Yes or No Tarot Card Reading

What this little deck does

This short game contains sixteen written responses: seven yes cards, six no cards and three maybe cards. It first chooses an answer group, then a phrase within it. The chances are 40% yes, 40% no and 20% maybe, regardless of the question you hold in mind.

The card artwork sets the scene; the written response is the result. This game does not shuffle a complete deck or separately select upright and reversed positions. Those words, when present, belong to the response. Recent phrases are avoided where possible to give the wording some variety.

The responses you may meet

• Yes: The Sun, The Star, The World, The Lovers, The Empress, Ace of Cups and Ace of Wands.
• No: The Tower, The Devil, Three of Swords, Ten of Swords, The Moon and Five of Pentacles.
• Maybe: The Hanged Man, The Hermit and The High Priestess.

These are the groupings used by this particular game. They are not a universal tarot rule, and a dramatic card name does not predict a dramatic event.

Try a reading about a creative project

Ask: “Would I enjoy making a small photo album this weekend?” If The Sun appears, write what sounds enjoyable about the project. If The Tower appears, name a practical difficulty, such as sorting too many photographs. If The Hermit appears, consider whether you want quiet time to work alone. In each case, decide using your available time and interest, rather than the card's verdict.

Keep something useful from the draw

Write down the response, your own reasons and one small next step. You can disagree with the card. Drawing repeatedly does not make a result more accurate, and the first draw is not more truthful than later ones.

Read the question-writing guide for more examples. For a different format, explore the longer tarot experiences.

Questions about this game