Piecing the Sentence Together: Part Two
“I know what all the cards mean, I just don’t know how to piece them together into something meaningful.” This sentiment is the main issue I hear from people learning how to read tarot. Sure, memorizing 78 individual cards can be tricky but it seems like many people get stuck on contextualizing the cards.
If you find yourself in a similar place, I’m here to help! This article is part two of four I’ve written about how to build the meaning of the cards together into a useful tarot reading. Each card has its own definition (and evergrowing collective understanding), when laid out in a spread they complete full sentences of meaning. This particular article will focus on how to ask better questions. The question asker, querent, in tarot, is just as important as the reader. For reading your own cards, which is largely what I’ll be talking about, you will need to occupy both sides of this equation. Though this information can be expounded upon to read cards for others, I would greatly suggest reading for yourself before moving on to reading for others.
After exploring different paths to asking better questions, I’ve included a practice, a ritual to try. Take it as your homework if you want (I’ve even included a worksheet this time!). The best way to get better at anything is to try, practice, and see what way works best for you. Remember that you don’t have to be perfect, you just have to be open to learning.
Asking Better Questions
Sometimes unclear and messy answers are actually coming about because of the kind of questions we ask. I notice that the more I ask the same question, rather than accepting the first one, the murkier my answer will get. Tarot can be used for yes/no questions, but it’s not the card’s preferred kind of interaction. Since all of tarot is tracking cycles, the more you lean into what lesson you’re on, or which archetype you’re inhabiting, the more specific answers you’ll get from the cards.
Many people will come into a tarot reading asking something like “Will I find my soulmate?” Since the only direct answers to that question are yes or no, the answers will usually be quite simple. Tarot, and life, likes to give you exactly what you asked for, just presented in a surprising way. Like a pixie or genie, the cards will act as helpers — with a dash of a trickster. You might even find a frustrating evasiveness mixed into your answer. Or worse, you get an unequivocal NO to something you’ve been hanging all of your hope on with no real explanation or path to turn things back in your favor long-term.
So when you’re not understanding the answer, make sure to refer back to the original question and pay attention to what topics you are opening. Approaching the cards with intent is necessary. Try to be more specific with questions while still allowing any answer to find you. If you don’t want the answer, it’s probably best to not ask the question.
Let’s say you’re set on learning about your soulmate. Instead of a yes/no question as we looked at earlier, try shifting your focus slightly. An especially good tarot question will either acknowledge what cycles you’re dealing with or ask about how to learn what those cycles are. “What lesson should I be learning in love?” “What will meeting my soulmate feel like?” “What is my block when it comes to love?” All of these questions would still give you a love reading, and information about one of your soulmates, but would also allow for a more complete answer. It also gives you an answer you can do something with. Having a vague and witchy insight into the future is fun, clarity is much more useful though. I suggest using your question-asking powers to make your life easier. If you’re constantly asking messy questions, try to not be surprised when your life stays messy.
But, of course, to use the cards in a useful way, you do occasionally want a yes or no answer. Trying to make decisions is hard, why not get a little help? When looking for concise and clear answers, I’ve also been finding more lately that the cards really reward efforts to embrace your autonomy. Let yourself speak out which way you’re leaning. Rather than asking “Should I go to this event?” switch to “I’m planning on going to this event, is that the right call?” It’s ultimately still a yes/no, but you’re using your voice more actively. We’re speaking a plan and asking for backup instead of expecting some divine answer to come and save us from the mundane.
Clarifying your question also clarifies your intent. If you read your cards often, pay attention to what you’re asking about. Sometimes we let ourselves get stuck on certain problems because we refuse to leave them alone. If the answer is Trust yourself! and then you proceed to ask a string of self-doubt-filled questions, are you listening? Are you trusting? If the only way you interact with Spirit is to justify what you already want to do, you show Spirit (and yourself) that you are not to be trusted with your own decision-making. Why else would you give away your autonomy like that?
Or maybe you end up not getting very much information at all from the cards. If you find yourself getting generic, “This could apply to anyone,” messages — look again to your questions. Generic answers are often a result of generic questions. It will genuinely help you get more sincere answers when you allow yourself to approach the process as your authentic self (sincerity, not seriousness, but more on that later). If you do want a general reading, be ready to dig into what comes up. Take a minute to think about what cards you pulled and let yourself find a follow-up question. If what comes up really wasn’t what you wanted to talk about, it’s time to try asking about what you do want to know about rather than leaving it open. There is a big difference between “I am open to any message” and “I want you to guess what I want a message about.” Clarify your own intent and you’ll be rewarded with richer responses.
And if you have a hard time formulating an actual question, coming to the cards with a topic or a feeling can also lead to great readings. In what I think are the best readings, you may start to unravel your own feelings and come to a more complete understanding of yourself. Speak the discovery out, then let yourself follow-up. “What should I do with this?” is a great follow-up a lot of the time.
If you’re getting this far into learning tarot, it’s time to allow yourself to see what questions end up being the most effective for you. Allow yourself to get lost in the process of it all and see what questions led you to the productive spaces and what questions made you feel more frustrated. Stop putting yourself into that professional, de-personalized space. To strengthen your own practice, see where you feel most like yourself and ask how you can expand into that person. It only has to work for you.
Practice to Try:
Grab a journal, or I’ve put together a worksheet you can use. This practice is about helping you find questions through the flood of thoughts and emotions we all deal with. Start with a question word (who, what, when, etc.), then the card you pull will be the answer. Your job will be to figure out what question you should be asking. Take some time to think about the card you pull and the situation it makes you think of. Write out what comes to mind and try to solve the equation.
This exercise is meant to help keep you in a productive energy while you sort through your feelings. For this practice, keep your mind as open as you can. Allow your thoughts to float from topic to topic, feeling to feeling, as different possibilities present themselves. Breathe in deep if/when you start to panic about not knowing the answer. This is supposed to be practice! You won’t be perfect. Remember that most often the questions we have will be about either what’s bothering us or what’s been missing.
