The Way of the Tarot

I was doing a reading the other day for a friend, no really, a very good friend, and the reading was about nothing. My good friend said that they do not know what to ask the tarot because they are just stuck. Total blank, no question, no understanding, no nothing, just spinning in place confused.

So I said, like a good friend that I am.

‘That is ok!

You do not need to ask a question, just think about this while you cut the cards. Think about your stuck state and ask the cards for advice or clarity or whatever …’

They did that, and boy, oh boy, the cards were generous.

I decided to write about this because it was one of those WOW moments, when the cards are so spot on, that you cannot but be in awe of their abilities.

We did a three card draw, and my friend drew in order:

2 of Pentacles then The Emperor then the Knight of Wands.

The order is important because it carries meaning in itself, it guides the reading and the action.

Their meaning for this reading, briefly:

The Two of Pentacles appears when someone is juggling more than they admit, trying to keep multiple options alive instead of choosing one. It’s the classic dance of balancing priorities, responsibilities, identities, or desires while pretending everything is under control.

This card isn’t about confusion, it’s about hesitating to commit because letting go of one path feels risky. The stuckness comes from trying to sustain both options at once, which locks the person in place.

It signals a moment just before a real decision, not a failure, but definitely the root of the tension.

The Emperor arrives like a firm voice cutting through the noise, demanding structure where there has been none. He doesn’t offer intuition or signs, he offers rules, boundaries, order, and decisiveness.

For a stuck person, this card says that clarity won’t drift in by accident, it must be created by establishing criteria and choosing based on them. It emphasizes that the problem isn’t which option is ‘better’, but who is currently in charge.

Right now, indecision is driving the entire situation. The Emperor challenges that dynamic and insists that once you take authority over the choice, the confusion dissolves.

The Knight of Wands then bursts in with fiery momentum, showing what happens once a firm decision is made: everything speeds up.

This knight brings impulsive, eager, forward-moving energy, the total opposite of stagnation.

When structure is finally applied, the frozen energy unlocks and becomes action, passion, and drive. The card makes it clear that motivation won’t appear before the decision; it arrives because of the decision.

It’s a powerful reminder that staying stuck drains your fire, but committing to a path releases it, often leading to rapid progress that feels like, ‘I finally did it and look how fast everything is moving now.’

This reading boils down to a simple but demanding truth: the querent does not need more insight, reassurance, or signs, they need a decision.

The cards show that their energy is leaking through indecision, not lack of ability or opportunity. The moment they stop juggling and take authority over the situation, movement and motivation return naturally.

What to do next is practical, not mystical. Funny right? The tarot cards advising this.

Clear rules must be set for the choice instead of debating feelings endlessly. They need to decide what matters most, pick a direction that fits that criteria, and commit to it for a defined period of time. Then they need to act quickly, while the fire is available. Momentum will do the rest, but only after they choose.

Here my good friend was as the French say, bouche bée, or speechless with surprise, but the French version is more descriptive, as it literally tells you the person is left with their mouth hanging open in surprise.

My friend is a bit suspicious of the tarot, and mostly they indulge my passion for it because they are my friend, not because they think there is anything in it, but this time, I am really happy to say, the way of the tarot was able to surprise them.

After the reading settled in my friend started to panic.

‘I must make a decision now?’

I said let’s ask the cards, and we did and the cards replied with the Fool card, which is so appropriate and mind-blowing.

When someone panics and asks ‘Do I have to decide now?’ and the Fool shows up, the cards are saying yes… but not in the way you think.

The Fool is not about careful weighing or final guarantees. It is about a first step, not the whole journey. It says the decision doesn’t need to be airtight, justified, or future-proof. It needs to be started.

The panic comes from imagining the decision as a permanent lock-in. The Fool replies: relax, you’re not signing a blood contract, you’re stepping off the curb.

In the context of our spread, the Fool reframes timing. You don’t need to have everything figured out before deciding, the movement itself will clarify things. The Emperor set the structure, the Knight promised momentum, and the Fool now adds permission to begin imperfectly.

The querent needs to choose lightly, curiously, even a bit recklessly, but they need to choose. Overthinking is what they are being asked to leave behind.

So the answer is not decide everything now.

It is take the first honest step now, and let the road reveal itself after.

My friend gave a huge sigh of relief, and I must confess I felt a bit jealous, it was not often that the cards were so clear and conversational with me. But I was the reader and that made me proud, as it meant the cards were happy to talk through me.

My friend is ahhh, a bit long in the tooth, so they were happy to know that the Fool also points to new avenues and opportunities.

I need to check in with my friend, see how they are with their decisions, especially now with the New Year coming, it is the perfect time for more action please.