Just discovered two blank cards in my new tarot deck, and I’m kind of excited about it, actually. I’ve been reading that blank cards can represent pure potential - like the universe giving you permission to trust your own intuition rather than relying on traditional meanings.
For those of us on the twin flame path, maybe it’s a sign to stop looking for answers outside ourselves? The blank space could be inviting us to tune into our own inner knowing instead of constantly seeking validation from cards, readers, or even online forums (ironic, I know). Has anyone else worked with blank cards in their readings?
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Funny thing about blank cards, I noticed my vintage deck from an estate sale has two blanks that feel almost like mistakes that weren’t meant to be there.
Started using it as a wild card of sorts - sometimes it means “not the right time to know” and other times it feels more like “you already know the answer.” Letting your intuition decide makes sense. Sometimes I pull it when I’m asking the same question over and over, almost like the deck is telling me to stop shuffling and start doing something about it.
I do readings for friends sometimes, and the blank card throws them off.
One person got really uncomfortable with it, saying it felt like staring into a void. But another friend loved it, said it was the most honest card in the deck because it didn’t pretend to have all the answers.
Those extra cards are just how tarot printing works. Like the Thoth deck that comes with the O.T.O. card and unicursal hexagram, or the old German editions with bonus Magi cards. Tarot cards are printed on sheets, 5 cards across, 4 down, making 20 cards per sheet. A full deck needs 4 sheets, which gives you 80 card spaces total. Since a standard tarot deck has 78 cards, you end up with 2 extra spaces. Some publishers use them for promotional stuff, some make cover art, others just leave them blank.
Some decks include them as a way to replace damaged or lost cards.
Pretty simple explanation for those mystery cards.
I specifically bought extra blank cards online to add to my decks. Use them as pause points. When they show up, I stop the reading and just breathe for a minute. Not everything needs immediate interpretation.
What if it literally just means nothing? Like not “nothing” in a deep way, but actually just… nothing happening.
Sometimes life is just neutral, and we’re trying to read meaning into empty space. pulled three blanks once, and that whole month was basically just work, sleep, repeat. no drama, no revelations, just life.
Blank cards in traditional Marseille decks were included for replacing damaged cards, not for divination. The mystical interpretation is pretty modern.
That said, I use mine all the time now. It’s become my “check in with yourself” card.
The blank card as a Querent thing is such an old cartomancy tradition from the 1800s.
Super rigid compared to how people read tarot now. I’m Mercury-ruled Gemini and honestly, most readers I know either choose a significator from the deck that matches the querent’s astrology or don’t bother with one at all. Plus, if you lose a card these days, publishers are pretty good about sending replacements if you reach out to them.
I keep a blank card in my deck that I call The Void. Started doing it after getting stuck on some readings where none of the cards felt right. Sometimes you just need that empty space, you know?
I think if you don’t have a set meaning already for that card - just remove it from the deck. The Tarot can’t share a message unable to say something, so either give it a meaning before you pull anything or just take it out.
Love that you named it The Void - there’s something powerful about giving it that intentional identity rather than just treating it as ‘blank.’
Publishers dont hide an official 79th card. Blank cards are usually spares or print errors. If one shows up, check the LWB or email the publisher for a replacement. If you keep it, decide before shuffling how youll use it-maybe as a wildcard or a personal significator-or just leave it out.
I get why blank cards confuse people.
They’re not really for readings though, most decks include them as replacements if you lose a card, or they have copyright info on them. There’s this French card system called Le Livre du Destin that uses a blank card to represent the person asking the question, but that’s a 33-card deck, not Tarot.
Some people make up their own meanings for blank cards in Tarot, but that’s just personal preference. The regular 78 cards already have plenty to work with.
If you want to use a blank card for shadow work, it could be interesting.
When you pull it, it might mean there’s something you haven’t dealt with yet. I see it as either ‘this answer is in your shadow’ or ‘you’ve got some work to do before this becomes clear.’
The blank card reminds me that some things take time to understand. You can’t always get immediate answers… sometimes you have to do the work first.
I drew a blank card in a personal reading last month. For a moment, it was just empty space and quiet. I treated it like a pause. Jotted a few notes and left it open instead of forcing a message.
Here’s a trick I use: predefine it beforehand. When it shows up next to a Major, treat it like a wildcard amplifier. If it lands in the Outcome slot, you can invoke the rewrite clause. Cut once and draw a replacement card.
Haven’t seen any yet, but that would be interesting.
I’d probably draw my own symbols on them with markers to make them personal. Speaking of non-traditional cards, my mini Rider-Waite came with two extra art cards that aren’t part of the tarot. I use them in my spreads anyway because they work well. One shows a couple with seven doves flying above them - I read it like a Two of Cups, that soulmate energy.
The other one has a grandmother in her rocking chair with kids around her. It reminds me of the Empress mixed with Ten of Cups, that family connection feeling. It’s nice how we can personalize our decks like that.