How to Predict Timing with Tarot

In the mystical realm of tarot, predicting timing has often been viewed as one of the more challenging aspects of card reading. While tarot is widely known for offering insights into personal growth, relationships, and future events, its ability to provide specific timelines can be particularly elusive. However, with a nuanced understanding and a few specialized techniques, tarot can offer valuable guidance on timing.

This article delves into the art of predicting timing with tarot cards, exploring various methods and approaches that can help readers gain a clearer sense of when events might unfold. We will discuss how to interpret the timing of tarot readings, from understanding the symbolism of specific cards to applying various spreads and techniques designed to uncover temporal insights. By integrating these methods into your practice, you can enhance your readings and provide more precise guidance on when key events are likely to occur in your life or the lives of those you read for.

One of the most common types of questions in tarot readings is "When?" When will I find true love? When will I find a job? When will I have children? People want to know when something will happen. The querent wants the tarot reader to accurately predict the timing of these significant events. Tarot readings can provide insight into events and guidance on how and when they might manifest. There are several timing techniques in tarot.

Timing by Card Meaning

One method for determining timing in tarot is to analyze the predictive meanings of the cards and use them to construct a narrative. This narrative focuses not only on "when" something will happen but also on "how," by understanding both when an event might occur and what may happen beforehand. The card is seen as a lesson the person needs to master in order to bring the event into their life. For instance, the Eight of Cups might indicate that things will happen when the person lets go of past relationship disappointments and releases their expectations. Another example is if someone asks, "When will I meet my future spouse?" and the card drawn is the Five of Cups, the answer might be, "When they overcome a previous relationship that led to disappointment." Similarly, if the question is "When will I get a promotion?" and the card drawn is the Three of Pentacles, the answer would be, "When they demonstrate their ability to work efficiently in a team." This approach does not provide a specific day or hour but explains what will lead the person to achieve what they desire.

In certain cases, a querent might ask when an event will happen, and the tarot might answer by presenting a card that symbolizes a life lesson they need to act upon.

Personally, this approach is preferred in tarot readings because it empowers the individual and encourages them to make positive changes in their life to achieve the desired outcome. It assumes that each person has free will, rather than a predetermined fate, and that their actions will shape their future. Furthermore, it suggests that the event may or may not occur depending on the actions the client chooses to take, putting the ball in their court.

How to Predict Timing with Tarot

Timing by Suit

Using the suits of the tarot can help identify specific timing in tarot readings. By examining the cards and their symbolism related to the seasons, numbers representing days, weeks, months, and years, and specific tarot cards that correspond to astrological signs, one can gain additional insights into when events might occur.

For example:

  • Wands: Represent days or spring. Wands symbolize action and energy, with fire moving quickly, so events related to wands might occur within a few days or during the spring season.
  • Swords: Represent weeks or autumn. Swords are associated with the element of air, which involves thought and deliberation. As such, they may indicate events happening within a few weeks or during the autumn season.
  • Cups: Represent months or summer. Cups are connected to water, which flows with the moon's cycles, generally completing a cycle in about a month. Thus, events related to cups might take place over several months or during the summer.
  • Pentacles: Represent years or winter. Pentacles are related to the element of earth, symbolizing growth and stability. Some seeds (representing pentacles) require a year to fully mature, so events associated with pentacles might unfold over a year or during the winter season.

Additionally, the suits of the tarot are linked to astrological signs:

  • Swords correspond to the air element and the signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius.
  • Wands correspond to the fire element and the signs: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius.
  • Cups correspond to the water element and the signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces.
  • Pentacles correspond to the earth element and the signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn.

By integrating these associations into a reading, one can provide a more nuanced prediction regarding the timing of events.

Timing through Astrological Connections

In the Major Arcana, there are 12 tarot cards that correspond to astrological signs. Drawing these cards in relation to time can indicate that the period when an event will occur aligns with the astrological sign associated with the card.

  • The Emperor – Aries
  • The Hierophant – Taurus
  • The Lovers – Gemini
  • The King of Cups – Cancer
  • Strength – Leo
  • The Hermit – Virgo
  • Justice – Libra
  • Death – Scorpio
  • Temperance – Sagittarius
  • The Devil – Capricorn
  • The Star – Aquarius
  • The Moon – Pisces

The remaining cards have their own timing associations:

  • The Fool – Spring season or 7 years
  • The Magician – 88 days
  • The High Priestess – 28 days
  • The Empress – 224 days
  • The Wheel of Fortune – 12 years
  • The Hanged Man – Autumn season
  • The Tower – 2 years
  • The Sun – 1 year
  • Judgment – Summer season
  • The World – 30 years

The Court Cards are also connected to astrological signs:

  • King of Wands – Aries
  • Queen of Pentacles – Taurus
  • Knight of Swords – Gemini
  • King of Cups – Cancer
  • Queen of Wands – Leo
  • Knight of Pentacles – Virgo
  • King of Swords – Libra
  • Queen of Cups – Scorpio
  • Knight of Wands – Sagittarius
  • King of Pentacles – Capricorn
  • Queen of Swords – Aquarius
  • Knight of Cups – Pisces

By interpreting these connections, you can gain insights into the timing of events based on the astrological influences associated with the tarot cards.

Tarot Reading for the Next Six Years

A unique method for predicting when events might occur is by looking at the next six years and using tarot cards to represent each year. To use this technique, shuffle the tarot deck and draw 12 cards for six piles, with a seventh pile for any remaining cards. Each of the first six piles represents one year, with the first pile for the first year, the second pile for the second year, and so on. If the question pertains to when something will happen, examine the pile with the relevant cards.

For example, if the question is about when you might get pregnant, look for piles containing cards like The Empress, Ace of Wands, Ace of Cups, The Sun, Nine and Ten of Cups, and Nine and Ten of Pentacles. If these cards appear in the fourth pile, it suggests that the event may occur in four years. If the cards are found in the seventh pile, it implies that the event may not happen within the next six years but could be in the more distant future.

Predicting Within the Next Twelve Months

To forecast events within the next twelve months, you can use the Aces:

  • Ace of Cups: First quarter
  • Ace of Wands: Second quarter
  • Ace of Swords: Third quarter
  • Ace of Pentacles: Fourth quarter

If you need predictions for the upcoming month, you can break down each quarter into approximately seven days.

Identifying Days with Major Arcana

You can also use the Major Arcana cards to identify specific days of the week:

  • Monday: The High Priestess (Moon)
  • Tuesday: The Tower (Mars)
  • Wednesday: The Magician (Mercury)
  • Thursday: Wheel of Fortune (Jupiter)
  • Friday: The Empress (Venus)
  • Saturday: The World (Saturn)
  • Sunday: No specific card

Three-Card Spread

For a straightforward timing prediction, shuffle the deck while focusing on the question, such as "When will I get a new job?" or "When will I get married?" Draw three cards and lay them out from left to right. Each card represents a timeframe:

  • The first card indicates the past.
  • The second card represents the present.
  • The third card shows the future.

Carefully interpret the cards to determine the timing for your question.

Adding Card Numbers to Current Dates

Another technique involves adding the card number to the current date. For instance, if you draw The Tower (number 16) on February 5th, add 16 to 5, which results in 21. This number suggests that a significant event or change might occur within 21 days, weeks, or months from the date of the reading.

Picture of Orit Raphael
Orit Raphael

Orit Raphael, Tarot Reader for Personal Guidance, Insights, and Messages

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