A tarot deck is like a partner. When you first meet, you may have an inkling that there is a connection, but until you learn a little bit about each other, maybe go on a date or two, you do not really know how this person is going to fit into your life. In the end, you may go on a few dates and realise that you would be better off as friends, or they may become a life partner. You would not (at least in my culture) expect to marry someone you just met. Working with different Tarot decks can be seen in the same light. In order to work with your deck, you must first get to know your cards. This can be done a few ways. One way is simply by working with the cards and getting a feel for them. Another way that you can learn about your latest Tarot Deck is to perform an interview.
What Is A Tarot Deck Interview?
A tarot deck interview is a little bit like a job interview, or a first date. In a Tarot interview you ask questions of your deck in order to learn its strengths and weaknesses and how you are best suited to each other.
Preparing for the Interview
- Create a Sacred Space: Find a quiet, comfortable place where you won't be disturbed. Cleanse the space with sage, palo santo, or any other preferred method.
- Center Yourself: Take a few deep breaths, meditate for a few minutes, or perform a grounding exercise to center your energy.
- Cleanse Your Deck: If it’s a new deck, cleanse it to remove any lingering energies. If you are unsure of how to cleanse your deck, visit our post here.
Conducting the Interview
- Shuffle with Intention: While shuffling, focus on your intention to connect with and understand your deck. You might want to say a small invocation or just mentally express your desire for clear communication.
- Draw the Cards: Lay out the cards in the order of your chosen spread- see Tarot Deck Interview Spread below. Take your time to absorb each card’s imagery, symbolism, and how it makes you feel.
- Interpret the Answers: Use your intuition and knowledge of tarot meanings (or your latest guidebook) to interpret each card’s message. Write down your impressions in a tarot journal for future reference.
Tarot Deck Interview Spread
- Introduction- Choose a card that introduces the deck
- Strengths- What are the strengths of this deck?
- Limitations- What are the limitations of this deck?
- Benefits- What are the benefits of working with this deck?
- Outcome- What will be the outcome of working with this deck. Are we a good match?
When you perform a deck interview, you go through the same processes as you would to perform a standard tarot spread, except in this case you are asking the cards to communicate information about themselves,and how you are best suited to working with them.
Can you Perform A Tarot Deck Interview For An Oracle Deck?
Yep! It is exactly the same and the same premise. Simply use your oracle cards in place of Tarot cards.
What If The Interview Is Not Giving Clear Answers?
Tarot deck interviews can feel a bit strange- after all you are working with cards from a deck that you do not know- a bit like a first date! If you are not getting clear answers, you may wish to pull extra cards- clarifying cards- in order to probe a little deeper. Remember, a deck interview is a way of communicating with your cards and vice versa, so it really doesn't matter how many cards you pull. You can have entire conversations with the cards if you like. The main point of the interview is to gauge how the cards respond and how you are best suited to work together- the more you use them, the more you will learn their strengths and weaknesses.
Let us know if you interview your Tarot decks before working with them? Or do you simply play around with a new deck until you get a feel for it? We'd love to know.
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