How the draw works
Think of a question that can be answered with yes or no, type it in if you like, and press the button. One card is drawn at random from the full deck of 78: the 22 cards of the Major Arcana and the 56 of the four suits. Each card is equally likely, and the draw uses the random number generator built into your browser, so nothing about you or your question affects it. The card is always read upright, which keeps the reading simple.
Where each card’s answer comes from
Every card in our tarot guides has a line headed “Yes or no”, written for that card, and the tool reads the answer from it. A line that begins with yes, or leans yes, is shown as a Yes. A line that leans no, says not yet, or warns of a cost, is shown as a No. A line that says uncertain, undecided or wait is shown as a Maybe. Under the answer you see the card’s own wording, so you can tell a firm yes from a yes with a condition, such as the Wheel of Fortune, which suggests that things are moving but not that they will move your way.
This means the answers are interpretations by one tradition of modern tarot, not rules. Other readers assign the same cards differently, and many readers would say a card such as The Hermit or the Four of Swords asks you to pause, not to answer. The tool also shows the card’s upright meaning and a link to its full guide, because the reasoning behind the answer is usually more useful than the answer itself.
Asking a good question
Yes or no readings work best with a clear question that you can act on, such as “Should I apply for this role?”, and less well with questions about what another person feels or what will happen in the future. A card that surprises you is often worth the most. If the answer is not the one you hoped for, ask what that reaction tells you about what you want, and that may be the real answer.
Please resist drawing again and again until you get the answer you want; that turns the tool into a coin you can flip until it agrees with you. If you want a second view, read the card’s full guide and think about the question again instead.
What it can and cannot do
Tarot is a tool for reflection, not a proven way to predict events, and a yes or no card cannot know the future. Please do not use it for decisions about health, money, legal matters or safety; for those, speak with a qualified person. Used lightly, a draw can be a way to hear yourself think, and the tool offers it in that spirit. For a fuller reading of a single card, see the tarot card of the day, and for the cards themselves, the guides to the Major Arcana and the full set of 78 cards. To find the Major Arcana card linked to your date of birth, use the tarot birth card calculator.
Frequently asked questions
↳ How does a yes or no tarot reading work?
You think of a yes or no question and draw one card at random from all 78. Each card carries a yes, no or maybe reading in its guide, and the tool shows the answer with the reasoning from the card's meaning.
↳ Why do I sometimes get a maybe?
Some cards, such as The Hermit or The Moon, are read as asking for more time, thought or information, not for a yes or no. A maybe is the honest answer for those cards.
↳ Can I draw again if I do not like the answer?
You can, but it defeats the purpose, since you can keep drawing until a card agrees with you. If the first answer surprises you, it is more useful to ask why.
↳ Are reversed cards used?
No. The tool reads every card upright, so the answer matches the yes or no line in the card's guide. Many readers do not use reversals, and leaving them out keeps the reading simple.
↳ Is a yes or no card a prediction?
No. Tarot is a tool for reflection and cannot predict events. Treat the answer as a prompt for thinking about the question, and not as advice on health, money, law or safety.