How To Do Yes Or No Tarot Readings [Properly]
Please note: While I am going to show you different methods on how to do yes or no Tarot readings I do think you’re limiting yourself if you do this. The Tarot can give us so much more guidance than this if you allow it to and unlock things in your life far beyond a simple yes or no.
If we reduce the Tarot down to just answering yes or no questions we might as well just flip a coin.
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Let’s examine two common methods to illustrate the point.
Method 1: Reversal
The reversal method relies on the orientation of the card drawn to determine if it is a yes or no. A card is considered reversed when the image is upside down when revealed. To perform this reading, follow the following steps:
- Shuffle the deck with all cards upright while focusing on the question being asked.
- Cut the deck, and turn one half into the reversed position. Shuffle the cards together.
- Repeat step 2, cutting, reversing, and shuffling.
- Turn over the top card. If it is upright, the answer is yes. A reversed card means no.
This is a simple process, returning clear results. If the subject of the reading is there, you may want to allow them to pick which half is reversed after each cut, to further integrate their energy into the proceedings. Either way, once you have turned the card, you have your answer. Why this is the answer can be gleaned from the card that was turned.
For instance, assume that the High Priestess is turned in the reversed position. This is a clear no, but based on the meaning of the card, the reason could be that the subject should not act because they don’t yet know enough, an interpretation based on the card’s strong suggestion of secrets and information being deliberately hidden. This context does not diminish the straightforward answer, but provides guidance for how to proceed down a newly determined path.
Method 2: Single Draw
If you understand how to do yes or no tarot readings using the reversal method, the single draw method will feel familiar. You follow the same process as above, but you don’t reverse the cards when you cut. Keep them all upright throughout the process. Perform one final cut before you turn a card.
This method depends more on your connection with the cards, and your confidence in your ability to interpret what they are trying to tell you. Whether the answer is yes or no is determined entirely by the context. Some cards, based on their traditional meanings, are more likely to represent a yes or no, and you can find lists and charts detailing these associations. However, how the card is interpreted in relation to the specific question being asked is not limited to a static meaning.
A perfect example of this would be drawing the Sun Card in response to a question like “Should I get a divorce?” This card is generally associated with a yes response. However, one of its keywords is marriage, and in matters of love it portends positive developments and strengthening bonds. Your interpretation, aided by your spiritual insight, would not necessarily line up with what a chart might say in that circumstance.
Tarot may seem like the wrong place to go for a simple yes or no answer. Those being read are commonly told not to present their questions in a yes or no format, because this is limiting.
Tarot excels at providing nuanced insight into events, granting the lost a sense of direction, and revealing hidden truths. On the surface, a yes or no answer offers no outlet for this crucial information.
However, learning how to do yes or no tarot readings involves more than just dealing a spread, drawing a card, and providing a single word answer.
The subject of the reading may insist on this, and it is not impossible for the cards to render up an emphatic and direct response, but most often, arriving at a yes or a no will still require the same insight and individualized interpretation of a full reading.
