How to Stay Grounded as a Tarot Reader

What does it mean to stay grounded when you’re reading tarot? (Or engaging in any other spiritual practice, for that matter.)

Like many things, the answer will depend on who you ask.

For me, groundedness can encompass many things:

• Staying humble and remembering that it’s not always about you;
• Finding a balance between logic and spiritual belief or faith;
• Developing sound judgment in decisions big and small; and
• Maintaining good energetic boundaries, so as not to get swept up in other people’s emotions or priorities.

Groundedness isn’t something only tarot readers should care about: It’s something everyone can benefit from cultivating in their lives.

But when you’re reading tarot for others, groundedness becomes particularly important. Because sometimes, you might have a querent who is struggling to stay present themselves. Or who needs some help discerning what’s true, and what’s not.

It’s so easy to get carried away with a thought, or let the imagination run wild thinking about a worst-case scenario. Tarot can help to alleviate unfounded worries and fear, but we must do so carefully. Because tarot can go the wrong way, too, and plant deeper seeds of doubt or fantasy.

So what are some ways you can stay grounded as a tarot reader in order to be the present, stabilizing force your querents need?

Start with mindset. One question I’ve often received from tarot students is about energetic boundaries. Especially when it comes to making sure querents don’t drain you or pull at your energy.

First and foremost, I don’t go into my tarot work with the belief that I’m so porous or fallible as to be energetically vulnerable. When I’m sitting down to read for someone, I’m responsible for leading the way. Querents expect me to hold space for them – not to be so open that they can take whatever they need, consciously or not.

Start believing in yourself as a strong, capable individual, and be careful about seeing interactions with querents (or anyone, for that matter) as potential threats to your energy levels. When you start believing that everything and anything can leave you drained, then that belief can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Celebrate logic and magic. In divination circles, there can be so much emphasis on magical moments, omens, and "downloads" that it’s easy to forget that practical, logical thinking counts for something, too. You don’t always need a sign from the universe to know if a decision is right for you.

You also don’t need a tarot reading for every move you’re about to make in life.

As tarot readers, we can embody these principles by taking our own advice from time to time. Instead of reaching for the cards at every turn, we need to allow ourselves to make decisions and take action based on what we know, want, and trust – and leave the cards to the side when they don’t feel necessary.

Sometimes, querents need to be reminded that they are already empowered and in control of their lives. Sending the message that you are a tarot reader who embodies self-trust can go a long way.

Accept that everyone has to walk their own paths. You won’t be able to fix every problem for your querents.

And that’s okay. It’s not your job to get personally invested in someone’s life.

Recognizing where your work begins and ends is important, because it sets and maintains boundaries for you and your querents.

You can be compassionate without taking on your querent’s feelings for them. Likewise, you can be supportive while setting clear expectations about what you can and can’t accomplish in the span of a tarot reading.

Let querents make their own decisions and come to their own conclusions. Offer up the information in your readings clearly, without being attached to any specific outcome. Your role is to offer guidance, but what your querents do with that information will always be up to them.

When you can let go of any control or expectations from there on in, it’s a lot easier to recognize where your role begins and ends as a tarot reader.

Hope this helps.

Until next time,

Liz

p.s. Are you ready to build your tarot skills beyond the basics? You might want to check out my free intermediate masterclass. Register here.