When I first started learning tarot, it felt like the only cards in the deck were swords.

No matter what I asked or how I shuffled, I’d pull another one. And another. And another.
At one point, I was convinced my deck consisted of 78 swords cards..

I didn’t like the Swords. They were too heavy and too dark.
I’d pull the 9 or the 10 and think, Really? Again?
Especially when I was asking questions that didn’t even feel like they could connect with the swords.

It was annoying and also kind of depressing. I started to wonder if I was doing something wrong.
Was I misreading the deck? Missing a message?
Was the tarot just broken for me?

Now, with years of experience and perspective, I can see what was happening.
I wasn’t broken and neither was my deck.

I was just in a season where the mind–my thoughts, my stories, my fears, my need for clarity–was front and center.
And the suit of Swords? That’s its home territory.

These days, when cards repeat, whether a suit, a number, or a single archetype, I don’t assume I’ve missed the message.
I assume I’m in a longer arc with a deeper theme.
Not a 22-minute tv episode, but a full-length movie.

And rather than getting stuck in the repetition, I do something that helps me stay in relationship with the card.‍

Tarot Practice

When a card keeps showing up, it can be helpful to look at the different facets of what that card is trying to express. 

An easy way to do this is to pull a second card and ask: What’s the deeper message or meaning of the card I just pulled?
 

Try to avoid the temptation of looking at the card like it’s a puzzle to solve. Instead, use this prompt to stay in conversation with it and notice what shifts when you look at a specific facet of the meaning.

You don’t need a new deck. Just the willingness to stay curious even when the card is not saying what you hoped to hear.

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If there’s a card that keeps showing up for you or one that won’t leave you alone lately, I’d love to hear which one it is. Let me know.

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