When I first started learning Tarot, I thought that becoming a good reader was basically just like a memory exercise, right?

If I could learn all 78 cards, memorize what they meant, and then recall those meanings at the right time, then surely I was going to be able to give a really good Tarot reading.

And for a long time, that’s actually how many of us learned Tarot and started to read Tarot, right?

You buy a book, you make notes, maybe you create some flashcards, and you study each card until you can really remember those keywords, the upright meanings, the reversed meanings, and all of the different ways that a card might show up in a reading.

But it could only take your reading so far, right?

Because what happened when you pulled a card and the meaning you remembered didn’t seem to fit the actual question?

You knew the card. You had studied the card. You may have even been able to recite the definition perfectly, but in that particular reading, you had no idea what to say.

And that really is the limitation of relying on memorization alone, because a truly insightful Tarot reading requires so much more.

And today, in these times, this is even more important because AI can now do the part that we once spent years trying to master.

It can recall every Tarot card meaning in seconds. It can explain the symbolism. It can interpret a spread. It can suggest how a card might relate to love, career, money, purpose, and almost any question someone asks it.

And it can go even further than simply listing meanings.

It can take the question someone has asked, combine it with everything they have already shared in that thread or conversation, and then generate an interpretation that sounds personal and highly relevant.

So memorizing card meanings is no longer the advantage that it once was for Tarot readers.

Now, that doesn’t mean card meanings are irrelevant. They still give us that essential foundation.

But if that is where your reading begins and ends, then I’m sorry, but AI can already do a lot of the same work, and you may quickly become irrelevant as a result.

So that actually creates a much more urgent question for us as human Tarot readers.

What can we see in the cards that AI cannot simply recall, look up, or generate?

And that’s the question I want to explore with you in this episode, because knowing the card meanings is no longer enough.

AI can already do that, and it can do it instantly, and it can do it for free.

Now, what’s going to set human Tarot readers apart is our ability to bring intuition into the reading.

To look at a card and recognize what it is saying for this person, in this situation, with this particular question.

And it means moving beyond simply reciting what the card could mean, and creating an insight that actually feels truly specific, relevant, and genuinely useful for that person in that moment.

It’s an insight that helps someone see something they may not have seen before, understand what might be happening beneath the surface, and recognize what they can do next.

And that really is the difference intuition makes when we’re reading and interpreting the cards.

It takes that general interpretation and transforms it into something so much more meaningful, more profound, and more personal.

It connects the message of the cards to the real person sitting in front of you.

And in that way, it allows the reading to become so much more than just information.

It becomes guidance they can actually use.

Now, I began to understand this a long time before AI entered the picture.

When I was first learning Tarot, studying the meanings definitely helped me. It gave me somewhere to begin when I turned a card over.

But quite quickly, I realized that knowing the definition of a card did not always mean I knew how to really read it in that moment.

Because sometimes a card would appear in a context that didn’t seem to fit the meaning I had memorized, and I would go completely blank.

Take the Four of Pentacles in a love reading.

If I relied only on the meaning I had learned, I might think about saving money, protecting resources, holding onto what you own, or being careful with finances.

But if someone is asking you about their relationship, that does not immediately give you much to work with, right?

You can’t simply say, “Okay, well, this person is saving money,” and expect to create a really meaningful insight into what’s happening between them.

But here’s the thing.

When I stopped trying to force the definition into the reading, and actually looked at the imagery and symbolism of the card, and activated my intuition, that’s when I started to see something different and more profound.

For example, with the Four of Pentacles, I could see this figure gripping tightly onto everything he had.

He looked closed and protective, almost like he was afraid that if he loosened his hold, something might be taken away from him.

And in the context of a relationship, that could point to someone who is emotionally guarded.

Maybe someone who is holding on too tightly.

Maybe someone who has an anxious attachment, who is overly controlling, or who is so fixed in their own position that they can’t fully open themselves to the relationship.

And when you start to look at the card in that way, the card comes alive.

The traditional meaning is still there. That idea of holding on has not disappeared.

But intuition helps you see how that energy is operating in this particular situation.

When I discovered that, it was a huge turning point for me, because I began to understand that knowing the meaning of a Tarot card and actually reading a Tarot card are not the same thing.

A card might have 10 possible meanings, but intuition is the thing that helps you recognize which one belongs in this moment, and which one is important.

It helps you notice the details in the card that truly matter.

It helps you connect what you see in the card to the person, the question they are asking, and what might be happening beneath the surface.

So AI can give you the card meaning, but intuition helps you find the message, the insight, and the true meaning.

And this is where I believe the way we learn Tarot really needs to evolve.

Here’s the thing. When I started Biddy Tarot back in 1999, yes, that long ago, the focus was on making the Tarot card meanings really practical, accessible, and easy to use.

A lot of my early teaching programs followed that same path.

They were all about helping students learn the cards, understand the symbolism, and build a solid foundation.

And that work absolutely still matters. It brings so much value and knowledge to our students.

But it is only the beginning.

What matters more now is helping readers move beyond memorizing meanings and learn how to activate their intuition as they read.

Because the real skill is not simply knowing what a card could mean.

It’s about being able to recognize what it means for this person, in this situation, at this moment.

And that starts with becoming present enough to notice what’s relevant.

So instead of reaching for the first definition you already know, you take a pause.

You look at the image in the card.

You notice what catches your attention first.

And you might ask yourself, “What do I see here?”

Or even, “What am I noticing now that I didn’t see before?”

And you pay attention to things like the figure’s posture, where they are looking, what they are holding, or maybe whether they are protecting something or avoiding something.

These kinds of questions help take you out of recall mode and more into observation, curiosity, and intuitive connection.

And this is often where the deeper level of insight truly becomes available.

Because again, intuition is not about abandoning what you know or just making something up.

It’s about using your knowledge as a foundation, and then allowing the card to speak to the specific question and the person in front of you.

So again, AI can generate a list of possible interpretations, but it is a human reader who can recognize which thread, which interpretation, is worth following.

But there is also another important part to this.

Your intuition needs to be something you can access consistently.

There are a lot of readers out there who have one reading where everything flows.

The insights come easily, they feel really connected, and they finish thinking, “Yes, this is what I’m meant to do.”

But then the next reading feels completely different.

Maybe they go blank. Maybe they second guess everything. Maybe they wonder if they are even intuitive at all.

And when that happens, it is easy to go back to studying more meanings because knowledge feels safer.

But often, what is missing is not more information.

It’s a reliable process for accessing your intuition.

And that might be a way of preparing before the reading.

Maybe it’s a set of prompts that you use with the card imagery, or even a repeatable framework that helps you become more present, notice what stands out, and trust the insight that follows.

The goal is not to sit there and hope that your intuition appears this time.

It’s to have the tools and techniques that help you create the conditions for it to speak to you every time you read.

And this is really where my teaching has evolved.

It’s no longer just about helping students memorize the cards or know what they mean.

It’s about helping them read the cards with intuition, confidence, and consistency, and knowing how to activate their intuition at just the right time.

Those are the skills that will give human Tarot readers the true edge in this changing landscape.

So here’s the shift I really want you to take away from this episode.

If AI can already recall every Tarot card meaning, knowing more meanings is no longer what’s going to set you apart.

Your value is what you can do with the cards.

It’s your ability to tune into your intuition, notice what matters, recognize the message beneath the surface of the cards, and then turn that into an insight that is truly specific to the person you are reading for, the question they are asking, and the moment you are in.

And that is the skill to develop now.

So I want you to take an honest look at your own readings and ask yourself, “Am I simply explaining the cards, or am I using my intuition to uncover something in a reading that the person could not have found by looking up the meaning themselves?”

And if you want to explore that a little bit further with the Tarot cards, then pull a card and ask yourself, “What will help me access my intuition more consistently in my readings?”

Then put it into practice.

When you pull that card, resist the urge to reach for the guidebook.

Pause. Look at the image. Notice what draws your attention. Allow your intuition to activate, and really allow the message to emerge before you start thinking, “Gosh, what does that card actually mean?”

Because you know that AI can give card meanings.

But it’s your ability to tune into your intuition and let that guidance show you the way, and what that card really means on a deeper level, that is where your value begins.

And here’s the thing. Intuition is only one part of what makes a human Tarot reader irreplaceable.

There’s something else AI can imitate but never truly experience, and that is human connection.

What happens in the space between two people, the listening, the trust, the ability to sense what is not being said, and to respond to what’s unfolding in the moment.

And just like intuition, it’s not simply another technique that you add to a reading.

It’s a way of being with someone, and that’s where we’re going to go next in the next episode.

So you won’t want to miss it. Make sure you subscribe to the Biddy Tarot Podcast.

Go to biddytarot.com/podcast or subscribe on your favorite podcast player so you don’t miss an episode of this series.

All right, my friend, I will see you in the next episode.

Bye for now.