how to determine timing with tarot cards

People often want to know WHEN will something happen. This is easy to determine with playing cards. There are 52 cards (minus Jokers) in a playing card deck so each card can reflect one week of the year. Therefore, you can determine timing down to the week of the event.

But how do you determine timing with a visual deck like tarot? With a visual deck, you need to rely on cues from the scene.

Also, I've discovered when it comes to timing, the reading often shows timing is in accordance to  personal development. Your timing card is often telling you -- THIS will happen when THIS occurs. For example, you'll meet your soulmate when you take a leap of faith (Fool).

Each card also has a natural sense of speed as well. The 8 of Wands is fast while The Hanged Man is slow. You can combine this speed symbolism with the number of the card to get your timing answer. Days = fast; Weeks = medium; Months = slow. I don't give timing for more than a year typically because so many variables can change within that timeframe.

Let's look at the images above. How would you interpret them as timing cards for the question: "When will my life change for the better?"

The Magician

• immediately (based on hand positions)
• in the spring (flowers blooming)
• 1 day (number + speed)

The Hanged Man

• when you turn your life around
• when you see things from a different perspective
• 12 weeks/3 months (number + speed)

5 of Wands

• when you're ready to fight for what you want
• 5 days (number + speed)

2 of Cups

• when you're ready to share
• when you find your soulmate
• 2 weeks

4 of Swords

• after a break
• after some time spent in meditation
• 4 months 

Wheel of Fortune

• 1 year (one revolution around the sun)
• when you go back to school (all of the animals are reading books)

5 of Pentacles

• when you're down to your last dime
• when you ask for help
• 5 weeks
• during winter (snow is on the ground)

The Fool

• right now (number is 0)
• when you take a leap of faith
• when you reach a higher state of consciousness (on a mountain) 
• when you get a pet (little dog by his side)

What else can you come up with?

how to use verification cards in a reading

Sometimes, you've done the reading and it doesn't make sense. Although you understand the meaning of each card, you can't apply the meanings to the question and outcome. One of the things that's missing in these scenarios is a lack of verification cards which can add a lot of clarity to your process.

The purpose of verification cards is to verify and clarify information that is brought out in the reading. Verification cards are chosen before shuffling. To choose verification cards, you must listen to the seeker’s concerns and then think of cards to represent those concerns. What I call verification cards is often called "charging" the card in some systems. However, I don't believe the verification card needs to be taken out of the deck at all. You simply need to consider it as a possible card that might appear in the reading. This is all part of setting your intention for the reading.

Let's say the seeker wants to know if she should continue dating Rick or begin a new relationship with Bob. With Rick she has an on-again, off-again relationship. He's not ready for a commitment and is always on the go. Bob seems more stable. He's a hard worker and ready to settle down. Verification cards will help us decide how to interpret the final card for the answer. There are several verification cards to consider here.

Continue dating = 2 of Cups, 4 of Wands

New relationship = Ace of Cups, Ace of Pentacles

New possibility with someone else = Knight of Cups - this card may signal a new romantic interest

Walking away but not starting anything new yet = 8 of Cups

Thinking things over a little while longer = 4 of Swords

Rick = Knight of Wands

Bob = King of Pentacles

As I stated, you don't have to pull these cards out of the deck to "charge" them. You can simply keep them in mind before you shuffle the cards. However, if you're still learning the cards, it's helpful to go through the deck, card by card, and pull out a few. Write them down and what they will verify along with the question. Then put them back into the deck. If a verification card shows up in a reading, you know exactly what it means.

Let's say these cards are chosen for the seeker's concern.

Tarot Everywhere deck

 
The only verification card in the reading is the 4 of Swords which relates to thinking things over a little while longer. Since it's in the first position of the 3-card spread, we know that she's asked this question because she's not ready to make a decision. The Knight of Pentacles reinforces this. This Knight looks back at the past and isn't quite ready to focus on the future. The character in the card looks toward the 4 of Swords.

The answer is the Moon. This is a card of mystery and suggests that she will remain in the dark or unsure of what to do about this for a while longer. As an answer to her SHOULD I question, it says that now is not the time to make a decision for either choice. There's not enough clarity about it.

The seeker isn't ready to give up her relationship with Rick in favor of Bob but the reading doesn't suggest she should continue dating Rick either. It may be wise to have a time-out to get her priorities and direction together.

If you find that no verification cards show up in a reading, then there may be concerns other than the ones the seeker spoke of. This is often the case when there are underlying issues the seeker  doesn’t mention but which have a stronger impact on the circumstances than the surface issues.

Purchase the Tarot Everywhere deck

HERE

exercises for decoding court cards

Court cards are notoriously difficult to interpret because there are just so many possibilities. They can be interpreted in many different ways which is why they can be tricky to understand when they appear in a reading. They may represent actual people, personalities, and roles. I've also seen them appear as places and as types of relationships. (I've discussed this in terms of face cards -- the courts of playing cards -- in this blog post.) One thing to understand about court cards is that one image cannot depict the multi-faceted aspects of them. Deck creators must simply choose one aspect to portray. However, as the reader, it's your job to remember that each card is a symbolic representation and look past the surface to get a fuller interpretation.

The above image shows the Pages from Tarot for Lost Souls, a personal tarot deck I made last year. There are several symbols encoded in these cards. First, the Page is a messenger so in the modern world they would communicate by phone which is why they all have phones. These courts are usually lacking maturity or experience so I made them children/teenagers. The fact that they're children can also be associated with child-like wonder and enthusiasm too. I tried to depict their personality or type of news they're conveying (or receiving) through facial expressions.

Of course, a court card cannot depict a person as a whole. However, you should be able to apply what you see and know about court cards to understand them when they appear in a reading. For instance, if you're trying to figure out if you and your blind date will get along and you pull the Page of Wands and Page of Cups (above), it's clear there will be fun times. He's got jokes -- she laughs at them. What if the Page of Wands and Page of Coins appeared instead? He's got jokes -- she doesn't get them.

If you're having trouble understanding the courts when they appear in readings, here are a few exercises to help expand your viewpoint. The first thing to understand when doing these exercises is that there's no correct answer. Your perspective comes from your personal experiences and that's always the perspective you must take when you do readings, not the perspective of a book or another person. It doesn't matter how anyone else sees the court card but you. Also, the court card needs to be examined on a deck-by-deck basis. You'll find that your opinions and insights will change based on the deck you use.


Medieval Roles
Imagine these court categories (King, Queen, Knight and Page) in today's society. Who would be in the role of King, Queen, Knight and Page? Consider these relationships: Mother-Child; Manager-Assistant; Lawyer-Client; Hair Stylist-Client; Husband-Father In Law; Friend-Friend; Student-Teacher; Coach-Athlete.


Careers
What types of careers are best suited for each court card? The Urban Tarot by Robin Scott has already figured this out for you and delivers the court cards as career choices. This is a Thoth-inspired deck. Therefore, Princesses are Pages, Princes are Knights and Knights are Kings. Would you make the same choices? Why or why not?

The Urban Tarot by Robin Scott (The Fool's Dog app)

The Urban Tarot by Robin Scott (The Fool's Dog app)

The Urban Tarot by Robin Scott (The Fool's Dog app)

The Urban Tarot by Robin Scott (The Fool's Dog app)

MBTI Personality Type
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a questionnaire designed to indicate psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. Use the MBTI personality type overview to assign a court card to each of the 16 types. First, determine which suit you would assign to each type group. The four type groups are: Analysts, Diplomats, Sentinels, and Explorers. Which suit (Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles) corresponds to which category? Then assign each court card to a specific type within the group. After you've assigned a court card to each of the 16 types, take the free MBTI test to find out your personality type and see which court card represents you.


Celebrities & Book Characters
Assign celebrities and characters from novels to the court cards. Consider the age, physical description, occupation, and personality. There are plenty of celebrities to choose from. But, if you're into books, here's a link to SparkNotes. Find a book and look at the character list.  Assign a court card to each character in the book. Here's one to get you started: SparkNotes - the character list for Catcher in the Rye.


Suit Emblem Replacement

The suit emblem is important in understanding the roles, personality and actions of the court cards. The emblem is the icon or symbol that defines the suit. For instance, traditional suit emblems are Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. Read The Role of Tarot Suit Emblems. Sometimes, it's difficult to see the emblem in a realistic fashion because the emblems are not used in our contemporary world. But what if the court character wasn't holding their suit emblem? What if they were holding a completely different object? How would that change your perspective of them?

This exercise requires a bit of imagination. Get out your court cards from one suit. Notice how the character is interacting with the suit emblem. Now, imagine that instead of the suit emblem that the character is holding a baby. Yes, that's right, an infant. How does that alter your perception? What kind of personality or qualities do you attribute to the court card now? For instance, imagine each Queen is holding a baby instead of her emblem.
 

Which Queen is looking at the baby?
Which Queen is not paying attention to the baby?
Which Queen looks like she's unsure of what to do with the baby?
Which Queen cradles the baby in her lap?
Which Queen appears most nurturing?
Which Queen would you want to babysit?

Now, let's change the emblem to a gun and look at the Knights.

Which Knight is looking for a reason to use the gun?
Which Knight seems apprehensive about using it?
Which Knight is armed and ready to shoot?
Which Knight is aggressive and possibly dangerous?
Which Knight should be in law enforcement?

Who Am I? Reading
This is a reading to help you see the different faces of the court cards and how they all represent different aspects of you. Perform a reading using the court cards only.

Focus on the question, “Who am I?” Shuffle the court cards only and select four of them, one for each of the following statements:

(a) This is the face I show to the world.
(b) This is the real me.
(c) This is the part of me I keep hidden (represents your shadow side or the things you don’t like about yourself or are afraid to express).
(d) This is who I’d like to become.

You can also use this spread for a more defined reading. For example: Who am I at work? or Who am I in this relationship? Interpret your reading by considering the court cards as different aspects of yourself. Consider how the cards reflect personality, roles and overall character.


Hopefully, this has given you some food for thought to help round out your concepts of the roles, actions, and personalities of court cards.

the role of tarot suit emblems

With all the new tarot decks on the scene, I'm seeing a lot of variations in suit emblems. The emblem is the icon or symbol that defines the suit. For instance, traditional suit emblems are Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. But in contemporary decks, you may find emblems like Bones, Knives, Water, and Coins.

The suit emblems are integral to the deck and determine how the pips are interpreted. For instance, a suit of Coins may be telling you about wealth and money while a suit of Stones may be showing degrees of groundedness. A suit of Cups reveals whether your cup is half full or half empty, while a suit of Water may give information about how well you can go with the flow. 

If you're in doubt about how the suit should be interpreted, look at how the emblem is used in the cards. For instance, I have never understood the Swords as a suit related to the mind or intellect. All we need to do is consider the function of a sword. It's for battle and warfare. How is it used?  For swift justice and sometimes with irreparable damage.

Let's take a look at the RWS deck to see how the emblems are used in the pip cards. 


Wands are used to build impermanent shelters; compete with others; celebrate a victory; ward off intruders; build a fortress; and limit sight.

The Classic 1910 Tarot

Cups are shared with others; raised in celebration; ignored; cried over; imagined; and left behind.

The Classic 1910 Tarot

Swords pierce a heart; separate people; are carried with you; restrict; and kill someone.

The Classic 1910 Tarot

 
Pentacles are juggled; used for decoration; held onto tightly; given to others; grow slowly; and manufactured.

The Classic 1910 Tarot

If you own a deck with unique suit emblems, know that there's a reason the deck creator chose those specific emblems and they add special nuances to interpretation. 

When in doubt about the emblem, ask what is its purpose and how is it used in the deck you're using. What is a Bone or what is a Knife, for example? What purpose does it serve? How is it used? What idioms and symbolic connections can you make to it? Then look at all the cards in that suit. What themes do you see? What kind of progression do you see through the numbers that tie into the suit?

what would this tarot card say?

Which tarot cards would you associate with these phrases? Here are some possibilities.

No thank you. 8 of cups

Yes please. Any Ace.

I'm heartbroken. 3 of swords 

I'll be okay. Temperance

I don't trust... 9 of wands

I don't care. 5 of swords

I'm stuck. 8 of swords

I'm just not that into you. 4 of cups

I'm totally into you. 2 of cups

It's over. 10 of swords

Everything is under control. Strength

Things are shaky. 2 of Pentacles

I give up. Hanged Man

I have no idea... or I can only imagine... 7 of Cups

Should I stay or go? 2 of wands

I'm tired of waiting. 7 of pentacles 

I'm outta here. 6 of swords. 

Look at it this way... Hermit.

This is a disaster! The Tower

Something strange is going on. The Moon

I'm going to find out the truth of the matter. Justice

To be fair... 6 of pentacles or Justice

I'm afraid to leave.  The Devil. 

We can use this information as shorthand to understand the dynamics of a reading. Here are a few examples using The Classic 1910 Tarot (The Fool's Dog app).

How does he feel about me?

I have no idea. I'm just not that into you. No thank you.

Should I stay at this job?

Should I stay or go? This is a disaster. I'm outta here.

What do I need to know about our relationship?

Something strange is going on. I don't trust.... I'm going to find out the truth of the matter.

What will my finances look like in 6 months? 

Things are shaky, but everything is under control. I'll be okay.

seven types of questions and how to answer them using tarot cards

It's the reader's job to answer the question in the way it was asked, however, I see many readings performed that are not answering the seeker's question. If you're not addressing the question, your reading will be inaccurate.

For example, if a yes/no question was asked, then a yes/no answer should be provided. If advice is requested, the reader should provide advice. One of the problems tarot readers encounter is how to answer certain types of questions. For instance, what if someone asks a WHEN question or a HOW question?

When you consider the TYPE of question asked, this will help you give the most appropriate response. Here are the seven most common types of questions and how to answer them using tarot cards.


(1) WILL

Will I pass my chemistry exam?
Will he come back to me?
Will I get the bonus check?

This is one of the most common types of questions. The seeker usually wants a simple yes/no predictive outcome. Typically, they are not looking for anything deeper nor are they asking how they can change their behavior to achieve the desired outcome. They just need a quick answer so they will know how to proceed. To answer this question with tarot cards, look at the final card of the 3-card spread and use the story method for interpretation.


(2) WHAT

What’s going on in my relationship with Steven?
What do I need to know about this job interview?
What can I expect on this date?

WHAT questions typically show a desire for more information. Similar to the WILL question, there is a desire to know where things will lead but, in this case, the seeker is more concerned about what's happening right now. They wish to gain more insight into an issue or a person's actions. To answer this question, look at the cards in the reading and explain the action occurring in the card.


(3) SHOULD I

Should I take this job?
Should I get back together with Steven?
Should I invest in company A or B?

These questions are asked when the seeker is confused and seeking direction. SHOULD I questions always present two or more options. Should I take this job presents the option of (a) taking the job or (b) not taking the job.

This is a yes/no question, however it's different from the WILL question because, in these cases, the seeker really wants to know if the path will be in their best interest. It's often best to select a card to represent option A and another card to represent option B to investigate the outcome for each option.

Tarot Everywhere

In the above reading about which business opportunity to accept, Option A (9 of Pentacles) shows a leadership position while Option B (10 of Wands) shows a heavy workload.


(4) WHY

Why won’t he call me?
Why do I have bad luck?
Why did he leave?

Seekers ask why to get to the root of a problem. They are already aware of the problem but they don't understand why it's happening to them. Essentially, the question is "What's wrong and why is this happening?" Seekers asking these questions are often in a miserable state and really need answers desperately. Insight into why something is happening can be found in the reading's numerical theme. It will point to the seeker's current vibration which may be at odds with what they want. Advice is always necessary even if the seeker doesn't ask for it. Use the reading to provide positive and action-oriented guidance or they will be stuck in negative and self defeating patterns.

Tarot Everywhere

These three cards show the seeker is feeling blocked, experiencing a lack of clarity, and is in a state of suspension. This reading has a numerical theme of 4 which usually appears when the seeker wants something to happen but it's not happening. They feel thwarted and stuck. The four energy is about maintaining the status quo, not change. You may feel like you're in stasis. The advice of the Hanged Man is to surrender to this feeling. Don't try to change anything. Release your need to control what's happening.



(5) HOW

How can I achieve greater success in my online business?
How can I improve my relationship?
How will we get through this crisis?

HOW questions are asked when the seeker wants to understand what actions will be beneficial in reaching a goal. The good news is that the seeker is in a proactive state ready to act upon your advice. They are ready to make the necessary changes to reach their goal. Interpret the card(s) as actions to provide the seeker with a step-by-step plan of action.


(6) WHEN

When will I meet my soulmate?
When will I hear back about the job?
When will my finances improve?

WHEN is a timing question and is asked out of frustration or impatience. When will something happen because it's not happening is usually at the root of these questions. There are many timing methods for reading tarot cards (how to determine timing with tarot cards). Choose one and set your intention to use it for the reading. Often the reading shows timing is in accordance to personal development. Your timing card is often telling you -- THIS will happen when THIS occurs. For example, you'll meet your soulmate when you take a leap of faith.

Tarot Everywhere

(7) WHERE

Where will I meet my soulmate?
Where did I lose my keys?
Where can I find more income?

WHERE is a location question. People ask these questions when they are searching for something and desire a specific response. There is a lot of location symbolism in tarot cards, particularly in the Trumps. For instance, Justice might represent a courthouse or The Hierophant may signify a church or university. The Chariot can show a place in or near cars or transportation. If you have a visual tarot deck, look at the image for clues to location. Is the scene indoors or outdoors? Describe the tarot card scene for guidance on finding lost objects or a good place to meet your soulmate.

Tarot Everywhere

Above are some cards showing specific places: the bathroom, an amusement park, a church, a garden, a bookstore or library, a subway or train.

Purchase the Tarot Everywhere deck

HERE

the numerology of tarot

The numbers of the tarot trumps and pips provide a wealth of information in a reading.

Numerology Basics

Before you can really interpret the cards, it's good to have a basic understanding of the energy of each number. The first thing to learn is that there are only 10 numbers, 0 - 9.

0 - potential, wholeness, infinite possibilities
1 - beginning, leadership, independence
2 - waiting, partnership, balance, choice
3 - expanding, creativity, growth
4 - contracting, foundation, stability, commitment
5 - changing, adventure, freedom
6 - reaching equilibrium, responsibility, reward, transition
7 - preparing, self-preservation, clarity, imagination
8 - advancing, movement, progress
9 - completing, attainment, anticipation


The Truth About The Tens
Many people believe the tens in the tarot pips are about completion. But 9 is the final number. There is nothing after 9. The number 10 is really 1 + 0 which equals beginnings + infinite possibilities. With this concept in mind, you may see these tens in a new light.

The Classic 1910 Tarot (The Fool's Dog app)

Numbers Reflect Shared Meanings
All of the cards with the same number have meanings that reflect, in some way, the essence of the number. A great exercise is to go through the trumps and find all the 1 cards. There are 3 trumps that reflect the number 1. The Magician, The Wheel of Fortune (10 = 1 + 0 = 1), and The Sun (19 = 1 + 9 = 10 = 1 + 0 = 1). Look at them side by side and try to determine how the number energy is reflected in each card. You might also notice some visual similarities between the cards. Do this for the rest of the numbers.

The Classic 1910 Tarot (The Fool's Dog app)

Another exercise is to take a trump card and match it with the pip cards that reflect the same number. Again, look at them side by side and try to determine how the number energy is reflected in each card. You might also notice some surprising visual similarities between the cards.

The Classic 1910 Tarot (The Fool's Dog app)

Numbers Reveal How Situations Develop
Numbers can be used to show the stages of a situation and how it will unfold. The numbers in a reading can show whether the seeker's situation is in its beginning, middle or ending stages. Low numbers such as Ace through 3 reveal a situation in its early stages while numbers 8 through 10 signal something is ending and a new cycle is about to begin. This holds true for the trumps as well. You've probably heard the trumps referred to as the fool's journey. Well, The Fool through The Chariot represent the beginning of the journey; Strength through Temperance is the middle stages of the journey; and The Devil through The World is the end of the journey.

You can also see HOW the situation is developing. Use the bold words from the Numerology Basics list above to see how a situation might evolve regarding the seeker's question.

The Classic 1910 Tarot (The Fool's Dog app)

For instance, in a reading with the 3 of Cups, 5 of Wands, and 4 of Swords, we can say that the situation is expanding (3) changing (5) and contracting (4). Whatever the reading is about, the seeker will go from experiencing an expansive state to a more structured and, perhaps, confining experience.


Repeating Numbers Identify Challenging Lessons
Just like recurring dreams, recurring numbers in a reading show there's an important message that's not getting across. When you don't get the message, it's repeated so you'll take notice.

When two pip cards of the same number appear, this gives you a snapshot of the key issues and challenges. The suit combination of the two cards shows the seeker's focus and concerns. The number reveals the secret question they have regarding this issue. (Also check the numerical theme for the REAL question).

1 = when can I get started?
2 = are we compatible?
3 = should I continue with this?
4 = why am I stuck?
5 = why can't we get along?
6 = is it worth it?
7 = what action/path should I take?
8 = what's my next step?
9 = how can I release the past and start over?

For instance, a woman asks, "Where is my relationship headed within the next 30 days?"

The Classic 1910 Tarot (The Fool's Dog app)

There is an 8 numerical theme which tells us her REAL question is "What's my next step?" There are two fives in the reading with a suit combination of Wands-Swords. This tells us she's most likely concerned about arguments, fights, and deceit because her secret question is "Why can't we get along?" You can see from this example how much information the numbers reveal before even interpreting the cards.

When three pip cards of the same number appear in a reading, the seeker is learning a lesson about how to integrate the energy of the number. They may be very puzzled about what action to take or how to proceed. The missing card suit reveals what is needed to help learn this lesson. Wands = a need for action and assertion; Cups = a need for compassion and connection; Pentacles = a need for structure and security; Swords = a need for elimination and acceptance.

When four pips of the same number appear in a reading with 10 cards or less, this is a rare occurrence. It shows the seeker has integrated lessons related to the number and completed a major cycle of experience.