuition and not anything else. I feel it’s responsible for people reading the cards to spell that out so that the person they’re reading for knows that it’s an intuitive hit and not a fixed outcome. Everyone’s had the “I have a feeling” feeling, right? It’s illogical, most of the times, but more often than not, following that feeling always leads to something good. If you frame your answer that way, then at least, you’re being transparent and still reminding the person you’re reading for that ultimately, the next course of action is still up to them.
I hope this post clears up any confusion you may have about how to prep questions for a reading. The best way to test this method is to do daily draws, IMHO. Everyday, just ask “What do I need to know?” and pull one card. Whatever message you receive, rather than being fatalistic, serves to highlight something in your day that you can focus on and think about.
If you have any other #practicalmagical questions that work for you, feel free to share them in the comments. I’d love to know!