What People Get Wrong About Tarot (And What It’s Actually Trying to Show You)

Whether you’ve been reading tarot for years, just pulled your first deck from its box, found a deck on the street or have no idea what these cards even are, this article will give you something real to take away.

You’ll learn how tarot actually works, why its messages hit so personally, and what it’s truly trying to show you, no mysticism required.

Tarot has this uncanny way of holding up a mirror.

Not a mirror that tells you what’s next week or next month, but one that reflects where your energy sits right now. And if you learn how to really look at what it’s showing you, the picture that forms isn’t about prediction.

It’s about participation.

Every time I read for someone new, the same questions come up, questions that reveal what people really hope tarot can do for them.

But tarot isn’t a vending machine for certainty. It’s a conversation between your soul, your subconscious, and the language of life itself.

Read until the end, you’ll see how each card, each pattern, and even what’s missing in a reading reveals far more than most people ever realize.

Let’s start with one of the most misunderstood questions, and end with the one that matters most.

If you’ve never had a reading before and want to understand how I work, here’s what to expect during a session, a transparent look at how clarity unfolds, one card at a time.

Ready for a reading that meets you where you are? Book a session with me here and experience what a truly personalized tarot reading feels like.

7. “How do tarot cards actually work?”

They’re not random, each draw mirrors your consciousness, revealing synchronicity in motion.

It’s one of the most common questions, and one of the hardest to answer simply.

Tarot cards work as a bridge between your conscious and subconscious mind.

When you pull a card, you’re creating a moment of alignment between your inner world and the outer one. What surfaces isn’t random, it’s symbolic language responding to your present state of energy and awareness.

Some say it’s Spirit communicating. Others say it’s psychology. I think it’s both.

The cards provide structure for clairvoyant thought to flow through, a visual anchor for intuition to land on.

When someone sits in front of me, it’s as though their energetic signature arranges the deck in a way that mirrors their story.

I can see where they’ve been, where their patterns are looping, and what might happen if they keep moving the same way.

It’s not “magic” in the cinematic sense, it’s resonance.

And that brings up another question people ask: “If tarot is so accurate, why don’t you get completely new cards every time?”

The answer is: because your patterns don’t vanish overnight.

The cards don’t change just to keep things interesting, they reflect the truth of where you are.

If the same cards reappear, it’s because the lesson or emotional tone hasn’t fully integrated yet.

Repetition in tarot isn’t redundancy, it’s emphasis. It’s Spirit saying, “You’re not done learning this part.”

That’s why randomness is essential.

A shuffled deck gives both the reader and the client a neutral field for energy to organize itself naturally.

When the same card resurfaces in a new spread or position, the message deepens. That “randomness” is actually where synchronicity reveals itself.

And the truth is, tarot works best when you don’t force it.

When you show up with curiosity instead of control, the cards open doors logic can’t.

That’s the beauty of it: tarot reminds you that there’s more intelligence in the unseen than in all your overthinking combined.

Tarot isn’t just symbolic art, it’s a psychological mirror. I’ve written more on this in Philosophy and Tarot: A Fascinating Connection, where I explore how timeless archetypes and human behavior intersect.

6. “Can anyone read tarot cards?”

Yes. but it’s an art that grows with empathy, life experience, and curiosity for human nature.

But it’s like learning an instrument, you have to build a relationship with it.

Artistically inclined people often pick up the symbolism faster because they think in pictures.

Those drawn to psychology or human behavior tend to excel at recognizing patterns and emotional continuity.

But in truth, you don’t learn tarot from a book, you learn it from living.

Years ago, I pulled the Five of Swords one morning when I was hoping for a calm day.

By afternoon, chaos broke loose.

Everyone around me was defensive, opinionated, and unwilling to listen.

I stayed quiet, but silence didn’t fix anything.

That card taught me later that silence without empathy doesn’t resolve tension, it suppresses it.

Now, when the Five of Swords appears, I ask questions that invite dialogue rather than defensiveness.

I let the “swords” breathe. That’s what reading tarot becomes over time: you live the cards until they start living through you.

For me, this work is lifelong. I’m building an in-depth course for those who want to read the way I do, methodical, intuitive, psychologically aware, and grounded in evidence-based spirituality.

It’s detailed, challenging, and meant to feel alive, because tarot should keep you thinking, not just memorizing.

If you’ve ever wondered whether tarot can actually predict the future, my article Can Tarot Predict the Future? breaks down how free will, energy, and timing truly work together.

5. “So, what’s the point of a tarot reading?”

It’s less about fortune-telling and more about pattern recognition, seeing yourself through a symbolic lens.

Tarot isn’t about fortune telling. It’s about pattern recognition.

Each card is a mirror of behavior, emotion, and choice, a snapshot of where energy is looping or evolving.

When I read, I often use the Celtic Cross spread.

It gives me a strong framework and healthy boundaries between myself and the client, allowing clairvoyant insights to unfold in a structured way.

Every position in that spread serves a purpose, even the “future” card, which isn’t about destiny, it’s about trajectory.

After each session, I spend hours reanalyzing the spread. I look at the elemental distribution, the numerology, and how the cards communicate with each other at scale.

It’s meticulous work that helps me find the patterns that might have been subtle in the moment.

I track what’s missing, what’s repeating, and where healing wants to happen.

It’s how I deliver such precise follow-ups, and it’s part of why clients call me one of the most accurate tarot readers they’ve ever experienced.

That’s what separates a good tarot reader from a great one: not theatrics, but depth.

It’s devotion to the craft, the details, and the human being sitting in front of you.

There’s a reason some sessions change your perspective forever. In What Makes the Best Tarot Readings So Transformative, I share why true insight goes far beyond prediction.

4. “Do I need to come prepared with questions for a psychic reading?”

Open-ended questions invite dialogue with your intuition; control closes the conversation before it begins.

Not necessarily. My favorite readings often begin with, “Just tell me what I need to hear.”

One of my clients, let’s call her L., was navigating a painful divorce from a narcissistic partner.

Early on, she wanted absolute answers: who, what, when, why.

But as we worked together, she learned to surrender her grip on certainty.

Over time, she stopped chasing control and began trusting her intuition again.

That’s when the readings became powerful. The cards reflected her resilience instead of her fear.

She even emailed me once to ask what her ex might be thinking, only to retract the message a few hours later: “No, you’re right, I need to sit with this myself.”

That’s what tarot is meant to do, help you build trust in your own voice.

Open-ended questions are the key. They create space for intuition to breathe and allow Spirit to show you what you need, not just what you want.

If you’re unsure what to ask during your next session, explore 25 Powerful Questions to Ask a Psychic Tarot Reader, a guide to the kinds of questions that invite clarity instead of control. (I send this link to every client in their confirmation e-mail)

3. “Why do some tarot readings feel so emotional?”

Because tarot speaks the language of the heart, it names what logic can’t articulate.

A spread full of Cups usually means emotions are rising, love, nostalgia, forgiveness, grief.

When Cups are absent, that can signal emotional avoidance or detachment.

Each suit reveals which part of you is asking for balance.

Tarot isn’t just spiritual, it’s diagnostic. It shows how your emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual systems are interacting.

Too many Swords might mean overthinking.

A lack of Pentacles might highlight neglect of the body or stability.

These elemental imbalances are where the real healing begins.

That’s why I always say tarot isn’t about predicting the future, it’s about understanding the present so clearly that the future can’t surprise you.

Tarot doesn’t demand belief, it cultivates awareness. In How Tarot Strengthens Intuition (Even If You Don’t Believe in It), I explain how reading cards opens the same inner voice we all share.

2. “What are the worst tarot cards to get in a reading?”

Endings and chaos are rarely punishment, they’re the necessary clearing before new growth takes root.

Cards like Death, The Tower, or Ten of Swords often trigger panic, but they’re rarely as dark as people assume.

These archetypes show transformation, endings, and renewal.

They’re the compost pile of life, messy, but necessary.

When several Tens appear, I know a client is at a turning point.

Tens are the final exhale before the next inhale. They signal closure and readiness.

Tarot doesn’t punish, it prepares.

When you understand that, the so-called “bad cards” start to look like blessings that finally tell the truth.

Once you understand its rhythm, tarot becomes a practical ally in real life. How to Use Tarot in Daily Decision-Making shows you how to translate insight into grounded action.

1. “Can tarot cards tell me my future?”

It can reflect your trajectory, but the future isn’t fixed, it’s a collaboration between your choices and the unknown.

This is the question that always lingers, the one everyone wants answered.

Yes, tarot can point to what’s coming, but not as a rigid script.

The cards reveal potential based on current energy and choices. The moment you make a new decision, the story shifts.

The future isn’t written in ink, it’s written in energy.

The best tarot readers in the world don’t predict; they perceive. They help you navigate probability, not fate. And that’s where true empowerment lies.

When clients try to control outcomes, I remind them: control is fear dressed as safety.

Underneath it is grief, a longing for life to behave. But tarot invites you to do something braver: to surrender.

You’re the co-author of your life, not its puppet. Hold your hopes lightly. Allow life to surprise you.

Because that’s where intuition thrives, in the space between knowing and allowing.

That’s the heart of my work as a psychic medium and tarot expert.

Not to hand you answers, but to bring you back to the quiet confidence that you already have them.

Final Thoughts

Tarot paints a picture of your inner landscape not to scare you, but to bring you home to yourself.

Each card, each pattern, is a brushstroke of your psyche, your spirit, your story in motion.

If you walk away from a reading feeling seen, understood, and just a little more certain of your own power, the cards have done their job.

Life rarely follows the plan. But the cards, much like life, are always leading you somewhere you’re ready to grow.

Curious what a session with me actually feels like? Learn what to expect in a tarot reading, you’ll see why every reading is less about prediction and more about presence.

When you’re ready to experience this firsthand, book a reading with me here and step into a session designed to bring clarity, grounding, and intuitive understanding.

Written by Chris Bennett, internationally acclaimed psychic medium and widely recognized as one of the best tarot readers in the world. Known professionally as The Tarot Medium, Chris is an international tarot expert celebrated for his accurate, compassionate, and evidence-based readings. He offers private tarot and psychic medium readings online, helping clients gain clarity and emotional healing wherever they are in the world.

Based in Canada, Chris has a growing international following, with clients spanning major cities such as Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, and Victoria. His work also reaches across the United States, including New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Seattle, Portland, Atlanta, Phoenix, Denver, and Las Vegas.

In the United Kingdom, Chris’s readings are sought after in London, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Bristol, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Brighton, Cardiff, and Nottingham. His reputation extends throughout Australia as well, serving clients in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart, and Gold Coast—as well as internationally in New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, Singapore, and Dubai.

Recognized as one of the best psychics in Canada and a trusted spiritual teacher worldwide, Chris’s mission is to bring depth, accuracy, and empathy to every reading. Ranked among the best tarot blogs for insight and authenticity, he continues to write about tarot symbolism, intuition, and the psychology of spiritual connection, bridging mystical insight with grounded, real-world wisdom.