What to do When a Reading Stumps You

When doing tarot readings, everyone is stumped from time to time. You may have pulled cards that appear to contradict each other or maybe it unlocked a meaning for a personal reading that you don’t want to face. There will come a time in every tarot reader’s career where you don’t have an immediate idea of what you’re looking at. I cannot stress enough, your divination skill will be forever evolving and never fully clear. Here are some tips to keep you from being confused by your readings.

Start With a Clean Environment and Positive Energy

We’ve spoken previously about making sure your deck is only carrying positive energy. Sometimes after a particularly dark reading, people will actually bless their decks to make sure none of that negative energy bleeds into their next reading and quite possibly, into the person they’re reading for’s life. Make sure you’re not reading at a point of stress in your life (as much as possible). If you start with a cluttered mind and space, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Think About Your Question

Sometimes divination takes time. You want to make sure you’re thinking of your leading question as you’re shuffling your deck and while you’re pulling that first card to manifest the correct energy for your reading. On that note, make sure your question is clear and concise. Don’t ask questions that are open-ended and if you’re asking a yes or no question, you can always do a yes/no reading to pull your answer so there is no doubt.

Practice Responsible Divination

If you ever get stuck, look at the face of the card and the overall tone of the card. Each one tells a different part of their suit’s story. Generally, tarot cards evoke an emotional reaction if you study them enough and you will be able to intuit what piece of the card is resonating within your reading. Treat the full spread like different pieces of a picture. If you saw all of these cards within the same frame of a painting, how would you feel? What would be the overall message?

Practice on Others as Much as Possible

Try not to focus too much on reading your own cards because you know the meaning they have in your life and you may have a skewed perspective. Getting readings from someone else with fresh eyes and intuition, however, is a refreshing change of pace and may show you a side of divination you’re unfamiliar with. It’s fun to see what you like and don’t like form other readings and build from there.

Remember, even the most skilled readers are always learning so don’t allow yourself to get discouraged. If you need a moment, ask for it. Intuit what the cards are saying instead of looking it up and push forward. You’re doing great!