For newer users of tarot cards, the draw to do multiple readings in short succession can be strong. It’s one of the closest things to magic we can hold in our hands, convenient and always available.
In the same vein, people who have just received their first readings may be hungry for more. A person can be shocked at how accurate or meaningful their first tarot reading can be, and they really want to experience it again, and soon.
This leads us to the question, how often should you read tarot cards? There are no rules here of course, but there are a couple of guidelines I tend to suggest as a tarot reader.
Daily tarot pulls can be a healthy addition to a mindful day, but more complex spreads should be saved until something in the person’s life has changed enough to get a different reading.
People are sometimes surprised when I tell them to wait a while before I’ll do another spread. There are a couple of reasons behind this but if you haven’t had one recently I’m happy to do a free tarot reading for you.
What Are Daily Tarot Card Pulls?
If you are the owner of a tarot deck and have gotten comfortable and familiar with your personal cards, doing a daily tarot card pull is a lovely way to check in with yourself day to day.
Doing a daily pull is simply shuffling and cutting your cards, rearranging them together again, and pulling a single card to read.
This card and the way you interpret it can set the tone for the day. It gives you something to focus and reflect on and can lead to a more balanced life where you are more in touch with different aspects of yourself.
Establishing daily habits leads to a more structured life, and incorporating daily tarot card pulls into your routine allows you to take a second to hear what the universe is telling you, and allow you to center yourself for the day to come.
If you’re reading for someone else, the idea is the same. Pull one card for them and do the reading from that single card. Easy enough!
Note: I’m not a big fan of using individual cards. Similar to yes or no Tarot readings I think it limits the ability of the cards to guide us. Given the choice I almost always prefer a full spread.
When to Avoid Daily Tarot Card Pulls?
If you are in a highly emotional state, maybe grieving the loss of a relationship or a beloved pet, it may be a good idea to take a break from doing daily pulls.
High, unstable emotions can skew your interpretation of your card reading and maybe even be detrimental to someone not in the right state of mind.
If you are reading tarot for someone else, it’s imperative that both the reader and the person whose cards are being read are both in a solid, peaceful state of mind, and open to accepting the message that the card provides.
When wondering about how often you should read tarot cards, daily pulls are a great way to check up on yourself, but there is a reason why it is discouraged to do more complicated spreads so often.
How Often Should You Read Tarot Card Spreads With Multiple Cards?
While doing daily tarot card pulls for yourself or others is fine, doing a more in-depth reading with a multiple card spread daily, or even weekly is not recommended.
A good rule of thumb is to space more in-depth readings out to once a month. This allows time for you to make changes in your life according to your last reading so you won’t receive the same message twice in a row.
For example, imagine that you have just done a love reading for a good friend of yours that suggests they will find romance if they improve their self-confidence. If your friend enjoys your reading, and are excited about their future love prospects, they may come back to you a few days later for another. You may think, why not? What’s the harm?
The truth is, a few days is not enough time for your friend, or anyone for that matter, to have changed their lives in any significant way that can be expressed through a tarot reading.
Your friend may have started the journey of finding their own self-confidence, but there is no way in such a short time that they have finished that journey. Therefore, if you gave them another reading, chances are the cards will tell them the same thing as before.
On the other hand, if your friend waits a month or so for their second reading, the cards will reflect the progress they have made on improving themselves, resulting in a more profound and fulfilling reading.
When to Avoid Tarot Card Spreads With Multiple Cards?
How often you should read tarot cards can depend on multiple factors, but there are a few traps that even experienced tarot users can fall into.
A common mistake is to continue pulling cards to clarify the previous card. If you have pulled three for past, present, and future, but are unsure about the meaning behind one of the cards, pulling a second to clarify is fine.
It’s when you continue pulling and pulling, over and over again, that the tarot’s message becomes murky.
Another come misstep is to go into a reading with a certain desired outcome in mind. You must be a blank, peaceful slate to receive the tarot card’s message.
If you sit down to do your spread strongly desiring a certain outcome, you are more likely to continue pulling cards until you get the result you wanted. This is not at all an accurate reading.
Taking these factors into consideration, and examine yourself and your state of mind before reading the tarot. Be honest with yourself. Even if it has been a whole month since your last reading, wait until your mind and spirit are at peace to draw a tarot spread.
In other words, the length of time between readings isn’t necessarily as important as the spiritual and mental state of those giving and receiving the reading.
Does it Matter if You Read Them Yourself?
I’m a big fan of people learning to read the tarot themselves whether they work with other card readers or not. There are pros and cons to both but my advice on the period of time between reading still applies.
Don’t rush between different readers or back and forth from yourself to someone else constantly getting spreads done. I promise you no good can come of this.
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Remember This
Tarot cards can be wonderful tools for helping people evaluate their lives more deeply and reach conclusions that may have been concealed from them prior to their tarot card reading.
As the old saying goes, there can be too much of a good thing, and that includes tarot readings.
As with any tarot card readings, make sure your mind, body, and spirit are in harmony before beginning.
You can be confident that your readings will be more meaningful and accurate if you limit yourself to single card daily pulls and monthly multiple card spreads.