Read Tarot Your Way

Nov 20

Tarot is a Tool

I feel very strongly about this: Tarot is a tool; you can use it however you want.

Say you have a chainsaw. You can use it to be scary in horror movies, cut down trees, or create art. Tarot is the same; it is really up to you how you use it.

Gatekeeping in Tarot

There has historically been a lot of gatekeeping in Tarot, exclusionary mythologies, and 'rules' that have left many people feeling they can't access it.

The truth is, if you are feeling drawn to Tarot, it is for you. Full stop.

Dispelling Common Beliefs

Your first deck has to be gifted
- Being gifted any tarot or oracle deck is such a lovely experience, however, you don’t need to wait until someone shows up at your door with cards before you begin. This commonly-held belief dates back to a time when tarot wasn’t as accepted as it is today and when information about it wasn’t as widely available. This meant that you needed to be ‘invited’ or ‘initiated’ into the practice by someone who would also teach you how to use your cards. Of course, this is no longer necessary.
You have to start with the Rider Waite Smith Deck
- While the RWS Deck is wonderfully illustrated to convey the meanings of the cards, it is not the be-all and end-all of tarot decks, and it’s definitely not the original one. You’ve likely heard that you need to learn with this deck. This is not true. The best deck to learn with is one that has images with which you resonate and that you are excited to use. This may be the RWS deck, but it could be any one of the thousands of other decks available.
Decks must be wrapped in silk
- This belief also dates back to a time when tarot wasn’t accepted. Wrapping your decks in cloth hid them from prying eyes. I do believe in treating my decks with respect, and for ease and protection, I keep them in their original boxes. That said, wrapping them in silk is one more way to carefully store them if it’s a practice you enjoy.

Your Way Wins

Your way wins. You can use it to tell the future, delve into people's inner worlds, offer healing and more. It can be a way to speak to the universe or something to disrupt your thoughts and get you thinking in a new direction. There's no wrong way.

Once you give yourself permission to access Tarot in the way that feels right for you, you begin to cultivate your own relationship with it—and develop your own language.