How I Read Tarot with UNO Cards (Updated!)
Rather watch than read? Check out the video: How I Read Tarot with UNO Cards
A lot of people are usually really surprised when I tell them that I read tarot with UNO cards, then they’re a little skeptical about it, and then they get the reading and they're, like, “Holy shit!” Not only is it always super on point, but it’s also a lot of fun.
DISCOVERING UNO TAROT
How I started using UNO cards as tarot was actually kind of a joke. One day, my partner and I were playing UNO and I was just like, “lol, let's try to read them as tarot!” I knew you could read traditional playing cards as tarot, so I figured why the hell not UNO too? I didn't look anything up, I just guessed what the colors translated to in terms of the suits—and lo and behold, not only was the reading not a joke, but it was totally on point and also very fun. Later, I checked my guidebook for the colors associated with the suits, and it even turned out that my guesses were correct. So, that's how I found out that you can, in fact, read UNO cards as tarot and I've been doing it ever since.
ACCESSIBILITY OF UNO CARDS
There are a whole bunch of reasons why I really enjoy using UNO cards for tarot readings, one of which is their accessibility. UNO cards are financially accessible. You can get them pretty much anywhere for a super reasonable price.
They're also accessible in terms of people's capacity for understanding tarot. A lot of people who are new to tarot are afraid of certain cards like the Death card or The Tower card, because the imagery on the card can be pretty gnarly. So, I find that doing tarot readings with UNO cards actually helps relieve a lot of people's fears and preconceived notions around tarot, which lends itself to a much better reading. Folx tend to be a lot more chill, allowing them to become more engaged and more invested in the reading, and thus receive a stronger reading.
PERSONAL CONNECTION TO UNO CARDS
Another reason that I really like using UNO cards is because of my personal relationship to the UNO deck. Many of us who read tarot have a variety of decks, but we always have those particular decks that we innately vibe with. I have countless tarot decks, but there are some that I just have a stronger relationship with.
My relationship to UNO is actually stronger than my relationship to tarot because UNO has been in my life a hell of a lot longer. I've had UNO cards in my life since childhood, whereas I've had tarot cards in my life since my twenties. And I’ve always preferred playing UNO over other traditional card games. So, the longevity of the relationship and my connection to it definitely strengthens the bond. I actually find that it improves my ability to read because I have an established relationship and now a continuously growing relationship with this deck.
CONNECTION TO TAROT’S ORIGINATION
Another reason why UNO tarot is pretty cool is because it actually connects to how tarot cards originated. Way back when, they were created as playing cards. It wasn't until later that tarot cards were utilized as a tool for divination. So, I feel like there's an even stronger connection to UNO tarot knowing that I’m using playing cards to read tarot, like an inverted intention around how they were originally created.
THE MINOR ARCANA IN UNO TAROT
What we're doing when we use UNO cards as tarot is that we're mostly reading the Minor Arcana, which is all of the cards with a number that pertains to a suit. That means we're reading cards like the Ace of Pentacles, Five of Wands, Seven of Swords, Ten of Cups, etc. We're reading every card that has a number and a suit.
This is how the colors of UNO correlate to the suits of tarot:
Blue = Cups
Yellow = Swords
Red = Wands
Green = Pentacles
Since the numerology of tarot’s Minor Arcana starts with ace and ends with ten, and the numbers of UNO start with zero and end with nine, we simply apply the number one as the ace, and the number zero as the ten.
We are purely reading the numerology and the suits that are present on the cards. Since there’s no other symbolism on UNO cards, we are not reading into the interpretations of the symbolism that are present on traditional tarot decks. We are only reading and combining the interpretations of the numbers and the colors, which are the suits.
CARDS OMITTED FROM UNO TAROT
What we are not reading in UNO tarot is the court cards. We do not have the Page, Knight, Queen, or King in this deck. We are also not reading any of the Major Arcana, which are all of the cards like Justice, The Lovers, Wheel of Fortune, etc.
THE UNO ARCANA
What's unique about using UNO cards to do a tarot reading is the extra cards like Reverse, Stop, +2 Cards, Wild Card, and the Wild Card +4. This is where we get to apply our own intentions to the deck, assigning a different meaning to each of the UNO Arcana, and creating a distinctive tarot reading that you're not going to get with traditional tarot decks.
Here are the intentions that I’ve applied to the UNO Arcana. If another intention resonates more with you, I encourage you to apply your own.
Reverse = There’s reflection or re-evaluating to be done. Revisiting.
Stop = Stop or pause.
+2 Cards = There’s a little more work to be done.
Wild Card = The “Higher Power” card. We relate to our HP in a variety of ways depending on the situation. Could be a call to surrender or let unseen forces take the reigns. Could also be a call to let your HP in on the situation or accept spiritual support. Depending on a person’s relationship to HP/god/unseen forces/spirituality may depend on the interpretation for them. This card also suggests the importance of balance as reflected in the presence of all the colors/suits.
Wild Card +4 = It’s a combination of the Wild Card and the +2. Help can be received by unseen forces, but we have our own responsibility/work to do as well.
SAMPLE READING
This sample reading is using the traditional interpretations of the cards. If you read tarot or
you've ever gotten a tarot reading, you know that there’s usually some personal meaning associated with the cards. I love when people have dialogue with me during a reading, because not only can I interpret the cards, but then I can apply it to their particular situation.
The way I start a reading for others is with a shared grounding breath. We inhale for five seconds, pause for three, exhale for five seconds, pause for three, and repeat that three times. Then I shuffle the deck as the other person talks to me about what they’re seeking a reading for. I then split the deck in the middle and start pulling from the top card.
The card I pulled for this sample reading is the Red Eight, or the Eight of Wands. I think this is a great card to pull for anyone who's interested in doing tarot readings.
The number eight is probably my favorite number in the tarot because it’s a power number. It's all about stepping into your power. It’s also about abundance; the eight turned on its side is literally the infinity symbol. So, the Red Eight signifies abundance in the realm of Wands. Eight also suggests that you have exactly what you need to achieve what it is that your goal or intention is. Whatever it is that you're seeking—and here that would apply to whatever you're seeking in the realm of Wands—you already have within you what you need to achieve it. So, rest assured that you already have what it takes and it's just a matter of seeing it through.
When we're looking at the narrative arc of the numbers one through ten, the number eight is kind of up there, but it's not quite the end of the cycle. It's like you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but you've definitely got some more to go. So, that’s where you are in terms of the cycle when you pull the eight.
With the Wands, we have fire energy. I love talking about and utilizing fire energy in my work because it's super effective—but it is not to be fucked around with. We are to use fire energy very strategically, which it's totally doable because I feel like fire is one of the few elements where we can have some sense of control. Like, you can't really control air, but you can control fire. You can have a little candle flame or you can create a huge bonfire, and whichever way you go is the energy that you're gonna put into it. Sometimes fire energy can represent anger, but it can also represent passion and spirit.
Wands is all about self-expression, creativity, intuition, and spirituality, but more so in the sense of the spirit within; the things that really fill your spirit or the things that you really really give a shit about. So, pulling Wands signals the need to (or affirms your current effort) tending to what you really care about. Combined with the eight, it signals stepping into your power in those areas that really fulfill you.
I really pull from the self expression aspect of Wands. I vibe a lot with how it is we put ourselves out there, how we choose to put ourselves out there and be perceived, and also acknowledging how we are perceived regardless of whether we agree with it. I think the information on both sides of that same coin is very valuable.
Overall, the Red Eight is a welcome reminder that we have all we need to see our inner flame out into the world. It urges us to own our power and ability, and to confidently embark on our passion and creative pursuits.
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Wanna see how this all plays out? Get your own UNO Card Tarot Reading with me! Book here.