9 Tarot Mistakes Beginners Always Make

Avoid these common tarot mistakes beginners most often make and fast-track your knowledge of the cards.

Just taking the time to learn how to spot these tarot mistakes makes your reading so much smoother and more natural!

(And if you’re interested in taking your tarot reading game from amateur to pro, consider taking Moody Moons School of Metaphysical Arts course, Tarot Reading:  From Beginner to Professional).

#1  Seeing only what you want to see.

Perhaps the most common of tarot mistakes when reading for yourself, it’s quite common to see only what you want to see when reading the tarot.

After all, we often approach the tarot with our most intimate and vulnerable questions.

Of course, you want the deck to tell you that your love interest feels the same way about you, or that you’re destined for that promotion you want.

But in order to get the most from your readings, it’s important to listen to what the cards tell you, not what you want them to say.

#2 Relying on that little book.

Most tarot decks come with a little book that explains each card in detail.  

In the beginning, most people use that little book and apply it strictly to each reading as if that is the only possible interpretation for any given card.

It’s fine to use this little book every once in a while to give you a fresh perspective, or in the beginning to get a feel for a new deck.

But sooner or later, if you want to learn to read fluently, you need to get comfortable with producing your own interpretation.  

#3 Not asking the querent questions.

Clients often expect you to play a little game with them.

They often withhold information and wait for you to magically “guess” their circumstances.

I always make clear from the beginning that I don’t claim to be psychic.

But what I do have to offer them is much better than a parlor game or a Halloween trick.

What I offer them is the chance to look at their situation from a fresh perspective and discover their own wisdom.

In order to do that, I need clear information about their life circumstances.  The more, the better.

Now, maybe you do consider yourself psychic.  Or you just like to “read blind.”

But even if that is the case, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask clarifying questions to guide your reading.

#4 Using a deck that features artwork you don’t like.

Very often, people learn tarot from the first deck that came along.

But learning the tarot is about developing a relationship with the cards.  Find at least one with artwork that inspires you.

It makes such a difference in the reading experience.  Trust me.

#5 Not learning the traditional meaning of the cards.

I’m not saying you need to stick strictly to a traditional understanding of the cards.  Actually, I encourage you to develop your own interpretations.

But as the old adage goes, you need to know the rules before you break them.

Learn the “language” of the tarot and get a basic understanding of the most widely accepted interpretations of each card.

You should know, for example, that most readers don’t consider The Death card a sign of literal demise, and The Devil card is not necessarily a bad omen.

#6 Only using traditional meanings.

Almost as problematic as never learning them at all, relying only on the traditional meaning of tarot cards limits your perspective and makes for bland, rigid readings.

Your tarot reading style, which develops over time and with experience, is flavored with the spice of your unique understanding of the cards.

Look to the artwork, your gut, and the circumstances of the querent for a more accurate and customized reading.

#7 Panicking when you draw a blank.

Of all these tarot mistakes, remember that even seasoned professional tarot readers occasionally draw a card and don’t know how to apply the meaning.

No one has all the answers.

We all get blocked sometimes.

So, don’t panic.  Simply admit you’re not sure.  You can even show the card to your client and ask them what they think it means. 

Sometimes, they surprise themselves with their own insights.

#8 Thinking you need to be gifted your deck.

I don’t know who started this little occult rumor that only gifted tarot cards work, but it’s utter nonsense.

Not only may that day never come, but the chances your benefactor will actually choose a deck you like is slim—and liking your deck is way more important than how you acquire it!  (See #4)

#9 Not using the information effectively.

A lot of people fear the tarot because they are afraid it will somehow change their destiny.

As if when the cards tell them something they didn’t want to hear, that something wouldn’t have happened had they just not “messed around” with the tarot.

In fact, I think the opposite is true.

The tarot doesn’t define your destiny.  It only makes it clear where you are headed on your path.

You define your destiny.

If you don’t like where you’re headed, the tarot empowers you to change your course by giving you the information you need to step off in a new direction.

But it’s all rendered useless if you ignore it and refuse to change.

The key is to take the information and knowledge you acquire from a reading and apply it effectively to create the life you want.