This has been a hot topic as I have started teaching courses about tarot and it’s a question I’m often asked on Instagram or by students.
I am a firm believer that there truly is a time for both. In most situations in daily life, I believe that no one is better at seeing the patterns and hangups in your daily life than you are. If you are looking for guidance in daily life or common everyday situations, I encourage you to do your own tarot readings. I also believe in doing year ahead tarot readings for yourself. Sometimes it can be fun to give yourself a treat of a reading for your birthday or at the new year, but if you have a strong tarot practice, I recommend trying these on your own.
Even if you do these readings on your own before getting one done professionally, I find that it can help you see what patterns you fall into and having your own baseline before going into a professional reading can enrich the experience.
The one caveat about that is that if you find that you are a person prone to self-doubt and will automatically distrust what you pulled if it’s different than what the reader pulls, I recommend not doing that as it can lead to confusion.
There are a few different scenarios where I recommend getting a reading from a professional.
You keep asking about the same situation and getting confusing results.
PUT DOWN THE TAROT CARDS!! You’re an addict! The first step is recognizing that you have a problem.
Okay that’s a bit dramatic…but in all seriousness. I get it. Desperate times don’t bring out the best in us. The problem with continually reading on the same topic is that it gets so confusing. One day you pull happy harmonious cards, the next you pull the Nine of Swords and the Five of Cups and you’re totally at a loss. You thought everything was fine but this is definitely a sign that things are going wrong. Then, the next day the cards are fine again leaving you completely at a loss for what’s really happening.
Or, maybe the opposite happens and you keep getting a very similar message about a situation but it’s not the message you want. So you keep reading on it, getting a similar message and getting more and more frustrated.
First, try asking the cards some questions of how you might be able to move things in the direction you want them to go. If that doesn’t work, take a week before reading on the same topic again.
If you still don’t feel satisfied, then it’s time to get a reading from a trusted advisor.
You’re really emotional about the situation or have strong buy-in on how it turns out.
This is a tough one. Often when we are reading on personal relationships or big career changes that we have a deep emotional connection to, we can struggle to get a clear reading. Part of this is because when we have a lot of heavy emotions we tend to see what we fear most in the cards. It can be hard to get past that fear and see the actual message that is waiting there for us.
If you are finding that you are sitting down and feeling intense fear as you draw cards on a certain situation, take a breath and try grounding and then doing the reading. If that doesn’t work maybe come back at a different time of day, or a different day all together.
If you still can’t get clarity and sitting down to read about your relationship or your career prospect or your financial situation brings up feelings of dread and intense anxiety, it might be time to seek out a professional reading. You can even search out someone who specializes in the type of reading that you’re looking for.
You’re feeling overwhelmed or lacking clarity in your own life and can’t seem to settle in to give yourself a reading.
If you’ve felt this, you know what I mean. You sit down to read. You have the time. You have the focus and the energy, but for some reason you’re just drawing cards and not seeing anything. You keep going but you don’t really connect with the cards and you’re feeling more confused than when you started. (Needing to switch decks for a bit could also be a culprit here. You can read about that in this past blog).
But, if you’ve tried everything and just still aren’t feeling connected, it might be time to seek out a pro to give you a bit of an intuitive jumpstart. Sometimes doing our own readings can show us our blind spots, but occasionally we just can’t see clearly.
Don’t suffer it alone. Reach out. Find a reader you trust and get some clarity.
You’re feeling the call.
This one is a little vague I know. A good example is from a few months back. I didn’t even have a specific situation that I was concerned about or anything I wanted a reading on in particular. However, my intuition was in my ear with an almost constant reminder that I needed a reading.
I found it very confusing but then I was scrolling through my email and saw that another reader I know was offering a new and very special type of reading where she combined tarot and astrology. I signed up and let me tell you, it was powerful and just what I needed. As I was listening to the reading (it was recorded) I was astonished how spot-on it was and how much it reminded me of some of the cycles and blocks I was still working through and brought up some of the things I found hard to articulate.
Always, always, always trust your intuition. There is a reason you are getting those messages and it’s usually your subconscious trying to take better care of yourself. I was happy for the clarity and the break for my own intuitive channel.
I also encourage you to check out my past blog on choosing the right healer or reader for you. There are so many options out there but this article tells you how to choose the right one for you and ensure that you know what you are investing in.
When you would like a reading from me, you can read about my different offerings here or you can book here.
© Sheila Masterson 2020 All Rights Reserved