Learn to Read Tarot Cards

Tarot cards originated in Italy during the 14th century, when cards featuring powerful imagery and symbols were added to the four suits of the standard deck of cards. By the 18th century, the cards were widely accepted and used as divinatory tools. Today, the tarot remains one of the most popular divination tools. Best of all, they are accessible and useful tools to anyone willing to devote some time and effort into studying them.

Things You'll Need

• A deck of Tarot cards
• A good book or website on Tarot cards
• Tarot journal

Instructions

Learn to Read Tarot Cards

1. Before even opening your first deck of cards, you should start a tarot journal. As you study the tarot, there is a great deal of information to take in. This can seem overwhelming at times, and a journal will help you keep track and make sense of it. A journal will also provide you with a place to record your own impressions and experiences with the cards and so that you can develop your own relationship with the cards. Since no two people experience the cards in exactly the same way, it benefits you to have your own insights rather than only relying on those written by other authors.Your journal doesn’t have to be fancy. It can be as simple as a 5-subject notebook that you keep with your cards. Use one section for each of the suits: swords, wands, cups and pentacles and one for the trump cards. The final section can be used for card spreads,when you cut the deck and select cards to read in a certain way.

2. Learn the meaning of each card. Since the Tarot is an esoteric practice, the ideal way to do this is to card at a time and study it so that the meanings seeps into your subconscious. Research the card's meaning and take notes on the information you learn about it. Meditate on the card’s image for a few days and write down any particular impressions or feelings that it gives you. Compare this with what you have read. If you like, further explore the symbols displayed on the card (objects, animals or characters). Note any dreams you may have about the cards or the symbols on them. If you do this with each of the 78 cards in a standard Tarot deck, it can take up to a year or more to fully acquaint yourself with the deck. This may seem like a long time, but in the long run it will be beneficial for when you begin reading because you’ll be intimately familiar with each one.

3. If you don’t feel you have the discipline or that you can’t devote the effort to a year-long study, try a card each day, or simply sit down and begin reading about what each card means. As you practice readings you can refer to the books and take notes on the cards you draw.

4. After you’ve gotten some idea of the meaning of each Tarot card, think about how you can begin preparing yourself for reading them. Whether you believe the cards are helping you to tap into metaphysical information or guidance outside of yourself, or that they are merely helping you tap your subconscious so that you can figure out answers to your questions, keep in mind that readings are something of a semi-meditative act.

5. Go somewhere that is quiet and without distractions, taking a few moments to breathe and relax yourself and clear your mind. If candles, incense, crystals, praying, or calling your spirit guides help you get into a mind frame, by all means, indulge yourself. Whatever props, actions or atmospheres help bring your mind to enter into a state of meditative contemplation will help you mentally prepare yourself for reading the cards.

6. When you are prepared to begin reading, start experimenting with different tarot spreads. A spread is how the cards are spread out for interpretation. There are no absolutes when it comes to spreads; you can even create your own when you feel you are ready, but there are a few key things to be aware of with any spread you use.The first important key is what the position of each card in a spread means to you. Each card’s position provides you with further information on the significance of the card in that reading. For example, if the Death card, a symbol of change, falls in a position relating to the past, it means the change has already occurred; if it falls in a position relating to the future, change is yet to come.

7. As you read on different card spreads and the meaning of positions, you will find that opinions differ, even with the most popular spreads. There is no one-size-fits-all. The important thing is that you have a clear understanding in your mind of how you will interpret each placement before you do a reading.Before attempting a reading, you’ll also want to draw your own conclusion about what reversed cards mean. Reversed cards are cards that come out upside-down when placed in a spread. Some readers feel upside-down cards indicate the exact opposite of what the card’s original meaning is. Other readers pay them no mind at all, arguing that each card already has a purpose. For example, if the future holds success, then a card indicating success will come up; not a card indicating failure in a reverse position. These readers simply turn cards upright and pay the reverse position no mind.

8. Another school of thought holds that reverse cards retain their original meaning, but the reverse position indicates it will be to a lesser extent. So if the Death card is reversed, it still indicates change, just not as big of a change. How you interpret reversed cards will be up to you. Again, the only important thing is that you make a decision on how you feel it should be interpreted before you begin reading. Take notes on card positions and their meanings in your journal for your own reference. As you do readings, record the spread in your journal, with each card drawn and it’s position, so that you can go back and reflect on the reading.

9. One of the simplest readings to begin with is the one-card spread. Hardly really a spread at all, the method is to draw one card. The card can be drawn to answer a specific question, which you would keep in mind when shuffling and drawing the card. It can also just be drawn for a generic reading, to see what might be in store for the day or week, what challenges need to be overcome or what things you need to be aware of at that time.Doing a one-card spread each day for a while will help you begin to interpret the cards in a practical way. Record them in your journal and then record some of the events of the day that you feel the card was indicating. This will help you get a feel for understanding how the information coming through the cards is communicated to you.

10. A slightly more advanced spread to take up next is the three-card spread. Lay out three cards in a row. Reading from left to right, the card on the left represents the past, the card in the center represents the present, and the card on the right represents the future. The card representing the past is usually telling you what led to the present situation. The card representing the future tells you the outcome if the current course of actions and events do not change.

11. Even more detail can be gleaned from the five-card spread, as the added two cards can give you more details surrounding the events. Much like the three-card spread, the five-card spread is lain out in a straight line. From left to right, the first card represents the past, and the second represents obstacles or motives that influenced the events. The third card in the center represents the present. The fourth card represents external influences or desires that will help direct the course of events. The fifth and final card shows the future.

12. 

    Once you have become comfortable with some of the simpler readings you can progress to the popular 10-card spread known as the Celtic Cross. This spread, so named for a “cross” section along side a “staff” section, provides the means for a rich, in-depth reading that takes many aspects of the reader’s situation into account. While the key past, present and future positions are still there, the six additional cards provide richer and much more detailed information about internal, external, conscious and subconscious influences, hopes and fears, obstacles to overcome, and the overall outcome of the chain of events. This spread can take a while to master, so the tarot journal becomes even more crucial a tool here in order to keep track of your readings, as it is easy to forget 10 cards that were drawn or all the information that came to you at the time. Make it a habit to close each reading with recording the cards and their placement in your journal, along with your interpretations and impressions. This especially is helpful if you give a follow-up reading to the same person or on the same situation, so that you can see what changes new events or information has affected the course of events.

13. Reading the tarot is not difficult in itself, but it is an art that takes time and dedication to master. With continued practice and reflection on your journal, you will continue to hone your skills and notice an improvement in your ability to interpret and your accuracy. You’ll find that the tarot can be a beneficial tool for contemplating any of life’s challenges that you may face.

Resources

• Learning the Tarot