The career tarot spreads on this site each do a different job. One is a quick snapshot for when you’re stuck. One is a shakedown for when the job doesn’t fit any more. One is a longer look at whether the work still means anything to you. And one is the full ten-card map. This page says what each one asks, position by position, so you can pick the right one before you shuffle.
I read for a lot of people in career changes and burnout, and the pattern is nearly always the same: they know something’s wrong at work and they can’t name it. A spread gives the thing a shape. Each position is a question, and answering one specific question about your work is a lot easier than staring at the whole of it.
Which career tarot spread to use
You’re stuck and need a next step: Career Catalyst, five cards.
The job doesn’t fit any more, or you can feel burnout coming: Professional Shakedown, seven cards.
You’re asking whether the work still means anything: Career Reflection, eight cards.
You want the whole picture, past to potential: Career Odyssey, ten cards.
Career Catalyst: five cards for getting unstuck
Use it before a performance review, when you’re thinking about a promotion, or when you’re asking whether to change jobs at all. It’s also the one for graduates and career changers who need a direction.
Career Catalyst Tarot Spread Breakdown:
Card 1: Current Position – Understanding your current role and its alignment with your aspirations.
Card 2: Hidden Opportunities – Spotlighting unseen possibilities for growth and advancement.
Card 3: Challenges Ahead – Anticipating potential obstacles for proactive planning.
Card 4: Strengths to Leverage – Identifying your unique skills and talents to maximise impact.
Card 5: Next Career Move – Defining a practical next step towards your career goals.
See the Career Catalyst tarot spread.
Professional Shakedown: seven cards for a job that doesn’t fit
Use it when you can feel burnout coming, when you’re weighing up a career shift, or when the job and your values have drifted apart. It’s also the one for anyone running their own thing and doing six jobs at once. By the end you’ll know whether this is a realign, a renegotiate or a reinvent.
Professional Shakedown Tarot Spread Breakdown:
Card 1: Current Career Energy – The overall atmosphere and defining factors of your current work situation.
Card 2: Hidden Opportunities – Unseen possibilities for growth and advancement.
Card 3: Challenges Ahead – Potential obstacles to anticipate, allowing for proactive planning.
Card 4: Utilising Skills – How to best leverage your unique skills and talents for greater impact.
Card 5: Work-Life Balance – Achieving a sustainable balance between professional and personal life.
Card 6: Career Satisfaction – Finding a sense of fulfilment and contentment in your work.
Card 7: Next Steps – Practical actions to move your career forward in a meaningful way.
See the Professional Shakedown tarot spread.
Career Reflection: eight cards for the meaning of the work
Use it when you’re questioning your role, planning a change, or need to see your direction clearly. It’s good after a big change at work, around a performance review, or whenever the job and the person you’ve become have stopped matching.
Career Reflection Tarot Spread Breakdown:
Card 1: Purpose – Your core motivation and drive in your current role.
Card 2: Duty – Your current responsibilities and how they resonate with your values.
Card 3: Talents – Key skills and talents you bring to your work.
Card 4: Resources – Tools, support, and resources available to you for growth.
Card 5: Fix – Areas requiring improvement or change for greater satisfaction.
Card 6: Release – What needs to be let go of to allow professional progression.
Card 7: Reflect – Additional considerations and insights for your career path.
Card 8: Reward – The ultimate goal or sense of fulfilment you seek in your career.
See the Career Reflection tarot spread.
Career Odyssey: ten cards for the whole map
Use it when you’re considering a promotion, launching a big project, switching industries or taking stock of the long game. It’s also the one for after a milestone, or when you feel like you’ve stalled and need a direction.
Career Odyssey Tarot Spread Breakdown:
Card 1: Career Soul – The essence of your professional being and motivations.
Card 2: Achievements – Past successes and milestones that define your journey.
Card 3: Strengths – Key talents and abilities that drive your career growth.
Card 4: Weaknesses – Areas for improvement or potential roadblocks to overcome.
Card 5: Hidden Opportunities – Unseen possibilities for advancement and expansion.
Card 6: Upcoming Challenges – Anticipated obstacles to prepare for a proactive response.
Card 7: Allies – Supportive people or resources to leverage on your career path.
Card 8: Adversaries – Potential opposition or negative influences to navigate.
Card 9: Advice for Advancement – Guidance on moving your career forward.
Card 10: Ultimate Potential – The pinnacle of what your career could become.
See the Career Odyssey tarot spread.
Before you shuffle
Decide the spread before you shuffle, and decide the question. “What’s going on with my job?” will get you a vague reading. “Should I take the secondment?” will get you a useful one. Look at the picture on each card first and say what you see before you reach for a meaning. The position tells you which question the card is answering.
Every spread above has a workbook, linked from its page: a page per position, the question written out and space for what you see. And if you’d rather have me across the table, book a reading and we’ll use whichever of these fits. Simply Spreads, my book, has over fifty spreads if you want more.
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