Tarot for reflection: comfort, insight & keeping perspective

The Morgan Library & Museum holds some of the oldest surviving tarot cards, hand-painted in Milan in the mid-to-late 1400s. In the Renaissance, these cards were used to play a card game, not to tell fortunes.

The link with the occult came much later. In 1781, a French writer, Antoine Court de Gébelin, claimed the cards had an ancient Egyptian origin. Historians describe this as misinformation, but it helped spark the use of tarot for fortune-telling.

Most modern decks have a set of major picture cards with names like The Star, Strength or The Moon, plus four suits of smaller cards. Each card shows people, animals, places and symbols.

There are thousands of decks today, from classic designs to decks made by artists, queer creators, people of colour and many cultures. Many people pick a deck simply because its art speaks to them.

Oracle decks don’t follow a set structure. They may focus on affirmations, nature, animals or self-compassion. Some people prefer them because the messages feel softer.

Everything in this guide about reflection, perspective and money applies to oracle cards too.

In a 2024 U.S. survey, twice as many people said they use tarot, astrology or fortune tellers mostly “just for fun” as said they use them mostly for helpful insights.

Common ways people use cards

• A one-card draw with morning coffee
• A journaling prompt at the end of the day
• A ritual at the new moon or a birthday
• Readings with friends, as a way to talk about life
• Part of a wider spiritual or Pagan practice

In a small study, a University of Victoria researcher interviewed four women who used tarot regularly for self-reflection rather than fortune-telling. They said the cards helped them gain insight into their situations and think through possible next steps.

This was a tiny, qualitative study, so it can’t show that tarot helps everyone. It does show how some people use cards: as a starting point for honest thinking.

The women in the same study often turned to tarot during difficult times. It gave them comfort and a sense that life had some order.

McGill University’s Office for Science and Society notes that in stressful times, predictions can create a feeling of control and something to hold on to. That feeling is real, even though the predictions themselves aren’t proven.

In studies led by Harvard researchers, people who did a short ritual before a stressful task felt less anxious and had lower heart rates. Calling the actions a “ritual” mattered, which suggests meaning plays a part.

Other experiments found that rituals after a loss were linked with less grief, partly by giving people back a sense of control.

Tarot is especially popular with younger adults and LGBT adults in the U.S. One in three LGBT adults consults tarot cards at least once a year.

For many, sharing readings with friends is a way to talk about feelings, relationships and hopes in a low-pressure way.

Psychologists call this the Barnum effect: people readily accept vague, general descriptions as if they were written just for them.

Card meanings are often broad, like “a new beginning” or “a time of change.” Almost anyone can find a link to their life, which can make a reading feel uncanny.

McGill’s Office for Science and Society adds that human brains are wired to find patterns and meaning, which is part of what makes these practices so compelling.

Things people often value

• A calming ritual at the start or end of the day
• A creative way into journaling
• Naming feelings they hadn’t put into words
• Seeing a problem from a different angle
• Talking about life with friends

Cards can’t…

• Diagnose or treat a health or mental health condition
• Promise that a relationship will or won’t work
• Tell you what another person is thinking or feeling
• Predict an illness, accident or death
• Replace your own judgment or the people who support you

Try asking

• How can I be kind to myself this week?
• What am I not letting myself feel?
• What strength can I lean on right now?
• What would help me rest?
• What is one step I can take?

Questions that tend to backfire

• Will I get sick?
• Is my partner cheating?
• Will I fail?
• Should I stop my treatment?
• Does this person secretly hate me?

Questions like these hand your peace of mind to a random draw. If one of them is on your mind, it may be better to talk it through with someone you trust or a professional.

If tarot doesn’t sit right with your beliefs, you can use art, nature photos or an affirmation deck in exactly the same way. The reflection comes from you, not from the card.

Cards named Death or The Tower can be a shock. Many tarot users read them as symbols of change, endings and new starts rather than literal events.

No card can predict an illness, accident or death. If a reading leaves you scared about your health or someone else’s, talk with your clinical provider instead.

The International OCD Foundation explains that seeking reassurance over and over brings brief relief, but can let worries come back stronger. Each check can make the urge to check again even bigger.

Repeated readings, horoscope checks or psychic calls about the same fear can work the same way, even for people who don’t have OCD.

Signs reading has become reassurance-seeking

• Asking the same question many times
• Feeling you can’t relax until you get a certain card
• Relief that lasts only minutes
• Hiding how often you read
• Feeling worse overall, not better

McGill’s Office for Science and Society notes that mindfulness can help people cope with uncertainty, and so can activities that absorb you completely.

NCCIH advises against using an unproven practice to put off seeing your health care provider, and suggests telling all your providers about the approaches you use.

McGill’s Office for Science and Society warns that acting on predictions, such as postponing needed medical treatment, could cause real harm.

If a card seems to point toward quitting a job, lending money or making a big purchase, sleep on it. Gather the facts and talk to someone you trust before you act.

Readings about a partner, an ex or a crush can stir up hope or jealousy. The most reliable way to know how someone feels is a kind, honest conversation with them.

After a reading, the person may say there is more “negativity” to clear or another ritual needed. Costs can climb into the thousands. Some take payment online and disappear.

Some use pressure and threats, saying something bad will happen to you or your family if you stop paying.

Be careful if a reader…

• Asks for bank or card access
• Asks you to keep it secret
• Guarantees health, money or love
• Keeps finding new problems that need paid help
• Says something bad will happen unless you pay
• Says you are cursed and only they can fix it

AARP suggests

• Don’t keep it secret if you’re told to
• Get appointment details and any future services in writing
• Learn the total cost up front
• Never share financial details or account access
• Talk to someone you trust before paying

In the U.S., you can report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Reports go into a database that law enforcement agencies use.

AARP also suggests contacting your local FBI field office if you or a loved one were threatened or pressured into paying.

Family members may worry for spiritual reasons, or because they fear you’ll be hurt or scammed. Hearing the worry behind their words can make the conversation easier.

Things you might say

• “I use the cards to reflect, not to predict.”
• “I understand this doesn’t fit your faith. I’m not asking you to join in.”
• “I don’t spend money I can’t afford on it.”

Some people feel guilty using tarot because of their religion. It can help to talk with a trusted faith leader, a spiritual director or a therapist who respects your beliefs.

You don’t owe anyone an explanation for a private, harmless practice. Keeping it private is different from hiding it because someone is pressuring or controlling you.