Tarot in Love Challenge

February cannot come quickly enough.

Thanks to some long-dead saint, February has become synonymous with love, so it seems only fitting to host a February tarot challenge based on the theme of love. Because my friend Elliot just launched his new book Tarot in Love, I thought I would draw some of my inspiration for the challenge from this loving guide to “consulting the cards in matters of the heart.”

I designed many of the challenge’s questions to help you as a tarot reader explore your relationship to love, as I would have with no additional inspiration. (See all of the tarot challenges on my blog here.)

But I was struck by Elliot’s introduction to his new book. He reminded me of the importance of love readings to the craft of tarot: for most readers, love readings are probably their bread and butter. And for many of us who are interested in exploring the psychological factors and shadows blocking our querents from achieving their heart-centered dreams, it can be frustrating to hear that common question, “When will my ex come back to me?” But if you were to ask your querent to focus on a more heart-centered question, they would think you were out of your mind. What could be more heart-centered than the feelings of lost love?

In my previous blog post, I talked about why you should honor this question while exploring the querent’s less apparent concerns, so I won’t reiterate that here. (See “Read Tarot Better with the How and Why Accordion” for more.) But Elliot’s book made me realize how important it is for us tarot readers to examine our own relationship to love readings, whether we read for clients or just for ourselves.

Love readings are part of the work of tarot reading. And even just as people sharing space with other people, we need to be empathetic to those who are going through the full range of emotions that get wrapped up in love.

With that in mind, I wanted to offer a simpler tarot challenge than my recent behemoths. Love is complicated enough without having to reference tables and charts. And taking regular breaks from your tarot deep dives is one way of demonstrating some self-love. In your days off, you can eat some bonbons or watch a romantic comedy or brew some ex-be-gone hex juice.

I wish you much love this and every month.

1. What do I know about love?

3. What do I believe about love in my own life?

5. What makes me fall in love?

7. How do I show my love for others?

9. When do I feel loved?

11. What roles do romance and intimacy play in my life? (2 cards)

13. How do I show my love for myself?

15. What makes me feel uncertain about love?

17. What is my relationship to tarot love readings?

19. How can tarot help me understand love?

21. What can past positive experiences with love teach me now?

23. What can past negative experiences with love teach me now?

25. How can I be more open to love from the world around me?

27. How can I demonstrate more love for the world around me?