How to Do Your Own Tarot Reading

Co-authored by Susan Levitt

Last Updated: October 16, 2022 References

Doing your own tarot reading is a great way to get in tune with your intuition and gain clarity about your life. The best way to do your personal reading is to jump in and start practicing; it’s one of those situations where the experience teaches you more than studying can. Remember, tarot cards aren’t necessarily meant to predict the future but rather to offer guidance and help you positively focus your intentions so you can live a more aware, present, and peaceful life.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Setting Your Intentions

1
Sit down to do a reading when you need guidance or introspection. How often you do a personal reading is totally up to you, but many people find it helpful to do a simple 1-card daily reading to help them focus their energy for the day. Instead of or in addition to doing that, consider doing readings at these other times:^{[1]
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- At the beginning of each week.
- At the beginning of each month.
- At the start of a new year, whether that’s the calendar year or your birthday.
- When there’s a specific issue, problem, or question you need guidance on.
2
Clear a physical space for your reading so you can focus. Tarot readings should be done with intent and a clear mind, and a big part of starting on the right foot is making your physical space reflect your internal one. Whether you do your reading at a desk, the kitchen table, on a blanket spread on the ground, or some other divine space, take a few minutes to remove clutter and make it special.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Susan Levitt
Tarot Card Reader
Expert Interview. 20 November 2019.}^{[3]
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- Take your time and make this step part of your process. It all adds to the experience of doing your tarot reading.
- Consider burning incense, lighting a special candle, including crystals, or putting out meaningful pictures or objects.
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3
Calm your mind by meditating or taking deep breaths. Doing a tarot card reading for yourself is similar to doing it for someone else—you want to be in a good mental space and calm your internal chatter as much as possible. Whether you take 10 minutes to meditate or spend 5 minutes focusing on your breath, choose some kind of centering activity that focuses your mind and spirit.^{[4]
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- The entire experience of doing a reading is essential, from getting set up and declaring your intentions to pulling a card and reflecting on its meaning.
- If you make doing a reading part of your daily routine, this can be a great way to calm your mind before a busy day.
4
Set your intention for your reading before you begin. This can be broad, like looking for guidance about what you might need in that particular day, or something more specific, like what you should do about that argument you had with your best friend the other day.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Susan Levitt
Tarot Card Reader
Expert Interview. 20 November 2019.} Try phrasing your intention as a question and roll it over in your mind several times to focus on it. Consider some of the following prompts.^{[6]
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- What do I need today?
- What kind of energy do I need to focus on?
- How can I create more harmony in my life or a specific relationship?
- What is going on with my love life?
- What unresolved feelings or habits do I need to address?
- Keep in mind that tarot readings aren’t about predicting the future, but instead, they offer guidance and challenge you to be more intuitive and reflective.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Doing a Daily Reading

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Shuffle your tarot cards while holding your question in your mind. There’s no right or wrong way to shuffle your cards, so follow your intuition. You could even spread your cards out in front of you facedown so that there’s a giant pile to choose from.^{[7]
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- You don’t have to shuffle your cards the same way each time, though you might like having a set routine or rhythm you follow for your personal readings.
2
Pick and study a single card from the pile. You could select the top or bottom card from the deck or cut the deck and choose a card from the middle. Flip the card over to discover what card you picked, and take a minute to study the image and words, if there are any.^{[8]
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- As with shuffling, how you pick a card is a personal preference. Let your intuition guide you.
3
Read the tarot deck’s message or explanation for the card you drew. Especially if you’re a beginner, this can be tremendously helpful. Whatever deck you’re using most likely came with a booklet with a breakdown of the meaning or insight drawn from each card. Take a few minutes to thoughtfully read and re-read this information and think about how it connects to the intention you set at the beginning of your reading.^{[9]
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- If you don’t have a booklet that came with your cards, look up the meaning online. Just be careful not to get distracted by emails, messages, or other tasks.
- For example, if you pick the ace of wands card, you’ll read about the chance for a new opportunity or growth, or a promise of something new coming your way.
4
Ask what the card is communicating to you about your life. Spend some time thinking about how the card's message relates to the intention you set and what it might mean for your life, whether just for that day or for a more extended time. Think about what practical steps you can take or what you might need to meditate on based on the message.^{[10]
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- Try thinking about how you would explain the card if you were doing a reading for someone else. In some ways, you should treat yourself like a client.^{[11]
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- Look at the images, symbols, and colors on the card and think about what stands out to you or draws your eye.
- For example, if you pulled the three of pentacles, you might notice people working together on the card. This might symbolize a need for more collaboration or teamwork in your creative endeavors or a need for a willingness to listen to others.
5
Keep a notebook where you jot down reflections from your reading. This can be a great resource to look back at over time. Especially as situations, both internal and external, are resolved, it can be neat to reflect and see how something you thought about and meditated on a few months ago has now come to fruition or resolved.^{[12]
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- This can be as simple as jotting down a few sentences after each reading, or you could use your journal to do more internal searching and write out what you think and feel about the meaning of your card.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Exploring Different Spreads

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Make a decision with the guidance of a 2-card spread. Put a specific situation in your mind where you have a choice to make, and think about the different options you have. Shuffle the deck with one of these decisions in mind and pick a card. Repeat with the other choice in mind. Examine the cards and use them as a guide as to how it would feel to make either decision.^{[13]
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- For example, if you’re faced with a job promotion that would mean relocating to a new place, your two choices are to take the job and move or not take the job and stay. Either option has positive and negative consequences, and your cards might illuminate either a need for stability and community or that it’s time to spread your wings and make a change.
2
Do a 3-card spread to meditate on your past, present, and future. This is a classic spread that helps you focus on where you’ve been and where you’re going. Remember to set your intention before you shuffle the deck. After shuffling, pick 3 cards from the deck and lay them down in front of you from left to the right. The first card represents the past, the middle card the present, and the rightmost card the future.^{[14]
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- The 3-card spread can also illuminate how you could tackle a particular conflict or obstacle, like a problem with a friend or a dilemma at work. The first card represents the situation you’re in, the second card highlights the problem, and the third card represents action—a way you can adjust your efforts or energy moving forward.^{[15]
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- There are many different spreads to choose from, and you could even make one up yourself.
3
Examine a problem more intimately with a 7-card spread. This is an excellent method if you want to combine a more comprehensive spread with specific and actionable cards. Think about a particular situation for which you need guidance. Shuffle the cards, and lay the top 7 ones in front of you from left to right, or a horseshoe pattern. Interpret the cards this way:^{[16]
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- The first card represents the past—where you’re coming from or what you’ve accomplished or worked through.
- The second card shows your present situation.
- The third card represent the future or where you’re heading.
- The fourth card is advice about what you need, whether that’s something internal you need to focus on or something external you need to do.
- The fifth card is about the people you’ll need or come into contact with or general advice about how you need to interact with people.
- The sixth card represents obstacles you might face, whether those are external or internal.
- The seventh card is the outcome, what you can expect at the summation of the experience, event, or situation.
4
Do a 12-card spread at the beginning of the year. Ask yourself something like what the year will hold for you and shuffle your cards. Begin choosing cards from the deck and place them facedown in a clockwise circle with the first card for January at the 12 o’clock position. Once they’re in place, flip 1 card over at a time and spend a few moments reflecting on the card and its message.^{[17]
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- You could also do this on your birthday for the next year of your life.
- This is a spread you will want to take notes on to refer back to each month.