The Truth About Tarot Cards and Tarot Readings
Pseudo Spirituality
Tarot is not fortune-telling about the future, as many people believe — it is a tool for obtaining information. There is a certain system, a methodology for reading (interpreting) tarot cards. However, people who read cards exclusively through this system — simply “reading” the images — do not use the full potential of this tool and often give inaccurate predictions. It is as if they are solving a mathematical problem and merely voicing memorized interpretations.
There are completely different practitioners who do not mechanically interpret images but bring a creative process into their work. They раскрывают the content of the cards in more depth, notice details in the illustrations (and every deck has its own unique imagery), and try to sense the “flow” of information beyond the pictures themselves. They also pay attention to their sensations and the images that arise during the reading.
If you are interested in this system and occasionally watch tarot readings, I would suggest looking for practitioners who, first, try to work in this intuitive flow rather than relying solely on memorized meanings, and second, focus more on you than on predicting the future. They may describe your current state, thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Such readings can be useful even as a form of free psychotherapy, gently encouraging you to notice your sensations, fears, suppressed emotions, desires, and experiences — to work through them, relax a little, calm down, perhaps gain hope (especially in love readings), and then continue building your life.
It is worth being skeptical of tarot readers who speak excessively about a carefree, wonderful future and mainly list your positive qualities, because most likely they are telling their audience what it wants to hear rather than truly working with the cards.
Trying to know the future
I generally do not recommend trying to know the future through tarot readings. The future is multi-variant — we shape it every day and, one might say, every minute through our thoughts, words, and actions. Even if a reader perceives a moment that seems predetermined in your path, it would represent only one possible branch of reality, which you may never reach. In some cases, a practitioner may indeed perceive an event or describe someone from your life, but do not be surprised if what was described happens much later than expected — weeks, months, or perhaps not at all. Such “coincidences” may indicate that the practitioner has a connection with informational perception rather than simply imagining content on camera.
Thoughts and feelings of a specific person
As for tarot readings about the “thoughts and feelings of a specific person,” you should understand that thousands or hundreds of thousands of viewers watch these readings. A tarot reader — or pseudo-reader — cannot access the mind of every imagined person. Taking such readings too seriously risks drawing you into illusions, inspiring fantasies, or, conversely, causing disappointment or resentment toward narratives that may have nothing to do with the real thoughts and feelings of the person you had in mind. The best way to understand what another person thinks and feels about you is to overcome your fears and speak with them directly.
Decision making
Be especially cautious with tarot advice when it concerns decisions that can significantly affect your life. For example, when a reader says that someone in your environment has feelings for you but you should not make the first move because it would show weakness or neediness. All important life decisions should be made independently and based on your own feelings, not someone else’s guidance. In your particular situation, you may need to act in a completely opposite way to what a specialist or pseudo-specialist suggests — and this applies not only to tarot advice but also to psychological advice. Even if you make a mistake, it will be your personal experience. Mistakes are also part of the soul’s experience, whether we like it or not.
Free tarot readings
If you watch general tarot readings — free ones intended for a broad audience, for example on YouTube — keep in mind that they may not resonate with you at all, may resonate partially, or may resonate fully. What matters is whether the information resonates with you. Do not accept everything as absolute truth, especially interpretations about other people’s feelings and plans. Use such information only as a way to improve something within yourself, gain insights, or notice aspects of your life you had previously overlooked — or as temporary emotional support during a difficult period. Temporary is key. The problem for many viewers is that they become dependent on such videos and sink into illusions instead of engaging with real life — for example, building real relationships instead of fantasizing about another person.
Unfortunately, among the vast number of “tarot readers” on YouTube, only a few genuinely perceive something while working with the cards and can accurately interpret their impressions and imagery. Only occasional videos from such practitioners may appear at the right moment and become a source of meaningful insight. A few may even feel like a personal message — and you will likely sense this.
I can also suggest buying your own deck, learning the basic tarot reading system, and using it as a small assistant or advisor in different situations. If tarot feels too complex — for example, if, like me, you work more with imagery and inner sensations than with logical systems — metaphorical cards may suit you better. They are easier to learn and can effectively develop intuition.