Can you read tarot for yourself? Yes. In French, se tirer les cartes soi-même is how many people begin with tarot divinatoire. The challenge is not technique but objectivity: when a question touches you, you tend to read what you hope to see. A few simple rules keep your head clear.
Is it allowed to read for yourself?
Some readers say you "cannot" read for yourself, or that it is unlucky. It is not a rule of tarot but a caution grounded in a real observation: when you are deep in a situation, it is harder to look at the cards with distance. In our view, reading for yourself takes more discipline than reading for someone else. It is entirely possible, especially if you treat tarot as a mirror for reflection rather than a way to predict the future. Our guide to tarot for self-reflection explores that approach.
The meaning is already printed on the card, in French
When you learn tarot, you keep reopening a book. Here the meaning is printed in French on each of the 78 cards: a key phrase, four upright keywords, four reversed and a question to reflect on. Draw a card and its meaning is right in front of you, and you pick up some French practice along the way.
Pamela Colman Smith illustrations (1909), 7 × 12 cm cards. French digital guidebook included (PDF to print at home). Ships from our European warehouse.
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The cards to learn on
You can read about tarot for a month and still freeze when you hold the cards. A real deck gives you something to practise on.
Every deck comes with an electronic (PDF) guidebook for all 78 cards, upright and reversed. White 350 gsm card, matte, borderless; made to be shuffled badly while you learn.
Six rules for staying objective
- Write the question before you shuffle, and do not edit it afterwards.
- Ask an open question: "What should I understand about...?" rather than "Will...?"
- Describe each card before interpreting it.
- Draw once per question. Wait a day (or a week for big decisions) before returning to it.
- Keep a journal and reread it weeks later to separate insight from projection.
- Ask what you would tell a friend who drew the same cards.
If you are going through a hard time, talk to someone you trust or to a professional. Tarot supports reflection; it never replaces medical, legal or financial advice.
Which day should you avoid drawing cards? Why not Monday?
This French belief says you should not read cards on Monday. It belongs to oral tradition, and as far as we can tell no precise old written source establishes it. Two explanations come up most often. The symbolic one: the French lundi comes from the Latin lunae dies, "day of the Moon", and in traditional astrology the Moon rules emotions, imagination and changing moods, so some readers think of Monday as a poor day for reading. The practical one: Monday is back-to-work day, and a tired, stressed mind reads images badly.
Lists of "bad days" differ from reader to reader and site to site; we treat them as personal beliefs, with no claim that any is accurate. Our practical answer: the right moment is when you are calm, available and honest with yourself. Avoid reading when exhausted, angry, panicking, or asking the same question for the tenth time. If a ritual such as a full-moon spread appeals to you, enjoy it; just do not feel it is required. Our step-by-step guide to drawing cards covers the gestures.
Reading alone, with the meaning on the card
When you read alone, nobody whispers what a card means. The French-language learning deck (ships to the EU, UK, Switzerland and Iceland only) prints a question to ask yourself on each of its 78 cards, and when you read alone that question pulls you back to reflection rather than prediction. The full beginner course in French comes with every deck through a personal link after purchase; you can still learn with any deck.
Try it: a three-card solo reading
Write a neutral question. Draw three cards: what I feel, what I know objectively, what I can do. Describe each image before looking for its meaning, then write what a kind friend would tell you. Reread in a week. For the next step, see our 30-day plan to learn tarot alone and our guide on whether you need a gift to read tarot.
FAQ
Is it bad to have your cards read by someone else?
Not if you keep your distance. Beware of anyone who promises certain results, pressures you or asks for money to remove a curse.
Do the cards lie on certain days?
No. They neither lie nor tell the truth; you interpret them. Tiredness, anxiety or wishful thinking can blur a reading on any day.
How often can you read for yourself?
One card a day is a good rhythm for learning. For a single question, draw once and wait at least a day before asking again.
Where to go next
Not ready to buy? Take the free Your First Reading (first four parts of the course). Ready to read on your own? The full course is £16.99 — enter code COURSE50 at checkout. The code works until 8 November 2026.
