4 Nov 2026
•
7
min read
WHEN SHOULD YOU NOT DO A TAROT READING?
Reading Tarot professionally for over 40 years has taught me something very important.
You don’t have to accept every client that comes your way.
From time to time, I’ll put the cards away. There are some people that I just won’t read for.
And this isn’t something to feel bad about.
Part of being a really good Tarot reader is having boundaries.
Tarot cards can reveal, predict, challenge, illuminate, and transform.
That’s why we need to use them with discrimination.
Let’s take a look at the times when you shouldn’t do a Tarot reading
CONTENTS
SIGNS YOU SHOULDN’T DO A TAROT READING
You’re human. You have bad days. We all get tired, irritated, distracted, and feel fed up from time to time.
A good Tarot reader will have enough self-awareness to recognise when their emotional state might interfere with the client’s reading.
I teach my students that intuitive information tends to arrive before the analytical mind interferes.
If your mind is noisy, it’s hard to hear your intuition. So always ask yourself if you are actually ready to receive information first.
If not, take a few minutes to breathe deeply, ground yourself, and quieten your mind.
WHEN SHOULD YOU AVOID DOING TAROT READINGS?
There are many reasons why people seek out the Tarot’s advice:
Love
Money
Career
Family
Purpose
Grief
Opportunity
Fear
And wanting to know about their future.
Unfortunately, some clients will want to put the responsibility for their life in your hands.
You must draw a line here.
The Tarot can answer some very difficult questions, but the reading should leave the client with clarity and more agency over changing their life for the better.
Make sure your clients understand that they are responsible for their own outcomes before they confirm their booking with you.
DON’T READ TO FORCE AN ANSWER
Make sure your client isn’t just shopping for the answer they want. This is a common trap that Tarot readers sometimes find themselves in.
Some clients want reassurance, not the truth. And sometimes the Tarot shares things the client doesn’t want to know.
Don’t keep pulling out cards until your client feels better. Trust the cards. Ask your client coaching questions so that they can make better choices moving forward.
Don’t try different decks, different spreads, and slightly different questions. You’re not helping anyone doing this.
If you find yourself in this situation, ask your client, “What are you hoping the cards will tell you?”
It’s your responsibility as a reader to spot the signs of someone relying on Tarot to make ordinary decisions or manage their anxiety.
Your client’s mindset should shift from “What’s going to happen?” to “What am I going to do?” Your job is to help them with that last part.
DON’T USE TAROT AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL, LEGAL OR FINANCIAL ADVICE
This is something to take very seriously. Get this wrong, and you could cause a lot of harm to your client and your reputation.
Use the Tarot to explore emotional and personal dimensions surrounding major life decisions.
Don’t use it to replace appropriately qualified professional advisors.
Never use Tarot to diagnose an illness or tell people to stop taking medication. Never use it to tell people how they should invest their money, or instruct their solicitor.
If someone’s question is in one of these categories, it's best to use the Tarot to help them get personal insights on how they feel about things, not what they should do.
You can help them explore questions like:
“Why am I frightened of making this decision?”
“What do I need to consider before taking the next step?”
“What am I not seeing clearly enough?”
This is where the power of the Tarot lies.
DON’T USE THE TAROT TO PRY INTO SOMEONE’S PERSONAL LIFE
Tarot cards are not meant to be used for psychic surveillance. Instead of asking questions like “Is my ex seeing somebody?”, use it to ask “Why am I still emotionally attached to my ex?”
Instead of asking “What does this person secretly think of me?”, ask “What is happening in this relationship that I need to understand better?”
Asking better questions leads to more healing and personal growth.
DON’T LET TAROT TAKE AWAY SOMEONE’S AGENCY
Tarot can predict, but the prediction isn’t set in stone. The direction your future takes isn’t inevitable. Your future is a set of possibilities. These possibilities are influenced by your patterns and the momentum you build up.
You can ask, “If nothing changes, where does this appear to be heading?” and bear in mind that your free will, other people’s free will, and outer circumstances can change the answer.
Use the Tarot to ask, “What can change the trajectory I’m on?” and there you will see possible futures. Futures that you can bring into being by making different decisions than you are right now.
Give your client agency. They should never feel powerless in their own lives.
WHEN SHOULD YOU REFUSE A TAROT READING?
It goes without saying that if someone is abusive, aggressive, intoxicated, threatening, or makes you feel unsafe, you should refuse them a Tarot reading. Your boundaries are there to protect you.
There are other occasions where a client becomes increasingly distressed throughout the reading. Or when they are demanding certainty from you and you know you can’t give them that. Or when they want you to decide on their behalf.
You must stop the reading if these occur. It would be unprofessional to continue. And the reading wouldn’t be very helpful to a client in that mindset anyway.
WHAT IF SOMEONE WANTS TO TEST YOU?
Now and then, you’ll get a client who says, “I’m not telling you anything. You tell me”.
As much as healthy scepticism can be a good thing, and we should want to keep testing the evidence we get from Tarot, these types of clients have other ideas.
They tend to want a battle. And whilst the client doesn’t necessarily have to believe in Tarot, they should at least have some respect for the Tarot reader. Otherwise, the whole experience is useless.
Work with people who are curious and want to change their lives instead.
THE REAL QUESTION
Whenever in doubt, ask yourself “Should Tarot be used this way?” The techniques you use matter. Your intuition matters. Your accuracy matters. But so does your judgement.
This is how you master Tarot. Not by asking what the cards mean, but by asking what the client needs from you.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
1. Know your own state. If you're emotionally overwhelmed or strongly invested in a particular answer, get grounded before reading.
2. Don't use Tarot as a reassurance machine. Repeating a reading until you get the answer you want isn't insight.
3. Don't create dependency. Tarot should increase someone's clarity and agency, not make them frightened to make a decision without consulting the cards.
4. Stay within appropriate professional boundaries. Tarot isn't a substitute for qualified medical, financial or legal advice.
5. Respect other people's privacy. Before trying to psychically investigate somebody else, look for the deeper question belonging to the person sitting in front of you.
6. Prediction should never mean powerlessness. A possible future is not necessarily an unavoidable future.
7. You are allowed to say no. Being a professional Tarot reader doesn't require you to accept every question, every client or every situation.
FAQS
What is the best way to use Tarot cards?
There isn’t a single correct way, but you must use them responsibly and intelligently. Powerful readings don’t just give out information; they change how someone sees their situation so that new possibilities become available.
Can Tarot predict the future?
They can predict trajectories, or possibilities, which change based on the patterns and decisions of the client, and external factors out of their control. Instead of asking what might happen, ask what could change what happens.
Should I read Tarot when I’m emotional?
You don’t need to be perfectly calm every time you do a reading, but don’t let your emotions be so strong that you project your fears, hopes, and assumptions onto the reading. Calm and ground yourself first.
What if a client doesn’t like what the Tarot says?
Don’t try to get a different answer. Instead, explore why the answer isn’t resonating with them.
Perhaps you’ve misinterpreted the cards. Perhaps your client is resisting something the cards are showing. Perhaps something is yet to be revealed.
Have confidence in yourself and trust what the Tarot shares.
How do I know when to end a Tarot reading?
Always end a reading immediately if a client becomes abusive or you feel unsafe. If a client is unhappy or distressed and the reading is no longer helpful, you can also end it. Serve the person sitting in front of you as skillfully and responsibly as you can.
READY TO MASTER THE TAROT?
The world needs more dedicated, masterful Tarot readers right now. If you want to take your Tarot reading skills to the next level, then check out Revolutionary Tarot. In this 8-hour online course, I take you through my exclusive methods to read, interpret and experience the Tarot.
You’ll discover:
How to feel the truth within the cards, instead of just interpreting Tarot card meanings.
How to master two popular card spreads and spot hidden messages most Tarot readers miss.
Go beyond the traditional textbook meanings and read from a place of intuitive flow.
YES! PUT THIS IN MY SHOPPING CART
ABOUT RICHARD KNIGHT
Richard Knight is a world-renowned Tarot reader and psychic medium. Over the past 40 years and through conducting over 80,000 Tarot readings, he has developed ground breaking techniques that have made him known as “One of the best Tarot readers in the world”.
He is passionate about bringing Tarot up to date and helping his students achieve mastery so they can serve others in a powerful, fulfilling way.
You can check out his online courses here, his live in-person events here, and sign up for his popular free Transformational Tarot Spreads here.
