Out of the Ordinary: Unusual Tarot Cards That Can Offer Insight Into Friendship
A couple of weeks ago, I invited my Instagram followers to request a card pull, something simple and intuitive, with the option for them to include a word or theme they were currently sitting with.
It was interesting to notice how many people mentioned friendship.
Not romantic love, not career moves, not major life decisions but the complex, often under acknowledged realm of friendship. Longing for it. Healing from it. Navigating changes in it. Wondering how to be a better friend or how to let go of a connection that no longer fits.
That really strong theme of responses stayed with me and it’s what inspired this piece of writing.
Read on for my thoughts on some of the cards that could offer a more unusual insight into friendship AND find some reflective questions, journal prompts and a spread for you to try 🔮
👭Friendship through a Different Lens
Today, I want to explore the idea of friendship through a slightly different lens. Instead of focusing on the “obvious” friendship cards in the tarot (hello, Three of Cups!) I’ve been thinking about the more unusual, surprising, and off the beaten track cards that can also speak to the experience of friendship, in all its complexity.
When people think about using tarot to reflect on friendship, they often turn to the familiar: the 3 of Cups for celebration, the 2 of Cups for connection, or the 6 of Cups for nostalgic feelings and memories. And while those are all beautiful choices, tarot also has a wild, strange, and deeply intuitive side, and it is this that speaks to the real complexity of human relationships.
Friendships, after all, aren’t always lighthearted. They can bring up our patterns, challenge our growth, stretch our capacity to hold space, and ask us to choose alignment over comfort. What if some of the most revealing tarot cards for friendship are the ones that don’t look like they’re about relationships at all?
I’m going to suggest a few of these “out of the ordinary” cards to you, along with how they might offer a rich, layered insight into the friendships that we hold, question, or seek to nurture.
🔮 Five Unexpected Tarot Cards for Friendship Reflection
🌕 The Moon – Emotional undercurrents, projection, vulnerability
The Moon invites us into the parts of a friendship that may feel unclear or difficult to name. It asks us to get curious about what we’re sensing but not yet saying. Are we projecting old stories onto a friend? Are we afraid of being misunderstood? Sometimes this card surfaces when a friendship is shaped by unspoken fears, or when deep truths are emerging.
Ask yourself:
- What’s being felt in this friendship that isn’t being said?
- Where am I unsure of the story I’m telling myself about this person?
🏹 The Chariot – Direction, choice, aligned momentum
The Chariot is a card of movement and drive, which makes it a powerful prompt for any friendships that are in transition. Perhaps you and a friend are on different paths. Perhaps one of you is growing quickly, and the other feels left behind. This card doesn’t necessarily mean separation, but it does ask whether you’re still moving in the same direction, and encourages you to think about how you’re navigating any differences.
Ask yourself:
- Are we pulling in the same direction?
- What happens when I choose authenticity over accommodation?
⚖️ Justice – Boundaries, integrity, holding complexity
Justice is a card of accountability, not punishment, but of truth telling. It can come up in friendships that require difficult conversations, renegotiated boundaries, or recognition of harm. It invites us to consider fairness, not just from our own perspective, but through a wider lens.
Ask yourself:
- What needs to be made fair in this relationship and how can I make adjustments?
- Where am I being invited to honour both care and clarity?
🧪 Temperance – Patience, blend, the alchemy of difference
Temperance reminds us that harmony doesn’t always mean sameness. In friendship, this card might speak to a connection between two very different people, and the art of blending energies rather than forcing agreement. It invites us to consider: what is the unique rhythm of this friendship?
Ask yourself:
- What are we each bringing to this friendship, and how do those elements mix?
- What kind of balance would feel nourishing to both of us?
🗣 Page of Swords – Curiosity, communication, social learning
Often overlooked, I think the Page of Swords is a fantastic card for friendship, especially for those navigating social anxiety, new connections, or a fear of being “too much.” This Page is curious, a little awkward, but also very sincere. They want to know, understand, and speak, even if they are not always quite sure how to go about it. They feel safe with clear boundaries but ultimately it is about finding some balance as we walk the tightrope of friendship and connection.
Ask yourself:
- What am I longing to ask or say, but haven’t found the words for yet?
- How might curiosity serve this friendship better than certainty?
✨ Tarot Spread: Navigating the Layers of Friendship
You might use this spread for a current friendship, one that’s changing, or even to explore your overall friendship patterns.
- What is the emotional truth of this friendship right now?
- What am I being invited to learn or unlearn here?
- What aspect of myself is showing up most strongly in this connection?
- What is this friendship teaching me about how I relate to others?
- How can I honour both myself and the other person in this relationship?
You could also pull an optional “anchoring card” before the spread, a kind of soul signature of the friendship, and place it above or beside the rest. It might not be what you expect, but that’s part of the magic!
🌀 Reflections for the Soulful Explorer
After working with this spread, or maybe just reflecting on one card, consider journaling on the following:
- What surprised me? Was there a card that challenged my expectations about this friendship?
- What’s shifting? Has something softened, opened, or become clearer after this reflection?
- What do I want to carry forward from this experience? What kind of friend do I want to be, now?
The tarot doesn’t hand us answers, it invites us into deeper, more soulful questions. And surely friendship, in all its intimacy and imperfection, deserves that same depth of reflection and care.
🔮 Final Thoughts & An Invitation to Connect
I hope some of these unexpected cards have sparked something for you, a new way of looking at a friendship, a question you hadn’t quite put into words, or just a moment of pause to reflect.
If you tried the spread or found yourself thinking about a particular card in a new way, I’d really love to hear. I always enjoy thoughtful tarot conversations, and I’d be so interested to know what came up for you.