Feel more confident reading tarot in 6 steps
Does tarot intimidate you? Do you feel like you’re always second-guessing yourself?
It’s easy to feel small in front of 78 cards. But tarot doesn’t want to tower over you. It wants to support you.
Tarot can help you tap into your subconscious mind and grow in greater awareness. It invites you to become more engaged in your life, and it does so with rich imagery, gentle prompts, powerful insights, and endless meanings.
Instead of feeling insecure about tarot readings, feel more confident and worthy with these six steps.
#1 Believe in the Value of Tarot
Tarot might not be something you hallow and revere. You might just do it for fun, every now and again. There’s nothing wrong with this approach, but it might not increase your confidence in it.
On the flip side, if you start to believe that tarot has significant value for you, you may feel more confident about it. Tarot invites your subconscious forward into conscious awareness, and this can help you make life-changing shifts.
You probably won’t overhaul your entire life in one full sweep after one tarot reading. But little by little, tarot can invite you to take action, act differently, consider a new perspective, or open your mind to ideas you never entertained.
These are all small shifts, but they can be life-changing in the long run.
#2 Feel Grounded First
Some people use tarot to find clarity, but it’s important to bring a clear mind to tarot, too. If we approach tarot frantically, it can be much harder to trust ourselves and the messages we’re picking up.
But that leads us to an important question: should you only read tarot when you have the sangfroid of a Buddhist monk? Definitely not.
Instead, try to cultivate a sense of calm and centeredness before you begin your reading. Breathwork or meditation are two excellent ways to quiet the mind and feel grounded – exactly what you want before you begin a tarot reading.
# 3 Draw a Tarot Card Every Day
The old adage, “Practice makes perfect” rings true for tarot. Every morning, draw one card for yourself and practice sitting with this card and drawing guidance from it.
A simple way to practice daily tarot is to quiet your mind and ask your intuition (or, the Divine, God, Universe, etc.) what you need to know that day.
Then, draw a card and hold space for your intuition to tap into the card’s energy. The card may speak to specific situations, relationships, ideas, emotional experiences and so much more.
*You can also try our Tarot Card of The Day Reading. That will help you to learn all about each tarot card one at a time so it’s not so overwhelming.
#4 Use a tarot cheat sheet
There are 78 cards in the tarot. Each one is rich in symbolism and full of meaning. This is what makes tarot so special. But 78 cards are also intimidating and overwhelming for new tarot readers.
To compound this, we often carry our high standards, perfectionism and fear of failure to readings.
Instead of placing such high expectations on yourself, spend an hour creating a tarot cheat sheet. Do this by listing three keywords for each card, along with other words that may help you remember the card’s essential meaning.
This alone is a wonderful way to get to know tarot better. When it comes time to read tarot, if you draw a blank, or feel confused, consult your cheat sheet. You may find that one or two keywords is all you need to access inspiration and insight.
#5 Give Yourself Permission to be Yourself
Do you feel like you don’t fit the stereotypical tarot reader (whatever that means)?
Do you think you need to look or dress a certain way?
Or, that you need to be a psychic, have a specific background, or have a massive crystal collection?
There is no prerequisite for tarot. All are welcome. That means that you are just as eligible to read tarot as the next person. Your unique talents and skills, along with your energy and experience of the world, are all valuable gifts that you can – and should – bring to your tarot reading.
You shouldn’t leave the parts of yourself that don’t seem acceptable out. You can be yourself, and you can bring your whole self to the reading.
If you have a background in music, you may view tarot through a more musical lens, compared to someone who studied biology.
If you’re a psychologist, you may find it hard to leave your scientific knowledge behind, but guess what? You don’t have to. Bring these intellectual gifts to the table, too.
Our spiritual practices, like tarot, are richer when we let them coexist with other aspects of ourselves.
#6 Read for Others
When you’re learning to read tarot, you may shy away from others and just stick with your own private tarot session. Of course, reading for yourself is definitely a good way to feel more confident and sure of yourself, but don’t be afraid of reading for others.
One of the reasons why we feel scared of reading for others is because we place a lot of pressure on ourselves to “get it right.” Plus, we want to avoid saying the wrong thing.
But are you ready for a truth bomb that will calm your nerves? Tarot isn’t a test. Tarot is a tool. It’s one way we draw the subconscious mind gently into our conscious awareness. It’s how we are guided by our intuition, by the Divine, by Source, by the Universe.
In a way, you are not responsible for coming up with the perfect answer – or, the perfect question, for that matter. In fact, “perfect” doesn’t really belong in the tarot vocabulary.
Your “job” is to have a conversation where you ask and listen.
But even here, the word “job” isn’t really appropriate. When you’re talking to your closest friend – someone you can be completely vulnerable with – do you feel like it’s your “job” to talk and listen? Probably not, right? It’s the same with tarot.
Your role is to state your intention or to ask a question. Then, it’s time to listen and see how the cards present themselves. Take it in, be curious and ask questions.
Bonus: Be open to more
No matter what skill or professional we talk about, we often think we can’t be legitimate and confident until we’ve studied for x amount of years, or passed specific tests or certifications.
The truth is, that’s rarely the case. Instead, these are just starting points.
In fact, some of the best “experts” are the people who continue to keep an open mind and learn more. Sometimes, the people we deeply trust aren’t the ones fresh out of graduate school, but those who continue to build their knowledge and experience.
The more life experiences you have and the more tarot experience you have, the more your readings will evolve and grow – growing deeper with insight and richer in perspective.
The confident tarot reader knows that she will never know everything, and that’s exciting to her. It’s exciting to know that the more she practices, the better it will be.
Remember, tarot is a practice and a tool. It’s not a test, and it’s definitely not a scale to measure your self-worth against.
Start growing your confidence reading tarot by remembering these steps:
- Believe in the value of tarot
- Feel grounded first
- Use a tarot cheat sheet
- Give yourself permission to be yourself
- Read for others
- Be open to more