the power of a good question

hello, friends. my second book on tarot spreads, appropriately titled TAROT SPREADS, will be released into the world in exactly one month (!) on july 7th.

but not everybody is into tarot spreads — some people find them restrictive, overly complicated, or straight up boring. in fact, plenty of people don't use tarot spreads at all. some of those people are reading this newsletter at this very moment.

with that in mind, i want to tell you a little secret: this book isn't only about tarot spreads. at its heart, this is actually a book about asking really good questions, of the tarot and of ourselves. i want to help you get better at bringing your cards deep, potent, juicy, authentic questions, and to share some thoughts about this with you so that you can start right now.

but first, a quick little announcement — i'm extending my gold annual flash sale for new subscribers to the entire month of june! i know paid subscriptions aren't possible for everyone who reads this, but to give you a little peek behind the curtain: about 2500 people subscribe to devils & fools (thank you!), but only about 125 folks currently have paid subscriptions, and those numbers are dropping in our current economic mess. both this ghost newsletter platform and my website have large hosting fees, which i pay in a yearly sum to get the lowest possible rate (and this, dear ones, is one of the main reasons why so many folks can't afford to leave substack in spite of its horribly shitty owners — i'm glad to be on ghost but it is very financially challenging to operate this way!). paid subscriptions literally help cover these costs, along with podcast hosting and distribution fees, and real life things like food and rent and medicine.

i don't say any of this to make you feel bad if you can't afford to sign up for a paid subscription, truly — i offer so many tarot resources and monthly missives for free because i deeply believe that this work is important and should be as accessible as possible, and i will continue to do so. but this newsletter is part of my business and my job, and directly contributes to my livelihood as a self-employed person. if a paid subscription is an option for you, it would mean a lot to me if you considered taking advantage of my flash sale this month, or upgrading to a monthly paid subscription. (and if not, shares of my newsletter and work also make a huge difference!)

now, let's get to what you came for: help asking great questions.

if you've been reading my work for a minute, you might have noticed that i'm obsessed with questions: big ones, little ones, deceptively simple ones, deeply layered ones. i love the potency of questions, the ways that they can force us to challenge our own assumptions or reconsider what we believe or think more critically about what we we take for granted. everything i write, everything i talk about, is packed with questions of all kinds: ones i can answer, ones i can't answer, and ones i'm not sure even have an answer.

engaging with a good question can rewire your brain, change your perspective, alter the way that you approach something. it can open up a doorway that lets you examine something through an entirely different lens. and when it comes to tarot, a good question can be the starting point of a powerful reading.

this point, the power of a good question, is really what lives at the heart of my love of tarot spreads. creating a great spread isn't just about having a great topic or a fun spin on a classic idea. (although sometimes, that's all you need to do something really fun.) and using a great tarot spread isn't only about the nuts and bolts of understanding what each position means, or how they connect to each other, although these are certainly important too.

instead this process requires understanding how and why to break down a question into smaller pieces, so that the cards can tell a story, reveal new truths, and help you see your situation in a completely different light. a great question has the power to unlock deep insights, and allow you to understand yourself in a new way.

it takes real courage to ask a genuine question. asking a question implies an interest in coming to an answer, a curiosity about what is mysterious, and a vulnerability in admitting that we don't know something.

this is why the devil's advocate, both sides, just-asking-questions crowd is so disingenuous: because they don't actually want to know anything, and aren't expressing real curiosity. sincere questions imply a lack of certainty, which is a necessary step in any exploration, any expansion, any transformation. they're not a gotcha, or a way of proving a point — they are a humble acknowledgement that something is unknown, and a warm invitation to look a bit more closely.

change starts in the questions we ask, and the answers we eventually find. the process of seeking out those questions can often lead to much more, giving us endless, glorious pathways of discovery to keep wandering down.

one of the most interesting things that i've learned through teaching other people about tarot is that often, many layers of truth can be found just by examining the questions that people bring to the cards. it might feel like any question can work as a starting place for a reading — and in many ways, that's true! — but the ways that you consider your question, and the way you choose to frame it, and the truths that your question integrates, can tell us a lot about how you feel and what you want and what you're afraid of.

when we're brave enough to look at what's underneath a question, to question the premise and examine the foundations and poke at the assumptions, we often find something completely different, and utterly true, at the core.

don't believe me? let me prove it.

an example: say a client comes me and wants a reading around a relationship. (not unusual — lots of clients want readings on relationships.) specifically, they come with the question should i end my current relationship?

implied in this question are a few facts which i can immediately accept: that this person has probably been thinking about ending this relationship for awhile, that there may be a very valid reason (or several) to end this relationship, and that something is holding them back from ending this relationship in spite of their misgivings.

now, i could just do a tarot reading based on this question. if i wanted to write a spread, i could create positions for the current status of the relationship, for the querent's emotions about this relationship, for insights into the challenges of this relationship, for reminders into the positive aspects of this relationship, even for potential outcomes of ending the relationship. or if i wanted to keep it simple, i could pull three cards on what it would look like to stay in the relationship, and another three cards on what it would look like to end it. or i could repeat the querent's question verbatim and pull three cards from the deck and see what happens in a general reading, without using a spread at all.

but in truth, regardless of what the cards have to offer, i can see right within the request that this is a person who, for one reason or another, is already seriously considering ending this relationship. that truth is built right into the question — they wouldn't be asking if this option wasn't already present and feeling important.

this might sound really basic, or really obvious — but it's also a critical thing to acknowledge when you're crafting the questions that you want to ask the cards. because sometimes, the truths assumed within the question can get us halfway to an answer before we even begin our reading. (for example, if you're spending a ton of time wondering if you should end a relationship... well. you might have your answer already.) especially when you're pulling cards for yourself, this is an important first step in recognizing what you actually want to know, or explore, or consider.

now, there's nothing wrong with any of the suggestions i shared for our hypothetical client above. this is a deeply reasonable and common relationship question, and using the tarot in the ways i mentioned can offer plenty of insights into how this client is thinking about their current partner, what their struggles are, and what the potential outcomes might be for either staying or going.

but we could also go further.

by literally asking this client what's going on, why they're considering leaving, and what isn't working about the relationship, maybe i find out that they started seeing this person at a low point in their life, and fell into the relationship almost by accident. maybe i find out that there isn't much of an emotional connection, or that the physical intimacy between them has been lacking for awhile, but they like the comfort of having a partner and sharing a living space. maybe i find out that they aren't sure that anyone else would be interested in dating them, and would rather stay in an imperfect relationship than be single.

now we've got way more to work with. not only do i have more context and understanding for what brought my client to me in the first place, but we can keep digging, and put together a spread that actually addresses all of those issues. just having this conversation tells me that this client isn't particularly interested in staying in this relationship — but it might become clear that they are afraid of being alone, of being unlovable, or of being in the only person they know who isn't in a romantic relationship. they might prefer to be coupled up, even if the person they're with doesn't meet their needs or feel like part of their long-term future. for this imaginary client, this particular relationship question is a symptom of something else, and what's underneath the question of should i end my relationship are actually bigger, more tender questions of desirability, connection, and contentment.

knowing all of this, perhaps we'd eventually land on a tarot spread like this, which i'd read for them within their romantic life specifically but which could also work as a general spread for anyone grappling with a tough truth:

this spread explores a completely different question than what the client initially suggested. and yet, we're actually getting to the heart of this client's issue — that they long for a deeper and more intimate connection with another person, that they are afraid to take a risk or try something different, that their current relationship isn't satisfying their needs. with honesty and vulnerability, we're now really getting into what created this situation in the first place, and are giving this client real insights into what might help them — not only in this particular relationship, but also in the decisions that they make about their love life for the long term.

not every consultation goes this way. sometimes, the first question really is the whole question. but nine times out of ten, with myself and with clients, i find that a little extra digging and some willingness to be fully honest reveals many more layers of truth underneath the initial query, leading to questions that actually address the issue and create opportunities for deeper self-discovery, understanding, and authenticity.

and this, my friend, is what my second book is really about.

i want you to be empowered to bravely ask bold, true questions of your tarot cards. i want you to feel confident digging deep and creating a narrative in your personal tarot readings. and i want you to know how to adapt existing tarot spreads to ensure that you actually get your needs addressed every single time you come to the cards, so that you always know what kind of conversation you're going to have with the tarot in your readings.

TAROT SPREADS is all about helping you ask great questions that can lead to real answers, and i can't wait to hear about the truths that you find in your own practice through this work.

want a free sneak peek of the first few pages of my next book? click right here to check it out! want a free copy of my latest tarot spreads collection? click here to share your proof of purchase and get your discount code! preorders are a huge help for authors, since they let publishers know that people really do want to read what we write. if you haven't preordered TAROT SPREADS yet, click here to order via bookshop.org or request it at your local bookstore and library. and if you want a signed copy of either of my books, order from astoria bookshop and make a note in the comments when you check out.

lastly! if you'd love to work with me one-on-one to develop custom questions and spreads that help you navigate this kind of work in your own personal tarot practice, check out spread architect. this mini mentorship includes monthly consultations with me, where we'll work together to create a personalized tarot spread based on your needs, preferences, and current challenges. if a full-blown tarot mentorship isn't in the budget but you're ready to expand your personal practice and challenge yourself in your readings, spread architect is perfect for you.

thank you so much for reading, and i can't wait to share TAROT SPREADS with you on july 7th!