When You Should Not Read Tarot Cards: 5 Key Situations

When you’re emotionally overwhelmed or mentally drained you’re doing yourself and the people you’re reading for a disservice. Only by having a clear mind can you interpret the cards properly and keep from misjudging.

By avoiding tarot readings during periods of extreme stress or when you’re looking for a quick answer, you can make sure you’re making decisions with intention. Understanding and honoring where you’re at emotionally and mentally is important.

Second, it protects the integrity of the reading, which helps foster a more positive experience for you and everyone else involved.

Understanding When Tarot Is Inappropriate

There’s no doubt that tarot readings can offer a source of valuable insight and guidance. There are times when it’s truly inappropriate to read tarot. Identifying these moments helps to make sure that the process is respectful, ethical and advantageous to all parties. Here, we’ll look at some of these circumstances in more detail, and understand why tarot readings are best avoided in each case.

Recognize Emotional Vulnerability

Tarot readings can be highly sensitive and personal. If a person is already in a fragile emotional state, this can be rather crushing. When emotions are raw following a breakup, a loss, or other significant life changes, a reading could make you feel more confused or heartbroken. Rather than providing the insight you seek, it can exacerbate your distress.

It’s crucial that you come to tarot with a clear mind and a willingness to do some of the reflecting yourself. If they lose their job out of nowhere, they want to come to cards for direct answers. They’re looking for clear direction to guide them through their current circumstances. Since tarot can’t predict the future, that could lead to false hope or disappointment.

In those situations, attending to emotional healing before anything else is the healthier route.

Avoid Questions About Others’ Lives

When readings become about other people’s lives, we enter an entirely different ethical territory. For example, inquiring about a friend’s personal choices or a partner’s emotions without their permission violates boundaries. Tarot is most effective when it is focused on the querent—the person receiving the reading—and their lived experiences.

This is fine to do, especially if these people directly relate to the querent, as in a family dynamic or a group/shared project. Puncturing the veil between your life and the person whose life you’re prying into is deeply inappropriate and fundamentally unlikely to lead to good guidance.

One of a reader’s roles is to establish trust. They should be about self-reflection, instead of providing a “preview” into another’s private life.

Skip Readings for Medical Concerns

In terms of health, tarot readers should avoid giving health advice. Almost 80% of my readings were for something health-related. They ought to focus on the querent’s emotional and mental well-being rather than just physical ailments.

You may occasionally have someone ask about the health of a loved one. If we go too far and answer those questions directly, it leads to bad science or premature optimism. Tarot can be a beautiful way to guide self-care rituals and highlight where we need to focus our energy for growth.

Leave medical diagnoses or treatments to the licensed professionals.

Know When to Step Back Mentally

Reading tarot for long hours or fielding big questions can be emotionally draining. Even just conducting several readings back to back in a single session can tire a reader. This fatigue could undermine the quality of the guidance they are providing.

It’s important for us all to acknowledge these boundaries and know when to step away and rejuvenate ourselves. Forcing oneself to try and predict longterm future events is exhausting for the reader and the querent.

Ethics Tarot is not a fortune-telling device, and it is not intended to predict future outcomes of any kind.

Situations to Avoid Tarot Readings

Tarot readings can be a wonderful source of information to help guide your self-reflection and exploration. Sometimes it’s better to pump the brakes and take a breath before proceeding. Learning the situations to avoid tarot readings keeps the depth, clarity, and respect alive, creating a more honest and impactful experience for both parties.

Here are some particular situations in which you ought to avoid tarot readings and why it’s important to respect these boundaries.

1. Refrain After a Recent Reading

If you’ve just completed an insightful tarot reading, it’s crucial to give the new perspective time to marinate. Tarot readings like these are best experienced when they’re allowed to breathe and develop organically.

Multiple overlapping readings, particularly on the same subject, can create competing messages and added confusion. Pulling cards multiple times to clarify the same question will result in wildly different interpretations.

This lack of consistency casts doubts on the trustworthiness of the guidance you might receive. Give yourself a moment to digest what you just learned. Then, implement the guidance before returning to the cards.

2. Avoid Seeking a Second Opinion

When you consult multiple tarot readers, you dilute the wisdom you receive. Trusting the follow-up reading to come through with a better conclusion just won’t cut it.

This happens when you’re unhappy with the outcome or seeking affirmation. Although it’s understandable to crave certainty, coming back to get a second opinion on the same problem usually just muddies the waters.

If your first reading tells you to be patient, go with it. If you focus on trying to find a quick fix, you’re just setting yourself up for more disappointment. Read it in full, but start thinking about how to use its message.

3. Do Not Read in Chaotic Environments

What I’ve learned is that the space where you do a tarot reading is a huge factor in the experience. Distracting or loud surroundings make it hard to focus and can break your flow with the cards.

For example, trying to read cards during a loud social gathering or when multitasking often results in missed nuances and interpretations. Being in a calm, quiet space ensures that you can give full attention to the reading and really sit with the messages on a deeper level.

4. Avoid Reading When Physically Unwell

After all, physical well-being goes a long way in helping our mental clarity — an important element for honest tarot readings! When you’re overtired or under the weather, your bond with the cards gets diluted.

Substances such as alcohol or stimulants can further hinder your ability to connect with them on any level. For example, if you’re reading when you’re really tired, you might misread a symbol or try to speed-read through the experience.

Give yourself time for rest and recovery before seeking guidance from the cards to make sure you have a clear and focused mindset for your reading.

5. Respect Personal Boundaries and Limits

Tarot is a deeply personal tool, and it’s important to respect these boundaries. Reading for someone in a major crisis situation is a heavy task that requires a clear head.

When that occurs, it reduces the benefit of the reading. Trying to read into touchy subjects where they hit too close to home or are too emotionally loaded can skew your perspective.

Self-care situations only come up when someone approaches tarot from the mindset that they can create this space without force.

6. Recognize Signs of Tarot Burnout

Like any practice, tarot needs balance. Overusing them, or using them for every single choice can burn you out and leave you feeling distant from the cards.

Signs of burnout could be a general feeling of being frazzled and overwhelmed, or loss of interest in the process itself. If you’re reading too many readings too quickly, stop for a second.

Can’t get your head in the game? That’s a huge sign of you needing a pause. Taking a break gives you the chance to restore yourself and come back to tarot with renewed vigor.

Emotional and Mental Impacts of Inappropriate Readings

Most people see Tarot cards as a divining tool, a means of psychic reading. Inappropriately using them can create sudden emotional and mental impacts. Recognizing when and why tarot readings may be counterproductive will go a long way to keeping us engaged in a safe and mindful practice.

Below, we’ll dive into the dangers of obsessive interpretation, sentimental attachment, and anxiety provoked by deceptive interpretations.

Understand the Risk of Overthinking

If you start overthinking a tarot reading, you risk misinterpreting the card meanings and causing yourself needless panic. If a person is already emotionally vulnerable, that train of thought can lead them down a path of dark and dangerous spirals. Pulling a card like the Tower on a particularly stressful day can seem daunting.

Its narrative tone can be about the change we need, not the apocalypse. This overthinking creates a damaging cycle. The person begins to read excessively into every sign, heightening their terror rather than finding resolution.

The emotions of the reader are just as important here. Personal biases or moods can creep in and unknowingly influence how you interpret something. If a reader approaches the reading feeling anxious or frustrated, they will often subconsciously impart those feelings onto the cards.

This can lead to misguided guidance. Start from an emotional and mental place of openness and receptiveness. In doing so, you’ll allow the cards to speak without any filter.

Avoid Emotional Dependence on Tarot

If you rely on tarot for each and every decision you make, this emotional dependence drives a wedge between you and your own personal growth and confidence. Digital tarot as self-care shows that up to 90% of people using tarot report using it to cope with stress, anxiety, or emotional challenges.

It can be reassuring to lean on outside guidance. However, if you lean on it too heavily, it will prevent you from making meaningful decisions.

For example, an individual may continue to consult the cards on the same question or topic, looking for an alternate response. This cycle can be exhausting and quickly result in discouragement when the readings don’t match up with what they hope to achieve.

Rather than providing more transparency, the cards begin to seem like a stumbling block, fostering additional confusion.

Taking breaks can be beneficial. Making space for difficult emotions can help form better coping mechanisms.

Recognize Stress from Misaligned Readings

Inappropriate readings can leave seekers feeling confused or stressed out, and may put them off from seeking another reading in the future. After a long day at work, drawing the Nine of Swords can seem like a validation of our bleak reality. Yet, it might just be the best call to action I’ve ever seen.

Emotional vulnerability due to the political climate can alter the lens of the reading, preventing one from seeing its more constructive message.

When misaligned readings result in individuals having unfounded, negative interpretations of their performance, they are likely to internalize these interpretations as truths, becoming self-fulfilling prophecies. Someone anxious about a relationship could spin the reversed Lovers card into a prediction of an impending breakup.

Instead, this card might simply activate the intuition to communicate truthfully. This is why it’s so important to pause, ground yourself, and approach tarot in a way that does not allow heightened emotions to obscure your judgment.

Guidance for Healthy Tarot Practices

By engaging with tarot cards, you can jump right into your subconscious and get in touch with your true feelings. Just be sure to navigate this practice with mindfulness and accountability! With the incorporation of intentional practices and sacred limits, you can cultivate a rewarding and fulfilling practice. Here are some important things to think about and some suggestions to develop a healthy tarot practice.

Set Clear Intentions Before Reading

Before you start a tarot reading, it’s important to have a clear intention in mind. Consider what you’d like to get out of this specific session. Are you looking for guidance on a specific decision, understanding your feelings, or simply needing some time to process?

Setting intentions is a great way to ground your energy and remind yourself what you need to get out of the reading along the way. If you want career advice, request practical advice. Stop obsessing over what will happen and focus on what actions you can take. Not only does this create a more productive session, but it encourages self-awareness.

Tarot readings frequently seem to hit the mark because of the Barnum effect, where vague generalities seem tailored to an individual. By understanding this psychological principle, you’ll be able to read the cards more deeply. Adopting this mindset will ensure your readings remain empowering rather than strictly deterministic.

Take Breaks Between Sessions

Reading tarot too often without enough space in between can cause mental burnout or an unhealthy dependence on the cards to make decisions for you. To prevent this, space out your sessions and give yourself time to reflect between readings.

If we overuse it, we risk diluting the significance of the practice, and that makes it all the more difficult to draw meaningful connections. After soaking up knowledge about relationships, spend a few days actually digesting the lessons. Then you can approach your next session with a healthy understanding and boundary.

A 2021 study highlights that practices like astrology or tarot can alleviate stress during uncertain times, but overindulgence may have the opposite effect. Balance is the key. When you use tarot as an emotional support tool rather than the source of all answers, you build a much healthier relationship with the practice.

Focus on Self-Care and Mindfulness

Adding self-care to your tarot practice deepens its rewards. Set the mood. Start your sessions in a relaxing space, maybe with dimmed lights or calming music, to help foster a tranquil vibe.

Consider some deep breathing exercises or meditation prior to your reading. These practices can increase your mindfulness and strengthen your relationship with the cards. Mindfulness contributes to this significantly.

Especially be mindful of how you’re feeling going into the session— are you anxious, restless, or grounded? By recognizing and working through these emotions, you’ll be able to enter the reading with a clearer mind and more open heart.

In particular, a 2023 study found that structured practices such as tarot can improve mental health. This positive change occurs particularly when these practices are paired with self-awareness strategies.

Learn to Trust Your Intuition

The most important aspect of tarot reading is learning to trust your intuition. The cards are full of wisdom, but it’s your reading that gives them life. This is where practice and patience come in.

Start by journaling your readings, noting patterns and personal interpretations over time. This practice deepens your connection to the cards, but reinforces your confidence in your intuitive skill set.

It’s just as important to respect ethical boundaries and be clear about those boundaries. Tarot readers should avoid making any claims of expertise in areas such as medicine or finance. To do otherwise invites a great deal of misunderstanding.

Putting disclaimers in booking materials can help set the tone that this is a spiritual practice. In addition to being good practice, following local regulations like Ordinance 362 in Solano County, California, helps you stay within the law.

Finally, don’t forget to acknowledge the creators of the tarot decks you work with. Giving credit for their work is a great way to respect people’s intellectual property rights. Doing this cultivates gratitude and authenticity within your practice.

Conclusion

Timing is everything — especially when it comes to tarot. When you read tarot with clarity and respect for yourself, that’s when the magic happens. This isn’t as easy as doing a reading and calling it a day, or replacing actual therapy. With proper understanding, it can be a great resource for self-reflection. Stopping a reading during these emotionally charged or uncertain moments can save you a lot of mental and emotional turmoil. Listen to your intuition, and as always, try to foster a healthy relationship with tarot.

If you’re thinking about diving into tarot yourself, in a more grounded way, give yourself the space to understand, meditate, and develop over time. Refer to it for guidance, not prediction. Honor the process, keep it enriching, thoughtful and supportive of your path going forward.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should you avoid reading tarot cards for yourself?

Don’t read tarot if you’re in a raw emotional state or extremely stressed out. It can skew your perception. Rather, ground yourself and come back to the cards with a clear mind to see what they reveal with honesty and wisdom.

Is it okay to read tarot when feeling anxious or depressed?

If you’re in a mentally or emotionally fragile state, tarot is something you should forego. Seek help from friends, family, or a mental health professional before diving back into the cards. Tarot is most effective when you are in a centered, grounded state to receive messages.

Can you read tarot for someone without their permission?

No, it’s entirely unethical to read for someone without their consent. Respect their business interests. Tarot is based on connection and trust, so always ask for permission before reading.

Should you rely on tarot during major life crises?

Tarot is a wonderful tool for guidance, but in times of crisis, focus on immediate needs and seeking professional assistance. Tarot is not a replacement for decisive action or professional guidance, but it is a wonderful tool for reflection.

Is it inappropriate to use tarot for yes/no questions?

Rather, lean on open-ended questions to draw out more profound understandings. Make it about your own personal and spiritual growth, about learning and understanding, not about getting the right answer.

Should you read tarot when you're too tired or unfocused?

No, you need to be focused and engaged with the card reading. If you feel tired or sidetracked, stop and walk away. This means coming to your cards with a clear, open mind, ready to receive the true guidance they have to offer.

Can tarot readings harm your mental health?

Tarot on its own, in my opinion, is not dangerous, but misuse and misunderstandings are. Approach it from a place of empowerment, not fear. Keep tarot in your life, but balance it with self-care and positive practices to keep your mind and spirit healthy.