If you’re new to the tarot, then a simple one-card yes or no reading can be a good way to get started. This easy reading will help you connect with your cards and become familiar with their meanings, imagery, and hidden messages.
Tarot yes or no reading is exactly what it sounds like: you ask the cards a question for which it’s possible to receive a yes or no answer and select a card to reveal the answer to your question. Keep reading to find out exactly how to use this technique and how to get the most out of it for deeper insight and perception.
Formulate a Question
Start by deciding on your question, so you can clearly hold it in your mind while you’re shuffling the cards – if you’re confused during this stage, an unclear answer may be the result. So, think of an area of your life in which you’d appreciate some guidance and boil things down to a single question.
For example, if you’re thinking about starting dating again, consider how best to phrase this to get the answer that’ll be most useful to you. You may, therefore, decide to ask, ‘is now the right time for me to begin dating again?’ The first part of the question gives the cards some scope to provide additional guidance on when the time would be right if it isn’t now.
Shuffle and Spread the Cards
Now it’s time to shuffle the cards. Do this in the way that feels right to you. You may wish to shuffle them in a traditional fashion or choose to mix them by spreading them on a surface and gently moving them around until you feel they’re ready. Use your intuition with this.
As you mix the cards, hold the question in the very front of your mind: fully focus on it. Now comes the time to select a card. You may wish to fan all the cards out, face down, and hover your palm over them until you get a sense of being drawn to one.
Read Your Card
Next comes the final part of your tarot yes or no reading. Turn your chosen card over, and spend some time simply contemplating the image, thinking about the emotions or reactions it generates and any feelings it elicits.
You may like to use a mixture of intuition and book consultation as you begin your tarot reading practice. Over time, you’ll get a deep sense of each card and its meaning – some of this will be learned, and some of it will be instinctive knowledge.
Let’s think about a couple of examples of readings to give you a sense of how this might look. Say, in answer to your dating question, you pull The Sun. This is a lovely portent that you are in a good place right now, and things are likely to get even better! The card indicates that now would be a great time to begin your dating adventure anew -but it also reminds you not to lose sight of all the other many blessings in your life that exist apart from this. It’s easy to get caught up in the dating game and for other areas of our lives to suffer, after all.
But say you pulled The Star – another beautiful card. This is also very positive; it shows deep healing. This card would suggest again that, yes, now is a good time to date again, but be sure to protect your energy while doing so. Or, as a final example, you pull the Knight of Swords in the reversed position. This counsels that you should be wary about rushing into something – hence it may be worth delaying entering the dating game again for a short time until you’re sure it’s the right decision for you that’ll serve you best.
An Easy Three-Card Tarot Spread
Once you’ve got some experience with a single card yes or no tarot reading, you may wish to have a go at some other simple spreads. There are endless types of spreads out there – not to mention the fact that you can create your own to suit your needs.
You may wish to try a three-card Past, Present, and Future spread. Like the yes or no tarot reading, this one is exactly how it sounds! Simply mix the cards, as above, this time holding a particular circumstance or area of your life at the front of your mind. Perhaps this could be your career or a family issue that you’d like some guidance to resolve.
Once the deck has been mixed, select three cards and turn them face up. The first one indicates the past, the second the present, and the third the future. As an example reading, let’s say you pull the Two of Swords, the Two of Cups, and the Ace of Pentacles. This could indicate that, in the past, you’ve experienced an element of fearfulness, or lack of confidence, in progressing your career and could even have felt trapped in a role due to uncertainty about how to move forward. The Two of Cups, however, suggests that you could be about to meet (or have already met – you just don’t know it!) someone who will be very helpful to you in your career. This person could potentially be a business partner if you’re thinking of starting your own enterprise. And the good news keeps coming because the Ace of Pentacles is a great sign of wonderful new beginnings and successful endeavors.
Next Steps
Once you’re comfortable with yes or no tarot readings and Past, Present, and Future spreads, why not move on to some of the more complex spreads? These allow for fascinating, deep insight that can provide advice on any area of your life for which you’d like guidance.