Courtesy of art-of-joan under CC license
One of the most valuable and often overlooked tools when learning to read tarot is the gift of hindsight. I’ve long been a cheerleader for keeping a record of readings. Mine are all written readings these days, so they are recorded in detail, along with photos of the spread. However, when I was learning, I thought I knew better, that I would absorb the meanings and develop my interpretations as I went along. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
It was only when I started to do written email readings that I found that I was learning faster. So I started writing down the readings I did for myself – after all, I was the best person to practice on. I also wrote down the occasional celebrity reading that I would do for even more practice. My view being if you put yourself in the public eye, then you are fair game for tarot students. Then one day, I was idly reading through my folder of readings and realised that quite a few insights and predictions had come to pass. And many others had not. It prompted me to take a closer look. It was fascinating to see where I’d got it right, but even more interesting and very instructive was how I’d got it wrong, but the cards had been spot on.
Record Your Tarot Spreads
So my suggestion for all aspiring tarot readers is to always record your spreads by taking a photo. Then as soon as possible, turn to your tarot journal, log the reading with the date, the person you are reading for (and it might be yourself, of course), the question asked, and the list of the cards that you laid out. Then a quick interpretation of what you thought and felt the cards meant. What did you take away from the reading. Were any cards more significant? Is there anything else going on in your life that the cards could relate to? Add anything you think could be relevant. Doesn’t have to be long and rambling – lists of impressions, ideas, interpretations work fine. As long as it makes sense to you.
After a week, take another look at the reading. Have any of your interpretations proved to be spot on? Maybe events took a different turn. Was advice offered in the cards that you didn’t notice at the time of the reading? Is there any more info that could be useful to you? If it was for someone else, did you get feedback straight away? If so, add it in.
At the end of every month, go back over the readings you have done. You could make this part of a ritual if you wanted – a reading review on every full moon or dark moon. You should now have a better idea of how those readings turned out. If your readings were for others, drop them a text or email to see if the reading was helpful to them and ask for feedback if possible. And, again, keep records of feedback and updates. I should have mentioned it’s a good idea to leave space in your tarot journal for this.
Do an Annual Tarot Review
If feasible, review your readings every year. See how far you’ve come. Check how accurate your readings were. You’ll find that some took a whole twelve months to unfold. This is when tarot really opens your eyes. Remember that the cards are always right… it’s just the reader’s perception and interpretation that can be skewed.
Hindsight enables you to self-correct, to learn the real lessons that the tarot is teaching, and using the gift of hindsight is really the only way to know how you are developing as a tarot reader. And these regular reviews shouldn’t only be for tarot students who are just beginning; we should all be going back, revisiting, understanding and learning – because learning tarot is a life-long journey.
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