5 Top Tips To Get The Most Out Of Online Tarot Readings

Receiving a tarot reading in person can be a life-altering experience. Part of that is due to the ability to make a connection with the reader, and have a one-on-one conversation with someone who is used to interpreting and guiding people towards understanding the cards. That doesn’t mean that online readings can’t be just as effective and meaningful – but instead of the tarot reader being able to guide you towards your personal context, there’s a bit more legwork involved on your part. 

Here on collective.world you can find some of the best and most passionate tarot writers, but without the dedicated attention that can happen in a personal reading, it can be hard to get the most out of readings. Remember that tarot reveals what we need to know about ourselves, not what we want to know about the future. The most accurate readings from a divination perspective happen when everything flows out from the revelatory aspects. The more you’re able to build a relationship with the cards over time, the more you’ll get from online readings.

Here are some tips!

1: Get to know which cards strike a chord with you.

There are a lot of traditionally scary cards in the tarot deck – immediately springing to mind are cards like the Nine of Swords or the Tower. But there are others that can be more personalized in their impact. As far as scary cards go, I find the Five of Pentacles to be particularly harrowing for a variety of reasons. Some, due to trauma from their upbringing, may find a lot of discomfort with the Hierophant. The Empress and the Emperor ask a lot of us if we carry parental-based traumas. 

Some people have a giddy feeling at the Six of Cups – the idea of nostalgia or returning to their childhood is idyllic and happy, while others may see it as a return to misery or being disregarded. Many may find the hopefulness of The Star invigorating and inspiring, while others who are experiencing a Dark Night of the Soul or other psychologically trying times may not find it as comfortable. Knowing how you react to certain cards and what they mean to you helps to enhance online tarot readings. Remember – it’s not just what the tarot reader is telling you, but also what you are bringing to the table! 

2: Spend time with the tarot’s symbols. 

This is a bit more advanced, as it asks you to seek out tarot imagery on your own time. Wikipedia has the Smith-Waite-Rider deck imagery online, but there are other decks whose imagery are available as well! Spend a few minutes looking over the cards, and see which cards bring reactions. Do some make you feel angry? Scared? Warm? Welcome? Peaceful? Note which ones they are, and be sure to notice if they come up during a reading!  

3: Take special note of tarot’s numerology.

Tarot cards, except for the Courts, are associated with numbers. The Major Arcana, in particular, uses numbers to help represent aspects of The Fool’s Journey into The World. Take note of any card that corresponds to your birthdate’s numerology / your life path number. When that card occurs in readings, take it as a sign that something is specifically being communicated to you. Each year, take note of what the numerology is for your year, and see how it stacks against your online readings! 

4: Use the Zodiac as a Guide.

Many readings, including tarotscopes, use the intersection of zodiac and tarot. But tarotscopes aren’t just for your Sun Sign! In a lot of cases, my Rising Sign has more of an impact / correlation with online guides – you may find that it could be your Moon Sign or another planet that makes the largest difference in your chart. Instead of going right to your sun sign – check out one of the Big Three or others! 

The Tarot has other natural correspondences to the Zodiac as well. In addition many of the Major Arcana cards having a one-to-one relationship with zodiac signs, the numbered cards of the minor arcana correspond to the decans in zodiac. Once you’ve identified the cards that are related to your natal chart, it will change your experience of online tarot readings for the better! 

5: “If you see it, it is for you.”

There are times when people will put together a reading that is general, along with some helpful search terms – hoping that people in need will find it. It could be a tarot reading that was published to YouTube ten years ago, or one published on Collective.World yesterday – but if a tarot reading crosses your path and attracts you, it’s trying to tell you something.