Ways to Read Tarot Casually
It’s so easy to get serious when reading tarot. With cards like The Tower, The Hermit, and the Ten of Swords, who could blame you for painting sweeping pictures, waxing poetic about existential dilemmas, and focusing on the mythic in the mundane? I’ve noticed, however, that sticking to these areas when reading can lead to burnout, not to mention a limited understanding of the cards. If everything is epic, how can you go to the cards to understand smaller issues like daily decisions, exciting and low-stakes choices, or even open-ended explorations of themes?
As someone who gravitates to deeper topics over lighthearted musings, this was a challenging pivot! However, I quickly found that reading about “silly things” or engaging in more playful tarot practices vastly improved my skills as a reader. It was almost like I’d been going to the gym for years and only working on my arms. Suddenly, I had a much stronger foundation to draw upon when doing readings; the other end of the spectrum started to fill in and I could speak to nuanced situations instead of just grand, life changing chapters.
This is all to say that play and flexibility with tarot is quite important when it comes to developing a full-fledged relationship to the cards. What’s more, it can also rejuvenate your practice if you’ve been feeling stuck, stale, and uninspired. And there just may be a hidden lesson here: play is essential, not frivolous, and to be able to describe the big picture we also need a respect and understanding of the little pieces that make up the whole.
Ways to take tarot less seriously, play in your practice, and have fun with the cards
Ask silly questions
I remember the first time I tried this vividly. I was sitting in the parking lot by Marshall’s (glamorous!) and hemming and hawing about whether I should go in. Some context: One of my die-hard habits is self-flagellating over purchases of any kind. I’d just gotten a miniature deck of the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot, complete with its own tin carrying case, and it sat next to me in the middle console. Suddenly, I was struck with an idea: why not ask the cards? So I shuffled the cards and chose one: the Three of Swords. Welp! Guess a stint in Marshall’s wasn’t going to bring me anything but heartache. So I turned on my car and bopped over to my original destination, the grocery store. Now, the Three of Swords is a rough card, and if my life were a horror movie, I’d have immediately perished in a car accident on my way to do my shopping. Which is important to note, because doing smaller, lighthearted readings can also help deflate the fear and anxiety that comes with frightening-looking cards. I’m happy to say I made it to the store and now like to read for quick, silly, and daily questions.
Read to give yourself a pep-talk
A quick way to fill yourself with nervous energy is to read tarot about something you really care about with no guidelines. Will I have fun on this upcoming first date? With no set spread or intention, this innocent question can quickly spiral into worry if you draw, say, The Tower. Instead, I like to do short readings with the sole intention of gassing myself up. “Tell me something amazing about myself,” or, “How can this go swimmingly?", “In what ways am I absolutely crushing It right now?” Draw a maximum of three cards with the understanding that they’ll only tell you something positive. Get a “negative” card? It could be directing your attention to ways your triumphed against hardship, have important wisdom from past experiences, or are adept at helping/seeing/understanding this difficulty with others.
Ask about literature, pop culture, and stories
Tarot has become well-known as a tool for self-discovery and healing, and rightly so. But that doesn’t mean we have to use it to explore our lives alone. I find that reading about fictional others is also especially helpful when it comes to understanding interpersonal themes because it’s not tied up in our emotional responses, hopes, or wishes. So, do a reading about the characters in a book you’re reading, a plot on a show or film you’re enjoying. This dovetails with the classic practice of using tarot to inspire and guide creative writing projects as well, which I also heartily recommend.
See cards in the people, places, and situations around you
Life can be one big tarot scavenger hunt. It certainly is for me, but I may be uniquely nerdy when it comes to the cards. Regardless, I suggest experimenting with “seeing the world through the lens of tarot.” Witness someone cut someone off in traffic on your morning commute? What cards would you use to describe that?Become infatuated with a new coworker? What card do they most embody? The world at large can be a huge inspiration for your practice as well as a tarot playground, the whole deck running around in your actual life.