We all become tarot readings for the same reason. At some point, early in our introduction to tarot, there was a moment when tarot spoke the poignant, unmitigated truth to us in a way that was enlightening and healing.

Yet, there is another unavoidable shared moment with tarot that can shake our faith in the tarot reading process, or at least in our ability to be great readers for ourselves, and/or for others.

That moment is when a card, or a group of cards, appears to make absolutely no sense in the context of the question you asked, or the spread position in which the card(s) appear.

In that moment, it is easy just to give up.

Rather than walking away in exasperation, there are many better things to do. Social media tarot study groups and your tarot meetup friends can be very helpful in offering their opinions when you ask for help with interpretations. You might find your answer there!

However, some readings are too private and personal to share with dozens of your closest friends. Sometimes group members are so dogmatic in their own interpretation style that they don’t have the skill to help you think outside the box. Other than asking for that group support, what can you do in the moment when the cards don’t make immediate sense?

The first step is not to panic. Sometimes the cards read easily, sometimes we have to dig in. That process of digging in, though frustrating, can actually offer us the most profound tarot experiences if we are willing to be patient and open-minded.

If you are ready to dig into a seemingly nonsensical tarot reading, here are three steps you can try. With patience and persistence, the messages you receive will almost certainly be worth your effort. As with many things in life, the more effort you put into interpreting your tarot cards, the more rewarding your experience can be.

Research Card Meanings

Each tarot card can mean a variety of things. Whatever you have learned about a card is only a fraction of its possibilities.

Use these experiences as a time to expand your knowledge of the card, rather than being frustrated that what you have already learned about the card doesn’t fit. A simple internet search will give you many new perspectives.

Consider What Questions the Card May Be Asking

Very often the cards point the way to better questions, rather than answering the questions asked.

Perhaps the card that comes up in answer to your question is offering more information about the problem without answering the question. Maybe the card is helping you to rephrase the question.

Perhaps the card’s purpose is to get you to question your original premise, or to look at things from a different perspective.

Look at the Picture

Sometimes tarot speaks to us in a completely visual way. Sometimes, rather than thinking about traditions and classic interpretations, we simply need to allow ourselves to see what we see in the picture, at that moment, while considering our question.

Sometimes these oddball cards might cause us to question whether or not we should be reading tarot, or what the efficacy of tarot really is.

It is usually better to trust that the cards have something true to say. What we learn from the process of digging for that truth can be astounding.