Many tarot readers experience headaches after doing a reading for someone. After a decade of doing oracle/tarot readings, I have become familiar with this phenomenon. This article will talk about where this headache comes from, why it happens, and what you can do to protect yourself with future readings.
Can Tarot Reading Cause Headaches?
Once and a while, people experience a headache after doing a tarot reading. In general, Tarot reading is incredibly safe, but there are rare occasions (negative energy, new decks, eye strain, and others) that can cause a headache.
Headaches don’t happen much when I do a tarot reading, but when they do… it’s telling me something.
How and Why you get a headache when doing a tarot reading can vary. In the rest of this article, I will be sharing how to protect yourself and common reasons you might feel dizzy or drained.
Headache and dizziness: Doing a Reading For Someone Else
Doing a reading for someone else is very different than doing a reading for yourself.
When someone comes into your personal and energetic space, you share whatever pain, anxiety, and negativity this person brings with them.
There are two types of headaches a reader can get when doing a reading for someone else.
- A blistering migraine right before you start the reading.
- Your brain gets tired about halfway through your session when the person’s emotions become overwhelming.
Many experience this intense pain as they put themselves into someone else’s feelings and energy while doing readings. The sentiment is very similar to how people might feel if they were at work all day long under pressure from other coworkers who aren’t treating them well.
How to protect/heal yourself from negative energy when doing a reading:
- Recognize the negativity is being projected on you and is not your own.
- Do a grounding or centering practice to clear the negative energy and come back to yourself.
- Try washing your hands after the reading.
- Smudge the space and deck.
- Drink water or tea.
When you are reading for someone else, I would also suggest doing some protection or shielding beforehand. This can help block negative energy from attaching itself to you.
Headache and dizziness: Doing a Reading For Yourself
If you are doing your reading, you might experience a headache, dizziness, or feeling drained. There are two main reasons why.
- Feeling triggered by your inquiry with the cards.
If you are doing a reading on something that gives you anxiety, it might cause your body to react. Try to take it slow and take breaks if anything gets overwhelming.
- Not creating a safe space through grounding and protection spells before a reading.
It’s just as essential to create a safe space for a solo reading as it is for someone else. Try preparing yourself mentally and energetically by doing a grounding, protection, and clearing before reading. Without these safeguards, you are leaving yourself open to uncomfortable energy.
Feeling off after opening a new deck
If your headache has come on for the first time reading a new deck, there might be a few other things to look at.
Off-gassing from a new deck
A common occurrence I see is people getting a headache right after opening a deck. This can happen due to the off-gassing chemicals. If you have any chemical sensitivity, this could lead to a headache.
I don’t have this problem very often, but I will get a new deck that stinks once and a while.
I will take the deck out and put it outside, preferably in the sun, for the day. After letting it rest for a few days, the smell usually leaves.
Not the deck for you
If you get a headache the first time using the deck and many times after, it might not be for you.
Some decks of mine I have bonded to right away, while others I was never able to connect.
Getting a headache or feeling off with a new deck might signify that it isn’t for you.
I wouldn’t throw a deck out right off the bat, but I would inquire more. Set the deck aside and see if you can connect to it over the next few days before you give it away.
Other Triggers that can cause Headaches
There are three other reasons why you might be getting headaches or dizziness when reading the Tarot.
- Stress from ingrained beliefs
- Posture
- Tarot Overload
- Eye Strain
Stress from ingrained beliefs
When I first started using the Tarot, I had a lot of stress around it. I came from a conservative religious background and found myself a little freaked out that the Tarot was “bad.” This led me to feel drained after using the cards.
It can help to look at your past and see if old programming is rearing its head and causing you anxiety with the cards.
Perhaps you had a bad experience with a reader in the past that you have held on to or something your parents or friends did to discourage you.
Realizing these things and breaking them down will help you free up energy when reading and help stop headaches and feel drained when working with Tarot or oracle cards.
Posture
Posture is crucial. If you were to do computer work or journaling with lousy posture, it could also give you a headache.
If you are sitting for long doing a reading, try and make sure you maintain good posture.
It’s a little thing, but it makes a big difference.
Tarot Overload
When you are doing a reading, you are taking in a lot of information. This is especially true if you are new to the Tarot.
Your mind might have a hard time keeping up.
This might be why you feel drained after doing a lot of readings.
If you are new to Tarot or Oracle Decks, take your time in between readings. This can help your brain settle and help you in the learning process.
Eye Strain
Eye Strain can happen when using Tarot, just like reading books or being on a computer for too long.
Some decks use saturated colors that can be difficult to look at for an extended period s. This could cause eye strain and headaches.
If you need glasses, this could contribute to head pain after reading cards.
A small break every 30 minutes is recommended if you have experienced any vision issues before reading cards or with color-sensitive individuals. You might also try to change the lighting to remove any glare on the cards or lighten the space.
In Conclusion
In this article, we talked about what a headache after tarot reading can be caused by. We also covered how to protect yourself against future headaches with readings.
Here is a list of what you can do if you get a headache while doing a reading:
- Take a 30-minute break away from the space.
- Walk outside for a moment
- Do a grounding or centering practice to clear the negative energy and come back to yourself.
- Try washing your hands after the reading.
- Smudge the space and deck.
- Drink water or tea.
If you are a tarot reader, these tips should help prevent headaches and other adverse reactions to your readings. It’s essential not only for the health of yourself but also for the person receiving your reading that they feel safe with their space and time during this process.
