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Learning Tarot can be daunting and overwhelming for those just getting started. The challenge of learning the meanings of all 78 cards, both upright and reverse, can easily scare anyone away.

Although it does take time and effort to learn to read tarot, once you get down the basics, you’ll find that your effort is well worth it.

Whether you want to read tarot to learn of the future or gain advice from spirit, here’s a beginner’s guide to help get you started.

What is Tarot?

Tarot is a divination practice that has been around for centuries. Said to have been invented in the mid-fifteenth century, tarot first began as a deck of playing cards and only became a tool of divination many years later. It gained popularity in the late sixteen and early seventeen hundreds and began to be used around the world by both mystics and philosophers alike.

A tarot deck is made up of 78 cards divided into the Major Arcana, which consists of 22 cards, and the Minor Arcana which consists of the remaining 56 cards.

Each card has a specific and unique meaning which, when drawn in a reading, can mean different things depending on the cards which accompany them.

Each tarot card has its own unique energy. When reading them in a spread, the energies of the cards work together, each playing a role in creating a larger picture.

For example, if you draw two cards, the first might be an important message while the second card may be supporting and expanding on the meaning of the first. Rather than being read on its own, the second card may just be a clarifying card to the first.

It can be a confusing process, but as you begin to learn and grow more in tune with you intuition and the energy of your tarot cards, you’ll soon find reading tarot to be a simple act, which comes naturally. You might even feel as though the cards themselves are speaking to you.

What’s the Difference Between the Major and Minor Arcana Cards?

The Major Arcana represents groundbreaking and life changing events. When a Major Arcana card comes up, it may be a sign to pay close attention to an upcoming event, or if read in a spread regarding advice, can be a sign to draw your attention to a certain thing or aspect of your life.

The Major Arcana cards can represent a variety or things, depending on which card you pull, and often encourages you to pay close attention to them.

The pictures of the Major Arcana cards are usually very dramatic and expressive, drawing your awareness to important and significant situations in your life.

The Minor Arcana, on the other hand, represents every day matters, rather than life changing events. The Minor Arcana is made up of four suits: Swords, Wands, Pentacles (or Coins) and Cups. Most of these cards portray normal people doing ordinary activities, such as eating, drinking, dancing or sleeping.

Pulling a Minor Arcana card usually suggest a minor event in your life or a message of advice meant to gently nudge you in the right direction. Each of the suits begin from an Ace and continues on until it reaches the King, much like a normal playing deck.

How to Read Tarot

To begin reading tarot, you must have a basic understanding of the general meanings of the cards, as well as a connection to your intuition.

Each of the cards have their own unique meaning, but when read together, many cards play off one another, sometimes making it difficult to understand the messages behind them. This is where your intuition becomes the most helpful.

Intuition is a valuable tool that will bring a deeper understanding and connection between you and your cards. Each tarot reader reads the meanings of the cards differently and each person often has their own interpretations of them. Because there are so many different meanings, it’s up to you to translate the messages the cards are trying to tell you. This is usually done through your intuition and just ‘knowing’ what the cards want you to know.

Although a tarot deck is not technically ‘alive’, it still has very powerful energy. As you begin learning tarot, it’s important to connect your energy to the energy of your deck in order to form a deeper connection with it, much like a relationship. This can help you to more easily understand its messages. Connecting with your cards can be done by simply shuffling, or meditating with them.

Beginning Your Reading

As you begin your reading, it’s important to first take a few deep breaths and set an intention to connect with your cards. This is often considered to be a short meditation to clear your mind and connect with your intuition.

It can be helpful to shuffle the cards for a bit and set an intention for your reading. This intention can be anything, whether you want to do a reading for another person or if you wish for some advice on a specific subject for your own life, there are no boundaries when it comes to asking your cards for guidance. Once your intention is set, you’re ready to begin.

Begin your reading by shuffling your cards and remember to be delicate and to handle your deck with respect.

For beginners, it can be difficult to tell which card you’re meant to take and you may second-guess yourself. A helpful tip is to simply shuffle the deck until a card falls out. You can consider this card to be a message meant for you.

As you learn to trust your intuition more and more, you’ll find yourself feeling more comfortable pulling out the cards from the deck, whenever it feels right to you.

Once you have your cards, flip them over on the table. This then becomes your spread.

Beginner Spreads

A ‘spread’ is the way you place and read your cards. Spreads can be very easy to use and you simply need the intention to begin.

There are many spreads in tarot and it can sometimes be overwhelming to choose one, so here are some beginner friendly spreads to start your tarot reading journey.

One-Card-a-Day spread

This spread works just as it sounds and is often used by all levels of tarot readers. You pull a single card and see how its meaning relates to your life. This can be done at any time of the day. If you pull a card in the morning, it’ll often represent the energy of your day. If you pull one at night, it might suggest advice or a message for the next day. Of course, this all varies depending on the questions you ask the cards.  

It may also be helpful to keep a record of your cards so you can look back and see any patterns which might appear.

The Three-Card Spread

This spread is one of the most effective and useful spreads you’ll come across and can be used in a multitude of ways. You can change the meaning of each position in the spread to accommodate your situation (Past, present, future; mind, body, spirit; the situation, the action, and the outcome etc.).

This spread works just as it sounds. Three cards are pulled from the deck and each card represents a different aspect of the question you asked. For example, if you decided to use the past, present, and future spread, the card to the left will represent the past, the middle will represent the present, and the card on the right will represent the future.

As you read your cards, first take a look to see how they make you feel. Try and connect with their energy and pay attention to the pictures, colors and symbols on the card. Then, look up their meanings and see how they relate to your own life.

You may find that some messages resonate while others don’t. This is the best time to use your intuition and take the meanings that feel right to you.

Five Card Cross

This spread is similar to the three-card spread but allows for a more in-depth reading. In this spread, there is more room to pull clarifying cards which help you to more deeply understand their messages.

This spread is often constructed to look like a cross, building upon the three-card spread. Three cards lay in the middle while one lays at the top and one at the bottom. You can give certain meanings to each of the positions of the cards, much like the three-card spread, or you can just ask the cards a single question and see how the cards respond together to form an answer.

How to Choose a Deck

Choosing a deck can be a fun and enjoyable activity. There are hundreds of tarot decks to choose from with many different themes and drawings. Some tarot decks follow the themes of certain movies and tv shows such as Star Wars and Friends while others may have unique themes and artwork.

It’s important to choose the deck which you feel drawn to. Whether it’s because of the colors or the theme, if you feel pulled towards a certain deck it’s, more often than not, your intuition gently nudging you in the right direction.

Whether you’re purchasing a deck online or in store, it’s important to take some time to see how you feel while looking at each one. Each deck has a different energy so take some time to see which one best matches yours.

Here are some of my favorite decks:

How to Cleanse your Deck

Like everything else, it’s important to keep your tarot deck clean and energized. If you don’t cleanse your deck every so often, you might find your cards holding onto stagnant energy from past readings and may even feel heavy and disconnected.

There are many different and easy ways to keep your deck cleansed and vitalized.

Crystals

Crystals are a great way to remove any old or stagnant energy from your deck. Simply placing a piece of clear quartz or selenite on you deck may help to re-energize it.

Smudging

This method involves getting a piece of sage and burning it in order to use the smoke to cleanse any old energy from your deck. This can take up a bit more time but is a powerful way to rejuvenate the energy of your cards and the surrounding area.

Sound

Sound is a powerful cleansing tool. You can either play some meditation music, ring a bell, play a tuning fork or sound bowls. Simply play the music near your deck with the intention to cleanse it.

Sunlight

Setting your deck out into the sun is a great way to cleanse your cards. The purifying energy of the sun’s rays is sure to wash your deck of any unwanted energy. However, don’t leave your deck out for too long or the colors might begin to fade.

Visualization

This is a quick and easy way to cleanse your cards. Simply hold your deck in your hands, set an intention and imagine a bright light gently washing over your cards.

Overall

There is not one set way when reading tarot. As you begin to understand tarot more and more, you’ll find it to be an enjoyable activity as well as a wonderful tool for divination and advice. Go where your intuition takes you and it’s sure to be the right path for you!