Methods of Reading Tarot for Yourself
Once years ago, a friend of mine got a reading from me and it was so good – everything in his life really was coming up roses at that time – that he asked me, “Are you sure you’re not just pumping me with sunshine?” I laughed and told him, no, I could certainly understand why he’d be concerned, but I had made a commitment to my cards from the very beginning to be true to their meanings and tell each client what I see, or else what’s the point, really? When I’m working with a client, I focus on my goal, which is to get the most useful information for the client possible with the reading. I want them to be prepared and we can use the cards to find out ways for them to be able to make a change or accept what is.
But when I read for myself, I find that sometimes it’s tempting to want to ‘pump sunshine’ for my own readings, as my friend termed it. For example, if I pull the three of swords, in my mind’s eye I can see it as representing many different things ranging from disharmony, sorrow, or a painful situation to an intellectual breakthrough, a situation of head vs. heart, or the end of a minor dilemma. Because I know these various possible meanings, I may be tempted to tell myself something like, “Oh, well, that (situation) is over!” and miss the opportunity for relating to a deeper meaning.
One trick I use for self-readings is to blend in an abbreviated form of bibliomancy into my tarot reading. Bibliomancy is a form of divination that involves choosing passages at random (presumably in as mindful or prayerful of an attitude as one would bring to a tarot reading) to find a message. The term refers specifically to the bible, but this procedure can also be used for other books as well. The way I used it for tarot reading is by pulling a tarot book off the shelf that lists tarot meanings, turning to the page about the card I pulled, and finding a passage that really pops out at me. Another option would be select the passage entirely at random by closing my eyes, running a finger over the page, and stopping to read the selection.
One of the most influential and beloved tarot scholars of our time, Mary K. Greer, wrote the first of her many books on tarot to address the very topic of reading for oneself. In a podcast for StaarCon in late 2020 she mentioned that at that time there was a commonly-held belief that you really couldn’t read tarot for yourself, and yet reading for oneself is actually a very useful learning tool if done correctly. So, she wrote the landmark book, “Tarot for Yourself” in 1984.
In her introduction, Mary states “The Tarot should be approached, not merely as a means for divination, but as a potentially dynamic tool for personal growth and transformation. “[1] She also lists a number of ways to incorporate tarot into self-development. A few that stand out include journaling and observing how the cards relate to your journal entry or getting to know a particularly troublesome card more deeply through meditation or visualization. The entire book is a treasure trove of information for students of tarot for self-reading, and I highly recommend this book for any tarot library.
The main thing I encourage my tarot students to do is to get their hands on the cards. Whether you pull a card each day to ponder or lay out spreads on a regular basis, remember that the value of tarot includes being able to see more deeply into life. Pay attention to cards with difficult or challenging meanings because that is where the opportunities to figure out ways to best navigate the situation can be found. Trust your gut. My guess is that if you’re ‘pumping sunshine’, down deep inside, you’ll know it, so take a second look at the card and open up for a true message from your higher self.
[1] Tarot for Yourself – A Workbook for Personal Transformation - 2nd Edition by Mary K. Greer
