The book that comes with the deck doesn't specify what the symbol means and Google didnt get me anywhere

Context: I asked if my tarot cards gave me the right answer when I asked them a question or do they try to trick me. Everytime I try to do a tarot rrading on myself, the messages are hard for me to interpret.

INTERPRETATION:

7 of cups:

When I do tarot readings on myself, the answer is right infront of me ( red aura cup). However, with the clouds surrounding the cups, I always get confuse on the meanings of the cards or I put different interpretation to satisfy what I want to see in reality. ( what I'm trying to say is that something I prefer to interpret the cards in how I want my reality to be rather than what the cards are really saying despite it being right in front of my face). Especially since the red cup is the only one which is glowing and the rest is in confusion (cloudy).

8 of wands: with the mountains in the background, i should be more grounded with my interpretation but also since the 8 of wands deals with movement, as time goes by, I will gain more understanding over time.

Also with the river going straight and flowy in the background, I should not let my emotions confuse and consume me but be neutral in my readings.

9 of wands:

To be honest I'm lost here.

I believe it saying that with the eight of wands behind and the man being stuck on this one particular wand. It means that I always reshuffle my cards to try to gain the answer I want to hear rather that I need to hear. Especially since behind the 8 of wands, there are mountains which symbolize I need to be grounded when I do my readings and not stucked on what I want to hear.

Also the 8 of wands behind the man behind straight and with the mountain, this means by being grounded in my readings, I will realise that the answer are straightforward. Compare to the wand that the man is holding, it is curvy (not straight unlike the rest), this means that I try to adjust the readings to my reality when everything is straightforward.

Bottom of deck: 10 of wands:

This one is also tricky to interpret.

The man hiding his face in the wands tells me that searching for a specific answer in the cards start to become a burden itself.

Color blue symbolism:

The messages should be interpret when intution, patience and emotional awareness rather than being too emotional. Especially since in the 8 of wands, the river flowing is calm and straight.

Answer to my question:

Yes they give me the right answer but I should focus on trusting my intuition, focused on being grounded and take the messages of what they are giving me rather than reshuffling to get the answers that I want to hear.

I also really like how the numbers in all four cards follow: 7,8,9,10 but also how three wands came out with the number following the previous one.

Tarot deck: classic tarot by rider smith

Spreads: no in particular.

I make my cards in Canva, using public domain or free to use images.

Symbolism:
Walk through sparks, knife- will power/passion
Hands - “as above, so below” the reflection of the spiritual and the physical
Space background - energy

I made this card a while ago and now I’m wondering if I should swap out the knife since it might evoke the Swords suit? Maybe replace with a wand? But I kinda love the knife lol

I love tarot and I love helping people gain insight into their situations.

However, there is a huge downside to this here (and elsewhere) wherein the recipient just doesn’t appreciate it, tries to take advantage (despite set boundaries), or is just plain ungrateful or disrespectful about it.

It’s disheartening, but I don’t want to stop doing them. What is the best way to go about this? Other readers I know say DON’T do this at all (which is understandable considering the bad interactions they’ve had) and that I should charge. However, I don’t feel right charging just yet, and considering how prolific tarot scammers are on here and Etsy, I imagine customers would be extremely wary of me.

Would love to hear everyone’s thoughts!

For anyone that has found out of a 3rd party involvement from the cards.

What questions would you ask the tarot to gain more insight and clarity?

Did it you already suspect something before the cards highlighted it? Do the cards pick up and reflect your energy of suspicion rather than what’s actually happening? How long did it take for things to come to light after the cards showed you?

If the cards tell you something that’s going on, which you can’t yet see in the 3d, but your intuition tells you there is, despite seeing no other evidence and your partner telling you there isn’t, how much faith would you have in tarot? Enough to make you even more suspicious?

Hi friends,

Im still new to reading tarot and wanted some guidance on what you think my tarot is telling me in terms of career paths. Recently, i was interviewed for 1 role (Option 1), and i applied to a second role (Option 2) and am in the process of waiting to hear back. My background and experiences align to both options, but i needed to know which opportunity would be better fit for me

Job Option 1
Question1: overall feel of the job - The Moon
I think this card shows that this position is going to be one that is confusing and I am just led to figure things out on my own (which i can see happening, its a pretty important role in which ill be managing a program on my own)

Question 2: How does it align with my overall purpose in life? - The Hierophant
This card is telling me that its going to teach me a lot about managing and leadership in ways I am not familiar with just yet, but that means the challenge will be worth it for the field its in, and it will teach me a lot of practical things i can use in the future

Question 3: What will the work/life balance look like? - Justice
This card is showing that it will be equal, that i will have a pretty clean cut work/life balance with it having to follow the organizations protocols on putting up clear boundaries between work and home

Job Option 2
Question 1: overall feel of the job - Queen of Wands
I think this job would be one that I enjoy quite a lot and I will be left feeling confident and be a warm energy within the field

Question 2: How it aligns with my overall purpose - 8 of Wands
This job will provide me with so much exposure to many different connections and pathways within the actual organization, and has a potential for me to grow and network effectively within the shared environment

Question 3: What will work/life balance look like? - Page of Swords
I think this one is one that caught me off guard. Its not a bad sign, more so that after work, ill be thinking about work even at home, perhaps planning on my downtime

Please let me know what you think! Honestly… even though I already got interviewed for the first one, I am leaning more for the second one.. mostly because i feel more passionate about that opportunity and working with that population in particular (both jobs are with vulnerable peoples)

**DECK: Rider Waite Tarot (Classic)

​

When asked i wanted to change my life what you want me to do, I got The chariot inverted

Which means I was not in control, hold your horses, take it slow.

Then I asked how you want me to be ready and I got The lovers card.

Which means, "do what you love follow your heart!" Which makes sense since I always only do things only if my heart approves. But lately I've been thinking about doing stuff that somthing i don't love.

I asked is there anything else you want me to say and I got the Strength card.

Which means, have the courage strength to move forward.

I'm so happy for the cards! ✨ And thanks to all the lovely ppl in this sub who mentioned how to read the cards correctly! ✨

i hope this question makes sense……tarot is a really grounding practice for me but recently, i’ve been turning to it to help me sort out my emotional landscape, and i keep pulling pentacles and wands. the messages i get are loud and clear but i feel like i’ve lost some emotional connection with my deck and i don’t know how to best encourage it to come back.

has anyone encountered something like this before? or how do you read pentacles and wands from an emotional perspective? do i just need to shuffle really well or cleanse my deck in a big way?

i’m not even quite sure how to phrase this. i believe what it tells me is what it wants to hear and i don’t push the same questions on my deck or endlessly pull cards, typically, but i just have lost some touch.

just pulled my first ever tarot, starting with a single card asking in general about how i should feel going into starting my practice.

my initial interpretation is that even though starting this new practice is overwhelming or feels like a large undertaking (represented by it being in reverse), if i keep at it there is a lot of room for growth (as evidenced by the growing leaves on the stick and it being the page)

very open to other interpretations if there are other ways to look at this card! :)

edit to add: using the rider-waite tarot deck, designed by pamela colman smith!

did a five card pull about my career because i’m feeling run DOWN after this past week (five days straight with a few 16 hour shifts in there) and the deck has been Very Clear about where i’m headed if i don’t make a change. The deck is a holographic redesign of the A.E. Waite tarot i bought ?????? years ago.

Left to Right

1. Current Career Energy
   -3 of Pentacles: Emphasis on the collective completion of the job across multiple fields of knowledge and understanding, encouragement that i’m on the right track in my plans of continued growth in my career as far as my schooling goes and that my attention to my schedule will pay off

2. My Strengths in the Workplace
   -Reverse King of Pentacles: While my dedication to work is exemplary, my lack of work-life balance will lead me to burnout if i don’t manage it sooner rather than later. Specifically, my lack of attention to my home life this past week during my hours came to mind and it’s reminding me not to sacrifice my life for advancement

3. Challenges or Obstacles
   -10 of Wands: My undertaking of this schedule is temporary, specifically because i’m going on a vacation next week and want to have extra money so i can be comfortable, but it is important to realign with myself after this burden is completed and remember that ongoing success is depending on my ability to relax and not burn out.

4. Opportunities for Growth
   -Reverse Knight of Pentacles: I have a tendency to feel stuck in my career or advancement and will often make big changes to encourage movement in my life, but this is reminding me that the importance is on long-term stability not short-term excitement. i’m starting school again soon and this is encouraging me to develop and schedule and routine that supports my continued growth. my attention needs to continue to be directed towards my home life during this time as well.

5. Advice for Moving Forward
   -Reverse 10 of Cups: I have been feeling disconnect with my partner during this time and need to work on reconnection at home now that i’m coming back from working so much. If i don’t work on my life at home and reconnect, that distance will negatively impact my advancement in the future.

6. Overall Closing and Vibe Check (I do this while packing up the remainder of my deck and while shuffling i wait for a card to flip on its own or fall out of the shuffle)
   -Judgement: I’m taking this very literally in the sense that i have not engaged with my practice or my cards in the year+ time that i’ve moved and should find solace and structure in a reconnection to my spiritual practices.

i pulled all of these and just sat and steeped with it for a bit before taking the time to write down all of this in my readings journal and i am VERY glad i pulled today as i feel much more recentered now.

I want to listen to a podcast that discusses every card and its meanings and symbolisms. I’ve listened to many recommended here and it seems like the topics are mostly social things or tarot related. I’m looking for an in depth explanation of every card in order please. Thanks!

Edit: I appreciate all the book and website suggestions but I’m really hoping for a podcast or something I can listen to. My job involves a lot of driving and I like to listen during the day.

I pulled this spread for myself and it was extremely unhelpful, so I'm asking for a second opinion in case someone else sees something I'm missing.

It's a 3 card spread, past/present/future.

I asked for advice on what to do to feel safe and stable, namely financial and emotionally.

.

Past: seven of coins. investments, planning for the future but also hard work and an amount of sacrifice. I interpret this as the decisions of the last few years. I moved abroad to pursue higher education and get out of a comfort zone that was pulling me in. It took a lot, in effort, money and time, but it's paid off at least to a certain extent.

.

Present: ten of wands, reversed. Overworking, spreading oneself too thin. Ironically, I'm unemployed at the moment, but putting in the work to hopefully get a job and some stability soon

.

Future: nine of swords reversed. Anxiety, fear, stress, self fulfilled prophecies. Yep, exactly what I'm trying to avoid. Also healing, letting go.

.

I can practically hear my therapist over my shoulder saying I need more fun and play in my life. I KNOW doing nothing but work in isolation isn't doing me any good and that my fear of my anxiety getting the best of me has been and can continue to be a self fulfilling prophecy. I was hoping for more practical advice like idk join an art class or return to the gym or find connection through a specific friend or idk. At this point I pull a fourth card.

.

Clarificator 1 - yes but how do I avoid this outcome?: four of swords, reversed. Coming out of isolation, healing, burnout, accepting help. Again, yes, I know, but how? I am still living abroad and have made some friends, but generally know few people. I'd still like some clear and practical advice

.

Clarificator 2 - what is a single, tangible and practical thing I can do to avoid isolation and ease my anxiety?: three of swords. Overcoming grief, reconciliation, forgiveness.

.

At this point I feel I am over-asking.It feels extremely clear, but also unhelpful. I keep asking, "yes, but how", and the answer is "you just do it".

Thoughts (or prayers lol)?

Edit: deck is Yoshi Yoshitani's Tarot of the Divine, which as a formerly mythology-obsessed kid, I adore.

I recently read a short book on the introduction to Tarot. The author gives three numerical attributions for each of the 22 Major Arcana cards.

For example, the Magician's card number is 1, numerical value is 9, and the key number is 12.

First is the card number, which is the most self-evident, as it shows where the card sits in the deck. Then there is the numerical value of the card, which I understand as the underlying value.

However, I'm confused about what the "key number" means. What does it denote or connote?

P.S. the author used an RWS deck. Not Tarot de Marseilles nor Thoth or Spanish etc.

I'm still searching for a Tarot and Oracle deck that really speaks to me. I've got quite a few - Rider/Waite of course, Thoth, some Ciro Marchetti decks - and not many Oracle decks. I find that variations of Rider/Waite speak to me mostly. For an Oracle deck, would be nice to pull a card and get advice or insight into the day in the morning, for one thing.

Maybe give me two of your favorite/most accurate decks? Thanks!

Hello, I only started reading Tarot cards recently and found out that it is easier to remember the meanings of the minor arcana by understanding the numerology and suits behind them. I also read that the numerology of the cards originated from Hebrew numerology = Kabbalah. I spent a few hours trying to learn about its origin and history, how it is used in Judaism to interpret the Torah, etc. only to find out it is a closed practice… I am confused. Are there maybe some jewish people in the community that could help me understand whether I am allowed to learn and if so what I need to do to respect this practice/knowledge?

I'm looking for sources on historical oracle cards in Southern Italy. I'm familiar with the Napoletane 40 card deck and the limited resources on its reading, but looking for scholarly sources on other decks. In De Martino's, Magic a Theory from the South, there's a story mentioning a "deck like in a tavern, but with other cards, including ones with a dog, a flame, and three hearts". Anyone know of good sources that may have cataloged old Italian and Roma fortune telling cards?

I did a daily reading and asked how my shift at work would go, and I pulled the Queen of Pentacles. Great, I think, that means I'm probably going gain something or at least today will go toward my paycheck in a positive way, at least that was my interpretation.

But then I remember that I've recently learned that just because something good happens doesn't always mean I'll have a good day, so I then ask how today will effect me emotionally, and I pull Temperance reversed, which I take to mean disharmony and anxiety.

Now, I do have an anxiety disorder, and it's supposed to thunderstorm all day today, so either of those could play into how today will go.

But I also don't want to psych myself out and create my own bad day by already planting the anxiety seed in my brain, so I'm here to ask if Temperance reversed has any other meanings.

I am using the Rider Waite deck, if that helps at all, but my particular deck has nature images in the background so Temperance has flames behind the angel.

What is the symbolism of black salamander 🦎 in this card?

First off, I don't recommend doing this, I was in a very specific circumstance where I had a week off from work, slow internet that would only let me deal with text until it was fixed, and was feeling very connected to my deck with a desire to read for others and learn more about my practice, so while this wasn't intentional, it happened.

I learned a lot from this experience, I ate and breathed tarot for five days in a row from morning until night, and I figured I may as well share my findings.

For context I wasn't a beginner though I was still relatively new to tarot, I had read for friends and a few strangers before, maybe around 40 readings or so and they had been accurate, I had studied the cards, tried out spreads and experimented enough to know how to read, however it was never anything on this scale.

So... here's what I learned:

1. It's incredibly important to structure breaks into your practice, especially when you're newer and don't realize how much energy you might be expending when doing multiple readings in a row. I learned this the hard way, on the first day I did 20 readings back to back without a proper break and while the quality of the readings remained consistent and I felt fine in the moment, after putting the deck down I was hit with a wave of exhaustion and had to take the rest of the day off. Check in with yourself, set timers or limits to how many queries you'll take in a day, remember to hydrate and eat in between your readings, don't try to batch them all in a row, it can technically work sometimes but it will likely come at a cost and burns you out fast.

2. You don't have to pull so many cards or do a complex spread for simpler queries, I know it's tempting to pull a lot of clarifying cards when you're newer, but you don't really need ten cards for a simple yes or no question, this can often be answered with one card or three at most.

3. One very long complex reading with multiple cards might take more out of you than multiple shorter readings back to back with less cards, also learned this the hard way, ended up getting a massive headache after doing a 30 card spread... Did the reading resonate? Yes. Did I enjoy giving it a go? Yes. Will I do it again? Probably not, this really taught me the importance of learning to read with less cards and conserving your energy during your readings.

4. Meditation feels very complementary to this practice, meditating between sessions always feel very rejuvenating, I can't explain why, but it does, and I've noticed I can get more readings done in a day if I do this while feeling less tired at the end. And while doing a lot of readings back to back is not necessarily the goal, I will probably incorporate it in my general practice to conserve my energy better.

5. I realized I'm very intuitive leaning, I already knew I was an intuitive reader but after doing so many readings, it was clear my process incorporated my intuition a lot more than I initially thought, however I had never realized to what extent until now as doing so many readings really forced me to think about my process.

6. Don't compromise on your boundaries and be upfront about what they are, if you can mention in your listing what you won't read for and/or what you prefer reading for that also saves you the trouble of having to negociate later and will find querents that match your energy more. But in general, if don't feel comfortable doing a reading, don't do it. And if you don't feel like you have the energy to do a reading, don't do it. Some querents are understanding, some less, but trespassing your own boundaries to read for someone is never a good idea: if you are too tired and read for them it may throw off the reading, and this isn't helpful for either parties. I didn't personally face any issues with declining a reading if I needed to, as I never want to read if I don't feel I have the energy to deliver, but I did notice how pushy some people can be about wanting a reading, and I could see how a new reader might feel pressured to read for some people in those situations. But remember, it won't serve you or them to give them a reading that you don't feel confident in delivering, it's best to let people know you aren't reading today or that you don't feel you can deliver on this query, not only for you but for them, so they can receive the best reading they can get from you on another day or from another reader.

7. It gets easier to figure out which types of readings and reading formats take more of your energy the more experience you have with readings, it was a lot harder at the beginning to know how a specific query would affect me afterwards, this made readings way more tiring, but now I'm able to know in advance how specific questions will affect me and how much time they will take to read, which is really nice.

At first, I would do first come first serve readings, but because of how tired I was afterwards each time, I wondered if things would feel this way every time I read for others and it felt very discouraging. However I realized on day three that it was the reading format which was taking so much out of me. Because even if I was comfortable reading for certain queries, having five heavy or complex queries back to back was difficult from an energy perspective, and that's why it was so difficult to do readings in this format. Eventually on day four I really got the hang of it and was able to refine my approach to readings, now I don't do first come first serve readings anymore, and it's a lot easier to keep balance for the order in which I take queries.

8. Treat querents with patience and kindness, I always believed this was important, but this experience just reinforced this belief for me, you never know what someone is going through, so many kind people who turn to tarot readings may be facing incredibly difficult situations or going through a rough patch in life, and while you can't fix their problems, treat them like a human being and not just a querent, if they are showing signs of needing more than tarot can provide or it seems like they don't have a good support system, let them know there are people out there who are willing to help them, remind them that it's okay for them to seek therapy or help, point them to the right resources and encourage them to take care of themselves, this may be the first time they are opening up to someone about what they are querying you about, and it's important to remember that and treat this with the care it deserves.

9. Try to experiment with different types of readings, every day I tried something new and dedicated that day to a specific type of reading, 1 card, 2 card, 3 card readings, etc. Not doing the same type of readings over and over again really helped me get a feel for what I like most and experimenting like this taught me things about what I want to incorporate into my practice too.

10. One card readings are great if you want to really familiarize yourself with your deck, they force you to think about the full encompassing meaning of the card since it's the only card you can interpret from, it pushes you out of your comfort zone and can make you a better reader.

11. Some cards may return constantly for specific situations or people, which helps you add another layer of signifance to that card on top of the already existing meanings, this is something I noticed especially for people I read with often (usually friends or myself), they'll often have a stalker card that seems to represent them or their current energy, but there are stalker cards that seem to come back as well for specific situations, and the more experience you gain from noticing these patterns, the easier it may become to understand what these cards are trying to say and to interpret them in these specific situations.

12. Take days off to recharge if you can, self explanatory.

Anyway, that's all I have, thank you for making it this far if you read up until here! I'll likely never do this many readings again in such a short amount of time, and I'm probably going to take a much needed day off or two from readings. I hope some of the knowledge I gained through this experience could be of help to someone out there, and if you have any tips or experiences you'd like to share I'd love to hear about them, I think I'll forever be a student when it comes to tarot, I've started to really enjoy it.

EDIT: Thank you everyone for your kind responses and help! I just want to say that I went to urgent care which recommended I go to the ER immediately. I’ll see what this brings. But thank you guys again!!

Disclaimer: I know tarot does not equal medical advice. I just did this spread bc I am at my wits end with my own health concerns and providers not taking me serious.

I’ve been having a lot of GI issues recently. Previously seen a GI doctor that just put me on meds that didn’t work and now I’m seeing my pcp on Friday for new GI concerns and get a referral for GI (for second opinion)

Page of cups: I think this card may be implying to drink more water and to probably focus mainly on that . Just nursing myself back to health.

Ace of swords: Again, I see water, so maybe it has to do with hydrating myself properly. Could also mean my new recent symptoms and finally getting some answers from providers.

2 of wands: I think my health improving fast with medical intervention.

I would appreciate anyone’s knowledge on what they think about this spread!

Hello everyone! Does anyone have any tips for shuffling cards with a velvety finish? I recently got the Princess Bride tarot deck, and i am love with it, beautiful artwork and the overall vibe is right up my alley. But so far the cards tend to stick to together in clumps and are difficult to shuffle (i will overhand and riffle shuffle, but i have been trying not to riffle these too much). I tried to fan them a few days ago to choose cards that way and they were still sticking together and difficult to fan out. I feel like I am missing something here, and wanted to ask for help before I potentially damage my cards.

So I like to encourage people to be creative if they want to be. Now, if someone tells me they don’t want to make a deck, I respect that, but my autistic butt is very literal, so when someone says “oh, I can’t because of xyz” then I try to find solutions for them. Most of the time it’s appreciated unless they meant they don’t want to, lol

So I was chatting with this guy on Discord, and I was telling him how I intend on making my own Oracle decks and a couple of Tarot decks, and he said it was really cool how I’m doing this.

Then I proceeded to explain how some art styles are really easy for beginners, like there’s literally an art style meant to lean into STICK FIGURES, if you’ve ever read Diary of the Wimpy Kid, you’ll know what I mean, and if you don’t know, look it up. It’s really beginner friendly and not complicated AT ALL

So anyway, he said that his biggest struggle was envisioning 2D art, that he’s better with 3D art. He can’t take a pencil to paper because that’s not how his brain works, he just can’t picture it.

He said he was a sculptor because of this, that his hands were basically a 3D printer

So I told him he could sculpt the imagery of each card, get a camera, and take photos, and boom. You got your tarot deck

There’s many ways to go about making art and making tarot decks, it’s insane. There is no one way, the only limit is mentality.

If you say you can’t, you’re right, you can’t. If you say you can, you’re also right, you can

He said that it was a good idea, thanked me, and said he’d consider it when he has the time

I had an argument with a friend (let’s call him M). One that feels very repetitive to me. So, the question was: What should I do about M?

This is my interpretation:

Situation: Eight of cups (reversed) –  I think this accurately represents my indecision: should I give this one more chance or should I walk away?

Obstacle: Knight of swords (reversed) –  The argument itself. The defensiveness, the impulsivity, the talking past each other, but it also makes me think of the emotional exhaustion of dealing with a repetitive issue.

Crown: Seven of wands – To me, this feels like I’m defending a boundary.

Root: Page of swords (reversed) – There’s an issue with communication. Speaking without really listening. Making assumptions. This is more about the pattern than the actual present argument.

Past: Queen of swords – This card felt like a confirmation that I already had this conversation with this friend before. I already tried to fix things logically, through direct communication.

Future: Chariot – I will have to decide and move forward. I won’t be stuck at this crossroads forever. To me, the chariot always felt like a card that also asks for balance so that movement becomes possible.

Querent: Ten of cups – This shows a desire for harmony.

House/environment: Four of cups (reversed) – The situation is no longer being ignored. It can be an opportunity to reset, maybe my friend becoming more receptive or a new perspective is becoming available.

Hopes and fears:  Seven of cups (reversed) – Hoping for clarity.

Outcome: Strength – Inner strength, determination, compassionate boundaries, responding rather than reacting. The message of this card sounds to me like: “Choose the road that preserves your integrity and walk down that road with courage rather than resentment.”

I used the Rider Waite deck and the original RWS Celtic Cross spread.

Does anyone have any thoughts or other interpretations for these?