The cards that still make me pause
Even after years of working with tarot, there are still a couple cards that make me sigh when they show up.
For me, it’s The Hierophant and The Lovers.
With The Hierophant, I sometimes get that flash of structured religion, old traditions, and rigid rules. I grew up Catholic, so there’s baggage there. If I’m using a traditional deck, there’s often a little internal pushback.
But when I pull it in a deck like Light Seer’s, where the figure is joyful and expansive and the card feels like an invitation rather than a warning, I relate to it differently.
The Lovers? Honestly, it just never clicked for me, until I let go of the pressure to make it about love or relationships.
When I started reading it as a card about alignment, harmony, or big-choice moments, it started to feel more useful–like it had something real to offer me.
And that’s what I’ve learned over time:
You don’t have to force every card to "make sense" right away.
And you definitely don’t have to use all the traditional meanings every time they come up.
When I pull a card I struggle with, I ask:
What’s one word or phrase that stands out right now?
Sometimes that’s all you need to unlock what the card is trying to offer because tarot isn’t about mastering all 78 cards. It’s about staying in relationship with them as you grow.
Tarot Practice
✨ Pick one card that you often resist, skip, or second-guess.
✨ Ask yourself: What’s one word, image, or emotion that stands out right now?
✨ Let that be the starting point. No need to get it “right.”
Just stay in conversation with the card. See where it leads.
And if a particular card always makes you groan or if something came up for you in today’s practice, I’d love to hear. Message me here and tell me what card you wrestle with most.
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