Don’t overcomplicate your tarot readings

I’ve been a yoga practitioner for many years. In fact, I taught for almost twenty years in a tiny studio. I’ve also attended classes with a few greats here and there. In these situations, I’d come across folks who said they wanted to “deepen their practice. This often meant complicated poses that were not right for their bodies. I learned my own lesson when I developed tennis elbow after attempting arm balances. My weak wrists didn’t like that.

I didn’t need to do crow pose to have a strong practice. From time to time, I experienced snobby yoga people who assumed I was a lightweight because I couldn’t do the fancy stuff.

It’s weird when you come across that energy in spiritual circles. The assumption that you’re not good enough because you’re not doing some extraordinary feat or suffering hard enough creates a harmful narrative toward those who “don’t measure up.” It also creates a hierarchy, which doesn’t do anything but serve the egos of the few.

I’ve seen this same energy in tarot.

Some folks want to move beyond beginner fare into more advanced studies. The basics are not enough. So they’ll add this or that, dive into complicated theories or add multiple rituals to their reading process. While that may seem impressive, it’s not necessary.

The best tarot reading I ever had was from someone who was not a professional. There was nothing fancy to his method. No meditation, invocations, no particular ritual. He simply took my tarot deck, laid out the cards, and proceeded to read me like I’ve never been read before or since.

He just read the cards. Period.

I learned more that day about tarot reading than I ever did in a formal class. I’ve been in workshops where the instructor attempted to teach some complex formula or procedure. While that scholarly stuff seemed impressive at the time, I also found myself wondering, “how on earth will I use this?” My clients didn’t give a fig about any of that. Frankly, neither did I. I didn’t retain much from those classes because the information wasn’t practical or useful. At the tarot table, no one wants a lengthy explanation about alchemy or the history of the cards – they just want to know if they are getting paid or laid.

They just want you to read their cards.

Look, there is nothing wrong with learning everything you can about tarot (or anything you love). Go down all the rabbit holes! Dig deep and see what you might find. Read every book and take as many courses as you desire. Go buck wild!

But don’t look down on the basics. Do not assume you’ll be a better reader if you intellectually understand the cards. Don’t overcomplicate your tarot. At the end of the day, you’ll still come back to those basics again and again and again – especially if you read for the public.

Just read the cards.

And remember: we were all beginners once. The humble beginnings of the tarot journey are the most magical part.

xo
Theresa

PS if you want to learn to read tarot like the High Priestess, check out my book Tarot: No Questions Asked – Mastering the Art of Intuitive Reading. It’s a complete manual – but it doesn’t overcomplicate tarot reading.

thanks to meg jones wall for inspiring this posts (meg is a FABULOUS tarot reader!)

image from stock photography