Timing with Tarot can be challenging if you don’t know what you are looking for. Some cards offer a timing as a part of their meaning- like the Eight of Wands, but most of them don’t.
In this article, you will find a few timing methods in Tarot that you can use when you ask the burning ‘’when?’’ question.
Asking the right question & Reading the cards first:
If the question you are asking doesn’t have a definitive outcome, you can ask a more specific question and create a story.
For example, to answer “When will I find happiness in my life?” question, we may first need to look at the “How will I find happiness in my life?” as there can be a single or a chain of events that can bring happiness.
Having a lot of reversed/negative cards in your reading can suggest that something is blocking the situation, so things may move slower.
The Hight Priestess and The Moon cards in Tarot generally don't reveal much about the timing or the outcome, so if you keep drawing them- it is better to trust your gut or leave the question for another time.
Why is it better to read the cards first before predicting the time? Let’s say you asked ‘’When will they text me?’’ and you received the Death and Hanged Man. With this combination, there is no use to look at the timing because the answer is probably a no- at least for the time being.
If you are new to Tarot or interested in learning more about the meanings of the cards, you can start here.
Minor Arcana Timing Methods:
Season Method:
Each Suit in Tarot is associated with one of the four elements which correlates to one of the four seasons- and it goes like this:
Suit of Wands- Fire- Summer
Suit of Cups- Water- Fall
Suit of Swords- Air- Spring
Suit of Pentacles- Earth- Winter
Days Method:
If the season method is not helpful for your question, you can also try this one:
Suit of Wands- Days
Suit of Swords- Weeks
Suit of Cups-Months
Suit of Pentacles-Years
Suit of Wands & Swords- Fast
Suit of Cups & Pentacles- Slow
Suit of Wands and Swords (or Fire and Air) are considered to be fastest in Minor Arcana. Then it is followed by the Cups (or Water), which is slower compared to them. And lastly, since crops take time to grow with the Earth element- Suit of Pentacles are thought to be the slowest cards.
Some of the Minor Arcana cards that can indicate time:
Aces: Aces represent new beginnings, and they can predict an event happening very soon.
Knight of Swords and Knight of Wands: These are the fastest moving knights of Tarot, so they can represent swift actions.
Eight of Wands: Things happen very quickly with this Tarot card- Generally in a matter of hours or days.
Seven of Pentacles: This card takes time, as it represents a situation that needs patience and effort.
Four of Swords: Rest and patience is needed, so things may move slow at this time.
Number Method:
You can also use the number on the cards to predict when an even will occur. For example, if you ask ‘’When will I find love?” and you draw Six of Wands and Six of Cups, this combination can suggest a time period between 6 days up to 6 months.
Major Arcana Timing Methods:
Major Arcana Tarot cards are a little trickier with timing, as they often represent divinely guided situations and life lessons.
Zodiac Sign Method:
This method uses astrological correspondence of each Major Arcana card to predict timing.
The Fool: Aquarius (January 20-February 18)
The Magician: Gemini (May 21- June 20)
The High Priestess: Cancer (June 21-July 20)
The Empress: Taurus (April 21-May 20)
The Emperor: Aries (March 21-April 20)
The Hierophant: Taurus (April 21-May 20)
The Lovers: Gemini (May 21-June 20)
The Chariot: Cancer (June 21-July 20)
The Strength: Leo (July 21- August 20)
The Hermit: Virgo (August 21- September 20)
The Wheel of Fortune: Four fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius)
The Justice: Libra (September 21-October 20)
The Hanged Man: Pisces (February 21-March 20)
The Death: Scorpio (October 21-November 20)
The Temperance: Sagittarius (November 21-December 20)
The Devil: Capricorn (December 21-January 20)
The Tower: Scorpio and Aries (October 21-November 20) (March 21-April 20)
The Star: Aquarius (January 21-February 20)
The Moon: Pisces (February 21-March 20)
The Sun: Leo (July 21- August 20)
The Judgement: Scorpio (October 21-November 20)
The World: Capricorn (December 21-January 20)
Answer to “When?’’ Question According to Major Arcana Tarot Cards
The Fool: When you make a leap of faith
The Magician: When you are ready to manifest it
The High Priestess: You already know when, trust your instinct
The Lovers: When you make a decision
The Chariot: Fast moving card / When you are determined
The Strength: When you believe in yourself
The Hermit: Slow moving card/ After a period of self reflection/solitude
The Wheel of Fortune: When the divine timing is ready
The Hanged Man: Stagnant, this situation will require your patience. When you change your perspective or surrender and accept.
The Temperance: Things may happen slowly. Patience and moderation
The Tower: Suddenly, unexpectedly
The Star: When you believe
The World: When the divine timing is ready
Final Words:
So what is the best way to predict time with Tarot? Every Tarot reader has a different way of predicting when an event will occur, so there is not a right or wrong way of doing it. As always, intuition is your best tool when it comes to Tarot. Use whichever method feels right for you.
Next: Tarot Combinations