Repeating Tarot Cards: What It Means And What To Do

What in the world… the same tarot card is showing up over and over again in your readings. You shuffle the cards and try again. Well bam, there it is again! Why is this happening and what are you supposed to do about it?

You will sometimes get a stubborn tarot card that keeps showing up in your readings. You feel it in your gut; there’s something special about this card. You know exactly what to do and what it means by the end of this article.

A recurring tarot card is a card that repeatedly shows up in your spread. You get the same card over and over again in a short time frame or during a specific phase in your life.

Recurring cards can also occur in readings for clients. You might notice that a client gets the same card in subsequent readings.

The readings do not have to cover the same topics. The focus of the readings might differ widely. 

There is no rule as to how often a card has to reoccur in readings in a specific time frame; the important thing is that you recognize it doing so. Your intuition gives you a ping that you need to pay attention to.

The same goes for decks. There are no rules it must be the same deck or alike. This phenomenon can be seen across decks. One day you might use the Orginal Rider-Waite deck, the next reading the Everyday Tarot deck, and so on.

There is no rule as to how often a card has to reoccur in readings in a specific time frame, the important thing is that you recognize it doing so. Your intuition gives you a ping that you need to pay attention to.

Sandra Törnroth

REPEATING SYMBOLS IN TAROT

Repeating symbols in tarot cards during a phase of your life is an indication that you are missing an important message. Recurring symbols are important messages that need to come through.

It works the same as repeating tarot cards. You should not limit yourself to only “repeating cards,” which I see in many forums. Not as many are talking about recurring symbols as cards.

Reoccurring symbols in tarot cards can be powerful messages but are easily missed. For example, during a period in my life, I tend to get cards with stars.

In retrospect, I understood that the message was to soothe me. I was experiencing challenges, and the cards kept saying that I needed to hold on to my hope. The star is a symbol of hope and contentment.

I was so soaked in feelings of despair and loss of direction that I almost had lost my inner spark. So now, when I see the star in my readings, I remind myself that there is always hope. And that it’s an essential part of my life to cling to it.

As you get more experienced, you will recognize these subtle hints. That’s why it’s a great idea to keep a tarot journal. You can go back to old readings and valuable insights over time. If you want to learn more about tarot journaling, I have written an article on the subject. You find the link to the article below.

I staged an example with reoccurring symbols in tarot cards in the picture above. In this case, it is the symbol of the Star. The Star card is here, but the main message isn’t necessarily the meaning of the Star. It might more be about the meaning of the Star as a symbol.

As we all experience symbols differently, they can mean many things. You have to dig deep and listen to your intuition. There are generalized meanings for some symbols in tarot, though. But don’t get hung up on them too much. The most important thing is listening to what it means for you.

LIST OF SYMBOLS IN TAROT AND THEIR MEANING

When symbols keep reoccurring in tarot readings, this list helps you decode the message you need to hear. The keywords are there to help you connect with your intuition. Let your gut feeling guide you.

Symbols	Meaning
Blindfold	Ignorance, hiding the truth, blind, disoriented
Castles	Protection, stability, wealth, defence
Cat	Psychic abilities, intuition, magic
Clouds	Truth, awareness, abstract thinking, translucent, instability
Crown	Mastery, achievement, domination, rules
Dogs	Defener, friends, high sensibility, honesty, loyal, shield
Fish	Ideas, holy, subconscious messages
Flag	Changes, disruption, wins, losses, battles
Fruits	Fertility, prosperity, lush, earthly possessions
Keys	Hidden, secrets, protection, key to a secret, wisdom
Lantern / Lamp / Light	Spiritual enlightenment, old soul, wisdom, guide, divinity
Lightning	Force, fear, danger, intensity, action
Moon	Subconscious, powerful energies, motion, force, femininity, cycles
Mountains	Challenge, stive, divine, strengthening, stability, magic
Pillar	Balance, wisdom, spiritual, praxis
Scale	Balance, judgement, karma
Shackles	Bonds, limitations, stuck, captive
Ship	Journey, travel, transformation, business opportunities
Star	Hope, beacon, sub- and uncouncious mind
Stream, water	Sub- and unconscious mind, deep intuitive powers, emotions
Throne	Dominance, power, maturity, rules, authority
Wreath	Victory, cycles, accomplishments, eternity

WHAT REPEATING TAROT CARDS MIGHT INDICATE

Repeating tarot cards are a strong indicator that you are missing an important message that you need to hear. A common cause for this is the Ego. The Ego wants to protect us from challenging truths or uncomfortable messages.

Another common cause is if you ask the same questions repeatedly. Even if you think you’re asking different questions, the focus of the readings may be the same.

For example, imagine you want a new job badly. You might ask the tarot what you can do to up your chances to get it. In the following reading, you might ask if you will get it or not. In the third reading, what experience will you have if you get the job… and so on. You get it. 

The reoccurring card or symbol might indicate that you still have a life lesson that you need to learn. Before you do this, you can’t proceed. You are stuck until you sort it out. 

Another scenario is that the card has great importance for your future and that you still have time to alter the course if you act in time. See this as a friendly warning from the Spirit Guides. 

KATE FROM DAILY TAROT GIRL’S INSIGHTS

When researching this article, I stumbled across the Daily Tarot Girl video on YouTube. I think it’s a great video that explains different scenarios in-depth. I decided to reach out to Kate and ask her about her insights and knowledge.

I asked Kate “What is the main cause for recurrent cards in reading?”. This was her take on the phenomenon:

If the same card keeps showing up again and again in your readings, it’s usually because you didn’t get the message the first or second time it appeared. Perhaps you need to go deeper into this card until you have an “aha!” moment and come to some realization. However, the card often reflects the energies that are most strong in our lives and so the reappearance of a particular card could simply indicate that the energy of that card is still present in your life. For example, if you keep getting The Tower, it could indicate that your experiencing a time of upheaval and chaos or if you’re always getting the 2 of Cups, it shows that relationships are at the forefront of your life right now.

Kate from Daily Tarot Girl

I continued asking Kate “What is the best thing you can do if you get recurring tarot cards in your readings?” 

Spend some time exploring that particular card. Let go of the usual “book meaning” of the card and go deeper. Imagine stepping into the card as if it were a doorway into another realm – take your time looking around and getting a sense of things, dialoguing with any characters, symbols or animals on the card. Notice what symbols stand out to you – what do they mean? What message do they have for you? Ask yourself this: does the card symbolize YOU? Or something that is blocking you that you need to deal with? Does it perhaps represent something you should be doing? Really take the time to look at the card from many different angles and feel which interpretations create a spark for you.

Kate from Daily Tarot Girl

REPEATING MAJOR ARCANA CARDS

Major Arcana cards are significant life lessons we need to learn to proceed on our life journey. Some lessons are easier to understand than others. Sometimes we struggle to overcome the challenges; sometimes, we figure them out quite quickly.

If you are getting a recurring Major Arcana card, it might indicate that you are struggling to get past a lesson you need to learn. Our Ego protects us and shields us from the truth at times. You need to figure out what is causing this blockage to confront it and deal with it. 

Below you find helpful tips and tarot spreads.

REPEATING MINOR ARCANA CARDS

Minor Arcana cards are everyday life lessons that you need to experience to proceed on your life journey. The impact of these events is not as grand as the Major Arcana cards but still essential to recognize and solve.

In my experience, recurring Minor Arcana cards often have to do with everyday routines that need to be changed or altered. It’s not the big decision as in the case with Major Arcana cards. 

Maybe you need to be kinder to yourself? Exercise more? Meditate and take time for self-care? It can be many things you’re Ego is hiding from you. 

Use a tarot spread to figure out what might cause the blockage so you can move on and proceed on your journey. You find helpful tips and spreads below.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET THE SAME TAROT CARDS REPEATEDLY

To break the blockage indicated by recurring tarot cards you need to identify it. Meditation, tarot spreads, and psychic readings are ways to unlock the message. You can use these techniques both for Major and Minor Arcana cards (as well as Suits, of course)

The first thing you can do is to evaluate the situation. Is there something you are missing? Sometimes we’re moving so fast in our everyday life that we tend to overlook the signals we get. 

Meditate to open up your heart and mind to receive the messages you need to hear. A calming scented candle, a quiet space, and allowance for your mind to wander free might be all it takes. Self-care and time to rest are very important to stay grounded and open for messages. 

In some cases, you might need to act more than tuning inwards. Knowledge without action might also cause this scenario. Challenging things in life can be hard to take by the horns. But without resolving the issue, you will never get past it. Often things are more manageable than we think; it’s just a hard start. 

Try to find the cause of the blockage with the help of targeted tarot spreads. Maybe you need some help from your Spirit Guides to move forward? 

Meditate on the tarot card stalking you. By meditating on the card, you might see new sides of it that you might have missed before.

Maybe you need a more profound knowledge of the card to understand the message? The meaning of tarot cards is personal, and you can’t learn all by reading a reference book. The card’s meaning is engraved in your inherited wisdom within. 

I love Biddy Tarot’s Soul Meditations. The guided meditations on the Major Arcana cards help you gain more profound knowledge about the meaning of the cards. The picture is from Biddytarot.com.

If you are stuck and can’t figure out what to do to figure out the blockage or message, a psychic might be able to help you.

Sometimes the Ego is so strong and prohibits us from breaking down the walls that a psychic is the best bet. Keen.com is the service I recommend as I know many of the psychics there. As always, it’s essential to find a psychic that is in tune with your specific needs and situation.

If you need any help, Keen.com is always there to help you. You get 3 minutes for free with the button below as I’m an affiliate. Use it to get a feel for the psychic if it’s the right one for you.

TAROT CARD SPREAD FOR RECURRENT CARD SITUATIONS

The first thing I try to do when experiencing recurring tarot cards is to break the blockage. Sometimes, reading with a targeted tarot spread is a great way to start.

The three-card tarot spread is focused on breaking the blockage so that you can deal with whatever situation you need to handle to proceed with your life journey.

This tarot spread is my favorite and it hones in on the root cause of the blockage that is hindering you from receiving the important message.

TAROT SPREAD FOR RECURRING CARDS

1. Why is the card reoccurring in my readings?
2. What message am I missing?
3. What can I do to release the blockage

IN SUMMARY

When a tarot card stalks you, there might be a message that you cannot hear due to a very stubborn Ego. The Ego is trying to protect you and shield you from feelings that might hurt you or are uncomfortable or challenging to you. 

It’s essential to break the blockage to proceed in your life journey. Easy ways to open your heart to the message are to meditate on the card or do a targeted tarot spread. 

Don’t give up if you don’t understand the message right away. Sometimes it takes a while to wear down the Ego. If you get frustrated or stuck, you can always ask a psychic for valuable insights.

THE DEFINITIONS IN THIS ARTICLE ARE BASED ON THE RIDER WAITE DECK AND SYSTEM.