How to Interview Your Tarot or Oracle Deck
You’ve picked out a new tarot or oracle deck. Yippee!
Maybe you’ve been shopping for a while, bought it spontaneously, or it was gifted to you by a witchy friend. (If you need guidance on finding your first deck, read this.)
Whether you’ve been reading for decades or days, getting a new deck is an exciting portal.
What does it mean to “interview” your tarot or oracle deck?
Interviewing your deck means intentionally pulling cards to understand your relationship with the deck, its strengths and limitations, and how to best use it.
Why should you interview your tarot or oracle deck?
Interviewing is one step in building a relationship with your deck. It can result in more insightful, powerful, and accurate readings.
Your tarot deck is a powerful energetic tool that builds over time. You wouldn’t go into a new job or start a new friendship with no context, so why would we do the same with a new tarot deck?
Reasons to interview your deck:
FUNCTION: Not all decks are made for the same purposes. Some decks are great for your readings, others enjoy reading for others. Some are great for love readings, others are geared toward practical career readings. Some are better for serious topics, others for when you want to lighten the mood.
FEELING: Tarot decks often have a ‘vibe’. This can be based on their art, how they feel in your hands, and what comes up in your body and intuition as you handle and read them. This is unique to you. The more you can connect with the vibe of a deck, the better you will receive its subtle messages.
FOCUS: Knowing your deck before reading can give you an “energetic baseline,” so then when you do readings for yourself or others, you’ll be able to notice any minor shifts or significant intuitive hits.
When should you interview your tarot or oracle deck?
It’s up to you! Some tarot lovers prefer to interview their deck before doing any readings. You may also do a few readings to experience the deck before you interview it.
You can also interview your deck periodically, especially as your relationship grows and evolves. If you’ve been using a beloved deck for years, you can interview it today!
There’s no right or wrong time to interview your deck. Although I don’t recommend interviewing your deck more than once a month unless you’re varying the questions you ask. (See some ideas below!)
3 Ways to Interview Your Tarot or Oracle Deck
#1. The Single Card Pull
If you’re newer to tarot/oracle cards or don’t have time to do an in-depth reading, then a simple one-card pull will do. Examples include:
What will my relationship be like with you (the deck)?
What do I need to know about working with you (the deck)?
What is your personality?
What is your most important characteristic?
What are you here to teach me?
#2. A Multi-Card Interview Your Deck Spread
If you have more time, you can also do a multi-card pull.
The Seasons of the Witch has a fabulous Interview Your Deck Spread, shared below:
What personality does this deck have?
What is your (the deck’s) strength?
What is your weakness?
How will you help me grow?
When should I call on you for guidance?
What is the best way to work with you?
What will our relationship be like?
#3 Pull as you wish
Pick and choose the questions that most resonate with you, or come up with your own.
I’ve already been using my deck for a while; can I still interview it?
Yes! It’s never too late to interview your deck. Just like you won’t stop asking a friend questions because you’ve known them for a year, the same applies to your deck. I will regularly ‘check in’ with my tarot decks that I have used for years.
✨ Tarot Tip: Make sure to generously shuffle your deck if it’s your first time using it.
I prefer the messy shuffle for the first reading so that everything can get properly mixed up.
My messy shuffle of my This Might Hurt Tarot Deck
Example: Interview Your Deck Reading
I recently purchased the This Might Hurt Tarot Deck. These are the cards I pulled when I interviewed the deck using the spread from Seasons of the Witch (See Example #2 above for this spread)
✨ Tarot Tip: Before you start pulling cards, decide if you will be reading reversed (upside down) cards or not.
Example Spread: Interpretation
I read with reversals, so you’ll see those included in this spread. Rx is a common abbreviation for reversed cards.
What personality does this deck have? The Moon Rx
Well, shit. One of the most enigmatic cards in the deck! Its personality will be revealed over time. Even so, this wants to help release fear, create clarity, and help with uncertainty.
Update → I have since done a few readings with this deck and it has been especially helpful when accessing my conscious and subconscious mind, which is often represented by the moon card!
What is your (the deck’s) strength? Three of Pentacles Rx
Collaboration. Helping me understand the tangible and practical things I can do to collaborate with others and reach my goals. It may also be a deck I use with others or as part of a team/collaborative endeavor.
What are your weaknesses/limits? Two of Pentacles Rx
Fine, I won’t bore you! It might not be as skilled in helping with the trivial and mundane tasks I juggle on the daily, or when I’m feeling overwhelmed with daily to-dos.
How will you help me grow? Magician Rx
Dream big! To help me tap into my inner magic and creativity potential, especially when I am questioning it. It will remind me to ground those dreams into practical reality.
When should I call on you for guidance? Five of Wands Rx
Heard loud and clear – when I need a BS meter! Use this deck for guidance when I’m making things bigger than they are and need a reality check about what truly matters.
What is the best way to work with you? Temperance
Awww, what a sweet card. For those quiet, reflective moments when I’m craving peace and moderation.
What will our relationship be like? Death
K, you had to go there? My relationship with this deck will focus on transformation, death, and rebirth. It will help with clearing out what is working and heralding what helps.
My Deck Interview:
This deck will be a potent tool to help me especially when I need to believe in my magic, step away from the BS, and tap into what truly matters. It won’t be as helpful for more mundane/daily questions, but will be helpful in collaborative settings and situations. More of the deck's personality will be revealed over time.
You’ve interviewed your deck. What’s next?
Say thank you! Express appreciation or gratitude for the insights it revealed, even if they might not be clear at this time.
Record your cards so you can reflect at a later time. Some of the cards might not make sense until you’ve used the deck for several weeks.
Keep the relationship going! Try to use your deck as often as feels right in the coming weeks to start to build a relationship with it. When not in use, You might store it somewhere you can see it daily, study the artwork or meaning, or carry it with you on your errands.
Record your subsequent readings and keep track to see how it feels to read with this deck. Pay attention to how it delivers messages to you, any intuitive hits you get when reading, and how it feels to use it (i.e. exciting, light, frustrating, boring.)
Keep it, store it, or give it away. If this deck continues to be something beloved for you, great! If not, that’s okay. It’s okay to save it for later or give it to a friend who might like it.
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