By asking the Tarot open-ended questions, on the other hand, you get far more interesting insights. For example, instead of asking, “Will I find a new job?” you might ask, “What has been blocking me in finding a new job, and how can I release these blockages?” The first question can only be answered “yes” or “no”. The second question invites deeper reflection and opens the space for understanding how you can manifest your goal of finding a new job.

To ask open-ended questions, avoid starting the question with Will…, When… and Should…, and instead ask What…, How… and Why.

Get to The Heart of The Question

A client starts the session with the question, “What’s my soul mate like?” Now, sure, you could launch right into that reading by drawing a few cards and seeing what comes up. You might end up with an idea of a potential soul mate, but will it really be insightful and helpful for the client?

Or, you could ask a few questions to understand what’s really on your client’s mind and how you can help. Perhaps you find out that your client is single right now and has been having trouble finding the right partner for her so she wants to know what her soul mate is like so she can recognize him when he appears.

Well now you have more information to work with and now you can start to create a reading that will be much more helpful. Instead of asking the Tarot, “What’s my soul mate like?” you now ask, “What signs might I see when I have met the right partner for me?” or “What can I do to attract the right partner for me?”

Instead of taking a question on face value, explore it, unpack it and get to the heart of what’s really being asked. You’ll find that you can then address the deeper questions that exist and deliver more meaningful insight.

Ask Follow-Up Questions

Every question can be broken down into ‘follow-up’ questions that serve to explore the different elements of the original question. For example, a question like, “How can I live in alignment with my soul’s purpose?” can be broken down into the following questions:

-What is coming into my conscious awareness about my soul’s purpose? 
-How can I discover my soul’s purpose? 
-What is my soul’s purpose? 
-How am I presently living in alignment with my soul’s purpose? 
-What inner work do I need to do to be in alignment with my soul’s purpose? 
-What resources are available to me that will help me to live in alignment with my soul’s purpose? 
-What will bring me closer to my soul’s purpose? 
-What may stand in the way of me fulfilling my soul’s purpose and how can I overcome this? 

…and so on.

Now, do you notice what’s happening here? As we start to break the original question down into follow-up questions, we also start to form the beginnings of your very own customized Tarot spread. You could literally draw one card for each of the questions above and you’d have an in-depth and fully customized Tarot reading.

So, for your next Tarot reading, check in with yourself first – Am I asking the right question of the Tarot? Is it open-ended and does it allow for deep exploration and insight? Does it get to the heart of the matter? And are there follow-up questions I could ask? -The Art of Asking Powerful Questions in Your Tarot Readings