How to Read the Tarot

Daddy called grandma and her friends' counterfeits and charlatans, but even as a little child, you watched wide-eyed and listened intently whenever they played Tarot. The pictures on the cards seemed to talk to you and often what the older women said echoed your thoughts. Today, grandma gave you her Tarot deck and a slightly tattered book. "They're yours now," she said. "Trust your heart and it will teach you how to read the Tarot cards."

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tarot cards Tarot book A friend Small table Chairs

Prepare

1. Spend considerable time familiarizing yourself with your Tarot deck. Read the card meanings from the book and study the pictures on each card. Go slowly and give each card your complete focus. Pay close attention to any feelings or flashes of insight you get from the Tarot cards.

2. Follow the diagram in your Tarot book to master the traditional, 10-card, Celtic Cross layout. Advanced Tarot readers use a variety of layouts that are usually determined by either the nature of the question to be answered or the energy of the questioner. The Celtic Cross layout is the most commonly used to instruct novices to read Tarot.

3. Ask a friend to act as questioner so you can practice. Sit across a small table from each other; the setting should be intimate and comfortable.

Read

4. Instruct the questioner to quiet his mind and concentrate on the question or issue to be resolved. Hand the questioner the Tarot cards face down. Tell her to continue focusing and shuffle the cards. Explain that the act of shuffling allows the cards to absorb the energy of the shuffler, and tell the questioner to continue shuffling until they know deep inside it is time to stop.

5. Sit quietly and be patient while the questioner shuffles the cards. Use the time to clear your own mind. Meditate or pray and ask the universe, by whatever name you use, to guide you as you read the Tarot.

6. Have the questioner place the cards, face down, in front of you and share their question when they are finished shuffling.

7. Cover the Tarot deck with both hands and open yourself to the energy imbued in the cards by the questioner. Draw from the top of the deck and turn the cards over one at a time; lay them to form the Celtic Cross. Take plenty time to focus on each card; make a mental note of the feelings and impressions that arise and their possible relationship to the questioner's concern. Complete the layout before you begin to share your insight with the questioner.

8. Read the Tarot in the order the cards were laid. Explain how each card's traditional meaning combined with your intuited impressions applies to the questioner's concern. Go slow; Tarot is interactive; discuss each card thoroughly with the questioner before moving on to the next card. Repeat the process for all 10 cards to complete the Tarot reading.

Tips & Warnings

• To dig deeper into the question or issue, re-stack the deck withholding the 10th card from the first layout. Put it in the place of the first card of a new Celtic Cross. Return the deck to the questioner and ask him to intensify his focus on the issue while shuffling the Tarot cards again. Repeat the process. You can use the 10th card method as many times as required during a reading to pin-point the answer or solution for the questioner. Most Tarot decks are sold with an instruction booklet. The publishers usually offer a more detailed manual; it costs extra but is well worth the cost.

Resources

• Lotus Tarot