How To Read Tarot Cards – How To Get Started And Become A Pro

Nikhil Goswami
Young female fortune teller reading tarot.
If you’ve opened this article, then you most likely don’t know enough about tarot cards. This article will give a walkthrough on how to read tarot cards. Also, we’ll discuss types of readings, cards, and their hidden meanings. In other words, this is a beginner’s guide to reading tarot.  Tarot card reading is a form of art that makes relatable predictions through card layouts following a series of questions. In short, they’re more about guiding individuals towards goals based on their present mindset. There are no supernatural powers like the devil or witches involved. 

What Are Tarot Cards?

The Tarot is a map of perception that incorporates both the spiritual and practical aspects of our path through life. Tarot reading is the art of using a precise spread of tarot cards to intuit knowledge and direction. Contrary to common perception, tarot readings are not only for the psychically gifted, and the cards don’t tell your future. The cards can reveal the most profound meanings and truths about your life and personality. In other words, the cards give you a more sophisticated understanding of what you already feel deep inside. Although we don’t know where the Tarot came from, we have historical records of its use in Europe as early as the fourteenth century. Since the start of the seventeenth century, the Tarot has been utilized as an oracle in its most basic configuration.

Types Of Cards in A Tarot Decks

There are two types of tarot decks: minor arcana and major arcana. The total number of Minor Arcana cards is 56. They symbolize the struggles and hardships a particular individual faces in everyday life. On the other hand, the total number of Major Arcana cards is 22. They represent the karmic and spiritual teachings that a person learns in life. Keep reading for further details about these two types.

Major Arcana

These cards signify enormous, game-changing influences. They mark the turning points in our journeys, and each one stands out as a potent message, signifying pivotal events that mark the start or finish of cycles. These dynamic cards appear at key turning points to mark defining moments of change. They number the cards to represent the different stages of our overall life experience, and their chronological arrangement shows how time has passed.

Minor Arcana 

On the other hand, the cards of the Minor Arcana portray commonplace issues. These playing cards show ordinary people doing commonplace things like sleeping, dancing, drinking, or fighting. They suggest human behavior-driven activity and manifest through gradual changes that might only last a short time or have a minimal impact.

Introduction To Tarot Decks 

Tarot decks come in a wide range of variations, and none have a set number of cards. The graphics differ significantly from the sorts of cards, suits, and meanings, which are all the same. Themes for decks include nature, animals, fantasy, dragons, and more. The most popular card in the country is the Rider-Waite deck, which was produced by Rider & Company in 1909. It was designed by notable Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn member A.E. Waite. Pamela Colman Smith created it. Some people view this 78-card deck as the “definitive” tarot deck in the United States because it was the only freely accessible deck there for a long time. The minor and major arcana are the significant parts of the overall Tarot deck. Four suits are present in the minor arcana of the Tarot deck, much like in a standard playing card game. Unlike card games, the suits include wands, cups, swords, and circles. Each suit represents a particular way of approaching life. The court cards, the page, knight, queen and king, are also included in these suits and are numbered one through ten. The minor arcana cards portray only smaller issues happening in our everyday life. There is no link or resemblance between the main arcana and the suits. They contain picture cards for concepts, values, and ideals. They are labeled from one to 21, with card number zero being placed on card number 22 (the “Fool”). The major arcana cards symbolize important life incidents that are long-lasting. When you receive a minor arcana card on the same subject after seeing a big arcana card about it in one reading, it indicates that the major subject is losing importance in your life.

Different Spreads Used in Tarot Card readings

Tarot spreads come in a wide variety. The Celtic Cross, an eleven-card pattern, is arguably the most traditional (11 cards, including the Significator). There are other additional spreads, including the Tetractys, the Pentagram, the Tree of Life, and the Planetary. Some readers prefer to use just three cards in smaller, easier spreads. There are numerous ways to interpret a three-card spread on its own, including Past-Present-Future, Mind-Body-Spirit, and Situation-Action-Outcome.  The individual delivering the reading swaps the cards before the reading begins. Some claim that the energy of that individual is transferred to the deck. While the reader is shuffling the cards, they should focus on the place or topic for which the reader seeks guidance. Some more formal circles do a more involved sorting and dividing of the cards. The reader arranges the cards in a layout known as the spread after the deck has been cut and the cards have been mixed. There are many kinds of tarot spreads available. Some require a single card spreading method, while others may require more than three. Card readers may use a different spread depending on the reader and the particular question or reading.  Some spreads place more emphasis on a particular kind of data. One spread might focus more on emotional issues, while another might provide more information on other people’s influences. The Celtic is one of the tarot’s easiest and most reliable spreads. Tarot card readers can even create their own spreads. The Celtic spread is used as an example to demonstrate how the cards are put out for the spread and how each card position inside the spread has a specific meaning. 

Meaning Of Cards

Here are the meanings of all the cards that come under the Major arcana category:

Number 0 to number V

0 The Fool When The Fool appears in a reading, it denotes a period of fresh starts that calls for bravery and the willingness to dive into a completely new cycle, stage, or aspect of life. The Fool personifies a spirit of exploration, wonder, and immaturity. I The Magician The magician is a master of time and communication. When you draw The Magician, it signifies a moment when you can use your voice, words, and abilities to convey your thoughts to influence others and bring about change. Make some magic of your own now. II The High Priestess the High Priestess grants you access to your innermost self. Intuition and self-confidence are the realm of the subconscious lunar setting and the High Priestess. She advises you to focus on your inner guidance and resources and trust your intuition. III The Empress You have evoked the Earth Mother, a representation of the capacity to give and accept love and nurture in a healthy balance when the Empress emerges. The Empress uses her creativity to create the world while feeling at ease in her own skin and enjoying sensuous delights. IV The Emperor When you draw the emperor, you’re in the world of personal strength and leadership abilities. He serves as a reflection of your ability to take the initiative and lead with boldness. When it’s time to take charge of your destiny or become your boss, the emperor frequently makes an appearance. V The Hierophant The Hierophant is the card of spiritual learning and instruction, and it has the power to force us to confront the values, practices, and traditions we’ve ingrained in ourselves. He may represent a period of initiation or spiritual growth during which a teacher or mentor may enter your life.

Number VI to number X

VI The Lovers The Lovers card represents the bond between us and others around us. It represents the need to decide between two things or persons because it brings two opposites together. The Lovers challenges you to take stock of how you approach, select, and give in to love. VII The Chariot Change and mobility are in progress when the Chariot arrives. It’s time to make victorious progress and align with who you are and how you want to be in the world. The Chariot stands for a residence on the move, which might be a reallocation. VIII Strength Strength is the stage of human evolution where we are all learning to strike a balance between our socially civilized selves and our animalistic, primal sides. You are called to use your passion, hunches, and ingenuity when you pull Strength. It means the restoration of your life energy. IX The Hermit The Hermit, who carries the Star of Hope in the lantern, stands for your knowledge and capacity to illuminate your way. You might be entering a period of seclusion and introspection, during which the right time will reveal your future course of action. Spend some time apart from outside distractions to explore your inner worlds. X The Wheel of Fortune For those who have faith and let the movement lead them to new opportunities, the Wheel rotates in their favor. Be open to success and wealth when you spin The Wheel. Be prepared to step into the uncharted territory where “luck” in the shape of something novel may exist.

Number XI to number XVI

XI Justice You’re in a time of equilibrium and realignment when justice manifests. It’s time to check in with yourself and let go of some of the baggage that’s been keeping you off balance. Justice seeks equilibrium in all spheres of life, including work, relationships, health, and money. XII The Hanged Man The Hanged Man illustrates the need for fresh eyes by hanging upside down during a reading. This card indicates that you are prepared to let go of something and break old habits. The time has come to expose your illusions. XIII the Death card When you move past what has already passed away, rebirth is represented by the card of death. This card often does not represent actual death; rather, it is a summons to let go of the weight you are carrying and enter a new stage of life.  XIV Temperance If you pull Temperance, things are beginning to come together, and you are in the midst of or about to enter a period of integration. While it may seem like not much is happening on the surface, you are actually alchemizing and making anything new that will eventually come into being. XV The Devil This card is a gentle reminder not to take life too seriously because the Devil seems to enjoy making fun of us. We bind ourselves to fears, expectations, and judgments. The Devil serves as both a reminder to chuckle at how we “bedevil” ourselves and a caution to assume responsibility regarding our earthly desires and urges. XVI The Tower It’s time to destroy what is ineffective, remove the debris, and construct something fresh. The Tower serves as a warning. You can undo anything that isn’t in line with your genuine goal, nature, and purpose. 

Number XVII to number XXI

XVII The Star Feel the rebirth of a life that a new attitude and hope offer when you pull The Star. You are being made aware of your importance in society and how you stand out in your own special ways. Take advantage of your self-esteem and this period of recuperation. You might get notoriety in the community. XVIII The Moon The Moon invites you to accept the mystery and everything that defies explanation or definition. The Moon can occasionally appear in reading without immediately providing clarity. You can be invited into the recesses of your soul, where feelings and visions present themselves for interpretation. XIX The Sun Prepare yourself to shine in ways that encourage and inspire others when you pull The Sun, the co-creational principle. You are a sun for people on the globe, just like the Sun does in our solar system, providing warmth and light. Let go of all the unwanted and harmful things that lower your energy level. Go with your gut and surround yourself with people that make you happy to be alive. XX Judgement Readings about judgment emphasize the value of using excellent judgment with a wide viewpoint, fairness, and objectivity. You can transform as a result of all of this since it acts as a path to awakening or rebirth. XXI The World You’ve come to the end of a cycle when The World comes out for you on the card, automatically indicating you’re beginning a new one. And this new cycle is the realization and experience that everything is interconnected. The World is the culmination of all Tarot cards. It’s the entirety of everything; wholeness.

Here Is The Best Pick For Online Tarot Reading: Purple Garden 

One of the few top tarot reading websites, Purple Garden, offers real-time advisors, which brings more users to their website for psychic readings. Customers want a website that offers them quality services, precise readings, and is cost-effective. Additionally, Purple Garden provides customers with a free trial period of a few minutes for a psychic reading online so they can completely grasp the service before paying for it. These websites foster confidence between the customer and the website. Numerous psychic mediums are available, including horoscopes, online tarot readings, love readings, angel insights, dream interpretation, and more. Telephone, video, and online chat readings are among the contact modalities.

Steps to Follow For a Tarot Reading

  • Pick a deck

The main differences between a standard deck of playing cards and a tarot deck are as follows. Tarot decks typically have more cards, and every card has a picture corresponding to its meaning. The decks have undergone numerous iterations with various aesthetics and concepts. The most crucial factor is that your tarot deck speaks to you personally, so choose one that you’ll want to use and practice with.
  • Recognize the essentials of a tarot deck

There are two groups for a 78-card tarot deck: the major arcana (great mysteries) and the minor arcana (minor mysteries). The major arcana has 22 cards, typically addressing important life milestones and broad issues like love, relationships, and work. There is a total of 56 cards available inside the minor arcana category. These typically address more trivial problems and little inconveniences, such as transient feelings and circumstances. The four suits of minor arcana cards are cups, wands, swords, and pentacles.
  • Create the inquiry you want to make

Tarot card readings help investigate a self-related query. You choose cards to aid in your reflection on potential responses, understanding the significance of each in light of the question you posed. It’s crucial to remember that tarot cards are instruments for reflection. Thus it’s better to ask open-ended questions.
  • Organize the area

Set the mood as it feels right to you. While reading, some people prefer to use particular tablecloths, while others prefer to use candles, lamps, or crystals. A lot of tarot card readers also purify their surroundings before beginning. They burn incense or use sprays like lavender to accomplish this.
  • Cutting the shuffled deck

While considering your question, begin by shuffling your deck. Shuffle in the manner that feels most natural to you and stop after you’ve given your question enough thought to warrant an answer. Put the deck face down after shuffling, then divide it into several smaller decks. Do whatever seems right; they don’t have to be the same size. After that, reassemble the decks in random order. You can now pull your cards: Individual cards from the deck will be flipped and placed face-up on the table.
  • Pull some cards

There are a variety of ways to read tarot cards. You either draw them instinctively or arrange them into “spreads”—specific configurations where each card is given a purpose. Spreads or particular reading styles may be more straightforward for beginners to understand. One-card spreads, in which only one card is drawn, are the most straightforward. Pulling one card at a time can be less intimidating compared to a full spread and allow you to get to know the cards better. Spreads with three cards are simple and flexible. It requires drawing three cards and laying them out on the table, left to right. Give each position a definition. A Celtic cross is a very convenient method of 10 spread for reading. It looks at a problem from every possible perspective. The first card you draw focuses on the core of the problem, while the subsequent cards clarify it and offer advice on how to proceed.
  • Start learning how to read tarot cards

The minor arcana is first. The suit of cups, which is connected to water, is primarily concerned with feelings, openness, and imagination. Wands, which are connected to fire and fervor, stand for vitality, motion, and creative force. Swords, which are connected to the element of air, are a stand-in for the mind—how you reason, speak and resolve issues. Pentacles, related to earth, examine the physical world as well as how we interact with it, symbolizing issues like money, the house, and careers. Major arcana cards, like The Lovers or the Star, speak to more significant occasions in your life.

Tips for Better Reading Tarot Cards

Speaking of readings, it’s important to understand that there are two distinct kinds of Tarot readings, including question readings & open readings. Open readings are such readings that mainly talk about the bigger picture of your life. They are typically completed at the beginning of a new stage of life, such as getting married, finishing college, or beginning a family.  If you have a general topic you want to cover, like your profession or health, you can partly lead the reading, but that’s about as specific as the direction goes. You are responding to a particular question in question readings. Tarot shouldn’t provide definitive yes-or-no answers. Most people agree that it shouldn’t be a decision-making tool but rather a guide to aid in your decision-making.  The formulation of a question is crucial for this reason. Tarot reader and educator Joan Bunning offers the following guidance:
  • Determine the ideal degree of detail

Your query should be concise without being overly specific. Find some way to look at a problem more generally rather than just one part of it. For instance, ask how you can better manage the family’s schedules rather than how you can keep your home life less hectic.
  • Pay attention to yourself

If the reading is for you, be sure that your query is focused on you rather than another person you believe to be the source of your issue. Asking your teenager why they are doing drugs, for instance, is putting the spotlight on them and away from you. The question comes back to you when you inquire about your role in your adolescent’s decision to experience drugs.
  • Maintain impartiality 

Don’t imply that your point of view is infallibly correct with your query. Asking why you put in more effort around the house than your spouse, for instance, isn’t neutral; asking how to increase your spouse’s participation with cleaning is.
  • Think positively 

This one is simple. Ask what you’ll do to make a certain occurrence happen rather than why it hasn’t already happened.
  • Location Is Important 

Choose a place that gives you a comfy vibe and helps you open up about a particular reading. You require a healthy environment around you so that it’s OK for you to be open.
  • Developing A Connection 

It seems as though the Tarot cards instantly establish a link to our subconscious thoughts, allowing us to access the inner knowledge of our Higher Self. You should indulge deeply in the cards to develop the connection.

Conclusion : Is Learning Tarot Card Reading For You?

We hope you got all the details about learning tarot card reading in this article. If you want to master the skill and technique of Tarot card reading, you can choose other modes. It helps to connect and link a person’s past, present, and future.  There are several read books and online courses that can help you to become a pro in tarot reading of different tarot decks. You can also learn this skill by contacting independent tarot readers that can guide you about card meanings. Many such tarot readers teach simple reading and fortune telling by offering guidance. It is a complex task to learn and master this skill.  However, if you practice the reading by the three-card spread method, you will definitely master it. The three-card spread (three-card pull) and the Celtic Cross are the two spreads best for beginners. In the former, the reader must draw ten cards; in the latter, only three. These cards help you link and develop a picture of the past, present, and future.  You can begin tarot reading by finding answers to your personal questions and doubts from everyday life. Try to connect the definition and meaning of each card to get the full story about a relevant query. Each card relates the story with another card. It is also necessary for a tarot card reading to keep your mind fresh and positive. Furthermore, you should be confident in explaining the details while tarot reading.      

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