Many people wonder if tarot is a way to tap into eternal wisdom, guardian angels, gods, or benevolent beings who can literally tell us what to do when nothing else seems to work.

You might also wonder: Can I learn to read tarot for myself? Can I get the answers I’m looking for and can it really be this easy?

Why do tarot predictions often come true (even when they don’t make sense at the time of the reading)?

And most of all: How do tarot readings actually work? Why do they seem so eerily accurate? And who or what is really answering the questions behind the scenes?

Whether you’re a believer, a seeker, or just tarot-curious, let’s answer all those questions.

Table of Contents: Scroll to Find the Topics You’re Most Interested In

What Is Tarot Card Reading?
How and When Did Tarot Become Popular in the United States?
Are Tarot Readings Accurate?
How Do Tarot Cards Work?
Where Do Tarot Answers Come From?
Do You Have to “Believe” for Tarot to Work for You?
When Is the Best Time to Get a Tarot Reading?
How Can You Tell If a Tarot Reader Is the Real Thing?
What’s It Like to Get a Tarot Reading?
How to Become a Good Tarot Reader
Final Thoughts on Why Tarot Works

What Is Tarot Card Reading?

Tarot is a system of symbolic images designed to tap into inner knowing and deeper layers of emotional, spiritual, and unconscious insight.

A traditional tarot deck contains 78 cards, divided into the Major Arcana (22 cards) and the Minor Arcana (56 cards).

Each card holds a unique energy, image, archetype, and message.

But, in combination with each other in a reading, the meanings and messages tell thousands of different stories — none of them exactly the same.

Tarot is not just a card game or fortune-telling tool. It’s a map to your soul — and one of the oldest forms of intuitive divination still widely used today.

How Long Has Tarot Been Used for Divination?

Tarot didn’t start as a divination tool. It actually began in the mid-1400s in Italy as a card game called tarocchi.

At the time, these cards were just like playing cards today. No mysticism yet.

It wasn’t until the late 1700s in France that tarot began to be associated with the occult and esoteric knowledge.

A French mystic named Jean-Baptiste Alliette (aka Etteilla) was the first to publish a tarot deck designed specifically for divination in 1789.
He claimed mystical, ancient origins tied to Egypt, astrology, and alchemy.
From there, groups like the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in the late 19th century (including figures like Aleister Crowley and Arthur Edward Waite) further developed tarot as a tool for spiritual insight, symbolism, and magic.

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I’ve been reading tarot since I was a teenager, and professionally for 20 years.

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Ok, back to the blog now.

How and When Did Tarot Become Popular in the United States?

Tarot made its way to the US via European occultists and spiritualists in the early 20th century, but it stayed mostly underground — used by esoteric groups like the Theosophical Society.

The real explosion happened during the New Age movement of the 1960s and ‘70s, when interest in alternative spirituality and mysticism were the countercultural rage in the US.

Tarot became popular alongside astrology, meditation, crystals, and Eastern philosophies.
Decks like the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot (first published in 1909 and mass-produced in later decades) became the standard, especially in the English-speaking world.
Tarot readings became a feature at metaphysical shops, hippie gatherings, and esoteric bookstores.

In the past decade, tarot has seen a huge resurgence — especially among millennials, Gen Z, and people looking for something more intuitive and less institutional than traditional religion.

Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube made tarot visual, accessible, and cool again.
Indie deck creators flourished on Kickstarter and Etsy.
Tarot became a tool for self-reflection, journaling, therapy, and shadow work, not just fortune-telling.

Why Do Tarot Readings Feel So Accurate?

There are a few key reasons tarot readings often feel shockingly on point, even to people who are initially skeptical:

1. The Symbolism Speaks to Your Subconscious

Tarot works on the level of symbols, and the subconscious mind loves symbols. When a card like The Tower or The Lovers appears, it doesn’t just show an image — it triggers deep internal feelings.

These archetypes (love, destruction, choice, rebirth, etc.) live in all of us. The cards reflect what’s already in your awareness, even if you’re not fully conscious of it yet.

In a way, the accuracy comes from your own inner knowing — the tarot simply brings it to light.

2. The Channel of Truth

Good tarot readers are highly intuitive — and intuition can be a direct line to truth. It’s not always about predicting exact events, but tapping into the energetic patterns of a situation.

Readers use their intuition to interpret the cards in a way that connects with the client’s experience and energy field.

3. Energy Matching

When a reader shuffles a deck while focusing on your question, the deck becomes an energetic match for your state of being and what you need to know.

That’s why even random-seeming pulls can feel deeply relevant — the randomness is guided by resonance, not chaos.

4. Synchronicity

Carl Jung called “synchronicity” the meaningful coincidences that appear when the universe is trying to speak. Tarot readings are often filled with these moments.

The right card, at the right time, with the right message — this kind of synchronicity can’t always be explained by logic, but it’s undeniably real to those who experience it.

Are Tarot Readings Real?
How Do Tarot Readings Work?

When people ask, “Are tarot readings real?” they usually mean, “Do they really work, or are they a scam?”

Here’s what I can tell you, having read tarot for decades, and as a professional tarot reader for 20 years.

There’s a process that a tarot reading takes you through, and your sincerity, your ability to focus your mind on your question, and the ability of your tarot reader are the key variables. Let’s take a look:

1. The Question

Everything begins with a question. It could be simple (“Will I get the job?”) or complex (“What lesson am I meant to learn from this heartbreak?”).

The question sets the intention — it’s dialing into a frequency. If you have a gifted tarot reader, they will help you form questions that open a channel so the tarot can answer you.

If your reader is less skilled and questions are not framed in a way that the tarot can understand and clearly respond to, you may come away thinking that it really is all a scam, and you’re receiving general, vague, random responses.

2. The Reader’s Role

The tarot reader is more than someone who knows card meanings. They act as a conduit or translator, interpreting the symbolic messages of the cards in the context of your energy and question.

Many readers also feel they “tune in” to your energy field, spirit guides, or higher self.

3. The Cards Tell a Story

To a skilled, highly intuitive reader, the cards speak together to tell a story. (That’s why, if you’ve ever tried to learn tarot from meanings in a book, you’ve probably become discouraged over time.)

Book meanings are only a first step – like learning the alphabet – but they don’t give you the keys to becoming an amazing reader.

Want to know more about this? Here’s my free Tarot for Beginners guide with the most important beginning steps I teach to my private tarot students.

4. Intuitive Interpretation

This is where the real magic happens. The same card can mean something entirely different in two separate readings.

It’s all about the question and the context (how a card appears among the other cards in the reading).

When I read for clients, images jump out of the cards and actually speak to me. I hear, “Say this to them now” and the cards speak.

5. Energetic Alignment

Many readers believe that the person receiving the reading plays an active role in the result — consciously or not.

Your mental and emotional focus on your question as your reader pulls the cards is often the difference between an accurate and clear interpretation and one that’s all over the place.

You’re such an important part of the process.

If you come to the reading with a blasé, bored, or in-your-face skeptical attitude, you’re throwing up a wall to tarot, daring it to give you the answers you’re looking for.

Be friendly. Be communicative. Give the tarot a way to connect to you. Just like you would with a human whose help you need.

Are Tarot Cards Supernatural? Where Do Tarot Answers Come From?

So here’s the big question: Who or what is answering us through the cards?

You can ask for a certain person to come through in your reading, ask for your spirit guides to come through, ask for a deity to speak . . . .

Or, you can just think of it as messages from your higher self.

I work with all of these in my readings.

1. Spirit Guides and Ancestors

Many tarot readers believe they are working with spirit guides, guardian angels, or even departed loved ones who step in to offer insight and protection.

Some readers even begin a session by invoking these guides and asking for clear and direct messages. Or they intend that only elevated spirits with insight into the question or situation are able to speak through the cards.

2. The Higher Self

Another perspective is that the answers come from your higher self — the wise, expanded version of you that sees the big picture. In this way, tarot helps you align with your own inner guidance rather than receiving messages from beings outside yourself.

3. Collective Unconscious

Jungian psychology believes that tarot is a tool that taps into a shared energetic field or “collective unconscious.” That’s why the archetypes in tarot resonate across cultures and timelines — they reflect core truths woven into human experience.

4. Universal Energy or Source

Some see tarot as a tool for tapping into Source energy — the divine intelligence that flows through all things. Tarot is the medium, Source is the message. As above, so below.

5. Your Own Intuition

And sometimes, the source of tarot’s wisdom is simply… you. Your inner knowing. Your intuition. The cards are just helping you hear what you already know deep down.

You may not want to hear the message, but there it is. (We’ve all had the experience when, no matter how many times you ask a question, the same tarot card comes up.)

Do You Have to Believe in Spirits or Energy for Tarot to Work?

No – you don’t have to believe anything for tarot to work. But, I feel it’s essential to be sincere, calm your mind, and focus on your questions or on what you want to know.

It’s not about being spiritual. It’s about having an open mind and a real desire to tap into the wisdom of the universe.

Tarot doesn’t require blind faith. It works through intention, openness, and reflection. Whether you believe it’s a message from your guides or just a mirror of your subconscious, the result can still be life-changing.

What Not to Do:

Don’t try to test your reader by giving them incorrect information to see if they can guess the truth.

Don’t sit in near silence and wait for your tarot professional to read your mind, or to miraculously divine your issue or question. (Even though we can often do this, we don’t know if you’re willing to hear this information or whether it will cause you emotional harm. My goal is always to help and never to harm.)
Don’t come in with an unprepared “just read me” attitude. There must be some things you’d like to know about your life. Take this opportunity to ask those questions.

When Is the Best Time to Get a Tarot Reading?

Tarot isn’t just about getting answers — it’s about receiving the right answers at the right time.

Here are moments when tarot is especially powerful, but anytime is a good time to get a reading.

You May Want to Get a Tarot Reading When:

You need to make a decision or transition, and the choices are unclear.
Your judgment is clouded by emotion and you need some help to sort things out.
There’s a dream you want to pursue (or are pursuing, with difficulty) and you want the path to be easier.
You’d like to know if you’re on the right track or doing the right thing. (Or, if you’re on the wrong path.)
You’re ready to face and explore inner blocks or repeated patterns so you can get what you want from life.
You don’t have someone you trust and you want a wise and caring guide.
Counseling or therapy doesn’t help, and you need a different way to make sense of things.
You know you’re stuck in or obsessed by a situation and you want to get next steps or know how to heal it.
You’re just curious to see what tarot has to say about where you’re at in life right now.
You want to ask about people in your life: Are you with the right partner? Do your friends really have your back? Are there people you should set boundaries with or limit your interactions with?

If you’re having a tarot reading with me, you’ll also receive the exact next steps for the best possible outcome for any of the questions you ask.

How to Tell If a Tarot Reader Is Legit

It’s all about the information you need in order to know if a reader is the right one for you.

Since so many clients are shopping for their very first tarot reading, I feel they need some solid details!

Exactly what you’ll get, the format of the reading appointment and how it will go, how to prepare for the reading, and how the reader will be connecting with you (Zoom, Instagram messenger video, phone call, email, or . . .?). And, of course, the price, clearly and up front.

So, here are my top green flags and red flags when you’re choosing a tarot reader.

Green Flags:

They explain their style and what to expect from the reading.
They’re transparent about the entire process: pricing, what they can and can’t help you with, and how to prepare for the reading so you get the best and most accurate results.
They resonate with your energy or values — you feel safe and secure.
They have reviews that feel authentic, not generic.
During the reading itself, they not only answer your questions through the tarot — they also give you the next steps to get the best outcome for your situation.
They care about you.

Red Flags:

They pressure you, instill fear, or ask for more money to remove curses or “bad energy.” (People who do this aren’t tarot readers, they’re crooks.)
Their social media presence seems like their life is a mess, and they look seedy or shady.
They’re not the kind of person you’d like to have as a neighbor or as a friend.
They seem desperate and their reading price is way too low. Rock-bottom prices are almost a guarantee of having a disappointing reading (cookie-cutter messages that don’t resonate at all, a reader who stalls and takes forever to interpret your cards . . . or even starts looking up card meanings in a book).

Your intuition is your best guide when choosing a reader. If someone’s page or energy gives you a strange feeling, listen to that. If someone feels warm, clear, and real — trust that too.

Try a Tarot Reading and See for Yourself

For first-time tarot clients, I have a special offer at this link with a 50% discount on a 30-minute tarot reading with me, live online.

Want to browse all of the readings and magic coachings I offer? You can find it all here.

You’ll find client reviews halfway down this page, as well as even more reviews here.

Don’t want to make a commitment to a live, online tarot reading?

Dip your toe in the water with a one-question email reading. Find out all about it here.

Pssst: Just $15.

What Kind of People Make the Best Tarot Readers?

You might be wondering, do you have qualities that might make you an excellent tarot reader?

What kinds of skills do great tarot readers cultivate within themselves?

Here’s my opinion on the top 7 traits to have.

1. Intuitive

People who trust their gut feelings, pick up on subtle energies, or just “know” things tend to thrive as tarot readers.

They can understand someone’s mood without words, and have an inner, prophetic knowing.

Why it helps: Tarot is symbolic — intuition helps you interpret the deeper, layered meanings of the cards beyond just textbook definitions.

2. Empathetic

Emotionally sensitive people who can feel what others are feeling are able to connect deeply with clients and offer compassionate, resonant readings.

Why it helps: A good tarot reading isn’t just about accuracy — it’s about emotional intelligence, too. Empaths often know when to deliver messages gently and insightfully, as well as when a client needs a little tough love.

3. Spiritual

People who are already on a spiritual path or receive messages from the spirit world often find tarot a natural second language.

Why it helps: Spiritual seekers aren’t just interpreting cards, they’re translating messages from spirit guided by the tarot. It’s a life-long system of learning.

4. Creative Thinker

Artists, writers, musicians, and other creatives are often drawn to tarot because of its visual symbolism and storytelling aspect.

Each card is like a scene in a movie or an archtypal myth.

Why it helps: Creativity helps readers weave together card meanings into a coherent, intuitive narrative — the story of where the client is, right now, in their life journey.

5. Natural Teacher

Great tarot readers are often coaches, counselors, teachers, or the friend everyone comes to for advice.

Why it helps: Tarot becomes transformational in the hands of someone gifted who can explain the messages in language a client can deeply understand.

Sometimes, it’s important to explain what the cards are saying in several different ways so the client is clear about what it means in their life and how they can use that information.

6. Pattern Spotter

A tarot reading is often like a complex puzzle. The messages are hidden in the connections among cards you have on the table.

Certain people are naturals at connecting the dots that most people can’t see.

Why it helps: Tarot is about interpreting the way different cards in the spread relate to each other. It’s not just reading individual card meanings.

A great reader looks at the cards on the table and they spring to life, interacting with each other.

7. Fast & Accurate Communicator

You only have a moment or two to get a deep and nuanced message from the cards before you accurately interpret them for your client.

A great reader needs to be able to think on their feet and instantaneously translate thoughts into words.

Why it helps: Tarot clients come to a tarot reader for answers and solutions. They need to see confidence and mastery in their reader. They need to know that you’re qualified to help them.

Even if you eventually come up with some amazing insights, if the insights are preceded by a lot of pauses and “hmmmms” and “ummmms,” the client loses confidence and trust.

Final Thoughts: Why Tarot Works

Tarot works because it opens a dialogue between the conscious and the unconscious, between the earthly and the spiritual.

Whether you believe the cards are guided by spirit, synchronicity, or psychology, they offer:

Clarity when life feels sad or scary
Confirmation when you’re doubting yourself and advice if you’re on the wrong track
Comfort when you’re feeling lost
Insight that your rational mind might miss
Concrete steps on what to do next to make things better

Tarot doesn’t claim to have all the answers — but it knows how to ask the right questions.

Sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.

Want to grab one of those special tarot offers I mentioned earlier? Here’s a recap:

For first-time tarot clients, I have a special offer at this link with a 50% discount on a 30-minute tarot reading with me, live online.
Dip your toe in the water with a one-question email reading. Find out all about it here. Pssst: Just $15.

What Is Tarot Card Reading and Why Do Tarot Cards Work?