How to Do a Love Tarot Reading for Yourself (Step by Step)
By Aimee Friedrich — Black Salt Tarot
Love is the most common topic that comes up in tarot readings. And it makes sense — matters of the heart are where we most need clarity, and where our own judgement is most likely to be clouded by hope, fear, or wishful thinking.
The good news is that you don't always need to book a professional reading to get insight on your love life. With the right spread and a clear intention, you can read for yourself.
Here's how.
Before You Begin — A Word on Reading for Yourself
Reading tarot for yourself on matters close to your heart requires one thing above all else: honesty.
It's very easy when reading for yourself to unconsciously select the interpretation of a card that feels most comforting rather than most truthful. The temptation to see what you want to see is real.
The antidote is intention. Before you begin, take a breath, and genuinely commit to receiving whatever the cards show — not just the parts you want to hear. If you can hold that intention, self-reading on love can be incredibly powerful.
What You'll Need
Your tarot deck
A quiet space where you won't be interrupted
A journal or notebook to record your reading
An open, honest mind
Setting Your Intention
Before you shuffle, take a moment to ground yourself. Take three slow breaths. Hold your deck in both hands and set a clear intention — something like:
"I ask for honest, clear guidance on my love life. I am open to receiving whatever truth serves my highest good."
Then begin to shuffle.
The 5-Card Love Spread
This is one of my favourite spreads for love readings because it gives a complete picture without being overwhelming.
Card 1 — Your current energy in love
This card represents where you are right now emotionally. What energy are you bringing to your love life? Are you open and available, or carrying walls from past hurt?
Card 2 — The energy of the other person (or the relationship)
If you're reading about a specific person or relationship, this card speaks to their energy or the current state of the connection between you.
Card 3 — What is blocking love right now
This is often the most revealing card in the spread. What is standing between you and the love you want? It might be an external circumstance, but more often it's an internal pattern — a belief, a fear, a wound that hasn't fully healed.
Card 4 — What the relationship needs
Whether it's a new or existing relationship — what does it need most right now to thrive? Communication, space, commitment, honesty, healing?
Card 5 — The likely outcome if you continue on your current path
This is potential, not destiny. The cards show you the most probable direction based on current energy. Your choices and actions can always shift this.
Interpreting Your Reading
Once you've laid the cards, take a moment before interpreting each one. Look at the imagery. What do you feel before you even reach for a meaning?
Then look at the cards as a whole before breaking them down individually. Is the spread predominantly warm and positive? Is there tension or conflict in the energy? Are there lots of Major Arcana cards — suggesting this situation carries significant weight in your soul's journey?
Work through each card in order, writing your interpretation in your journal as you go. Don't overthink it — your first instinct is almost always the most accurate one.
Common Love Tarot Questions
"I keep drawing the same card when I read about this person — what does that mean?"
A card that repeats across multiple readings is asking for your full attention. It's a message your higher self is insisting you receive. Sit with it. Ask it what it needs you to understand.
"The cards seem negative — does that mean the relationship is doomed?"
No. Challenging cards in a love reading are pointing to what needs attention, not announcing failure. They're an invitation to address something, not a verdict.
"I can't be objective when I read for myself — what should I do?"
This is when a professional reading is worth every cent. When you're too close to a situation to read it clearly, having someone with no emotional investment in the outcome read for you gives you the clarity you can't access yourself.
If you'd like me to read on your love life personally — without the bias that can come from reading for yourself — I'd love to help.
[Book a love reading with Aimee → blacksalttarot.com/book-appointment]
Black Salt Tarot — honest, intuitive tarot readings online and in-person NSW.
