If you’ve done more than half a dozen readings for yourself, you probably know by now that Love Tarot readings are the most difficult ones to do. But it’s not impossible. So today I’m sharing some tips for how to improve your DIY Love Tarot Readings.
Any time at all that we are attached to the outcome, it gets trickier because we tend to see what we want to see… either that or we catastrophise! When the reading is about a love interest, we would have to reach the spiritual maturity of a Zen Master to not be at least a wee bit attached to the outcome.
So I guess this really begs the question if it truly is possible to read for yourself about love. Well, your chances will greatly improve if you follow the steps below:
7 Tips for Better DIY Love Tarot Readings
1. Create sacred space
This includes turning off any electrical equipment which may cause disruption and letting anyone else who lives with you know that you need some alone time. You may also wish to light a candle, or some incense, take out your favourite crystals and play some soft background music but this is all optional. What’s important is that you make sure you are grounded and centred before you begin. Creating sacred space helps you be fully present and also lessens emotional attachment to the outcome.
2. Write your question down
Not only the actual question but the date so that you can keep track of your readings. Not only does this improve objectivity but it also serves as a learning tool. The mind is a slippery so-and-so… It can even trick you into believing that your original question has changed because of the cards laid out before!
3. Write down how you feel about the whole situation as well
There is a therapeutic element in this and it clears some of the mental debris before the reading. Also, it might be a good idea to take a stab at which side you may err. Most of us err on the side of not taking our rose-tinted glasses off before the reading but if you know that you tend to be cynical about your prospects, be honest with yourself and write this down too.
4. Choose a spread appropriate for your level of learning
There is no point in going for advanced Tarot spreads when you have barely learned the basic card meanings. Try a one-card draw or a simple Past-Present-Future 3 card spread, to begin with.
5. Write the spread down and document it with a diagram/picture
This is absolutely crucial because it will give you a whole different experience compared to just allowing your thoughts to whir in your head. Also, don’t be afraid to pick up a Tarot book if you get stuck. If there is a companion book that comes with the deck, I often use the card meanings included in that when I read for myself. Yes, even professional Tarot readers need a nudge in the direction of objectivity when reading for themselves!
6. Wait
That’s all (frustrating, I know!). Unless you did a reading with action advice, in which case you take action. But mostly it’s about resisting the urge to do another reading really soon after. The cards don’t take kindly to this and this is why I recommend waiting two months before reading on the same topic unless there has been major change/forward movement.
7. Know when to admit defeat
If after you have written the whole reading down, along with your interpretation, you still feel that you don’t know what the heck is going on in the cards, it’s time to contact a professional reader and ask for a reading. Just click the button below!
Comments 4
Hi Lisa,
I’m surprised at the #6 wait length. I originally began reading for my own purposes in the life area and have recorded about 90% of my readings. (Not all are on the love topic, but most). The majority of the time I read because I feel a force pulling me to my cards (like right now) and they usually end up leading to the topic of one individual; if I don’t understand I ask for further clarification yet you are saying that these actions may cause anger. I certainly do not want that to happen and am rather concerned. How do I tell if there is anger? Would inaccurate cards be given in such a case? Your thoughts and expertise are greatly appreciated!
Thank you! 🙂
Hi Wendy, Anger is probably not a word I would choose to describe the reaction of the cards – disdain is probably more like it lol Pulling more cards for clarification is not the same as reading on the same topic over and over. The temptation is to read on the topic *until* you get the answer you’re after.
You are not telling me how close in time you are reading on the same topic…? What are you hoping to achieve by reading on the same topic over and over again? Have you found it counter-productive or helpful in terms of clarity… and most importantly – Have you been able to verify the results of your readings?
Let’s say you’re reading on the feelings of someone you’re not actually even in contact with but that you carry a torch for. You do one reading on Monday and then another on Tuesday… of course, you’re going to get two completely different answers. Are is feelings changing from one day to the next? Or could you be at danger of deluding yourself, delving further and further into a fantasy? This is a form of addiction and abuse of the cards. I’m not saying that this is what you are doing… I’m bringing it up as an example of how someone might abuse the cards – this kind of usage is NOT something they take kindly too… but I still don’t think that ‘anger’ is something that applies 😀
Lisa:
Thank you for this! I’ve been thinking about the difficulty in readings and if I reading things just based on wishful thinking. I think #1 and #5 are very important elements. One thing that I think is missing (and I got this idea from one of your posts) is to look at the pictures on the cards and create a story line based on the symbolism presented.
I had this happen to me today and it rather blew me away! I’d done a reading last week in reference to a guy, but something drastic happened over the weekend that seemed really out of step with the reading. I used my Zerner-Farber for that, which I rarely use anymore because I really associate with my Well Worn/Hidden Path decks. Tonight, I did a reading with the WW/HP deck because I was feeling really low. I decided to do two readings, one for me and one for the guy, asking what was going on independently with each of us. As I was shuffling, the Imbolc card flew out. The picture on it just floored me. That card completely describes the situation between us right now. The female is frozen in ice, but has a caldron burning. The male is also frozen in ice, but has a single candle burning in front of him. What is more interesting is some of the other subtleties, like the male has a clenched fist over his heart- found several meanings for that! I described the card in my notes and that was a reading in of itself.
Same thing happened when I did the separate readings. The cards told a story just by the pictures that was far louder than the actual meanings in the book. I’ve had my cards for many, many years and I’m sure I’ve tried to make associations before, but this was so incredibly loud and clear- that it felt like I just woke up. I also got the idea of taking a picture of the spread and printing that out to put in my journal. The pics in series are better than reading words.
So to answer my own question, this is one case where I know this is not wishful thinking! He and I are both going thru our own issues right now and the outcome remains to be seen.
Thanks for the awesome insight! I’m so glad I found your site. : )
Thanks for commenting. I’m glad to hear the ‘story spread’ model of reading works for you when reading for yourself. It doesn’t so much for me, even though I can use it for love readings with clients. I have far too strong a tendency to see the story I want to see if I’m attached to outcome.
I don’t always get a book out when I read for myself but I do recommend it because it brings objectivity back in very quickly.
Glad to hear you enjoy the site! 🙂