In The Cards You’re Dealt, Theresa Reed reveals how Tarot can help you deal when life gets real. Here’s one of her amazingly practical and illuminating spreads.
Words cannot express my love and admiration for the work of Theresa Reed, also known as The Tarot Lady.
Her new book, The Cards You’re Dealt: How to Deal When Life Gets Real, is an incredible resource, offering plenty of super useful and practical additions to your spiritual toolkit, especially for those times when you feel overwhelmed, heartbroken, or generally thrown for a loop.
Here are some inspiring snippets from the intro:
Imagine if we could face illness, death, caretaking, and grief with courage and compassion. Imagine how different the energy would be if there were love and acceptance instead of fear. Tarot can help turn these tender topics into a meaningful way to connect and mend hearts…
…Of course, life has many other challenges we have to navigate. Divorce, the empty nest, aging, and more. These experiences can be difficult, but we can find grace even in the thorniest circumstances.
I love all the spreads and advice in this book, and I find Theresa’s healing-specific descriptions of all the card meanings to be a priceless addition to my understanding of each individual card.
When I read the Three Things, Right Now spread, I was struck by how helpful it could be for those times when we know something needs to change, but we’re so frazzled or overwhelmed that we need a little help with figuring out just how to bring that change about.
I asked Theresa if I could share the spread with you here, and she said yes! So here you go.
The following is an excerpt from Theresa Reed’s The Cards You’re Dealt: How to Deal When Life Gets Real.
When life is overwhelming, I find it’s easy to focus on small steps. But three simple things can make a huge difference instead of doing a complete overhaul, especially when you have too many responsibilities and not enough breathing room.
Three Things, Right Now focuses on three ways to create ease. Here’s the spread:
Card 1: What is one thing I can take off my plate right now?
Card 2: What is one habit I can change right now?
Card 3: What is one kind thing I can do for myself right now?
Here is a sample of that spread I did in mid-2020 when I was on the crest of a massive flameout due to overwork and a new caretaking situation.
Card 1: What is one thing I can take off my plate right now? Ace of Pentacles reversed – Some aspect of my work needs to go. This reversal feels like a hand letting go of a coin; a stream of income may need to be pared down or released entirely. I need quality time so I can breathe.
Card 2: What is one habit I can change right now? The Devil – Oof. I know precisely what this is – wine! I always turn to wine and sugary things when I’m under stress. While they make me feel better temporarily, I also know they contribute to my extra weight and an overall feeling of sluggishness.
Card 3: What is one kind thing I can do for myself right now? Knight of Wands – Putting myself first. In general, anything I do for me right now will benefit my situation and my mental health. I think it might be time for a day spent at the spa or perhaps enjoying a quiet solo lunch date at the local foodie hotspot.
Shortly after this reading, I decided to stop reading Tarot for the public. I wanted more time to focus on my loved one and on writing. This decision was scary because I’ve been doing this for over thirty years, but it was one of the best choices ever. Suddenly, I had actual breathing room, which allowed my creativity to flourish.
Getting rid of the wine habit took a bit longer. Even though I knew it wasn’t doing anything for me, I was reluctant to say goodby. The Devil card, indeed! But once I finally broke up with wine, I felt much better…and found healthier ways to deal with my stress.
Practice: Try doing this spread every day for a week or a month. Notice if patterns are coming up again and again for you. If different things show up, let them go. See how much energy you can free up by using this spread.
Let me know in the comments if you tried this spread and how it went for you! And if you get the book, be sure to come back and bond with me in the comments about how great it is. I know you’re going to love it. 😊
If I do any divination, it’s usually going high up angelic guidance, pendulum, or oracle cards. I was guided to purchase a basic tarot deck and I was pleasantly surprised. The readings were spot on. I still had to look up the guide book meanings, but felt guided to my own interpretation of the barrage of images that accompanied the readings. It brought immense clarity and closure to the recent energetic fluctuations and happenings I’ve experiences. I wonder if this is a start of a journey with different types of energy and readings.
Redhen, yes I find working with the tarot to be so dimensional and deep. Glad to know you’ve had a similar experience!
I just ordered this book! However, I am more of an Oracle person. Do I have to use Tarot to use the book? If so, does she recommend any lovely decks, or do you? Thanks so much! I look forward to your response!
Tammy, you’re going to love it! I actually do recommend a Tarot deck for this one. There’s a nice intro in the beginning to all the card meanings, particularly with regards to healing and moving through challenging times, so even if you’re not experienced with Tarot, you can get started right away. My favorite tarot decks to date are The Witches Tarot by Ellen Dugan (https://amzn.to/3RnXVPx) and The Weiser Tarot (https://amzn.to/3RkKfok). The Witches Tarot comes with a stellar guidebook, so if you can only choose one, I’d start with that one. If you like the imagery, of course! Choosing a Tarot deck is a very personal thing.
Excellent! Thanks for the recommendations! I love Ellen’s books! You both are side by side in my go-to collection🥰!
Hey Tess! Just ordered that deck! Super excited to get the book and deck (with the guidebook!)
Thanks so much!
Tammy
P.S. ~ going to check out the coloring book too!
Woohoo! I have a feeling you’ll love it all.
Aww I love that. 😊
Do you recommend a how to book on how to interpret Tarot cards?
Cheryl, the first book that helped me actually start to understand the cards was actually the companion book to The Witches Tarot by Ellen Dugan. Bonus: you also get an awesome deck with it! Haha. Here it is: https://amzn.to/3uKiCfk. Another book that really helped me to learn was The Tarot Coloring Book, also by Theresa Reed. I colored every page, and it helped me get familiar. I also still refer to it for the basic overview of what the cards mean. Here it is: https://amzn.to/46Ce4VU. You might also like this video: https://tesswhitehurst.com/tarot-for-beginners-how-to-do-a-tarot-reading/
Thank you!