Are you questioning a situation in your life and maybe need some guidance? Need a little clarity in your life? Well I have the solution. Go and get a deck of tarot cards and read yourself. It’s quick and easy and even if you don’t believe that this really works, it’s still fun to see if you can piece together a story for some possible guidance. Here’s a quick guide to tarot cards because, trust me, it’s confusing as heck at first.
MINOR ARCANA / SUITS
CUPS
The Suit of Cups is associated with Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) which should tell you straight off the bat that this suit mostly has to do with emotions. This Suit is representative of emotions, relationships, feelings and creativity.
PENTACLES
The Suit of Pentacles is associated with Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn). This Suit is representative of money, financial resources, material possessions, career, and anything with the physical and materialistic realm.
SWORDS
The Suit of Pentacles is associated with Air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius). This Suit is representative of power, rationality, the intellect, thoughts, challenge and observation.
WANDS
The Suit of Wands is associated with Fire signs (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius). This Suit is associated with inspiration, spirituality, ideas, creative, action, passion and energy flow.
A QUICK READING
When you’re doing a reading, really try to look at the cards because they do tell a story within themselves which will translate into some guidance. I always use this website when I am doing a reading because it goes in depth, whether the cards are upright or reversed. Just click the suit you have, then scroll down the page until you reach the card that you have pulled.
STEPS FOR PAST / PRESENT / FUTURE READING (Three Card Reading)
This reading is super quick and easy and especially good for beginners because they usually cut straight to your question.
1. Ask a question, something that is not yes or no.
2. Start shuffling the cards with your question in mind.
3. Do this until you feel that they are shuffled enough, whenever you think you should stop.
4. Split the cards into three different stacks.
5. Combine into one in the best way that you see fit.
6. Pull the first three cards on the top of the new stack.
Your first card is the influences from the past that still affect the situation today.
Your second card is the present — all that surrounds you either positively or negatively.
Your third card is the likely future or outcome.
*NOTE: if the card is upside down, leave it!
MOCK READING
First Card / Past: Seven of Swords Reversed
Meaning: mental challenges, breaking free
Second Card / Present: Six of Wands
Meaning: victory, progress, self-confidence
Third Card / Future: Two of Swords
Meaning: indecision, choices, stalemate, blocked emotions
Put it all together:
(note: this is just a mock reading, also I just started reading so I hope that this makes a little bit of sense)
I am going to read this in terms of love and relationships because that is always more fun! So, the Seven of Swords tells us that there had been some lying, sneaking, cheating behavior by either you or someone else in the past and there is a third party involved. See how that little fox is laying on top of the one sword? Well honey, he’s got a secret that you don’t know about. In your present, however, you’re blossoming like a butterfly, or at least trying to. You may have come to a realization of what was happening and you now feel as though you have victory over this situation. However, the Two of Swords is telling us that you might just be pretending to be okay because you want to avoid the real problem. Be careful. The Two of Swords is warning us that there’s a big decision that you have to make. You see the two swords surrounding solar eclipse? The solar eclipse is representative of unfinished personal business and the swords around it indicate the two choices you have in making this decision. You need to make up your mind! You need to stop avoiding whatever it was that has been holding you back. Stop pretending like it doesn’t matter to you anymore because we all know it’s eating you alive! Stop avoiding the situation and pretending that it is fine! You need to make decisions!
Images by the author