There are times, especially when you’re new to reading Tarot cards, when you lay out a reading and it makes absolutely no sense. Not only does it seem to have nothing to do with what’s happening in your life, but the cards don’t even seem to connect with each other.
So what do you do when that happens?
I’ve found that a good first step is to step back, look at the cards, scratch your head, and say: “What in the HELL does that mean?”
It doesn’t solve the reading, but it clears the air.
There are, however, some questions we can ask that may help.
HOW’S YOUR HEAD?
I’ve found that I’m most likely to get muddled readings when I’M muddled.
In other words, it’s not the cards’ energy. It’s my energy.
After all, when we lay out a Tarot reading, it’s a snapshot of what’s happening in our lives at that particular moment. It may tell us something about what’s happened in the immediate past, what’s going on right now, and what’s likely to happen in the immediate future.
If I’ve got a head full of fuzz because I haven’t been taking care of myself energetically, that’s exactly what’s going to show up in the reading. If I’m anxious or a bit hyper, if my thoughts are bouncing all over the place like a pinball, the reading may bounce all over the place, too.
It isn’t that the cards AREN’T working—it’s that they are. They’re mirroring back to me exactly what my current reality looks like. If my thoughts don’t make any sense, neither will the reading.
ARE THINGS CHANGING IN YOUR LIFE?
There are times in everyone’s life when things change very rapidly.
We can be plodding along, getting up in the morning, going to work, doing our jobs. Life is perfectly normal.
Then suddenly we feel as if we’ve been thrown into a blender.
Perhaps we come home from work and discover that our partner has moved out. Perhaps we’re suddenly transferred to a new office and have to move. Perhaps we wake up one morning and think, “Man, none of this makes any sense. I’m starting over.”
When our lives are in flux, our readings may be in flux, too.
If things are changing so rapidly that we can’t keep up with them, the cards may simply be reflecting that reality. When things begin to settle down, the readings often will, too.
IS THERE A LOT OF RATIONALIZATION OR DENIAL GOING ON?
This can apply when we’re doing readings for ourselves, but it can be particularly important when we’re reading for other people.
It’s perfectly natural for all of us to try to present ourselves in the most positive light. Sometimes, however, we take that to the extreme of completely denying what’s really going on in our lives.
You may sit down to do a reading for someone who appears to have it all together. They’re well dressed. They’ve got a good job, a loving partner, and 2.5 beautiful children.
That’s what they’re projecting to the world—and perhaps to themselves. But underneath the image of the perfect life, they’re a mess. Their partner is emotionally abusive, their children are having trouble in school, their credit cards are maxed out, and they’re behind on their house payments.
So you lay out the cards. The reading reflects all of that.
And they look at you and say, “That’s not right. Everything in my life is wonderful.”
The cards may be telling the truth, but the questioner isn’t.
SO WHAT DO WE DO?
The solutions to all of these scenarios are fairly straightforward.
1. Wait and do the reading again later. If you’re extremely upset, physically exhausted, very anxious, or mentally scattered, you’re probably not going to get a clear reading.
Get some rest. Meditate. Do some EFT tapping. Clear your energy.
When you’re clearer, your reading may be clearer, too.
2. Accept the chaos until it settles down.
If everything in your life is upside down and sideways, you’re probably not going to get a nice, orderly reading.
If you don’t know what the hell is going on in your life, why should the cards pretend otherwise?
Once things begin to settle, your readings may begin to make more sense.
3. Remember that the cards may actually be one hundred percent accurate—but there are factors you aren’t aware of.
If the questioner is lying to you, withholding information, or simply unable to see what’s happening in their own life, a reading may LOOK as if it doesn’t make sense when it actually does. And if we’re lying to ourselves, we may genuinely be unable to see the patterns in our lives, even when they’re laid out in front of us.
The missing ingredient may simply be information.
LOOK FOR UNDERLYING PATTERNS
Another thing we can do with a muddled reading is stop trying to interpret every individual card and look at the reading as a whole.
Are nearly all of the cards reversed? That may indicate that much of what’s happening is internal, blocked, delayed, or being experienced subjectively rather than expressed openly in the world.
Is one suit predominating?
If you get a reading that’s almost entirely Cups, emotion and relationships may be overwhelming everything else.
If Swords dominate, there may be too much thinking, worrying, conflict, analysis, or mental agitation.
Too many Wands may indicate that you’re pushing too hard, trying to do too much, or running on nervous energy and sheer willpower.
And if Pentacles dominate, you may be overly focused on money, work, security, possessions, or the practical realities of life.
You don’t necessarily have to understand every card to understand what the reading is telling you.
WHAT ABOUT THE MAJOR ARCANA?
Are there a lot of Major Arcana cards?
This can be an especially important clue when your life has gone topsy-turvy. Any card from the Major Arcana can act like a bright, flashing light saying:
“Pay attention. This is important.”
If you have several Major Arcana cards in a single reading, you may be dealing with something larger than the ordinary events of the day. Major forces may be at work in your life. An old pattern may be ending. A new phase may be beginning. Something fundamental may be shifting.
And if that shift is still underway, it may be impossible to see exactly where it’s taking you.
BE PATIENT
There’s a saying in 12-Step groups: More will be revealed.
And that’s often true with the Tarot.
If a reading doesn’t seem to make any sense, wait a few days and look at it again. If it still doesn’t make sense, set it aside and come back to it later.
Very often you’ll discover that the cards were astonishingly accurate. There was simply a piece of the puzzle you didn’t have yet. As a little time goes by, the missing pieces emerge—and suddenly the reading makes sense.
If you’re a beginner, I’d actually encourage you to keep a Tarot journal.
Write down your readings—especially the ones that make no sense—and then go back and check them after a few days or a few weeks.
I think you’ll be surprised at what you find.
