Tarot Survey

Back in 2020 I conducted a survey on Instagram asking the various tarot readers I followed for some insights into their style of reading. Over the past decade I have seen reading styles and approaches change and this has always been something fascinating to me. I must confess, as a Capricorn (😉) I am very much a man of tradition. I spend countless hours studying systems and traditions of reading cards. But when one is actually sitting at the reading table with a client, I find a lot of this goes out the window. Intuition takes over, as it should. As a general rule, the majority of clients will want to see you because you are a psychic or have 'the Sight', not because you are a good card reader. That being said, lets take a look below at the results the survey yielded and perhaps why readers gave the answers they did.

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Reversals have a long history in tarot, with Etteilla himself (whom many consider the father of modern cartomancy) publishing reversed meanings of playing cards in his 1770 discourse on reading cards titled: 'Etteilla, ou maniere de se récréer avec un jeu de cartes'. What is interesting here is that the majority seem to have shifted away from reversals during readings.

When examining the responses below it will become clear that many readers now turn to their cards for psychological guidance or as a form of meditation rather than fortunetelling. With this in mind, it seems that readers no longer find the reversals necessary when trying to decipher a message.

There are many good arguments for and against reversed meanings out there, and I myself find that it really is circumstantial. Some argue that it takes a very deliberate action to actually reverse cards when shuffling. Others state that if a card wants to be reversed, they'll find a way to come out upside down regardless. Either way, reversed cards can add a nuanced depth to a reading as they have a way of immediately drawing the eye of the querent and the reader when the rest of the spread is face up.

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This was the one I was most interested in. For years now, I have espoused that I wished to revivify interest in 'fortunetelling'.

Fortunetelling has a long and sacred history. From the oracles of Delphi in Ancient Greece to the shamans of the Kazakh steppes, people have sought their fortunes with those that could communicate with the Otherworld. It is a sacred art that should be respected and taken very seriously, and as such, I take great pride in calling myself a fortuneteller.

For this particular question, I included the fact that for many, our readings are more likely to be both advice and fortunetelling. Forewarned is forearmed, as they say.

I believe a large amount of damage has been done to the image of the fortuneteller over the years by those wishing to make a quick buck with no true gift or interest in reading the cards. The good news is that results speak for themselves, and those abusing seekers looking for genuine answers will not get far relying on their rudimentary cold-reading techniques.

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Mystique plays a huge part in selling the art of reading cards. It goes without saying that none of this is required to simply read. Some of my most potent and vivid experiences reading were in bars or parks for strangers over the years. But the luxury of having a space dedicated to reading for clients has provided me with some interesting insights.

When sitting at the reading table with a querent, there is a moment that cannot be describe with any other word than 'magic'. It rests in the potent moment when a question is asked, the cards are shuffled and the future is about to be revealed. Time and space are transcended as the cards allow us to look at any moment free from these limitations. This moment births small miracles that cannot be captured elsewhere. Things are revealed that shock both the reader and the querent. I never tire of this moment and this is what I continue to chase as a reader in my career.

Setting space and giving the art of reading cards the luxury and time it deserves goes a long way to providing a satisfying reading. It seems those that answered are mostly in agreement with a little over half saying that lighting incense or a candle, or performing some kind of ritualized action informs a part of their divination session.

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If the cards on the table have such a potent power to awe a querent or reveal secrets, where exactly does this power stem from?

Since a large amount of people above indicated that their fortuntelling is more psychological than predictive (based on the answer the focus is advice rather than fortunetelling), I was not shocked to see that most people felt the answers were coming from themselves.

I move in various spiritual circles, with my focus largely on the witchcraft community here in Australia. As a result, I noticed that those aligned with the same interests said they felt the cards were spirited. Animism is a prevailing view in the witchcraft traditions I am a part of here, and it makes sense to me that my cards possess personalities of their own. But tarot transcends such a simple definition. It would be more accurate as a sorcerer to state that the cards each have their own personified personalities and viewpoints - and that each interact in a reading to tell their own story.

But, to make my own opinion clear, I don't think the answer is as black and white as we'd like to believe it is. In fact, all the questions above cannot be summarized as 'this or that', and none of the readers that participated were as naïve enough as to believe that was the case. By its very nature, tarot is a mystery, and this is why readers fall so deeply into a relationship with the cards. Those participating were also asked a follow-up question and the responses themselves showed just how true this is.

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"Why do you read tarot?"

"If I feel lost or need guidance, I like to tap back into myself".

"An outside perspective".

"It is what we have been doing in the family for generations".

"To hear the parts of myself that get drowned out".

"It has always been a calling, ever since I was a child".

"I ask myself this a lot. Because it is what I do. It chose me".

"The tradition is bigger than me,

and it take it very seriously to uphold and protect it".

"To engage in being human. The Spirit/Great One/Mystery that is Tarot is impeccable".

This small selection of the various responses I received best show the reality of what it means to engage the cards on a deep and personal level. Whilst it was purely a personal pursuit of interest and pleasure, I still wished to share these results because I truly love reading tarot. Having dedicated my life to reading, I never tire of the intricate conversations the art brings up. If this is something that also fascinates you, feel free to reach out and engage as well! I love nothing better than a good yarn with fellow tarot enthusiasts. ❤️