Getting to know your tarot deck is as easy as one, two … uh, six?
Tarot decks all have such a distinct personality. Once you start collecting them, it’s difficult to stop! But what do you do when you get a new deck? How will this deck set itself apart from the others in your collection?
Once you’ve used your deck for a while, you’ll learn its voice — the topics it gives you best insight on, the parts of your life it responds most to, the best questions to ask. But this can take time to discover, and the learning process can sometimes be tricky as you learn each new deck’s language.
Listen and Learn your deck’s language.
If you want to take this journey step by step, then go for it! But if you’d like a head start on understanding each new deck you acquire, there’s a very easy way to get to know your deck… interview it!
How To Interview Your Tarot Deck
First, it’s good to familiarise yourself with the cards. You can always do this blind, but I like to flip through the deck and look at every card before I shuffle. That way, I can study how the artist depicts each card — especially my favourites — and compare them with other decks that I love. This is also a great way to find out the deck’s strengths, and you should start to get an idea of its themes and approach to tarot.
Once that’s done, shuffle! To really interview your deck, it’s best to use a tarot spread.. So here’s one we made earlier!
- How will you see the deck?
- How will the deck see you?
- In what space/type of query will you best communicate?
- What are the deck’s strengths?
- What are the deck’s weaknesses?
- How is the deck unique?
Obviously, feel free to add any questions that you really want to ask the deck! A question I particularly like is “how will you help me grow as a person?” or “what part of myself will you help me realise?” These insightful questions can be surprisingly prescient!
And remember to write down your findings! Then you can come back to this reading once you’ve got to know the tarot a little better. Sometimes revisiting readings is the best way to understand them.
Example Interview Reading
To give you an example of how to interview your tarot deck, we did a reading! And here’s what we pulled…
1. Ace of Wands
The Aces are the epitome of their suit — and the Wands are all about fiery passion, creativity, and action. If this is how you’ll see the deck, then it’ll be your go-to for new beginnings and anything creative. If you’re stalling and you want to reignite your passion, this is the deck you should pull from.
2. The Empress
What a powerful card! The Empress is a font of spirituality, feeling, and empowerment. If this is how your deck sees you, then its entrance into your life heralds a very fulfilling new chapter. And the bond between you and this deck will be remarkably strong — it may be one that stands the test of time…
3. Page of Pentacles
The Pentacles suit is all about the practicalities of everyday life: career, wealth, and grounded concerns. So that’s what you should ask this deck about! Money woes, day-to-day worries, housing questions, or any new ventures — just ask!
4. The Star
A beacon of brightness in the dark, The Star is the essence of excitement. Fizzing with happiness, this deck is a positive one! It’ll always uplift you, and feel like you can do anything — literally help you reach for the stars!
5. Three of Wands
The Three of Wands speaks of expansion, progress, and building on what you’ve already built. Yet, it appears as the deck’s weakness. This seems contradictory, considering the placement of the Ace of Wands and Page of Pentacles — both to do with creativity and new ventures — earlier on in the spread. Hmm. This is a nuance that you’ll be better able to understand once you conduct more readings using the deck. And that’s why you need to write it all down!
6. The Hierophant
Now this is very positive! The Hierophant is a teacher — and in the Modern Witch Tarot (the deck used for this reading), the Hierophant represents tarot guides in particular. Think of the person who got you into tarot, and that’s who this card is! So if this is what sets this deck apart, then it’ll take you to another level in your tarot reading skill. Great times ahead!
Of course, this is just an example. Now it’s on you! So grab your newest deck, and start reading…
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Featured: Modern Witch Tarot Deck, Modern Witch Tarot Journal
Other decks available now: The Cosmic Slumber Tarot Deck
Learn about what’s coming soon: White Numen: A Sacred Animal Tarot, and our 2021 Decks.
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I’m very new to Tarot. I just did my interview with this exact deck and drew Justice Reversed for deck weaknesses: dishonesty and unfairness? So I drew a 7th card asking for guidance on the weakness pull and I pulled Nine of Cups Reversed. The deck is missing a key element? Or am I, because I’m so new? Can anyone offer me any insight as I continue to search?
Author
Hi Amber, there’s a huge range of meaning in every card, and Justice reversed isn’t only about dishonesty, unfairness, and a lack of accountability. These could be weaknesses you are dealing with, but the card could also be suggesting that your inner critic is working overtime and that you need to show yourself and others more compassion and forgiveness. The reversed 9 of Cups suggests that you need to look within rather than for material things to make you happy.
We always recommend tarot newbies book a reading with a professional tarot reader to get a better understanding of how the tarot works. Otherwise, your intuition and understanding will grow the more you read the cards for yourself. Remember that the words in the booklet are only a small part of the story – your own intuition of what the cards are showing you is the most important thing!
Thank you for responding!
I got the chariot reversed for the weaknesses position – what does this mean?
Self-discipline, opposition, lack of direction – but remember words in the booklet are only a small part of the story – your own intuition of what the cards are showing you is the most important thing!
What if, after looking over your cards – mid shuffle, the king of cups shows up face up in the middle pile of a 3 pile cut to split the deck before putting all the cards back together and actually beginning your pull?
Sometimes that means the card wants to tell you something take it as advice along side the reading.