Can you read Tarot cards for yourself?

Recently, I was asked the question, 'can you read cards for yourself?'

The answer? Absolutely.

In fact I do it all the time. Sometimes I want to get a quick impression from the cards about someone or something that has caught my attention. For example, if I were choosing who, among three contractors, I would be best using, I might pick a separate card to represent each one. 

I would also do my normal due diligence such as checking for insurance and licenses, contacting the State to see if complaints were filed, so on and so forth. 

But using Tarot cards is one way of inviting intuition to give its opinion. 

Often, it is difficult to hear the voice of intuition through the background static of 'shoulds' and emotion. Tarot is a great tool to cut through it. 

Pulling a card of the day is a fantastic way to align yourself with the day's energies, give yourself a heads up for possible surprise, as well as get to know your Tarot deck. You can observe the pattern of cards of the day over time. Are there certain cards that keep popping up? Is there a suit that you are not seeing? This is information that can help you understand internal processes you are experiencing.

But Tarot is not infallible. If you are very caught up in the outcome or you are very emotionally attached to the situation at hand that you can easily miss the message.

True story. 

Approximately 20 years ago I worked for a company that was experiencing a change in ownership. New management was coming in. My hope was that they would perform some much needed house cleaning.

I did a spread and The Tower came up in a prominent position. At the time I was coming from a place of restlessness and fear and I did not want to see the message of upheaval brought by The Tower's appearance.

In this case, I had gotten other warnings--a medium described brooms sweeping clean, but in a careless and haphazard way. 

I was experiencing very strong outer planet transits at the time, but it wasn't until I saw that the then upcoming new moon was very closely conjoining the Pluto in my birth chart that it started to dawn that the brooms might be after me.

And two weeks later, a couple days after the full moon, I was handed a pink slip.

I should also point out that I did what many others do when they don't like the cards they see in an emotionally charged situation--I repeated the reading by asking the very same question. 

Experienced card readers will tell you that asking the same question over and over again gets you gibberish. It is as if the cards feel disrespected and react by refusing to comment.

The moral of the story is that reading your own cards can be very helpful, but, emotionally, you have to be able to accept the cards' advice.

It is when you are incapable of detachment about your own situation that it is particularly valuable to seek out a reader to give you needed objectivity and a sounding board.

Comments

[Lua Astrology]

I have read cards for myself for years. In many ways, it's how I've learned my own associations with them and they still come up with new an innovative ways to describe situations I am experiencing leaving the new meaning intact for future readings with others. For example - recently I've had a problem with my balance and would you believe it took a few readings for me to realise why the Justice card kept showing herself!
Sometimes I have found that in extreme situations, the cards are what help me focus and step back from myself. They will also quite rightly tell me off if I'm refusing to see an asnwer or just not listening. Typical cards are the 2 of swords (pretty much 'stop asking and make your own decision'), the High Priestess ('you know this already') and the 7 cups (you've asked way too many times and now confused yourself'!).
What remains the most fascinating phenemona is how a change of thought/action changes the outcome in most circumstances. Very little is 'fated'.

[Ellen Zucker]

Interesting and well said! I definitely relate to the 7 of Cups (stop asking and make your own decision).