I was chatting with a friend recently about how tarot readings can sometimes feel easier — or even harder — when you’re reading for someone you know.
Reading for friends and family brings its own challenges. You have to be careful not to let your personal opinions shape the message, but it can also help you choose a deck or tone that suits their energy and personality.
Still, the heart of a tarot reading has very little to do with how well you know someone. What truly matters is asking the right questions.
How Collective wisdom shapes my approach to Tarot
The insights we gather from teachers, authors, community resources and discussions, continue to shape our practice. Over the past 3 years, I’ve learned from a mix of tarot mentors, tarot books, the history of tarot, and online forums. I’m grateful for the guidance and perspectives other tarot readers and experts shared, all of which have helped me understand the value of tarot in coaching, and the importance of getting to the core of the question.
Thoughtful, open-ended questions invite reflection rather than prediction. They allow the tarot to offer guidance and perspective instead of simple yes/no answers. Below are some sample questions that have worked beautifully in readings — and a few that tend to be less helpful.
Good Tarot Questions
Career & Business
- How can I better communicate my ideas at work?
- What opportunities are coming that I might not see yet?
Personal Development
- What inner strengths can I rely on right now?
- How can I better support my emotional well-being?
Family & Relationships
- What can I do to create more harmony in my family life?
These questions open doors. They help you understand the energy around a situation, explore new angles, and notice anything you might be overlooking.
Not-So-Good Tarot Questions
- Will I get this job?
- When will I meet my soulmate?
- What is (someone) thinking about me?
- Will I become rich soon?
- Will my ex partner return to me?
These kinds of questions focus on prediction or on things outside your control. They tend to limit the reading rather than expand it, which makes it harder to gain real insight.
A Final Thought
The tarot can show you the path you’re currently on, but it can’t make decisions for you — and it can’t override your free will. Your choices shape your direction, and you can always adjust your path if something no longer aligns with your goals.
Asking open, empowering questions doesn’t just create a better tarot reading — it helps you connect more deeply with your own clarity, intuition, and personal truth.
