- Introduction
If you’re curious about how to read the tarot cards, or maybe you have a new tarot deck and don't know how to read the cards, this guide will help you get started. We’ll cover the meanings of the cards, explain common tarot spreads, and provide tips for accurate readings. Whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to deepen your understanding, you’ll find practical advice to navigate your tarot journey. Let’s begin!
Why you can trust us:
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We have been involved with tarot for over 30 years, with numerous readings and deep studies of the Tarot.
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We've successfully created an effective tarot course for beginners, that teaches everything you need to get started on how to read the tarot cards for yourself and others.
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We create tarot decks based on the Rider Waite Smith tarot cards.
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Table of Content
The Key Points
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Tarot reading is a powerful tool for self- development and a great life coaching tool, providing clarity and insights that empower personal growth and decision-making.
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Choosing a tarot deck that resonates with you personally enhances your connection to the cards, making your readings more meaningful and insightful. Plus, it makes learning tarot easier when you connect with your cards.
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Maintaining a tarot journal promotes self-reflection and helps track your growth as a reader, revealing recurring patternsand deepening your understanding of the tarot.
The Power of a Tarot Reading
Tarot reading is more than just a mystical practice; it’s a powerful tool for self-development and personal growth. Engaging in tarot readings connects you with your inner voice and intuition, deepening your understanding of yourself and your life’s path. Through the symbolism and archetypes found in the tarot deck, users often achieve enhanced mental clarity, enabling them to make thoughtful decisions and navigate life’s challenges with confidence.
One of the most remarkable aspects of tarot card reading is its ability to alleviate feelings of anxiety. When faced with uncertainty, a tarot reading can provide a clearer perspective, helping you to see your situation from a new angle and find constructive ways to address your concerns. This new found clarity can be incredibly empowering, guiding you towards personal growth and self-improvement.
The process of tarot reading encourages meditation and reflection. As you engage with the cards, you enter a state of mindfulness that can enhance your creativity and self-confidence. Different tarot spreads can reveal insights into your life path and purpose, offering guidance and wisdom that resonates on a deeply personal level.
In essence, tarot reading is a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. It helps you tune into your own intuition, make informed decisions, and embrace the present moment with greater awareness. Whether you’re seeking answers to specific questions or simply looking to understand yourself better, tarot reading can be a powerful ally on your path to personal fulfillment.
How To Read The Tarot Cards: 3 Essential Tips
1. It is very essential to resonate and connect with your cards. You can do this by the daily one card draw, and handling them everyday, you can put the cards under your pillow when you sleep.
2. The importance of using your intuition will give you powerful tarot readings and tarot will help develop your intuition. Trust the process and your intuitive hits.
3. Initially, when you are first learning how to read tarot cards, it's essential to keep it simple and learn the keywords and use your intuition. Don't over complicate it by trying to memorize all the tarot card meanings, right now.
Must Have Products For Tarot Beginners
- A tarot deck is a collection of 78 cards, each brimming with symbolic imagery and archetypal themes. This deck is divided into two main sections: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.
- The Major Arcana consists of 22 major arcana cards that represent significant life events and spiritual lessons, such as the Fool, the High Priestess, and the Death card. These cards often signify major lessons and profound insights in a tarot reading. The major arcana cards are stronger energies than the minor arcana.
The major and minor arcana, on the other hand, comprises 56 cards that reflect the day-to-day events and experiences we encounter, usually they are subtle energies. The cards are categorized into four suits. These four suits are Cups, Swords, Pentacles, and Wands.
Each suit represents different aspects of life.
- Cups: Emotions, Connections, Relationships, Love
- Wands: Creativity, Passion, Work, Motivation
- Pentacles:Finances, Abundance, Material possessions, Security
- Swords: Intellect,Thoughts, Analytical, Clear thinking, Decision Making
Within each suit, you’ll find numbered cards Ace to 10, and four court cards: King, Queen, Knight, and Page.
Understanding the meanings of tarot cards involves more than just memorizing definitions. The artwork and symbols on the cards play a crucial role in interpretation.
Paying attention to the imagery and the feelings it evokes in you, helps develop an understanding of each card. This approach allows you to connect more deeply with the cards and enhances the intuitive aspect of tarot reading.
As you begin your journey with tarot, take the time to explore and connect with the imagery and symbols in your tarot deck. This will not only deepen your understanding of the cards but also enrich your overall tarot reading experience.
Further Readings
→ How do tarot cards work?
→ Choosing your tarot deck
"Tarot tells you the energy around you and you create your future, not tarot"
How Do Tarot Cards Work
Tarot cards work by telling you the energies that are around you and affecting you. Tarot cards can also reflect your thoughts, feelings and desires that can lead to positive changes in your life. For instance, whether the energy is good or negative, you can change the energy for a better outcome. Tarot basically just tells you the energy around you, then you can change it if you want.
Tarot readings can be incredibly therapeutic, offering insights that help you navigate personal challenges and make informed decisions.
One of the most empowering aspects of reading tarot cards for yourself is the sense of self-therapy it provides. Engaging with the cards uncovers hidden aspects of your psyche, deepening your understanding of your motivations and fears. This process can be particularly helpful in recognizing and working through the darker aspects of life, allowing you to confront and overcome personal obstacles.
It’s important to remember that tarot cards do not dictate your fate; rather, they suggest likely outcomes based on your current situation and choices. This means that while tarot can provide valuable guidance and insights, you always have the power to shape your own destiny. Embrace the wisdom of the cards, but also trust in your ability to make positive changes and decisions in your life.
Tarot Course For Beginners- Learn How to Read Tarot Cards with Simple Lessons online
Choosing Your First Tarot Deck
Three Tips:
- You should always resonate with the cards and imagery. You should be drawn to the cards.
- The cards should feel good in your hands and when you shuffle.
- It's okay to have a couple decks, you don't have to have just one deck.
Choosing your first tarot deck is a deeply personal and intuitive process. It’s essential to select a deck that resonates with you on a personal level, evoking a sense of connection and fascination. One of the most popular and recommended decks for beginners is the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, known for its descriptive imagery and symbolism.
When selecting a tarot deck, it’s beneficial to handle a physical deck in a store if possible. This allows you to assess the feel and quality of the cards, ensuring that they are comfortable and enjoyable to work with during your readings. Also you have to resonate with the images and artwork. If the traditional decks do not resonate with you, there are numerous alternative tarot decks available that can still provide meaningful and insightful readings.
Ultimately, the best tarot deck for you is one that speaks to your intuition and inspires you to explore its depths. Trust your instincts and choose a deck that feels right for you, as this will enhance your connection to the cards and enrich your tarot reading experience.
"Tarot isn't fortune telling & it doesn't give predictions, it tells you possibilities"
Understanding Card Meanings
Understanding the meanings of tarot cards is a blend of knowledge and intuition. While memorizing the traditional meanings of each card is helpful, it’s equally important to trust your personal insights and interpretations. The meanings attributed to each tarot card can vary based on individual interpretation and the context of the reading.
Formulating clear and specific questions is essential for obtaining precise insights from your tarot readings. The more focused your question, the more accurate and relevant the guidance from the cards will be. Over time, as you gain experience and deepen your connection with the cards, your ability to interpret their meanings will evolve and become more intuitive.
Mastery in interpreting tarot cards comes from a combination of study and practice. Engage with the cards regularly, reflect on their meanings, and trust your inner voice. This approach will lead to a richer and more insightful tarot reading experience.
"However, initially you shouldn't use the tarot card meanings, your first step should be memorizing the keywords and developing your intuition."
The above is the method we use in our tarot course and it's highly effective and helps you to become a confident reader. There are so many tarot books and tarot meanings and they all differ from each other, so it's very overwhelming and often discourages new tarot readers.
Further Readings
→ Keeping a Tarot journal
→ Practical tips for accurate Tarot readings
"Tarot is one of the greatest tools to help develop your Intuition"
Basic Tarot Spreads for Beginners
Familiarizing yourself with a few basic tarot spreads is crucial for a beginner’s guide. These spreads provide a structured way to interpret the cards, helping you to develop your intuition and gain accurate insights.
Let’s explore two essential tarot spreads that are perfect for those just starting out on their tarot journey.
The Daily One Card Draw
New beginners should start here. The Daily One Card Draw is a simple yet powerful practice that involves drawing one tarot card each day. This method helps beginners learn about tarot gradually while also serving as a form of a "trigger" for your Intuition. By focusing on a single card, you can use your intuition to read the card and you can meditate on the card and imagery and reflect on how it relates to your day, enhancing your self-awareness and intuition.
Consistently practicing the Daily one card draw will develop your understanding of each card plus it encourages you to use your intuition and deep reflection. Over time, this practice can help you become more familiar with the tarot cards and their meanings, making it an excellent starting point for anyone new to tarot reading. Even advanced tarot readers do daily one card draws.
Three-Card Spread
The Three-Card Spread is a versatile and straightforward layout that offers insights into past, present, and future situations. Drawing three cards quickly gives an overview of a particular issue or question, making this spread ideal for beginners.
This spread helps you grasp the intuitive process of tarot readings by encouraging you to connect the meanings of the three cards and interpret how they relate to each other. It’s a practical and efficient way to start developing your tarot reading skills.
Keeping a Tarot Journal
Keeping a tarot journal is an invaluable tool for tracking your personal growth and the insights gained from your tarot readings. Documenting your readings allows you to reflect on your progress, recognize patterns, and deepen your understanding of the cards and their meanings.
Tarot journals serve as a record of your tarot journey, helping you connect your personal experiences with the symbols and messages of the cards. This practice promotes self-reflection and introspection, allowing you to make positive changes in your life based on the insights you gain from your readings.
Engaging with a tarot journal consistently can enhance your tarot reading skills and provide a rich repository of your spiritual and personal development. It’s a practice that encourages mindfulness and fosters a deeper connection with the tarot.
Recording Your Readings
Recording your tarot readings in a journal helps you recall the details and insights of each session. This practice is especially useful for revisiting old tarot spreads to fine-tune your intuition and reassess your interpretations.
Make it a habit to note your state of mind before each reading, as this can help you identify patterns or trends in your readings over time. Utilizing tools like a Daily Draw journal template can assist in maintaining a consistent journaling practice.
By documenting your readings, you create a valuable resource that captures your tarot journey and supports your ongoing growth and development as a tarot reader.
Spotting Recurring Patterns in your Tarot Spreads
One of the most insightful aspects of keeping a tarot journal is the ability to spot recurring patterns in your readings. Regularly reviewing your journal entries can help identify frequently appearing cards or symbols, revealing significant insights into your life and choices. This practice can help you understand the overarching messages that the tarot is trying to convey and guide you in making informed decisions.
Reflecting on these recurring patterns allows you to connect the dots between different readings and recognize areas that require attention or change. By paying close attention to these themes, you can gain a deeper understanding of your personal journey and the lessons the tarot is highlighting for you.
Practical Tips for Accurate Tarot Readings
Enhancing the accuracy of your tarot readings involves embracing uncertainty and transforming it into curiosity and exploration. This mindset allows you to approach each reading with an open heart and mind, ready to uncover the insights the cards have to offer. Beginners can benefit from practicing simple tarot spreads, as these provide a structured way to learn and understand the cards.
Maintaining a tarot journal is essential for those serious about mastering the practice. Documenting your thoughts and interpretations not only helps you track your progress but also evolves your understanding of tarot meanings over time. Including your immediate impressions of the cards in your journal can enhance your intuitive understanding and interpretation.
Creating a dedicated and peaceful space for your readings can greatly enhance your focus and connection to the cards. This space should be free from distractions and filled with items that inspire and calm you, such as crystals, candles, or incense. This approach helps you enter a state of mindfulness, allowing for a more profound and accurate reading experience.
Additionally, tracking specific cards that appear frequently in your readings can lead to discovering hidden messages or lessons relevant to your personal situations. Paying attention to these patterns can provide deeper insights and guidance from your tarot readings.
Advanced Tarot Techniques: Moving Beyond the Basics
Once you’ve mastered the basics of tarot reading, you may want to explore advanced techniques to deepen your practice. The Horseshoe spread and Celtic Cross spread is a popular choice for those looking to gain more detailed and comprehensive insights. These spreads examines specific positions that represent various aspects of the clients situation, such as obstacles, aspirations, and potential outcomes. It’s a powerful tool for creating an in-depth informative reading.
Understanding the reversed cards can also add depth to your readings. Reversed cards often reveal hidden challenges or internal conflicts that may not be immediately apparent. By incorporating these interpretations, you can provide a more complete and in-depth reading. When learning how to read tarot cards reversed, you should learn the upright first and have a good understanding of tarot before learning the reversals.
Practicing with diverse clients can enhance your reading skills and accuracy. Exposure to various energies and questions helps you develop a broader understanding of the cards and their meanings. Additionally, incorporating creative techniques into your readings can make them more engaging and yield deeper insights.
Common Misconceptions and Myths About The Tarot
There are many misconceptions about tarot reading that can lead to misunderstandings about its true purpose and potential. One common misconception is that tarot cards and tarot readings are fortune telling and can predict the future. In reality, tarot is not fortune telling and doesn't predict, it tells you possibilities, tarot suggests potential outcomes based on the current situation, energy and choices.
Another myth is that tarot cards are connected to supernatural forces. However, tarot cards are simply illustrated tools that reflect our thoughts, energy and feelings. Having said that, there is something special about tarot that's unexplainable.
It’s also commonly thought that one must receive their first tarot deck as a gift for it to be considered lucky. No, this isn't true. You can buy your first tarot deck. If this was true, then, so many tarot readers wouldn't be reading tarot cards, especially if they have to wait for someone to gift them a tarot deck.
Lastly, many people believe you have to be psychic to read tarot. No this isn't true, while psychic abilities can enhance tarot readings, anyone can learn to read tarot cards and enhance their intuition through practice.
Summary
Learning how to read tarot cards is a journey that combines intuition, practice, and personal insight. From understanding the structure of a tarot deck to choosing your first tarot deck, interpreting card meanings, and exploring basic and advanced tarot spreads, each step brings you closer to becoming a confident tarot reader. Keeping a tarot journal and embracing practical tips for accurate readings further enriches your practice.
Remember, tarot is not about predicting the future but about gaining insights and guidance to navigate life’s challenges. Embrace the wisdom of the cards, trust your intuition, and let the journey of tarot reading lead you to self-discovery and empowerment. Happy reading!
Frequently Asked Questions
What questions to ask tarot cards?
To get the most insightful guidance from your tarot reading, consider asking questions that start with: "What should I know about______." For example: What should I know about my job?
Asking tarot questions that start with the above can provide more clarity. If you ask tarot a vague question, you will get a vague answer,
How do you start your first tarot reading?
To start your first tarot readings, start with the daily one card draw. Shuffle the cards, ask the question, cut the deck and draw one card..... then later, move on to a simple three-card spread representing the past, present, and future, and ensure your question is clear.
Do I need to be psychic to read tarot cards?
No, you don't need to be psychic to read tarot cards; anyone can learn and develop their intuition with practice. Embrace the journey, and you'll find understanding and connection within the cards!
Can tarot cards predict the future?
Tarot cards highlight potential outcomes influenced by your current choices and energies around you. Tarot offers possibilities, but you create you future.
The Author: Tarot MasterGuide
We teach how to read tarot cards with our online tarot course made for beginners, with simple effective lessons. We also create tarot cards decks.
