Repeating Cards In Your Readings, What Does It Mean?

If you read Tarot regularly for yourself, you may have noticed repeating cards popping up. Repeating cards in your readings is very common, but they can be hard to decipher for yourself. 

I always imagine that repeating Tarot cards are shouting at me. Like when you write something in all caps to make a point. But, it really depends on the context of the reading. 

Below, I’ve pulled together some common FAQs to help you decipher what repeating Tarot cards means for you.  

What do repeating Tarot cards signify? 

If you’re thinking ‘Why do I keep getting the same Tarot cards?’ then there may be something that you are avoiding or that is still to be processed. 

When we think of Tarot as energy, it becomes easier to understand why certain cards are hanging around. A card holds a certain kind of energy and if it keeps showing up time and time again, it means that the energy is still there. 

If you interpret the card as something negative, then it could mean you’re yet to process or overcome this energy. 

If you interpret the Tarot card as something positive, it may need a bit longer to come to fruition or it may need to hang around for a bit longer for your benefit. 

When you get repeating cards in your readings, make a note of them. Make sure to really dive into them through journaling, to better understand what messages are trying to be delivered. 

What does it mean if I get repeating numbers in a Tarot reading? 

Numerology is one of the key theories we use to interpret the Tarot cards. Messages trying to be delivered through numerology will often appear as repeating numbers. Think about angel numbers like 1111 and what that signifies. 

In the Tarot it means something very similar. All twos for example may be interpreted as big decisions needing to be made or even a better balance to be struck. 

Example: 

Getting a Two of Wands, a Two of Swords and Two of Pentacles could suggest a need to better balance mind, body and mental well-being.  

Treat your repeating numbers in a Tarot reading in the same way as angel numbers. It can help you to interpret them more clearly. 

Another example would be if you got all Aces in your reading all at the same time. Aces equal one in the Minor Arcana, meaning that they represent 1111. You can apply the angel number’s properties to your reading and see what you discover. 

What does it mean if I get repeated Major Arcana cards in each reading? 

The Major Arcana cards represent the major archetypes we encounter on our journey through life. If a specific archetype keeps appearing for you, it is a powerful presence in your life right now. 

The archetypes usually show up when something needs to shift. It might be something within ourselves or something within our material world. We’re never the same after encountering an archetype. 

I like to visualise the archetype on the card standing in my way. It will block me from moving past, which gives me the opportunity to ask why. I can spend some time with just that card and journal with it, finding the answers as to why this archetype is refusing to move. 

What does it mean if I get repeating Minor Arcana suits in my readings?   

There are a few different ways that the Minor Arcana can repeatedly show up. It may be in the form of suits, numbers or a single specific card. 

The most common is the suit. Getting the same suit time and time again in your readings shows you where your energy is sitting. 

• If you have an abundance of cups, your energy is sitting in your heart space 

• If you keep getting swords, then your energy is in your head space 

• If you are getting more wands, then your energy is in your sacral and solar plexus space 

• Finally, if you continuously get pentacles, then your energy is firmly in your root chakra space

You may get the same Minor Arcana card time and time again. This means that there is some sort of challenge or lingering energy that needs to be dealt with. 

Think about all the reasons why something may hover over us. It may be waiting, it might not be able to pass us by for some reason or it may be watching over us to keep us safe. 

Whenever you get a repeating Minor Arcana card ask yourself ‘Why might this be hanging around right now?’.

Think of repeating cards as house guests. If this card was a person who knocked on your door, what might they want? 

Are they welcome or unwelcome? Why is that? Start to dig into your relationship with that card’s energy in order to find the answers. 

The very best way to understand repeating cards in your readings is…

Tarot journaling. Keep a written record of all the readings you do and make sure to check back in with old readings to see if anything is reoccurring. 

You will never remember everything you experience in your readings. Memory is fickle, but the written word is concrete. It can more accurately portray information as it was at that exact moment. It also means you can look back on readings and find new meanings behind them. 

To help with this, make sure to take a look at my digital Tarot journal. My Tarot journal has been designed with weekly readings in mind and incorporates monthly check-ins too. It’s the perfect way to start and create a continuous Tarot reading practice.

How to Use Tarot For Self-Reflection

Knowing how to use Tarot for self-reflection can blow personal development wide open. We are so disconnected from the self in these modern times, Tarot allows us to come back home to who we are at our core. It illustrates the soul. It shows you what you can’t see. It allows you access to the deepest parts of your psyche. 

But, how do you go about interpreting the cards? What do you need to be aware of and what are the practicalities of it? Do you need a daily draw? 

Use the Major Arcana to Understand Your Reactions 

The first 22 cards of a Tarot deck are the major arcana. These cards are the archetypal energies we come across as we move through life. These archetypes can make us face aspects of ourselves, ask questions and help us see the reality of a situation. 

You can use the major arcana for self-reflection by stepping toe to toe with its energy. Challenge it. Think about what you would do if this energy was a physical being in front of you. How would you confront it? What conversations would you have? Would your opinions differ or align? 

When we use the major arcana in this way, we can start to see how we would react. For example, you have just been offered two different jobs, both of which will take you down two different paths in your career. For guidance, you pull The Hermit major arcana card. 

The Hermit in this instance could be asking you whether you are thinking about what will benefit more than just your bank account. It may help you realise that there is actually a very clear and obvious answer to this tough decision. You go with the option that not only makes you feel like you’ll have a purpose but also the one that supports you in all areas of life. 

Maybe one of these options offers you more flexibility with your time, allowing you the freedom to pursue more personal interests. Maybe the same option is in a sector that interests you more. 

The self-reflection that comes with the major arcana is the reflection of our options. We can easily become blinded by tunnel vision. Something often created by fear, doubt and limiting beliefs. The archetypes in the majors, therefore, come up to us to help us confront those things and move past them. 

Use the Minor Arcana to Plan and Execute Your Actions 

When using Tarot for self-reflection, we can use the minor arcana to pull a plan together. After the major arcana has shown us the truth of our reactions, the minors can help us see what actions we’re willing to take. And, more importantly, which ones we aren’t. 

Too often people use self-reflection as a tool for procrastination. Endless introspection does nothing to move us forward or allow us to grow. It’s the actions we take after these moments of reflection that really get the work done. 

The minor arcana helps us reflect on our plans, strategy and actions. It helps us understand what to do and in some cases, why we’ve already done what we’ve done. 

The four key elements, air, fire, water and earth, are the tools of creation. So there’s no wonder they are present within the minor arcana in the Tarot. Laying out these four tools for us, we can get a better idea of what tools we’re most drawn to. 

If we use the example from above about the job decision, we can now apply the minors to it. Doing so, we are offered a number of different tools we can use to get the job done and get that job accepted and underway. Which tool you decide to use can say a lot about you as a person. For example (and these are just my feelings, yours may be different):

• If you feel more drawn to the fiery energy of the wands, you are a person of action. You don’t like to wait around or dilly-dally, you want to get shiz done. 

• If you feel more drawn to the gentle energy of the watery cups cards, then you will probably lead from the heart. Making decisions based on how they make you feel and what your intuition is telling you to do. 

• If you feel more drawn to the gusty air cards of the swords, then you are a planner and strategist. You’ll never take action without having a roadmap first to go off.

• If you feel more drawn to the very stable and comfortable earth energy of the pentacles, then you’re not a risk taker. You like to use the skills you’ve already mastered and stay in your lane. 

Not only do your feelings towards the minors allow you to self-reflect on what type of person you are, but they can also identify imbalances. For example, if you are more drawn to the air energy of the swords, but in the past, this approach hasn’t worked that well for you, there may be a need to rebalance and use more grounding earth energy this time.  

Use the Court Cards to Step Into a Different Perspective 

As well as the major and minor arcana cards, you can also use the Tarot court cards for self-reflection. The way that I read the courts is as dual energies. This is based on Tarot reader Melinda Lee Holm’s teachings. 

When we’re sitting down to use the Tarot for self-reflection, we are coming to the reading already embodying one of the court cards. Should we get a court card in our Tarot reading, then we have to then ask the question “Is this me now? Or is this who I should be?”. 

Really immerse yourself in the energy of the card and see how it fits. A bit like trying on a new coat. Does it feel comfortable and familiar? Then it might just be a perspective and approach you are used to embodying. 

If it doesn’t fit quite right, it may be something you haven’t yet explored. Sometimes allowing ourselves to experience these new perspectives can help us see new ways to approach something. Sometimes it just confirms our original ideas and strategy. 

How to use the Tarot for Self-Reflection: A Tarot Spread

Tarot spreads are a great way of offering context and structure to your reading. So, to help you better understand how the Tarot can be used for self-reflection, here’s a ready-made spread for you. 

You will need to cut the deck and split out the majors, minors and court cards.

• Your first card will be the major arcana card. This will tell you what archetypal energy you are dealing with or moving through right now.

• The middle card will be your minor arcana card. This reflects your actions back to you so you can better understand them.

• The last card on the right is the court card. This shows you the perspective that you are taking and can help you understand how to see things differently in order to find solutions.

How To Use Tarot Cards

Tarot cards are a tool. They can be used to better understand our own psyche, explore our subconscious and be mindful of the conscious. When you pick up a deck of cards – like any tool – you need to know what you plan to use it for and what your ideal outcome will be.

Imagine picking up a hammer. You probably won’t get much use out of that hammer if you don’t have a project in which to use it. You may even end up thinking the hammer is useless and giving up on it. We need a project to use a tool and the same applies to Tarot.

When it comes to using Tarot, we are the project. It’s ourselves that needs work and using this tool will help us with this work. As a Tarot reader, I become a sort of contractor for the self when I work with clients. I come in to assess what needs to be done, and then I grab my tools and get to work.

How do you make tarot cards work?

The more receptive you are to hearing guidance and suggestions from the cards, the better they work. All the guidance the cards offer comes from divine guidance and subconscious understanding. If we are too close-minded to believe in divine guidance, we’ll struggle to read the Tarot.

Similarly, if we can’t be vulnerable and allow our subconscious to speak, then making the Tarot cards work will be tricky.

When people ask me how to read Tarot cards, being an open book is the number one suggestion. Sometimes being honest and vulnerable with yourself is harder than being vulnerable with others, so this is where many people get stuck.

Can you read your own Tarot cards?

Yes, you absolutely can read your own Tarot cards. In fact, that’s one of the primary ways I use my Tarot cards.

Reading for yourself is tricky though. Sometimes it’s easier for someone else to read your cards for you because they can tell you what you need to hear. When you do a reading on yourself, your brain will often try and spin things so they sound more like what you want to hear.

This is why you have to build the skill of stepping outside of yourself. To become an impartial and objective judge of your inner world.

All you need in order to do a Tarot reading on yourself is a spot to relax and meditate, a journal and of course your cards. The key to self-readings is to make sure you and your subconscious mind are as relaxed as possible.

The more relaxed your subconscious mind is, the easier it will be to give it a voice through the cards. Then, you’ll be able to communicate seamlessly with all the different parts of your psyche.

How to use Tarot cards for the first time

Whether you want to break in a new Tarot deck, or you are picking up a deck for the first time there are plenty of ways you can prep.

One thing that I love to do – and this is down to personal preference – is to sleep with the deck under my pillow before I use it. If you’ve got thin pillows then this may be less than ideal. In this case, you can just pop it by the side of your bed.

This helps you to connect the energy of your deck with your own energy. Sort of like creating a new bond, you’ll be able to swap energy and become more closely connected with it.

I always advise cleansing your Tarot deck before you use it as well. A deck can pass through many hands before it gets to you, so cleansing it just helps to give you a blank slate to draw from. Once your energy is shared and cleansed, you can get going with your reading.

For a new deck, you’ll want to give the Tarot cards a really good shuffle. The deck will come in chronological order so we want to mix things up as much as possible to ensure we get a good selection of cards. Once you’ve shuffled to your heart’s content, spread out your cards and get going with your reading.

When not to read Tarot cards

There isn’t really a good and bad time to read Tarot cards specifically. However, there are times that can offer you clearer or more organised readings.

Making sure your mental state is calm and ready to receive information is always best. As I mentioned before, putting yourself into meditation and allowing that subconscious to come forward always offers the best readings.

If you already feel frazzled, or like you can’t focus on anything in particular, it may be best to avoid reading. This is because you can end up just making yourself more frustrated and confused. I always find that my readings are pointless when I’m all over the place. A better use of time is taking care of yourself. You don’t need more information from the cards, you just need to destress and regroup.

If you’re as in love with Tarot as I am and want to know different ways to use Tarot cards, then you can take a look at my annual Introduction to Energetic Tarot course. Or, if you miss the deadline, why not take a look at some of my Tarot workshops and free masterclasses?

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