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Card readings change based on the time of day!
By Miriam Slozberg — Written on Jun 18, 2022
The tarot card reading ritual involves taking a tarot card and pulling it out from among the deck randomly. This practice is commonly called ‘cutting the deck.’
You must take your tarot deck and pull one tarot card for yourself at an appropriate time during the evening. There is no need to do this right before going to sleep because this activity becomes very personal after a few readings.
Instead, it would be best if you gave yourself some time to sit down and meditate on what the tarot card means for you.
One thing inexperienced tarot enthusiasts might not know is that the time of day the cards are drawn matters.
A morning reading is not the same as an evening reading. But how can you discern the effect of time of day on a reading?
When should you perform this tarot practice?
You may prefer to do this in the mornings, but some tarot enthusiasts agree that departures are best pulled at the end of the day. This allows tarot readers to process what they learned during their tarot card reading in a more relaxed environment.
Psychologically speaking, the tarot cards opened up pathways of thought for you throughout your busy workday or hectic school schedule. Once that is over, take some time out of your evening to reflect on these thoughts with a glass of wine and an open mind.
This also serves as a beautiful prelude to sleep when done regularly; reflections on life experiences can create subconscious anxiety when remembered when lying down in bed. Like this, it’s suggested that tarot readers relax before putting themselves into slumber.
What if you can’t quiet your mind after pulling a tarot card?
Meditation on tarot cards is an excellent method for this, but if you’re unable to calm down before bedtime, tarot card pulls are a perfect way to occupy your mind and ease yourself into sleep.
Remember, tarot card readings done in the evening aren’t necessary for tarot enthusiasts, and they certainly aren’t the only form of tarot readings.
Most tarot readers will, however, tell you that pulling a tarot card in the evening helps them get their bearings throughout the day and see how their tarot reading reflects upon themselves without outside interference.
You can make it more of a meaningful experience if you know the correspondence of some of the cards that you pull in the evening? Or, this can work at any time you wish to pull a tarot card.
There is a tarot card for every time of day.
Let’s say it’s 7:30 pm, and you’re hanging out in your living room. You decide to pull a tarot card from your deck for fun. If you have been following tarot card correspondences, then you would be pulling the tarot eight of pentacles, the tarot card of the evening!
Here are the times that correspond to each tarot card.
- The Magician Midnight – 3:00 a.m.
- The High Priestess 3:00 – 6:00 a.m.
- The Empress 6:00 – 9:00 a.m.
- The Emperor 9:00 – noon.
- The Hierophant 12:00 – 3:00 p.m.
- The Lovers 3:00 – 6:00 p.m.
- The Chariot 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
- Justice 9:00 – 12 a.m. (the following day and if you prefer the morning readings)
- Strength Noon – 3 p.m.
- The Hermit 3 pm – 6 p.m.
- Wheel of Fortune/Justice Mid-Afternoon
- Evening Hanged Man Evening – Midnight
What does each card mean?
The first three hours from midnight belong to the Magician, the High Priestess, and The Empress in tarot. These tarot cards are known as “the triad” because they are three essential tarot cards that give us insight into our current situation.
The Magician tarot card corresponds to midnight. This tarot card represents secrets being uncovered, good luck with money matters, new beginnings, and the power to create change in your life.
If you pulled the Magician during these hours, then congratulations! It seems like everything is working out for you right now.
Next up is the High Priestess tarot card, which corresponds to 3 a.m.-6 a.m. This tarot card symbolizes wisdom, patience, and caution. This tarot card can also indicate influential female figures who may come into your life.
If you pulled the High Priestess in the wee hours of the morning, then there is something that you need to be patient about, or someone with a lot of influence is around.
Lastly, we have the Empress tarot card, which represents motherly influences and financial resources. It indicates a positive change coming for those who work hard.
This tarot card rules all things feminine, so it symbolizes love! If you pulled this tarot card during these early hours, then good things are coming for those who do what they’re meant to do!
Reading tarot cards in the morning.
From 6 a.m.-9 a.m., the tarot belongs to the Emperor tarot card. This tarot card represents the head of a household, authority figures, and stability.
The Emperor tarot rules all things masculine, so it symbolizes your father, potential suitors, and the role of men in your life.
If you pulled this tarot during these hours, then take a look at what’s going on around you, you might be surprised by who is influencing the decision-making process!
From 9 a.m.-noon belongs to the Hierophant tarot card, which is ruled by Taurus and represents education, religion, and culture. The symbols on this tarot card also represent self-improvement.
So if you pull this tarot during these hours, good news comes in the form of knowledge!
From noon-3 p.m. belongs to the Lovers tarot card, which represents romantic relationships and partnership. This tarot card rules your social life, so it symbolizes potential new friends.
If you pulled the Lovers tarot during these hours, then good news about a relationship is coming!
From 3 p.m.-6 p.m. belongs to the Chariot tarot, which represents decision-making and change. This tarot indicates that you’re making the right choices, but keep in mind that there is still work to be done.
If you pull this tarot during these hours, something great comes from hard work!
Next, we have the Justice tarot, which rules everything legal and judicial. It also represents fairness and karma. If you pull this tarot during these hours, then the outcome of a legal issue is uncertain.
Reading tarot cards in the evenings.
From 6 p.m.-9 p.m. belongs to the Strength tarot, which represents inner strength, relationships, and love. This tarot card rules all things female, so it symbolizes your mother!
If you pulled Strength during these hours, good news comes in the form of nurturing!
The Hermit tarot card is up next, which rules all things introverted, spiritually aware, and alone with yourself. If you pulled this tarot during these hours, then something timid is happening with you right now.
From 9 p.m. -12 a.m., the Wheel of Fortune tarot symbolizes luck, fate, and life cycles. This tarot card is all about what you’ve already overcome, so it indicates that things are about to get easier for you!
If you pulled this tarot during these hours, then congratulations! You have recently overcome something difficult.
There is the Hanged Man tarot, which rules sacrifice, change, and new beginnings. It also symbolizes your inner self.
This tarot represents a time in your life when you’ve given up something to receive greater good, hence the man hanging upside down. If you pulled this tarot during these hours, significant changes would come from self-sacrifice.
Other possible tarot-time of day meanings.
Tarot cards like the High Priestess tarot card can sometimes indicate someone trying to keep something from you. So if this tarot card came up during these early hours, then it’s a sign that there’s a secret going on around you!
If the Magician comes up in your nighttime tarot reading, then prepare for some secret meetings during this time!
If the Empress tarot shows up, then you’re in for a pleasant surprise if pulled at night. This tarot represents things/people entering your life, so it’s a sign of new friendships, opportunities, and growth.
Next, there is the Emperor tarot. If this tarot is part of your nighttime tarot spread, then expect good news about your partner, lover, or significant other.
The Emperor tarot rules all things male, so it symbolizes the men in your life–possibly even an ex-boyfriend that might be back into your life. It can also indicate that someone you’ve been waiting for finally approaches you.
If the Hierophant tarot is part of your nighttime tarot spread, it indicates that you’re making the right decision to help others. This tarot represents rules, tradition, and education, so expect news about work or family.
The Lovers tarot can come up during the night and symbolizes creativity, new connections, and falling in love. If pulled at nighttime, this tarot card means that you will find love through your friends or family members!
Next, there is the Chariot tarot, which represents decision-making and change. This tarot indicates that you’re making the right choices, but keep in mind that there is still more work to be done.
If you pulled this tarot during the night, then it’s a sign that significant changes will come soon!
The Strength tarot card can sometimes indicate that someone is trying to keep something from you. If this tarot card came up during these early hours, then it’s a sign that there’s a secret going on around you!
Then there is the Moon tarot that rules everything intuitive, the subconscious mind, and dreams. In addition, it symbolizes changing emotions, so if you pulled this tarot during these hours, then expect your moods to change frequently!
If the Devil tarot shows up in your nighttime tarot spread, be prepared for some temptation (spiritual or physical). It symbolizes personal demons and obstacles so expect things to be challenging for weeks. If you pulled this tarot at night, then you might feel “controlled” by others.
Lastly, there is the World tarot, which rules all things social and self-expression. This tarot indicates that anything said right now will come back to haunt you! Remember, your words are important, so choose them wisely.
That’s all for your tarot card reading by the moon! For future tarot readings, keep in mind that you should only do tarot spreads that are one-three cards. And whatever tarot dominates the reading, then expect good things to happen around you.
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Miriam Slozberg is an author and spiritual coach. To learn more, visit her website or subscribe to her newsletter or listen to the Swords of Depression podcast.
This article was originally published at The author's website. Reprinted with permission from the author.