Hello everyone! As we have generous members offering readings in their free time, I know this helps raise the interest in wanting to learn how to interpret Tarot Cards. Because of this, I’d like to take the time to give some tips and general information about how to get started with Tarot reading!
I have been reading for seven years, but that by no means makes me an expert on this subject. All of this information is what I have come across in my experiences with reading cards and what I’ve seen others using as well. This is meant to be a guide, not a strict rule of how to proceed.
I hope you enjoy!
Intro to Tarot – A Brief History
Tarot Cards are a tool for divination, and have been used for years. They are probably the most common form of divination reading with other popular methods being pendulums, runes and coffee/tea grounds readings but are by no means limited to just these! These methods have been portrayed in various forms through popular media, some of which include Harry Potter and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Kassandra has made a beautiful thread that has a complete list of the different forms of divination, which can be found here: The -Mancies: a Glossary of Divinatory Terms.
Tarot originally started out as a playing card game in the mid-15th century in early Europe and that is why they have four suits like regular playing cards. These four suits are what we know well today:
Wands
Pentacles
Swords
Chalices
Tarot is now, of course, used mainly for the sole purpose of the divination we’ve come to see today and it’s also not religion-specific. Tarot card reading (as well as Oracle reading which is a bit different than tarot) is used by a lot of different people who have different beliefs. I’ve seen Christians using them to connect with their arch-angels and I have a personal friend who is Jewish and uses them as well. This is a common misconception that I felt should be shared!
So how do you start?
First you need to find your deck! Selection of a deck can take awhile, as it is recommended that you select a deck that greatly calls to you. If you’ve ever heard anyone talking about feeling a ‘connection’ with their deck, this is what they’re speaking of! When I first started looking for my own, I looked at quite a few decks but just didn’t feel interested in buying them. It wasn’t until I visited my first spiritual store that I found the deck that was meant for me. I felt a very strong pull towards it and I loved how beautiful the art was on it. It’s okay if you don’t find one right away, because it’s better to wait for the one you truly feel a bond with so that your work with the cards will be even better!
Some ways to know if a deck is right for you are:
You love the art
The theme appeals to you
You feel happy when you look at them or grow excited
You see them and you just know immediately that they have to be yours
Once you’ve selected your deck, it’s time to use them!
Now, some people like to charge their cards in the moonlight or by other methods, which brings us to an important topic. There are many different beliefs as to how tarot cards work and the energy surrounding them, so I will be sharing the main ones that I have encountered myself (but they are not limited to these):
Deity Energy: Some people connect to their deities through the cards and that is how they receive their information and pick the cards they are meant to pick for a reading. Some may call upon their deities to bless and empower their deck which is where they believe the power comes from.
Card Energy: Some believe that the cards themselves carry their own power and have their own feelings and thoughts as they are a divination tool and hold a higher power. When they pull cards or use the deck, they are drawing from the energy and power of the cards and not anything else.
Personal Energy: Some people instill their own energy and positivity into the cards, and draw from this when they do tarot readings. I’ve found this is used quite often with those who believe in personal empowerment with magick work.
All of the Above: Some people may draw from all of these energy sources to conduct their readings.
Having shared these, it’s very important to note that there is no right or wrong way to read tarot. As with any kind of spiritual practice, there is no definite rule as to how you should do something because it’s all relative to you and your personal beliefs.
How to Conduct a Reading and Interpret the Cards
As mentioned above, there is no right or wrong way to perform a reading or to use Tarot cards. Some methods that might work for others, may not work for you. I can only do three card readings, as trying for anything higher usually doesn’t work out well and results in random cards being thrown in while I have a friend who cannot do any less than four cards or she faces the same problem as me.
Also, like it was stated before, there is no right or wrong way to do read the cards either. Some people like to use the literal definitions of the cards which are usually shared in books or sometimes even sent along with the particular deck that you have. Others don’t like to take the literal meaning and choose to go based off the pictures and intuitive impressions they get themselves.
To find methods that work for you, I highly suggest looking into different spreads and finding those that might appeal to you! You could try doing single card readings or the three card reading which usually takes the form of Past, Present and Future, or any other kind of card layout you find that seems of interest to you! I also highly recommend studying your deck and getting to know the images and the feelings you get from certain cards. Keep track of what feels right and what doesn’t, and this will help lead you to success!
You can also practice on yourself and anyone else who may be willing to help you out such as friends and family!
If you'd like to look at different types of spreads you could try, look here: Tarot Card Spreads.
Please note that this was the best website I could find, so I'm not sure if any of the free readings or the like, are anything you should try. Haha. I'm merely sharing this for the spreads listed and shared.
Some important points to keep in mind:
Say everything that comes to mind! There are times you might come across something that doesn’t make any sense to you, but this doesn’t mean you should discard that detail! While it might not mean anything to you, it could very well mean something to the one you’re reading for. So share everything!
It’s okay to be wrong. There is no way you can know everything about everything. It is totally fine to make mistakes, because as they say ‘to err is human’. Do not let this deter you if the one you’re reading for tells you the information you relayed wasn’t accurate. At the same time, some of the things you share may not have happened yet and you might never know if what you told them was accurate or not. Just have faith in the fact that you did the absolute best you could do.
Be positive! There are times when information relayed isn’t the best, but our goal as readers are to ensure the experience is pleasant for those we are reading for. Do not outright say “Oh, this is absolutely and utterly horrible and horrifying!” as this will surely get you onto bad terms with the one seeking a reading. Try to put everything in a more positive light and try to offer advice as best as you can. You may not be able to help too much, as you may not be the right or qualified person to offer insight on a matter, but you can urge them to seek help from the right professionals if you feel it’s needed.
Nothing is set in stone! Thank you to the lovely SnowCat for bringing up this important fact! These are merely tools of divination, to try and get some ideas of what could potentially be an outcome to a situation. Nothing is 100% fact, and everything is subject to change.
More information on the Ethics of Divination can be found on Xiao’s wonderful thread, here.
I hope this guide helps you to get started and gives you some information on the basics of Tarot Divination. Enjoy your practicing!
***(Some of the information about the history of Tarot was found from the Tarot Entry on Wikipedia.
Tarot: A How-To For Getting Started
- Sakura Blossom
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Tarot: A How-To For Getting Started
"We are the music makers and we are the dreamers of dreams." - Ode by Arthur O'Shaughnessy
❀ If you need any help with anything, don't hesitate to ask! ❀
❀ If you need any help with anything, don't hesitate to ask! ❀
- Sakura Blossom
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Re: Tarot: A How-To For Getting Started
Thanks, Xiao. (:
And I totally forgot to add, if anyone has suggestions too, they can feel free to share. I only shared what I've encountered personally.
And I totally forgot to add, if anyone has suggestions too, they can feel free to share. I only shared what I've encountered personally.
"We are the music makers and we are the dreamers of dreams." - Ode by Arthur O'Shaughnessy
❀ If you need any help with anything, don't hesitate to ask! ❀
❀ If you need any help with anything, don't hesitate to ask! ❀
- SnowCat
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Re: Tarot: A How-To For Getting Started
Practice your readings on yourself. Practice on family and friends if they're interested and willing. Remember that the cards show possibilities, not absolutes.
Snow
Snow
Daughter of Sekhmet
- Sakura Blossom
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Re: Tarot: A How-To For Getting Started
Thank you Snow, these are good points to remember and I neglected to add them! I will put them into the main thread now~ (:
"We are the music makers and we are the dreamers of dreams." - Ode by Arthur O'Shaughnessy
❀ If you need any help with anything, don't hesitate to ask! ❀
❀ If you need any help with anything, don't hesitate to ask! ❀
- Starwitch
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Re: Tarot: A How-To For Getting Started
Wonderful article, Sakura, thank you!
I added this to the Witchcraft Articles section of the main website as well. I still need to copy several other articles you guys have written and add those to the site, but I happened to be working on my site when I noticed this one, so I did it right away. You can view it here if you'd like: How to Read Tarot
By the way, I love the pink headings and bullets. I wish I could use pink on my site like that. Unfortunately, most witches aren't a fan of pink.
![smiley_dance smiley_dance](./images/smilies/smiley_dance.gif)
I added this to the Witchcraft Articles section of the main website as well. I still need to copy several other articles you guys have written and add those to the site, but I happened to be working on my site when I noticed this one, so I did it right away. You can view it here if you'd like: How to Read Tarot
By the way, I love the pink headings and bullets. I wish I could use pink on my site like that. Unfortunately, most witches aren't a fan of pink.
- Sakura Blossom
- Posts: 2612
- Joined: Tue Nov 05, 2013 1:29 am
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- Location: USA, Midwest
Re: Tarot: A How-To For Getting Started
No problem, thank you! (:
I'm glad you like those! I try to keep the theme similar to the theme of the website with the purple and the flowers. That is unfortunate, though. ): Pink is such a fun color!
I'm glad you like those! I try to keep the theme similar to the theme of the website with the purple and the flowers. That is unfortunate, though. ): Pink is such a fun color!
"We are the music makers and we are the dreamers of dreams." - Ode by Arthur O'Shaughnessy
❀ If you need any help with anything, don't hesitate to ask! ❀
❀ If you need any help with anything, don't hesitate to ask! ❀
Re: Tarot: A How-To For Getting Started
Thank you so much this was exactly what I was looking for! Wonderful post and very helpful! Appreciate you sharing your experiences and knowledge with all of us!
- Sakura Blossom
- Posts: 2612
- Joined: Tue Nov 05, 2013 1:29 am
- Gender: Female
- Location: USA, Midwest
Re: Tarot: A How-To For Getting Started
You're very welcome! And no problem, I'm glad it could help! (:
"We are the music makers and we are the dreamers of dreams." - Ode by Arthur O'Shaughnessy
❀ If you need any help with anything, don't hesitate to ask! ❀
❀ If you need any help with anything, don't hesitate to ask! ❀