So I’ve been reading tarot for about a year now, and someone asked me to do a reading about their partner possibly cheating.
I drew the Moon, Seven of Swords and Two of Cups reversed. That’s basically screaming infidelity, right? What cards suggest infidelity and cheating in a relationship reading?
Is it even okay to read about this stuff? I felt weird about it. I’m not sure if I should be looking into someone else’s business without them knowing.
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When my ex cheated, I pulled those exact same cards in a self-reading. The deck was basically spelling it out for me.
The Moon especially kept appearing in every spread I did during that time. I also kept getting Three of Swords reversed and Five of Cups - they seem to pop up a lot in cheating situations.
About the ethics thing - I think it’s fine if you’re reading for the person asking. Just don’t go snooping on the potential cheater without their permission.
Just did a reading on relationship trust issues today. The cards you pulled (Moon, Seven of Swords, Two of Cups reversed) are pretty telling; they’re pointing to deception, hidden stuff, and emotional disconnect.
The Moon’s about illusions, Seven of Swords is sneaking around or lying, and that reversed Two of Cups shows partners who aren’t connecting emotionally anymore. When I’m reading about possible cheating, these cards pop up a lot.
Three of Cups reversed (someone else involved), Five of Swords (betrayal), High Priestess reversed (keeping secrets), Nine of Swords (guilt keeping them up at night),
The Fool reversed (bad decisions), Ten of Swords (trust is gone), but these same cards could mean other stuff too, maybe they’re hiding money problems, drinking too much, or just pulling away emotionally.
You really need the whole context. About the ethics part, I see tarot as shining a light on what’s already there, not snooping. Ask yourself why you’re doing the reading. If you’re trying to help someone deal with something tough, that’s different from just wanting juicy details. When you do these sensitive readings, look at the whole spread, not just individual cards.
Trust your gut, but don’t jump to conclusions. And if you have to deliver bad news, be kind about it. These are real people dealing with real pain. The cards show what needs to be shown when the time is right.
The Moon (or any single card by itself, for that matter) doesn’t automatically mean betrayal. Sometimes it just means things are unclear.
What I do is calculate a quint from the spread. Justice or the Devil, as the quint usually points to deeper problems worth discussing. Certain card combos stand out, too: 4 of Pentacles + 2 of Wands often shows someone keeping backup plans, while 6 of Swords + Hermit can mean they’ve already mentally left.
If it feels uncomfortable doing this kind of reading, you could ask a different question, like ‘What truth needs to surface?’ The Sun card can help point toward transparency.
Context and combos matter way more than individual cards. For spotting deception in relationships, I notice patterns like Seven of Swords + The Moon, or The Devil with reversed love cards.
Five of Swords comes up a lot, too. Three of Swords is heartbreak, sure, but paired with the reversed Knight of Wands or Queen of Swords? That’s when someone’s probably lying about their romantic life. Mary K. Greer covers this in her reversals book, how reversed cards in relationship spreads expose secrets.
The cards tell a story when you read them together. Get deception cards, then walking-away cards like Eight of Cups? Pretty obvious what’s happening there. Reversed Court Cards are big red flags, too.
Reversed Knights and Pages usually mean someone’s being immature or dishonest about love stuff.
Three of Cups reversed definitely points to infidelity issues.
Context matters, though. Sometimes it’s just about needing boundaries with friends, not actual cheating. But pair it with Seven of Swords or The Moon? Yes, that’s usually a sign that someone’s being unfaithful.
If you’re getting the Wheel, that betrayal might be karma coming back around. It could be old relationship patterns repeating.
With the Hanged Man there too, that card’s all about hanging upside down until you see things differently. Perhaps the truth requires that kind of unusual perspective.
Important point! The Seven of Swords doesn’t always mean someone’s being unfaithful - I’ve had readings where this trickster showed up because someone was hiding a surprise birthday party or secretly saving for an engagement ring.
Plus cards like The Moon is the queen of confusion and unclear vibes. Sometimes she’s just saying ‘you can’t see the full picture yet’ rather than ‘your partner’s definitely cheating.’
Not quite as simple as there being a single card that always means cheating.