Tarot Card Reading Tips
When considering an oracle to consult for guidance, many people turn to the tarot. While anyone can read tarot cards, it is important that you understand that it's a process you have to practice. Reading tarot cards can be tricky; there is a right way and a wrong way to read the tarot. If not done correctly, you will end up with a reading that is useless.
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Know the Cards
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First and foremost you need to know that each tarot deck consists of 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana cards. At first, you may want to do a reading using only a portion of the deck, such as just the Minor or Major cards, or only one suit. The more cards you include, the more in-depth your reading will be.
Make Associations
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There are many different types of Tarot decks. Not all use the exact same overall design; however, each deck does use a uniform code. In every deck, the Three of Swords is depicted as a heart being pierced by swords. With straightforward cards like these, you can easily figure out the meaning, but there are also cards in which the meaning is a little more difficult to deduce just by looking at them.
Cards that are harder to interpret include The Fool and High Priestess. The Fool represents a fresh start, a new beginning or a new opportunity. The Fool also means a break out of the status quo--that the old way is not satisfactory, risk must be taken and it's time to start a new chapter in life. Take advantage of opportunities to the extent modified by surrounding cards. If The Fool is reversed, it represents a dispersion of energy. The High Priestess can represent secrets revealed or mysteries uncovered and you should filter through ideas and intuitions that pass through you. She can mean that there is something in the unconscious waiting to come out and you should be guided by intuition. The High Priestess is also a bridge to a higher plane. She can mean that you need to review your health and diet, and that there is change that is taking place or needs to take place to the extent modified by surrounding cards. If the High Priestess is in the reversed position, then she represents superstition and delusion.
Know Your Numbers
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Numbers play an important role in the tarot. Having a basic understanding of the meaning of numbers will help you get an in-depth and accurate reading. There is one number that only one card may hold and that is the number 0. It can only be on The Fool card. Zero is the number of absoluteness. This means absolute beginning or ending. This numbering symbolizes that the rest of the Major Arcana are lessons that the Fool is to learn.
The number 2 means kindness, balance, tact, duality and equalization. There is a quiet power of judgment that is associated with the number 2. The number 2 suggests that there is a need for planning. You are being called to make a choice. The number 2 can also represent the way you interact with others, whether in harmony or in rivalry.
According to MysticalBlaze.com, the number 2 also works differently depending on the suit. Two of Wands means work is underway. There is balance between action and passivity, and potential is not yet fulfilled. It can also mean energy, enterprise and passion with balance. New ventures are starting on firm foundations. There are many opportunities, but the outcomes are not clear yet. Good advice is being given and received to the extent of which is modified by surrounding cards. If reversed, it means you may not be doing something important or failure.
Ask the Right Question, the Right Way
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When consulting any oracle, it is important that you structure the question you are asking the right way. Remember that you cannot have an in-depth conversation with the tarot cards to get them to understand what you are asking, so be concise. The answers you are going to get will not be a simple "yes" or "no." For example, if you are asking about a possible promotion, don't ask "Should I take the promotion?" Instead ask the tarot, "Will this promotion help me achieve my goals?"
Placement
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The way the cards are laid out in relation to you also provides meaning. If in your reading you find that there are cards that are showing upside down or backwards, these are called "reversed" cards, and the meaning of a reversed card is different than a normal reading. The meanings can either be the opposite, or a more diluted meaning of the card. The association you have with your deck and the individual cards will really tell you what is meant by the reversal.
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