Learning to Read Tarot Cards: Some Basic Advice

Perhaps the most difficult aspect of reading tarot cards is how subjective it is. It is both fortunate and unfortunate that there is no simple formula for interpreting the tarot. Reading tarot cards is an art that combines skill and practice with intuition and emotion, making it a particularly challenging undertaking. The same card may have different meanings depending upon its context, placement in the spread, and the situation being asked about. Combine this with the fact that there are, usually, 78 cards in the traditional tarot deck, infinite spreads (card layouts), and hundreds (if not thousands) of different decks, it’s understandable that some people spend their entire life honing their tarot reading skills. The good news is that it’s totally doable – and totally fun! Reading tarot cards can be incredibly satisfying, not to mention useful. Along the way, you will learn more about yourself than you thought possible, and will give you a sense of accomplishment and “inside” knowledge.

Like a Language

You can compare the tarot with a language. Can anyone ever know every meaning of every single word in any language? Of course not. So with Tarot. It is a language in itself – a language of symbols. Just as an individual word can have multiple meanings, so can every individual card. Beyond simple definitions, every word can have multiple connotations which vary with the context of its usage and even the tone of the speaker. Ever heard, “It’s not what you said, it’s how you said it”? This applies to every language and no less to the tarot.

Can anyone read tarot cards? Sure they can. But just like learning a foreign language, some will seem to have a natural talent for it, while others may struggle. And just like a foreign language, there’s more to it than just memorizing lists of vocabulary and verb conjugations. To be fluent in tarot, to be able to pull poetry from a spread, it takes an appreciation for the finer nuances of the symbolic language, and practice, practice, practice. Even Shakespeare worked at his art, and so must the tarot reader.

The key to successfully reading tarot is in honest study and sharpening your natural intuition. You know that feeling you get “in your gut” sometimes, that no one can really explain? To be able to effectively interpret a tarot spread, you have to trust your gut. Doing so will probably take some practice. When seen this way, we see that tarot is more than just a memorization of card meanings. It also involves confidence, trust, and dedication. Most taroists meditate regularly, to become more adept at hearing, and understanding, their subconscious minds.

Learn the Symbols, Listen to Your Heart

There are essentially only two parts to learning the tarot: studying the symbols and learning to tap into that special part of you that is connected to the whole of the universe. Obviously, this is a gross oversimplification of the process, but it is the framework upon which successful tarot reading is built.

Learn the Symbols

In the basic tarot deck, the symbols draw upon the western European magical tradition, and include ideas from Christian mysticism, Pagan mythology, astrology, numerology, alchemy, and Kabbalah. One could spend an entire lifetime studying these traditions, but a comprehensive understanding is not necessary to successful tarot reading. A basic understanding however, is required. Before we jump into the more analytical side of things, it’s important that you take a deep breath and connect.

Listen to Your Heart

Learning to listen to your subconscious is crucial. There are countless exercises and meditations designed to help you learn to listen. Since meditation is an art itself, and can be very frustrating to beginners, a good place to begin is to think of each card as a piece of art. Most of us have stood in front of a painting and just looked. You don’t have to understand color theory and composition to appreciate beautiful art. It certainly helps, but it’s not a prerequisite. Go ahead and try it now:

Listening Exercise

• Get a pencil and piece of paper. You’re about to start your tarot journal. (Want a special notebook for this? Check out the fabric covered pads from Tarot Totes
• Pull a card from your tarot deck. Any card will do.
• Now look at it. Don’t worry about its divinatory meaning, the symbolic tradition. Just look at it. Let the card’s imagery draw you in.
• What do you feel? Can you describe the colors? Does the image remind of you something – a feeling, a dream, a person, a memory? What’s the first thing that pops into your mind?
• Before you forget the sensation, write down which card you pulled, and then your initial reactions to it.

You’re done! It’s that simple. You may want to look up the meaning of that card and compare it with what you felt. Though every card’s meaning is basically standardized, your own interpretation will color and highlight how you read the card. That’s what’s so beautiful about tarot – every reader, and every reading is unique and personal. Without your own spin on it, a card is just a piece of paper with some pretty pictures on it.

During your “Learning the Tarot” journey it’s always a good idea to journal. Since you’re essentially learning a new language – a symbolic language – taking notes is never a bad idea. Years from now you’ll be able to look back a see how far you’ve come. It’s a journey that will change you forever.

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