Tarot questions to ask: how to phrase them, with 80 examples

Why your question shapes the whole reading

Every card has several layers. In a question about work, the Eight of Cups suggests it’s time to look for more meaningful work; in a question about a relationship, it points to emotional distance and a longing for something more. The question sets the frame through which an image is read. Without a frame, a card speaks about everything at once — and therefore about nothing.

The second reason is honesty. As you phrase a question, you start thinking about the situation: what really worries you, what you can change, what you’re afraid of. Often half of the answer arrives before you’ve drawn a single card.

How to ask tarot questions: 7 principles

1. Ask open questions. Questions that begin with “what”, “how” or “where” give the cards room: “What would help me decide whether to move?” rather than “Should I move?”.
2. Ask about yourself. You can only change your own actions. “How can I work well with my new manager?” is more useful than “What is my manager planning?”.
3. One topic per question. “What’s ahead for me in love and at work?” is two readings. Split it, or the cards will blur the answers together.
4. Be specific. “How can I mend things with my sister after the argument at her birthday?” is easier to read than “What’s going on with my family?”.
5. Set a time frame. “Over the next three months”, “by the end of the year”, “this week”. Without a time frame it’s hard to tell which future a card is describing.
6. Keep the wording neutral. “Why does nothing ever work out for me?” invites a gloomy answer before you’ve drawn a card. “What’s holding me back in my studies?” asks the same thing without the verdict.
7. Write your question down. A written question can’t drift during the reading, and a month later it shows you clearly whether the guidance proved useful.

Open questions and yes-or-no questions

An open question invites a detailed answer: “What do I need to understand about…”, “How can I best handle…”, “What should I pay attention to in…”. Almost every spread works with open questions, from three cards to the Celtic Cross.

A closed question expects a yes or a no. It has its place too, when a decision has already taken shape and you want a short pointer. There’s a dedicated one-card yes or no spread for it. To get a useful answer, make sure that:

• the question is about your step: “Should I sign up for the course this autumn?” rather than “Will they call me?”;
• it contains one action, with no “or”;
• it has a time frame, or a “yes” could refer to anything.

If you want a yes-or-no answer but the situation is tangled, start with an open question and save the short answer for later.

How to rewrite a weak tarot question

Almost any weak question can become a good one. Usually it’s enough to bring it back to yourself and to what you can do.

What not to ask tarot cards

Some questions the cards can’t answer — or answer in a way that can do harm.

• Health and diagnoses. A card can’t see an illness or suggest a treatment. You can ask about your attitude (“How can I be kinder to myself while I recover?”) and leave the diagnosis to a doctor.
• Death and lifespans. Questions like these only feed anxiety. The Death card, by the way, is about one chapter ending, not about dying.
• Court cases, exams and lotteries. The outcome depends on many people and on chance. It’s more useful to ask how to prepare and what to rely on.
• Other people’s secrets. Questions such as “Who are they with right now?” or “Are they cheating?” can’t be answered reliably and push towards control. If you have doubts, an honest conversation is fairer.
• The same question on repeat. If you keep reshuffling until the “right” answer turns up, the reading becomes a lottery. Come back to the question when something has changed.
• Questions in a crisis. If you’re feeling desperate or having thoughts of harming yourself, put the cards away and reach out to someone close or to a crisis line. That matters more than any spread.

Asking about yourself and about other people

You can ask tarot questions about a specific person if the question concerns your relationship rather than what goes on in their head. The cards show how you see that person and what’s happening between you, but they can’t read someone else’s mind. A good formula is: “How does [person] probably feel about… and what do I need to understand?” For questions like this there’s a dedicated What does he think of me spread, with gentle positions for thoughts, feelings and intentions.

Questions about yourself work even better: you have all the information and all the power to change something. If you’re unsure how to ask, start with “What do I need to understand about…”: it fits almost any topic.

80 good tarot questions to ask, by topic

Use the questions as they are, or add your own details: a name, a time frame, a situation.

Tarot questions to ask about love and relationships

1. What is happening in our relationship right now?
2. What brings us closer, and what pulls us apart?
3. What do I need to understand about the person I’ve just met?
4. How can I show my feelings without losing myself?
5. What gets in the way of us trusting each other?
6. What do we need to talk about after this argument?
7. How can we bring more warmth into our relationship this month?
8. What am I really looking for in a partner?
9. What should I know about myself before starting a new relationship?
10. What should I pay attention to at the start of this connection?

After a break-up

1. What do I need to understand about this break-up?
2. What has this relationship taught me?
3. How can I let go of the past without blaming myself?
4. What do I need right now to recover?
5. Why do I feel drawn back, and what’s behind that pull?
6. How can I deal with my ex when we still have to see each other?
7. Which habit from my last relationship shouldn’t I repeat?
8. What would help me open up to people again?
9. How can I get through the anniversary of the break-up more calmly?
10. What good things am I taking with me from this relationship?

Work and career

1. What do I need to understand about my current job?
2. How can I best prepare for my interview?
3. What can I lean on if I want to change careers?
4. What’s standing between me and a promotion?
5. How can I improve things with a colleague I don’t get on with?
6. Which of my strengths are being overlooked right now?
7. What would help me avoid burning out on this project?
8. How should I talk to my manager about my workload?
9. What would moving to a new team give me?
10. What should I focus on at work over the next three months?

Money and spending

1. What would help me get my finances in order this year?
2. Where are my energy and money being wasted?
3. How can I start saving without extra stress?
4. What should I consider before a big purchase?
5. How can I change my relationship with money so that I worry less?
6. What would help me find an extra source of income?
7. How can I ask for a pay rise?
8. What stops me from spending mindfully?
9. Where should my money go this month?
10. How can my partner and I share household costs fairly?

Choices and decisions

1. What do I need to know as I choose between these two offers?
2. What would I gain by staying, and what by leaving?
3. Which fear is keeping me from making this decision?
4. What would help me commit to moving?
5. What should I think about before I say yes?
6. What am I missing as I weigh up these options?
7. How can I work out what I really want?
8. What would change if I put this decision off for a month?
9. Whose advice should I lean on in this choice?
10. How can I make this decision and not regret it?

Yourself and personal growth

1. What do I most need to understand about myself right now?
2. Which of my strengths is asking to come forward?
3. What is draining my energy?
4. How can I be kinder to myself this autumn?
5. Which habit is it time to let go of?
6. What would help me bring joy back into everyday life?
7. What am I avoiding, and why?
8. What should I learn this year?
9. How can I make time for myself without feeling guilty?
10. What would help me feel more confident?

Family and friends

1. How can I improve my relationship with my parents?
2. What do I need to understand about the falling-out with my close friend?
3. How can I support someone close who is going through a hard time?
4. What would help my brother and me agree on caring for our parents?
5. How can I set boundaries with relatives without causing hurt?
6. What would strengthen our friendship?
7. How should I handle the tension that’s appeared in our group of friends?
8. What can I do to make home feel calmer?
9. How can I connect better with my teenager?
10. How can I ask for help without feeling indebted?

The future and the coming months

1. What should I focus on over the next three months?
2. What will this week bring me?
3. What will be the main theme of this year?
4. What should I prepare for this autumn?
5. What would help me step into a new chapter calmly?
6. Which opportunities might I miss in the coming month?
7. What will change if I carry on as I am now?
8. What lesson will this period bring?
9. What can I lean on in the changes that have already begun?
10. What is important to remember today?

Choosing a spread for your question

Your question also points to a spread. If you’re not sure where to begin, use this table.

If you’re new to tarot, start with our guide on how to read tarot cards, which walks through shuffling, positions and interpretation step by step.

Frequently asked questions