How to Develop the Best Tarot Questions for Useful Readings
Brows furrowed, fingers steepled, he stared at the deck of tarot cards in front of him. We were at a tarot meetup. Usually people are this focused when they look at a spread of cards, not an uncut deck. I shifted a bit, then gently prompted with something generic like, “Are you ready?” “I’m trying to think of a ‘Joy’ question. You always come up with the best questions.” I laughed, but it’s true. It’s also based on decades of experience. And on the type of focus and contemplation he was exhibiting just then. He was reasonably new to tarot, but he already knew that good questions gave useful answers. I offered a few tips on how to phrase tarot questions, then he settled on the right question and began to shuffle his deck.

If you like this post, you might also like “Fifteen Tarot Questions to Ask When You Don’t Have a Question.” I also have a post specifically on Yes or No questions. You can also check out the category on Phrasing Tarot Questions to see all my articles that address phrasing questions.
The Question Generates the Reading

If you’re having problems with vague, unfocused, or off-topic tarot spreads, the question is the first thing to troubleshoot. Your guides are not your mom; they aren’t waiting around for you to finally call so they can tell you everything you’re doing wrong. Your guides, angels, intuition, subconscious, higher self, the Universe, the Divine–wherever it is readings come from–that Source of insight and perspective is not trying to get a word in edgewise to your busy life.
However, like your favorite aunt, Source loves it when you sit down, relax, contemplate quietly, and then ask that important question. And like your favorite aunt (it’s why she’s your favorite, of course), Source is not going to launch into a litany of things you could be doing differently. She’ll also sit quietly, take her time, and at just the right moment make a simple statement that puts it all in perspective for you. Your guides are not here to dictate your life. But they love it when you ask for, well, guidance in the decisions you make.
The question generates the reading. The need to know, the desire for direction, the catch-22 you’d like to 86–these drive you to asking, and asking opens the answer.
The question generates the reading. It sparks, germinates, or erupts into the reading. No spark, and the tarot reading engine won’t turn over. Come up with a great question and get a great reading.
What’s Your Topic?
So, what to ask? First things first, what do you want to know? Probably a lot of things.
Although you can ask absolutely anything you want of the tarot, there is definitely a most popular category. Questions about career, love, family, and money by far outnumber other topics. Questions about solving a particular dilemma, achieving a desired result, or getting a birds-eye view of the dense thicket of a difficulty also would likely show up on a “top questions” list.
Once you’ve empowered yourself to ask what you really want to know, it’s pretty easy to choose the topic. Now on to our main goal: how to phrase the question for tarot!
What Do You Want from the Cards?
Choosing your topic is part one. Part two is what kind of response you want. Again, tarot is empowering–you get to choose. Some of the most useful answers you can get from tarot will be predictions, advice, comparing options, and understanding yourself. I’ll share ways to phrase these tarot questions. Then I’ll conclude with considering whether you need to open the question up or lock it down to get the most useful reading.
Predictions or Forecasting
Looking into the future is the bread and butter of tarot reading. But more importantly, these questions help you anticipate roadblocks and ascertain if something is worth your effort.
Try these question formats:
- What will be the outcome if I … ?
- How will my plan work?
- What’s the likelihood of my reaching my goal?
- How will I feel about the result if I pursue this path?
Advice
This is probably the most common question format. The tarot is great at offering guidance and direction.
Here are examples of how to phrase tarot questions for advice:
- How can I get what I want?
- What’s the best plan to deal with this difficulty?
- What actions can I take to reach my goal?
- What can I do to shift the energy around this situation?
Comparing options
For comparing two options, I like to do multiple short readings asking what’s the outcome if I do A, B, C, etc. I’ve done this style of reading extensively for a variety of clients with a variety of options, including young people wondering which college is best to go to, people choosing what state to live in, and a woman trying to choose a lawyer. I like to write each option on a sticky. Then I pull one or two cards for each option, plus cards for “something else we haven’t considered.”
If you’ve narrowed it down to two choices, you might like my Decision spread (and a couple other spreads) in this post.
These question formats work best in pairs or asking about each option separately:
- What’s the outcome if I do this? What’s the outcome if I don’t do this?
- How will I feel about option A in the long run? How will I feel about option B in the long run?
- What are the pros of this option? What are the cons of this option?
- What will I like best about this option?
Understanding yourself
Tarot is extremely useful as a tool to help you find solutions, navigate challenges, and make good choices. But one of the best uses of tarot is to help you understand yourself, put your desires in perspective, and gain insight into your motivations. Asking self-development questions or seeing your choices mirrored in the cards is extraordinarily powerful for your personal evolution. Questions along these lines can lead to your most transformative readings.
I recommend phrasing tarot questions for self-development along these lines:
- What is my biggest block toward achieving what I want?
- How can I align my goal with my soul purpose or spiritual path?
- What strengths can I bring to this? What weaknesses are holding me back?
- How can I release my limitations regarding this? How can I empower myself to succeed?
Do You Need to Open the Topic Up Or Lock It Down?
Lastly, consider how big of an answer you want. The spread plays a role here. Big spreads can cover a lot of territory, introducing new considerations and getting your wheels turning with fresh ideas. Even when you want to explore the big picture, it helps to put some kind of limitation on the spread. Establishing a time frame works nicely to keep this in check. Then smaller or to-the-point spreads can help narrow down too many options, focus on what’s most important, and let the real issue rise to the surface.
Ideally, one of the best ways to approach a question is with a series of readings. Combining a larger exploratory spread with smaller bottom-line questions can help you open up your question then lock down the most relevant and important answer.
Open the Topic Up
Most often, people come to tarot readings with very precise questions. An opening spread might set up the basic characters involved and what each wants. Subsequent spreads can explore a variety of options and likely outcomes of specific actions. In the end, you might find that despite the helpful insight, the actual question hasn’t been answered. This is where yes or no questions are fabulous.
Lock It Down
Once the larger situation and context have been explored, I like to bottom line a reading with a straightforward, two-card spread that answers the question that still remains in the person’s heart. It doesn’t have to be a yes-or-no question, but it’s okay if it is (there are pros and cons to such questions and this is a pro!).
Tip: When asking yes-or-no questions, phrase the question so the answer you want or the “good” answer is the yes answer. Good cards should indicate that you get what you want, not say “yes” to your dreaded outcome.
Here are some examples of how to phrase tarot questions that open up a reading followed by those that lock down your answer:
- What does my dating life look like over the rest of the year? Will I be in a relationship by the end of the year?
- What job opportunities and challenges will I face over the next three months? Will I keep my job in the next round of layoffs?
- How do my finances look between now and retirement? Will I have enough to live comfortably when I retire?
- What will be the outcome of trying to start a family now? Will I get pregnant and carry a child to term over the next year?
You can see that to demonstrate this style of question I had to give very specific examples. The phrasing I used won’t work for the average situation, but you can see how detailed you can make your questions to get exactly the information you need.
Finding the Joy In Your Tarot Questions
Keep in mind that getting real answers involves real emotions. If you’re not ready to hear a “no” answer or even a possibility that leans negative, please don’t ask the question! These questions are for people who in their heart want truth and are ready to hear it. As with everything in life, know yourself. Ask questions that will help you and give you clarity. Don’t ask questions if you will suffer from knowing the answer. That’s one reason that the bottom-line readings come after the broad, exploratory reading. We’ll see with the early spreads what direction the topic is leaning. For those who know they can handle it, we can move the reading forward into those hard-hitting yes-or-no answers.
A “Joy” question may not bring you joy in the moment, but it will bring you truth and clarity, told with compassion. And truth brings peace, which is the first step to finding lasting joy.