How Our Tarot Readings Work
This page explains Tarotoo’s reading methodology, including the reading process, spread structure, symbolic framework, AI prompts and logic, and expert review. It also explains how these elements work together to create personalized tarot readings using user choices, traditional tarot principles, and artificial intelligence.
Tarotoo’s interpretations are designed to support reflection, insight, and personal exploration.
Tarotoo’s symbolic framework is based primarily on the Rider–Waite tradition, together with other established works in classical tarot. These sources provide the traditional foundation used throughout Tarotoo readings.
The Rider–Waite tarot system, first published in 1909, is one of the most widely recognized and studied tarot traditions. Its imagery and symbolism have influenced many contemporary tarot practices.
The Tarotoo Reading Process at a Glance
Choose a Spread
Select the tarot spread that best matches your question.
Ask Your Question
Enter your question so the reading has the right context.
Select Your Cards
Choose your cards intuitively and let your selection shape the reading.
Get Your Reading
Receive an AI interpretation based on tarot symbolism, card positions, and your question context.
You choose the cards
This sequence is Tarotoo’s tarot reading process: you choose a spread, ask your question, select your cards, and receive an AI-generated interpretation based on traditional tarot symbolism, card positions, and the context of your reading. You select cards directly from the interactive deck. The AI does not choose cards for you or use your question to determine which cards you select.
View the illustrated step-by-step guide
The following example shows how to complete a tarot reading on the Tarotoo website.
How AI Works at Tarotoo
Tarotoo uses artificial intelligence to generate personalized written interpretations based on tarot symbolism, structured card meanings, and the information provided during a reading.
At a high level, the process has three stages: retrieving the relevant card information from Tarotoo’s dataset, combining it with the user’s question and reading context in a structured prompt, and using an AI language model to generate the written interpretation.
Retrieve
Relevant card information
Structure
Question and reading context
Generate
Written interpretation
Tarot Symbolic Framework and Dataset
Tarotoo’s tarot symbolic framework is an organized collection of tarot card meanings and symbolic associations used to support the interpretation of selected cards.
This information is stored in a structured, machine-readable tarot dataset that includes upright and reversed meanings, keywords, thematic interpretations, planetary and zodiac associations, and other card-related information.
For each reading, Tarotoo matches the selected cards to their corresponding dataset records through deterministic lookup and retrieves the information relevant to the reading. The retrieved meanings are then included in the structured input provided to the AI language model. Because the dataset contains a fixed collection of 78 card records, this process does not require embeddings or vector search.
Using a structured dataset helps keep interpretations aligned with Tarotoo’s tarot symbolic framework and reduces the likelihood of unsupported, inconsistent, or invented card meanings.
Tarotoo’s dataset is published as open data on public data- and code-sharing platforms, including GitHub and Hugging Face. The dataset can be explored, downloaded, cited, and reused by developers, researchers, AI applications, educators, journalists, and other data users.
Learn more about the dataset, how it is integrated into Tarotoo’s readings, and the available developer tools on our Open Data & Developer Resources page.
AI Prompts and Logic
AI prompts are structured inputs sent to the AI language model. They contain information and instructions that guide how cards are interpreted and how the final reading is organized and written.
AI logic is Tarotoo’s system for organizing the information used in a reading and determining how it is included in those prompts. It brings together the user’s question, selected spread, chosen cards, card positions, relevant information retrieved from the tarot dataset, and additional reading instructions.
The dataset meanings provide the symbolic grounding for each card, while the selected spread, card positions, and user’s question provide the context in which those meanings are interpreted.
AI Language Model and API
Tarotoo uses an AI language model provided by OpenAI. An AI language model is a system that generates text based on the information and instructions it receives.
Tarotoo communicates with the model through an encrypted API connection. The API allows Tarotoo to send the structured prompts needed to generate a reading and receive the generated interpretation in response.
When a reading is requested, Tarotoo uses its AI logic to retrieve the relevant card information, organize the reading context, and prepare a structured prompt for the language model.
The AI language model then uses the prompt to generate the reading.
Latest Update
The latest update to Tarotoo’s AI process was completed in July 2026.
What Influences Each Reading
Each Tarotoo reading is shaped by several elements:
- Your question: gives the reading its context and focus.
- The spread: defines the structure of the interpretation, such as past, present, future, or yes/no.
- The cards selected: provide the symbolic foundation of the reading.
- Card positions: help explain how each card relates to the question.
- Card combinations: show how different symbols interact together.
Your Question
Your question helps set the direction of the reading. In our Daily Tarot reading, you can also submit your name and date of birth to receive a more in-depth interpretation. Your question and any additional information you provide help determine what the symbols relate to and give the reading a more specific context. Even a small change in your wording, information, or intention may affect how the same cards are interpreted.
Spreads
You can choose from popular spreads like One-Card, Yes/No or Past-Present-Future for quick answers. Tarotoo also includes two original five-card spreads for more detailed readings. Our daily tarot spread is unique to the platform, combining tarot with astrology and numerology using the current date, your name, and your date of birth. This creates a daily message that feels personal and connected to the moment.
The Cards
On Tarotoo, readings on the website use the Major Arcana, a set of 22 cards that represent core life themes, transitions, and archetypal experiences. Because these cards focus on broader patterns and key moments, they are well suited for clear and meaningful interpretations.
Note: The full 78-card deck, including the Minor Arcana, is available in the optional mobile app, which you can download separately from the App Store.
Card Positions
In structured spreads, each position has a specific role, such as past, present, future. This helps define how each card should be interpreted in relation to your question. The same card can have a different meaning depending on where it appears. For example, a card in the “past” position may describe a previous influence, while in the “Future” position it may point to a possible direction of a situation.
Card Combinations
Tarot readings are not based only on individual card meanings. The relationship between cards can change the tone and direction of the interpretation. For example, one card may represent tension, while another may suggest resolution, movement, or emotional clarity.
Tarotoo analyzes how cards work together within the spread, helping create a more complete interpretation than a simple list of separate card meanings.
Example of Context in a Reading
If you ask about a relationship and draw The Lovers, the interpretation may focus on emotional connection, choices, harmony, or alignment. If the same card appears in a different spread, the focus may shift toward values, commitment, and choosing what feels right. This is why context matters. Tarotoo does not interpret cards as fixed answers, but as symbols shaped by the question, spread, and surrounding cards.
How Your Intuition Shapes the Reading
Your intuition can shape a tarot reading in two main ways: through the cards you choose and through the meaning you take from their interpretation.
First, intuition may guide your attention as you select your cards. You may feel drawn to a particular card without immediately knowing why. Tarotoo does not measure or verify intuition, but the cards you personally choose become part of the reading.
Tarotoo then generates an interpretation using your question, selected spread, card positions, traditional tarot meanings, and symbolic relationships between the cards. The AI cannot know your complete situation, thoughts, or emotions, so its interpretation is based only on the information provided during the reading.
Intuition also plays a role as you reflect on the result. Different aspects of the interpretation may connect with different experiences, emotions, or circumstances. The same tarot symbol may feel relevant in different ways to different people, so you decide which ideas are meaningful and how, if at all, they relate to your life.
Animated Cards
All card images and their animations are created by a talented designer and animator, adding movement while keeping the classic tarot look. The animations are not just for show. They help create atmosphere, build emotion, and make each reading feel special. We use them to make the experience more engaging and meaningful.
The Expert Review Process
The tarot reading process, symbolic framework, and AI prompts and logic used on the Tarotoo website were reviewed by Inbaal, a professional tarot reader and astrologer with over 25 years of experience.
Inbaal helped shape the symbolic and interpretive foundations used in our readings. She reviewed how traditional card meanings, card combinations, spread positions, and thematic patterns are reflected in the interpretations generated by our AI system.
She tested the spreads directly on the Tarotoo website and checked whether their structures, card positions, and interpretations followed established tarot practice. She also submitted different types of questions and reviewed the generated responses for relevance, clarity, consistency with traditional tarot symbolism and tone.
Inbaal reviewed Tarotoo’s AI prompts and logic, including how they guide the AI to interpret card meanings, card combinations, spread positions, and the context of the user’s question. Examples from her own professional tarot practice were used as reference material to help shape the style, structure, and depth of Tarotoo’s generated interpretations.
Her feedback was used to improve Tarotoo’s reading methodology. She periodically reviews it when new spreads, prompts, or features are introduced.
Safety, privacy and independence
AI Readings Limitations
AI-generated readings may sometimes be inaccurate, incomplete, overly general, or not fully relevant to your situation. They should not be treated as factual statements, guaranteed predictions, or professional advice.
Individual readings are generated automatically and are not manually reviewed before being shown. Expert review applies to Tarotoo’s overall reading methodology rather than to each individual reading.
Tarotoo does not claim to predict future events, guarantee outcomes, diagnose problems, or replace medical, legal, financial, or mental health advice.
For complete information about the purpose and limitations of Tarotoo readings, please read our Disclaimer.
Privacy, Security and Data Processing
Tarotoo prioritizes your privacy and security. We use encryption to help protect your experience. You do not need to create an account to use the website.
To generate a reading, your submitted information and reading selections are transmitted securely to OpenAI for real-time processing.
Tarotoo does not provide a server-based reading history or save completed website readings to a personal account. Therefore, you will need to copy and save a reading yourself if you want to keep it.
OpenAI does not use API inputs and outputs to train its models by default, and Tarotoo keeps optional API data sharing disabled. OpenAI may retain limited data for abuse monitoring or service operation in accordance with its data-retention policies. More information about how submitted data is processed is available in our Privacy Policy.
Note: In the mobile app, a reading history feature is available, but it is stored locally on your phone and will be deleted if you remove the app.
Commercial Independence
Affiliate partners and affiliate compensation do not influence card selection, Tarotoo’s tarot card meanings, symbolic framework, reading methodology, AI prompts and logic, or individual reading results.
Affiliate promotions appear in visually separate promotional sections and are not included in tarot reading text or Psychic Chat responses.
For more information, please read our Affiliate & Revenue Disclosure.
Psychic Chat
Tarotoo also offers Psychic Chat, a separate AI-powered conversational feature for exploring tarot, astrology, numerology, spirituality, and related topics. Like Tarotoo’s structured interactive tarot readings, it uses an AI language model provided by OpenAI through an encrypted API connection. Tarotoo sends the messages you submit, relevant conversation context, and topic-specific prompts and instructions to generate a response.
Unlike structured tarot readings, Psychic Chat does not rely on selected cards, spread positions, or a fixed reading format. It works as an ongoing text-based conversation. You can learn more about how it works on the Psychic Chat page.
When We Review and Update Our Methodology
Tarotoo’s reading methodology may be reviewed and updated when:
- a new tarot spread, reading type, or feature is introduced;
- significant changes are made to the AI prompts or logic;
- the underlying AI model or technical system is changed;
- user feedback reveals a recurring issue, such as irrelevant, repetitive, unclear, or inappropriate responses;
- expert review identifies an inconsistency in card meanings, spread positions, card combinations, tone, or safety.
Minor technical changes may not require a complete methodology review. However, significant changes that affect how readings are created or interpreted may trigger additional testing and expert review.
Feedback and Support
If a reading appears inaccurate, unclear, inappropriate, or concerning, you can contact us at [email protected].
Feedback may help us identify recurring issues and improve Tarotoo’s prompts, AI logic, symbolic framework, safety instructions, and reading features.
For answers to common questions, visit our FAQ & Help page.
