How To Ask Excellent Tarot Questions
Your question shapes the course of an entire reading — let’s maximize its potential.
Tarot responds best when we take responsibility for our own actions. Centering yourself in the question uplifts you. It’s an opportunity for you to take back your personal agency and focus on your personal growth.
When there’s an infinite amount of possibilities, why dedicate an entire question around what someone else thinks/feels/does? The main character of your life is you.
I’ve been a professional tarot card reader for a long time, and I’ve seen first-hand that a well-intentioned question will open doors to your personal growth, healing, and empowerment like nothing else.
But it isn’t easy crafting the right question when there are so many possibilities, right?
That’s why I’ve created a helpful framework you can use.
I call this framework: I feel open now.
“I” — Make Your Question Personal
This reading is for you — it belongs to you. Center the question on your own life, and take ownership of your decision-making. The tarot is a mirror, and it will offer you a map of your personal journey.
So instead of asking:
“Are they thinking about me?”
“Why haven’t they texted me yet?”
Try asking:
“What is this lack of communication trying to teach me?”
“How can I address the uncertainty I feel about this connection?”
“Feel” — Acknowledge Your Inner World
Every tarot question is rooted in a feeling—and that feeling determines the intention of your reading. When you sit with a feeling, you’re more open to the healing messages that arise.
You know you better than anyone. Why do you want to ask the tarot a question right now? What have you been navigating internally for the past few days/weeks/months that you could use some additional clarity and insight on?
When you acknowledge yourself, see yourself, and uplift all parts of yourself, that’s when the tarot can really work its magic.
So you might recognize:
I’ve been feeling anxious lately.
I’m confused about what to do next.
I’m struggling to be present like I used to.
These are honest self-reflections.
You don’t need to have the perfect words, or attach meanings to what you feel. All you need is a willingness to feel the truth within yourself. Let your inner emotional landscape guide your question, not distort it.
The tarot will only show you the depths in which you’ve met yourself.
“Open” — Stay Curious
When you ask a simple “yes” or “no” question, your mind is subconsciously holding onto an outcome you really want to hear. You’ve stepped into the reading with a fixed mindset—looking for clues that will validate your expectation. You’re actively listening with your mind, versus listening with your spirit.
Say you ask: “Will things work out between us?”
This question longs for absolute certainty. The reading, in your mind, becomes an jumble of words that will validate what you want to hear. You hear a “yes” somewhere in a reading that’s investigating your need for self-love, authenticity, personal power, and ownership and suddenly all of your worries are calmed. For now. But what about everything else that was said in your reading?
Every part of a tarot reading is for your highest good — the magic of the moment belongs to you. When we are intentional about the way we ask questions, and keep an open mind, we’re receptive to the messages as a whole.
“Will things work out between us?” may become:
“How can I best approach the friction in my relationship?”
“How can I better love myself and my partner?”
“How can I address my fear of _____?”
Open hearts and open minds make for the best messages.
“Now” — Stay Rooted in the Present Moment
Tarot isn’t going to predict a future that is already written in stone — it’s going to reflect the energy most useful for you right now. Your free will determines everything.
So instead of looking towards the future to fix the present, emphasize the present to determine your future. Your life is full of infinite potential, and it’s up to you to take the steps necessary to determine the outcome of your desires.
So instead of asking:
“Will I get a job by the end of the month?”
“What does the second half of the year have in store for me?”
Try asking:
“How can I best secure the career of my dreams?”
“How can I best manifest my desires?”
When you acknowledge the importance of the present, you create space for choice. Your power lives in the now, and the infinite timelines that exist are yours to determine with clarity, insight, and will.
Putting It All Together
The next time you’re considering a tarot card reading, try pausing and asking yourself: “Am I feeling open now?”
If not, take a breath. Recenter yourself. Reflect.
Let the question form from within your spirit, not just your mind.
I Feel Open Now isn’t just a framework, it’s an affirmation to live by.
A check-in. An internal compass that can help you ask meaningful, introspective questions—and in doing so, receive deeper, more meaningful answers that you’re prepared for.
About The Author
Patrick is a professional tarot reader, author, and educator offering online tarot readings and structured tarot education. His work approaches tarot as a mirror for self-reflection, and as lived experience. The wisdom of tarot is the wisdom of our lives.
Patrick helps students and clients develop a grounded, thoughtful relationship with the cards; one that strengthens intuition and self-trust.
Based in Brooklyn, he works with clients and students around the world, and considers this work his purpose.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I learn to read tarot myself? Absolutely. It's a skill like anything else: it just takes study, practice, and determination. Tarot Academy was built exactly for this.
Is tarot right for me? Tarot reading is the practice of interpreting symbols and archetypes to better understand life situations, emotional patterns, and decision points. It is less about prediction and more about intuitive clarity and perspective.
Is tarot about predicting the future? Not at all. Tarot highlights current energies, influences, and themes unfolding now — and helps you navigate them consciously. Your future is always shaped by your choices.
Do I need to be spiritual to get a tarot reading? No. All you need is an open mind and good intention. I'll handle the rest.
