I found this set of prompts through Laura of Aquamarine 18 Tarot and Books, which was a response to Coyote Tarot. It’s quite a long list of questions, so I’ve broken it into separate posts and videos for each of 4 topics.
13. What does your tarot practice look like?
I don’t read a lot for myself but do at least one reading per month just to be able to pet my collection and keep my skills fresh. Sometimes I have a lot on my mind or a series of events coming up, and will read more frequently when I need some clarity or to take a more objective look at what’s going on.
13b. (I added this one.) Do you link tarot with something else, such as your spiritual practice, time of year, moon phase, etc.
I started out trying to read for the moon phases, but the readings were always too general to be of any use. Now I read when I have questions. Even my monthly readings will formulate around a question or a specific area of my life.
I don’t consider divination a spiritual practice in and of itself, nor do I use it simultaneously with any of my Buddhist practices (our practices are prescribed by tradition, and the instructions are very detailed and specific – there’s no “making it up as you go along” or “modifying to fit your mood”).
That said, tarot is a support because it helps me self-reflect, and self-reflection is a key part of the Buddhist path. As I recently read in a book by my teacher, there is no way to apply the Dharma to one’s life without self-reflection; performing rituals on their own is just spiritual materialism. In that sense, tarot is linked with my spiritual path anytime I use it for introspection, whether that’s on an issue I’m facing with someone else, or whether it’s some aspect of my Buddhist practice where I’m feeling suck.
14. What does a typical tarot reading look like with or for you?
For myself, I first tidy up my space and wash my hands. Then I select a deck and sit with it in front of me for a few minutes, to calm my mind and focus. I decide on how many cards and how to lay them out before I start shuffling, then I shuffle with the topic or question in mind before drawing the cards. I like to track and journal my readings, so I take a picture and then print the reading so I can add it to my journal along with the interpretation. Often I’ll return to readings after some time and add notes as additional aspects are revealed.
When I read for others, it’s a similar process: I ask them to put away any distractions, take a deep breath, and concentrate on their question.
If the person doesn’t have a question or doesn’t know what to ask, I find drawing an oracle card to open the conversation can be helpful.
Once we’ve identified the subject matter of the reading and shuffled the cards, like to have them at least cut the cards, or sometimes choose cards from a fan or multiple piles. This way they have more engagement and agency in which cards are selected, and I find the readings to be more clear for both of us.
At the end, I encourage them to take a picture of the reading so they can remember it and continue to refer to it, especially if it’s a reading about an ongoing situation or for a longer period of time like the card of the year.
