Choosing the Best Tarot Technique for the Worst Questions

I love teaching tarot classes. During a recent Zoom class, a question came up at the end of the class. It was the sort of question on which I could base an entire class, or at least a blog post. So, here goes.

The scenario is one with which we are all familiar. A tarot client has a specific yes or no question which will be immediately proven right or wrong. Rather than waiting for the pregnancy test, the job offer, the Xray, or whatever will provide the definitive answer, they want to hear right now from tarot what the answer will be.

The reader performs a comprehensive tarot spread like a Celtic Cross. Within the spread, and perhaps, most convincingly, in and near the ‘future’ or ‘outcome’ position, there are cards which we typically traditionally associate with the nature of the question. We see the Empress for a question about pregnancy. We see the Three of Pentacles for a question about a job. Based on the appearance of those cards in those positions, we give our answer. When the client gets the news from the official source, it turns out that what we thought we saw in the cards, and what we told the client, was wrong.

When this question was posed at the end of class, my thought was that Spirit does not always see things in the same linear way we do. For Spirit, the difference between being pregnant now, or in a month, or being hired now, or in two months, may be very negligible.

Perhaps Spirit is like a loving but stern parent who will direct us to the best source of answers for the question we have. Perhaps Spirit wants us to be patient.

In class we discussed ways to handle this kind of question, and ways to provide the answer in a broader scope. That was all we had time to do in class. There is so much more to unpack here.

The first consideration is about those kinds of questions. Why would a person want tarot to answer something when a mundane tool, or a little patience, would provide the best and most accurate answer?

Sometimes there is a good reason. Life can have a lot of moving parts. We need to sign the lease now if we are going to get the great apartment, but only need the apartment if we get the job. In a situation like that, tarot is the best tool to create a great strategy for managing those moving parts.

In the situation where there is no logical reason to use a mystical tool when a mundane tool is the better option, there is usually something more at play. The seeker wants to infuse a touch of the divine, of the spiritual and the mystical, into their situation. They may not have the vocabulary to ask a deep question about their circumstance, so they ask the most direct question on their mind. It is up to us, as readers, to break that question down and provide them with the mystical experience they seek, whether we can ferret out the exact answer they think they want, or not.

As we discussed in class, we find our flow in a tarot reading by implementing our energetic and spiritual resources, our knowledge of the cards, and proper technique.

As I thought about this question, I came to this clear realization.

When we are in a situation where we need to examine a definitive yes or no, a broad comprehensive spread like the Celtic Cross is not the best technique.

Over the years, I have developed a technique that I call “weighing the cards”. This technique is invaluable for answering specific yes/no questions.

My own experience has been that using yes/no spreads or activating certain cards to indicate a yes or no answer hasn’t been effective for me. The weighing the cards technique has worked wonders. Each reader is different. We all must find the technique that works for us. The important part is to know many techniques, so we can apply the best technique for the situation at hand.

Here is how weighing the cards works. Suppose the question is, “Will I get this job?”

I will pull one card for “You get this job”. I pull a second card for “You do not get this job”. I weigh the two cards against each other in the context of the question. Sometimes they both point to the affirmative or the negative. Sometimes there is a clear feel toward the no card, or the yes card.

 If they both seem neutral, or I cannot get a good feel, I will repeat the process, pulling cards, one in each pile, until a clear story emerges.

It is important to remember that, even in a situation where we might believe there is a clear yes or no answer, there might be other factors. You might be pregnant, but quickly miscarry. You might not be pregnant now but become pregnant quickly. You might get a job offer that is not what you expected and choose not to take it. You might get the job offer, but then get another offer which you take instead.

Sometimes I will use the weighing method and add a third card, or third pile of cards, which is, “something else happens”. This can help me see those complicated unexpected things.

Sometimes it is important to break a single question into many. “Am I pregnant?” might break into, “Will there be a baby soon?” “How will pregnancy go?” “What will be the challenges of motherhood?” “How will the father adjust?” “What will the baby be like?”

“Am I pregnant?” is best answered by a pregnancy test. The deeper questions that surround the concept of a new child can only be answered by divination. When we can pivot the question to the place where our tool shines, we can get better results.

When we need to attempt those yes or no questions, the using the right technique will give us the best chance for success. You may find, as I do, that the “weighing the cards” method is the right technique for you.

In divination with tarot or any tool, the more techniques we know, the more skillfully and accurately we can find our answers.

Opening Up the Four of Pentacles

The Four of Pentacles is one of those tarot cards that immediately evokes the same easy response from most tarotists. Almost everyone sees selfishness and greed within this card.

Eden Gray called the Four of Pentacles “The Miser”.

Those who practice Law of Attraction see a dangerous “lack mentality” in the Four of Pentacles.

Very often, the Four of Pentacles can speak of the insecurity that comes from the real or imagined fear that you won’t have the resources you need, or that others will try to take those resources from you.

I once read for the very possessive boyfriend of a young woman I knew. The Four of Pentacles appeared in the spread position designated as “love and romance”. Clearly, this young man feared losing his girlfriend. In the end, that fear and its manifestations drove her away from him. As soon as I saw the Four of Pentacles in that particular position it was clear to me that his fear would become a self-fulfilling prophesy.

What I learned from that reading is that the Four of Pentacles is not just about money, or material resources. The Four of Pentacles can speak of selfishness, jealousy, and hoarding behaviors. The resources in question can be anything a person finds valuable, either tangible or intangible. This asks us to stretch the limiting idea that the suit of Pentacles, or the element of Earth, will always refer to only tangible things.

Over time I learned there is even more to discover within the Four of Pentacles.

Sometimes the Four of Pentacles is about creating healthy boundaries. It is true that, very often, when we set boundaries, others may accuse us of selfishness.

This means that the selfishness inherent in the Four of Pentacles may apply to the querent, or it may be something of which others accuse the querent.

The Four of Pentacles may appear to tell us that someone in question is being miserly or possessive. The Four of Pentacles may tell us that we need to look at our own fears of poverty or loss.

The Four of Pentacles may also tell us to conserve our resources. It may be time to save rather than spend.

The Four of Pentacles may also serve as a reminder to enforce good boundaries with others around us, even if the people with whom we set those boundaries think we are being selfish.

Any time we start to think about any tarot card as having a simple go-to meaning, there is always an opportunity to look deeper and find more. When we look deeper, what we find within the Four of Pentacles is the push-pull relationship between the need for prudence and the fear of poverty. When we see this card, we might be best to refrain from automatically assuming that the person in question is being selfish. Rather, we might instead explore whether boundaries need to be set, whether prudence is justified, and if and where fear of lack or loss is an issue.

Sometimes the Four of Pentacles can be the greatest advocate for self-care. in the Crowley-Harris Thoth Tarot, the Four of Disks is the Lord of Earthly Power. Perhaps a deeper meditation on this card when it appears in a reading can help us understand how we can best cultivate and use our power wisely.

Diving into the Tarot Nines

There are six cards in the tarot deck that are connected to the number Nine. These include the four Minor Arcana Nines, of course. In the Major Arcana we have card Nine, the Hermit, and card Eighteen, the Moon.

When we think of numerology and its connection to tarot, Nine is a particularly interesting number. That is because, in classic numerology, Nine is the final number. Thus, we see Nine as a number of completion and fulfillment.

In tarot, we have cards that are numbered Ten. Therefore, we can’t entirely use classic numerology to help us understand the Nines of tarot, since the Tens complete the sequence of numbered Major Arcana cards.

When we look at the six tarot Nines, we can see that each of them has some individual peculiarities. This might make us wonder what, in tarot, could be considered commonality amongst the Nines. What might we say Nine means in tarot?

Let us look at each of these six cards. Then we will see if we can sum up what the energy of Nine in tarot might be, and how each of these cards reflect that energy.

We will start with the Major Arcana.

Major Arcana Nine is the Hermit. Typically the Hermit is pictured as an old man on top of a snowy mountain, holding aloft a lantern. In some modern decks the Hermit is a young man, or a woman. Yet, the original archetype of the Hermit is ‘Father Time’. That would make him, traditionally, definitely old and male. When we see the Hermit pictured as an older female she is sometimes called the Crone. This fits in well with the concept of the Triple Goddess. From that perspective, the High Priestess is the Maiden, the Empress is the Mother, and the female Hermit is the Crone. This, however, is a very modern approach to the Hermit.

The very first Hermit, as Father Time, held an hourglass rather than a lantern. When the lantern replaced the hourglass it was still meant to represent a timepiece. Candles were often used to measure the passage of time. Now, when we look at the Hermit, we can see the lantern as the lamp of wisdom, yet also as a clock.

The timepiece is important because the Hermit is often a reminder to be patient. The Hermit can also speak of old age. In this case the Hermit might reflect the worry that one might be considered too old for something, such as being hired for a job or having a viable love relationship.

The Hermit has made an arduous journey to the top of a snowy mountain, from which he can shine his light, or hold his clock, over all of humanity. We often think of him as having acquired great wisdom on this journey. He will share his wisdom with those who seek him out. He will not seek out students or followers. Rather, he will wait for them to make the journey to find him.

The Hermit shares his position as a card of great wisdom with The High Priestess. He shares his position as clergy with the High Priestess and the Hierophant. When we think about the search for deeper and hidden spiritual wisdom we can associate him with the High Priestess and the Moon.

The Moon is the Hermit’s Major Arcana numerological counterpart, being card Eighteen (1+8=9). It is here that we find the first Nine commonality. In the Major Arcana Nines cards, at least, we might surmise that amongst the qualities of Nine is included a journey for hidden wisdom.

We also know that the Hermit speaks of patience. He shares that with the High Priestess, Temperance, and a Minor Arcana Nine, the Nine of Wands. Might we see patience as a quality of the tarot Nines collectively?

First, we must consider if the Moon suggests or requires patience. While I have rarely thought of the Moon in that way, I can make a case for it. As we make our journey in the light of the Moon there are many pitfalls. We must choose our steps with care and patience, lest we fall prey to danger or deception.

I can also make the case that all four Minor Arcana Nines, to greater or lesser degrees, can speak of patience. The Nine of Pentacles has all the time in the world. The Nine of Cups might patiently wait for a wish to be fulfilled. The need for patience with the Nine of Wands and Swords is obvious.

One thing that distinguishes the Hermit is his loneness, and his loneliness. The Hermit can speak of the sorrow and anxiety of loneliness in a way that few other cards do. Yet, he can also speak of the aesthetic of the sort of loneness that is a choice. When the Hermit appears this way he is not lonely, he is comfortable in his own company. He shares this with another Minor Arcana Nine, the Nine of Pentacles.

Might we find that the tarot Nines share an aesthetic of loneness? Certainly, the Moon suggests a journey that one can only make on their own. Often this journey is the internal search for personal spiritual truth. The previously mentioned Nine of Wands is also very much alone, whether that is by duty or by choice.

The Nine of Pentacles is traditionally comfortably alone.

The Nine of Cups is a card of happiness and success. It is a card about wishes. Only the individual can truly know what they desire, and work to create it.

The Nine of Swords is certainly alone, and uncomfortable. Here we do not see happiness or satisfaction in ones’ loneness. Yet, the journey this person is on is by definition a lone journey.

Another aspect of the Hermit, along with his spiritual wisdom, is a high level of education. More than any other card, the Hermit is likely to describe a person who is holding or earning a doctoral degree. The other Nines do not seem to speak of this specific honor. Is it possible, though, that each Nine might speak of some sort of attainment at the end of a lengthy journey?

The Moon seeks to attain clarity and intuitive knowledge, for example.

Do the other Nines speak to some attainment, or journey toward attainment? In many ways, I think they do.

The Nine of Pentacles has attained wealth. The Nine of Cups has attained satisfaction. The Nine of Wands is fulfilling a mission. The Nine of Swords is on a dark journey to find peace and healing.

This concept of attainment, or seeking attainment, correlates with the classic numerological understanding of Nine as completion, without competing with the tarot Tens for their position as the completion of a journey. This circles back to our first question. In some ways the Minor Arcana Nines do illustrate aspects of a journey toward wisdom.

When we consider the Nines of the Minor Arcana, I am struck by the difference between the masculine suits, Wands and Swords, and the Feminine suits, Cups and Pentacles.

The Nine of Wands and Swords are both cards which describe difficulty. The Nine of Cups and Pentacles are much happier, each indicating a sense of security. When we look at the Tens of each suit we see that this trend continues.

I also notice that The Nine of Cups is as happy as the Nine of Swords is sad. In this way these two cards are on opposite ends of the emotional spectrum, in equal intensity. Likewise, it appears that the Nine of Pentacles is as secure as the Nine of Wands is insecure.

Each Minor Arcana Nine is rich with meaning. Yet, as Minor Arcana cards often are, each is in danger of being dismissed in a reading as a simple keyword. It is easy to call the Nine of Cups “the Wish Card.” and end your interpretation there.

Let us look at some of the deeper possibilities for interpretating each of the Minor Arcana Nines.

The Nine of Wands is wounded, yet still standing on guard duty. This card can speak of woundedness. It can also speak of defensiveness. A question we might ask when this card appears is this. Are you in this uncomfortable position because there really is no one to help you or relieve you? Or have you failed to delegate or ask for help? Is it time to bear this burden patiently, or have you been patient long enough? Must you continue to endure, or is it time to heal?

The Nine of Wands might specifically indicate a physical injury. In a relationship question, there may be communication problems caused by a partner’s defensive stance.

The Nine of Pentacles is a woman alone, under her father’s protection. Over time, this card has come to represent one who is comfortably single. Yet, this is also a card of family money and inheritance. Within this card we see security, both financial and emotional, as well as the safety that can often be the privilege of wealth. When this card comes up for a person who is in a happy relationship, we recognize that a quality of the relationship might be one of independence, equality and autonomy. When this card appears for one who is impoverished, we might discover that they have many resources that make their life livable, even without the abundance of financial wealth.

Very often the Nine of Pentacles can discuss being comfortable in one’s own skin. That is, being secure with oneself.

The Nine of Swords is always a difficult card. Sometimes, though, it is simply an indication of insomnia.

Sometimes it tells a reader that their client has had a disturbing dream which needs examination. This particular interpretation is one that is shared with another Nine card, the Moon.

The Nine of Swords might reveal a clinical issue such as depression or anxiety. It might speak to worry or upset about something that is very real, or something that has been imagined or blown out of proportion.

Very often the Nine of Cups is called “The Happy Merchant”. This can be a card that speaks of successful business ownership. This is interesting since we don’t usually associate commerce with the suit of Cups. Yet, anyone who is an avowed entrepreneur understands the unique happiness that comes from creating one’s own wealth and calling no one “boss”. This is another way that we see independence and that quality of ‘loneness’ in the Nine of Cups.

The Nine of Cups is the traditional “Wish Card”. It may speak of something we desire. In some cases, it may celebrate that we have attained something we desired.

Context is important when interpreting this card. A wish can be a sad thing, when it cannot be fulfilled. A wish can be a thing of fantasy. This card it is often an invitation to think about our wishes and desires and decide what we can and should work to manifest. It may be in this aspect of this particular Nine where we also find that quality of loneness.

What then, is the commonality of the Nines of tarot? This deep dive tells me that within each card we can find patience, loneness, and attainment. Each card may tell the story of a journey.

The concept of attainment is very similar to the traditional numerological understand of Nine. Journey, loneness and patience may be more specific to tarot.

We see that all six Nines do share some important concepts and energies. Yet, as with all tarot cards, each one has their individual and singular energy which uniquely contributes to the book of wisdom which is tarot.

Unpacking my New Light Seer’s Tarot Deck

There are a lot of tarot unboxing videos on YouTube. Watching them offers an extremely helpful way to decide if a new tarot deck is a good fit or a hard pass.

One we have chosen, or been given, a new tarot deck, we get to do our own unboxing, either on or off cam.

What happens after the unboxing?

That’s the question I want to tackle in this post, using my experience with my new Light Seer’s Tarot as an example.

This will not be a deck review. I do love Light Seer’s Tarot enthusiastically. I will give it a proper review one of these days. In this post, though, I want to document my process of adding a new deck to my exclusive group of ‘workhorse tarot decks’.

I have an extensive tarot collection. It is my goal to expand it further. I want it to be so big that it becomes both a problem and an asset for my children after I am gone from this earth.

Yet, of that extensive collection, very few decks become workhorse decks. That is, decks I will use regularly for clients, and quickly wear out from heavy use.

The idea of wearing out my beautiful new Light Seer’s Tarot, a holiday gift from afore-mentioned children, feels a little horrific to me.  Yet, the lovely images and colors spark my imagination and intuition so much that I just can’t resist sharing the beauty and wisdom of these cards with clients.

I will typically, over many years, buy multiple copies of the same deck. I have worn out countless copies of Universal Waite, Hanson Roberts, Spiral Tarot, Robin Wood, Morgan Greer, and World Spirit.

One of the things that bugged me about the majority of those decks is, well, how white, skinny, young, and obviously heterosexual many of the deck characters in most of those decks are.

Long before the importance of representation was something we openly discussed I was painfully aware that the characters in my cards did not generally look like the people at my tarot table.

In the past few years, many tarot artists have been working to remedy this problem, with varying results. Even Light Seer’s Tarot caused a difficult community conversation about one particular card depiction. This taught us all that representation isn’t enough. We need to be conscious about how we represent people of cultures different from our own, and which cultural stories need to be told by which voices.

Chris-Anne, the author and artist of Light Seer’s Tarot, did a good job replacing the card in question and moving forward. Rather than stepping into outrage and pushback, she listened, learned, and allowed her beautiful deck to take its rightful place as one which will surely become a classic. Now, Light Seer’s Tarot is defined by what it has to offer us at the tarot table, rather than by any perceived misstep by its originator.

I have had this deck in my possession for about a month and a half. Over this time, it has remained constantly on my desk, where I do the majority of my client work. It is not the only deck that sits on this deck, but it is the deck I am reaching for more and more often.

Many, many decks end up on my desk. The vast majority are relegated to the collection, to be reviewed, to be used for exercises, and for comparative tarot study.

There is great value in that sort of deck use. The more decks I learn, know, and with which I perform some spreads and exercises, the more I know about tarot as a whole. It is interesting that some decks make the workhorse cut, yet the majority do not.

Virtually all tarot decks come with a guidebook. I appreciate a guidebook that tells us why the artist chose to depict a card the way they did. The thing is, I don’t refer to the guidebook at all when I am first getting acquainted with a deck.  After more than a quarter-century as a full-time tarot professional, I have a good working understanding of tarot archetypes, traditions, and associations. When I first look through a new deck, I am interested and excited to see how the artist chose to express those things. It is only when I don’t understand what the artist was trying to say that I consult the guidebook about a particular card.

With the Light Seer’s Tarot, the card that sent me to the book was the Page of Cups. The flying pig didn’t make sense to me. Even after seeing the artist’s explanation, I don’t love the way the artist depicted that particular card. That is okay, though. I have never loved every single card in any deck.

After first looking through a new deck, my next step is to do a full Celtic Cross for myself and see how it all feels.

I shuffle the deck a bunch and see how that feels.

This is my version of the ‘deck interview’. I don’t do a spread to get acquainted with my new deck, as some people do. I do a spread to see what I see about myself in the cards that appear. In doing this spread for myself I can quickly see if this is a deck I might want to work with professionally.

When I shuffle, I can feel how the deck responds to my hands, and to my energy.

What I am looking for in a deck is easy readability, easy spiritual connection and an enjoyable process. I am also looking for a certain otherness which is hard to explain. I know it when it is there, and when it is not.

If shuffling and a Celtic Cross goes well, I will keep the deck in arm’s reach at my work desk. At some point, when beginning a client reading, if I feel like reaching for the deck, I will.

There are some decks that sit on my desk untouched for a while, and eventually make it to the shelved collection.

In the case of the Light Seer’s Tarot, I reached for it quite a few times in the first few weeks. Then, I let it sit for a while, untouched. This process, of either reaching or not, is entirely instinctive and intuitive. I don’t think about it, I just do it.

In the past week or so, I have been finding that my fingers are itching to work with Light Seer’s, and my eyes are craving its colors. More and more, I have been choosing it for client readings. The readings have been successful, easy, fun, flowing, deep and healing. Those are all the things I want professional readings to be.

A few nights ago, some images from Light Seer’s Tarot crept into my dreams, giving me a deeper understanding and connection to those cards, and to the deck itself.

The cards I dreamt of were the Two of Pentacles, and the Lovers. The personal message I took from that was about finding balance in my life and my work.

When a deck starts speaking to me in my dreams, it is time to acknowledge that deck as a true working deck.

I have only incorporated two new decks into my professional toolbox in the past decade. One was Crystal Visions Tarot, the other was Tarot Grand Luxe.

Ten years later, I am adding the Light Seer’s Tarot to the toolbox. My process of unpacking the deck allowed me to feel that this deck will work with me in a way that will help me serve my clients well.

I am not a tarot animist. I do not believe that my cards are alive in any real way. Yet, this process of unpacking a new tarot deck has made me ponder tarot animism a bit more than I did before. Did I choose to work with this deck after a period of getting to know it?  Is it possible, rather, that I gave The Light Seer’s Tarot the opportunity to choose to work with me?

Deep Tarot Musings on the Justice Card

One of the things I love about each of the seventy-eight tarot cards is that, in a reading, they can speak to a wide range of things, from the most mundane to the most deeply spiritual.

When we study tarot, we are not only working to learn the cards so we can address them when they appear in a reading. We are also learning the lessons of each card that we may take those lessons to our hearts, to call upon for wisdom in our daily lives.

When we embrace tarot, tarot guides us in every moment, not just in our moments of divination.

Yet, it can be in moments of divination, whether for self or others, that deeper insights about a card can be cemented within our thinking. We study cards and are able to parrot keywords and interpretations. Yet, what we learn from the cards in a reading is very often how we become good tarot readers and keepers of true tarot wisdom. This process never ends, no matter how many years we have worked with the cards.

I had such a moment yesterday, with Major Arcana 11, Justice.

In a very deep and poignant reading involving love, death and family, I asked a specific question of the cards about how to process a grievous loss that led to a joyous new relationship.

Typically, when I ask such a question, I will pull one card. If that card answers the question sufficiently, I formulate my answer from that card and move on to the next topic or question.

If that single card does not sufficiently answer my question, I pull more cards until I find, within the group of cards I pulled, a story, answer, or an understanding of why the question can’t be answered, or which question I should be answering.

When such a deep question can be answered in a single card, the message seems powerful, profound, and enlightening. That’s what happened yesterday.

I asked a question about how my querents could find spiritual understanding and healthy processing around the fact that something sacred and delightful grew out of an unthinkable tragedy. The single card that appeared was Justice.

In mundane readings, Justice can often address issues of fairness and legalities.  I saw this card over and over again one evening when reading at a Bar Association gala. Each of my clients that night was either an attorney or an attorney’s spouse.

When we think of typical keywords for Justice, we think of words like balance, law, fairness, and karma.

It would have been simple to say to my client that the joy was there to balance the sorrow. That would have been an acceptable interpretation of the card in context of the question. Yet, such an answer would not express the depth of either the question or the card which appeared in answer.

I was immediately struck by the word ‘karma’, a typical keyword for Justice. Karma is a word, and a concept, which I think is often misused and misunderstood by Westerners. We use it as a synonym for revenge. We use it to excuse ourselves from compassion. We use it to fool ourselves into thinking that universal law guarantees visible and tangible reward for good deeds, and punishment for wrongdoings.

When I pulled Justice to answer this difficult question within the deep and sacred space of a heartfelt reading, my querents received the answer they needed; one that will bring them peace and allow them forward motion.

I received something, too.

I received a deeper understanding of what karma really is, and how the tarot card Justice might speak to it.

Tarot is like this.

Sometimes we readers learn from the cards, and learn about the cards, during readings.

What I learned about Justice, and what I learned about karma, in that moment, is this.

When we think of things like Karma and balance, we often think about the balance between two things. Sometimes we think of a circle, as in, what goes around comes around.

But Justice, and karma, is so much more than that.

It is not a circle, and it is not a scale of duality.

Justice, and karma, is the fabric of which our lives are woven. Each thread is important to hold the whole together. Each thread is an individual, and also a part of something bigger.

The two events that my clients were having a hard time processing in a linear story made plenty of sense when we were able to see those two events as threads within the fabric of their lives.

That is a deeper understanding of karma, and of the Justice card in tarot.