Tarot is a divination tool used by many people, not just witches. I’ve been using tarot for over 45 years.The way I use tarot is for guidance or to seek answers. Despite all my years of using tarot, I’m not an expert, so when I needed help in the past, I sought a professional tarot reader.

I remember coming to Florida and going to a tarot reader at a spiritual bookstore. My heart was aching and I needed answers. Even though I had left a long-term (over 15 years) relationship, I was still struggling with my decision or trying to reconcile it, or trying to accept it. I’m not sure which. I know I was in a lot of pain and looking for answers. 

Five years later, I don’t remember much about the reading but I don’t think I got the answers I was seeking, probably because healing, processing and getting over someone I’d love for such a long time was just going to take time, and as usual, I was impatient and wanting change immediately. Tell me when the pain is going to stop. Tell me when I’ll be over him. How long do I have to suffer? What is he going through? Is he thinking about me, too? Gods…what a mess I was! 

I remember when I was still with him, trying to work things out. His actions told me everything I needed to know, but I didn’t want to believe it or accept it. I wanted to change things. The truth is, I wanted to change him. Please stop all the things you’re doing that are breaking my heart and destroying our relationship. This can’t go on forever. I’ll have to do something drastic. I’ll have to leave. I didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want to accept who he was because that meant I had to make a decision: leave or accept things as they were, and accept that they would always be that way. Sigh.

During these times, I pulled tarot cards everyday looking for an answer and guidance. I don’t remember the messages I got now, but I would read the descriptions in the book and try to apply them to my life. Pulling cards everyday for a message from the universe helped me, but it didn’t change what I was going through with him. Ultimately, it would come down to what I already said above: accept the things you cannot change or move on. It took a long time to get to the “I cannot accept the things I cannot change; I have to leave for my sanity” stage. 

The point is, tarot helped me through difficult times. It was an unbiased message from my spirit guides and the universe. There was comfort in shuffling and selecting the cards and reading the card meanings. I think this is one of the ways we can use tarot to get us through difficulties in life. 

After I moved to Florida and became a witch, I got serious about tarot. I regularly do readings with my daughters, I’ve read for friends, I have many tarot decks, and I studied tarot and created a tarot class for our meetup group. 

Tarot is Not Witchcraft, But Who Cares? 

While tarot is not witchcraft, I believe  it is a way for witches to practice and hone their intuition. The cards can have different meanings depending on how you’re reading them. One card pull is simple, but once you start adding cards and create a spread, now you have to take all the cards into consideration and string the meanings of the cards together  in a way that tells a story. That’s what tarot does. It tells a story. Then, you’ve got to be able to see how that story relates to the question you asked. It takes time, patience, and practice, but it’s a totally worthwhile venture!

That's a little about my tarot journey....now onto you, dear witch!

If you’re new to tarot, here’s a guide to help you get started.

Acquiring Your First Tarot Deck

Buy a deck of tarot cards. Yes, you can buy your own cards! Don’t listen to anyone who tells you otherwise. You can buy any deck you're drawn to, but if you want to learn, I recommend starting with the Smith Rider Waite tarot deck. This is the deck that most other modern decks are based on. There’s a lot of symbolism in the Smith Rider Waite cards, which sometimes gets lost in more modern versions.

Once you’ve acquired your deck, you’ll want to connect with it. The method I use is sleeping with my deck for a week or two. I’ll put them under my pillow and they will stay there at least a week, maybe more. It’s my belief that the cards absorb my energy and there may be some magic happening while I sleep between me and my cards - or at least I like to imagine that’s the case! 

It’s a good idea to cleanse your cards before you use them and intermittently after that. Smoke, sound, moon light, sunlight, salt, crystals or even rose water are ways to cleanse your cards. Choose whatever resonates with you and is easy. Using your tarot cards should not be a chore!

Connecting with the Other Side: The Universe, Spirit or Your Team of Light

Your Team of Light can be described as a group of unseen beings that guide you on your life path. Whether you know it or not, they’ve always been there, guiding you, and sending you signs and messages, watching out for you. Your team of light is made up of loved ones who have passed away, Spirit guides, God energy, and the higher angelic realm.

I’m not sure where the concept of a team of light came from, but in Signs: The Secret Language of the Universe, author Laura Lynne Jackson talks about how people get signs from the other side. I’ll go ahead and make a plug for this book now. If you haven’t read it, you should. Jackson is a psychic medium and the stories in the book are about people who have connected with a loved one on the other side. 

When I was very young, I used to worry about the things I did in private and how those beings - my grandmother and grandfather specifically - would think of me. Could they see me when I stole candy from the 7-11 with my sisters when I was 9 and think I was a bad person, and maybe not love anymore? Irrational, I know, but it took me years to realize those spirits are no longer in their earthly bodies with earthly concerns about morality. They are light and love and only want to help.

To me, the Universe and Spirit are pretty much the same thing: they are everything and everywhere and nothing but love and light.

When you think of your guides, who do you think of and what do you call them? If you’re not sure, pick something, meditate on it if you need to, but you’ll be tapping into that source as you read tarot, asking them to show up and bring you the messages, guidance or answers you need through the cards. 

Creating a Tarot Ritual

You’re going to want to create a ritual around reading tarot cards. This is something you’ll do every time you read or pull cards. My ritual is pretty minimalist:

Gather my cards, an altar cloth (I actually use a piece of black velvet for this), a candle, and a large piece of amethyst. I also get my sage and before I do anything else, I burn sage over myself and the area where I’m going to read. Once I’ve burned the sage, I lay out the cloth, candle, and crystal. When I light the candle, I talk to my guides and invite them to join me. Then, I begin shuffling the cards while I think about the question I have. This could also be called “setting intentions,” a term that gets talked about a lot but rarely explained very well! 

Setting Intentions

Setting an intention focuses the reading and aligns it with your energy and goals. To set your intentions, ask a specific question. For example:

• "What energies are influencing my career right now?"
• "What steps should I take to heal from a past relationship?"
• “What message do you have about XYZ?”
• “What do I need to know about X situation?”

Tarot Spreads

My daughters and I do big tarot spreads once or twice a year. We always do a year-ahead-spread around February. This is a 13 card pull: one for each of the 12 months, with the 13th card being the overall energy for the year. We also take a picture of the cards we get so we can refer back to them later as the year unfolds. 

Here are some other common spreads and how they are used: 

• One-Card Pull: Ideal for daily guidance or simple questions.
• Three-Card Spread: Provides insight into past, present, and future influences.
• Celtic Cross: A detailed layout for exploring complex situations.

The tarot deck you buy will often come with a book. In fact, I would make sure you get a book when you buy a deck, especially if it is not the Smith Rider Waite. You can always find the meanings of Smith Rider Waite online. Biddy Tarot is a reliable source for card meanings and one I have used regularly in the past. 

Other Ways to Use Tarot

But, tarot cards are not just for readings. 

Tarot can be used in shadow work to explore hidden aspects of yourself. By drawing cards and reflecting on their meanings, you can confront fears, heal emotional wounds, and release limiting beliefs. For example, pulling cards like The Moon or The Tower might prompt deeper reflection on suppressed emotions. If you’re using tarot for shadow work, get a journal so that you can record your cards and reflections.

Tarot can also be used with spellwork or altars. For instance, if you’re doing a love spell for yourself, including the Two of Cups would be beneficial because theTwo of Cups represents deep connection and mutual feelings of affinity. It also represents emotional fulfillment and desire.

Using tarot to communicate with Spirit Guides

If you’d like to connect with your spirit guides, ancestors or deities, try meditating on the cards drawn and listening for intuitive messages from the spirit realm. 

Journaling about your tarot readings, and recording the cards you draw and their interpretations, can be beneficial. Over time, this practice reveals patterns and insights, deepening their connection to the deck and their personal spiritual journey. You’ll be surprised to learn that you draw some of the same cards repeatedly. There’s a message in those cards to you! That’s why it helps to write down the cards you draw and their meanings. 

By integrating tarot into your spiritual routine, you can use it as a versatile tool for gaining insight, setting intentions, and navigating life's challenges with greater clarity and purpose. 

Recommendations

These recommendations are based on our personal purchases and use. We’re not Amazon affiliates nor do we receive any benefit if you purchase these items.

Smith Rider Waite Tarot Deck on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Rider-Tarot-Arthur-Edward-Waite

Altar cloths

Indian Consigners Tree of Life Altar Cloth Tapestry Tablecloth Celtic Trees Ritual Spiritual Cloth for Sacred Places, Cotton Square Tarot Table Cover 36 by 36 Sacred Cloth

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09PYFR45N/

VIDAYA Altar Cloth, Thick Velvet Fabric Celtic Triple Moon Pentagram Tarot Cloth, Wiccan Witchcraft Supplies and Tools, Tarot Divination Cards Table Cloth Astrology Tapestry+Tarot Card Bag 25INCH

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CDLTLLF3/

Signs: The Secret Language of the Universe Paperback – June 2, 2020

by Laura Lynne Jackson (Author)

https://www.amazon.com/Signs-Language-Laura-Lynne-Jackson