Learn · Tarot as advice
Tarot Cards as Advice
Every card read for one question: what should I do? Each page gives the advice upright and reversed, then applies it to love, to work, to a decision in front of you, and to whether to reach out to someone.
All 78 cards as advice
Each card's upright advice in a few words. Open a card for the reversed side, small things to try, and what the card does not advise.
The Major Arcana
- The FoolBegin before you feel ready
- The MagicianUse what is already on the table
- The High PriestessWait, and listen to what you know
- The EmpressTend it and give it time to grow
- The EmperorSet the terms and hold to them
- The HierophantAsk someone who has done this before
- The LoversChoose with your whole heart
- The ChariotPick a direction and keep going
- StrengthStay gentle and do not back down
- The HermitStep back and think it through alone
- Wheel of FortuneMove while the timing is with you
- JusticeBe fair, be honest, own your part
- The Hanged ManPause and look at it another way
- DeathLet it end, then clear the space
- TemperanceGo slowly and find the right mix
- The DevilName what has a hold on you
- The TowerLet the shaky thing fall
- The StarRest, refill, and keep the hope
- The MoonWait for daylight before you decide
- The SunSay it plainly and enjoy the day
- JudgementAnswer the call you keep hearing
- The WorldFinish it fully, then mark the end
Wands
- Ace of WandsStart now, while the spark is live
- Two of WandsPlan the bigger move from here
- Three of WandsHold steady while your ships are out
- Four of WandsMark the milestone with your people
- Five of WandsState your case and expect pushback
- Six of WandsLet the win be seen
- Seven of WandsHold your ground on what matters
- Eight of WandsSend it while things are moving
- Nine of WandsHold the line a little longer
- Ten of WandsSet some of it down
- Page of WandsTry it as a beginner, out loud
- Knight of WandsGo after it, with a direction
- Queen of WandsShow up as yourself, fully
- King of WandsDecide, and take the lead on it
Cups
- Ace of CupsSay what you feel, plainly
- Two of CupsMeet them halfway, as an equal
- Three of CupsCall your people together
- Four of CupsLook up at what is being offered
- Five of CupsMourn it, then turn around
- Six of CupsOffer something small and kind
- Seven of CupsSort the real from the wished-for
- Eight of CupsAdmit it is no longer enough
- Nine of CupsSay plainly what you want
- Ten of CupsPut your people first
- Page of CupsStay curious and say the kind thing
- Knight of CupsMake the offer, and mean it
- Queen of CupsListen first, then answer gently
- King of CupsFeel it all, answer calmly
Swords
- Ace of SwordsSay the true thing plainly
- Two of SwordsTake off the blindfold first
- Three of SwordsLet it hurt, and say so
- Four of SwordsStop, rest, and decide later
- Five of SwordsDrop the fight you can only win ugly
- Six of SwordsHead for calmer water, quietly
- Seven of SwordsKeep your plans close for now
- Eight of SwordsTest the ropes before you call it a cage
- Nine of SwordsTell someone what keeps you awake
- Ten of SwordsCall it finished and stop fighting
- Page of SwordsAsk the question and listen closely
- Knight of SwordsSay it straight and move today
- Queen of SwordsState your boundary without apology
- King of SwordsDecide on the evidence, then hold firm
Pentacles
- Ace of PentaclesTake the real offer and start small
- Two of PentaclesKeep both moving, lightly
- Three of PentaclesShow the work and ask for input
- Four of PentaclesHold on to what you have, for now
- Five of PentaclesAsk for the help that is near
- Six of PentaclesGive fairly, and let yourself receive
- Seven of PentaclesTake stock and keep tending
- Eight of PentaclesDo the next piece of work well
- Nine of PentaclesEnjoy what you built, on your own terms
- Ten of PentaclesChoose what still holds in ten years
- Page of PentaclesStudy it, then take one small step
- Knight of PentaclesKeep a steady pace and your word
- Queen of PentaclesTend to what is in your care
- King of PentaclesTake charge and build it to last
How do I read a tarot card as advice?
Read the card as a suggestion about your own next move, not as a forecast. Look at what the figure on the card is doing, or refusing to do, and ask what the smallest version of that would be in your situation this week. Upright, the advice is usually direct. Reversed, it tends to be the same advice with a caution attached: slow down, do less of it, or deal first with what is in the way.
What is the advice position in a tarot spread?
Many spreads keep one position for advice, often labelled Advice, Action or What to do. A card that lands there is read differently from an outcome card: it describes an approach to try, not a result. The situation, action, outcome spread has that position in the middle, and every page here reads its card as if it had landed there.
What does a reversed card mean as advice?
Rarely the opposite. A reversed card usually gives the same counsel under strain: something to stop overdoing, a step you keep postponing, or work to do inwardly before acting outwardly. Each card page reads both sides, so you can see where they part.
Can a tarot card tell me whether to contact someone?
It cannot tell you how they would answer; no card has access to another person's mind. It can help you decide on your own side: whether you have something true to say, whether one message is enough, and whether waiting is patience or avoidance. Each card page has a section on reaching out, with the condition that goes with the card's lean.
Which tarot cards advise waiting, and which advise acting?
Broadly, the Hanged Man, the Four of Swords, the Seven of Pentacles and Temperance counsel patience, while the Ace of Wands, the Eight of Wands, the Chariot and the Knight of Swords favor a move. Most cards sit between the two and describe how to act or how to wait, which is why one card can read differently in love and at work.
Should I follow a tarot card's advice?
Treat it as a second opinion. If the advice names something you already suspected, that is worth noticing. If it surprises you, ask what it would cost to try the smallest version of it. A card is no substitute for the facts, or for a doctor, a lawyer or a financial adviser when the question calls for one.