If you would like to learn to read tarot cards, but have no
idea who to ask to teach you or how to go about it, the
following tips should help you get started on your path to
telling fortunes just like a pro! Your first challenge is to
choose a deck from the 8,000 or so published brands of fortune
telling cards on the market. What works for one person often
doesn’t for another. Some people are comfortable reading several
decks and others only identify psychically from a single brand.
Your local bookstore will probably carry several choices of
decks and the online store at Psychic Realm also has a selection
of introductory Tarot. However, I highly recommend going to a
store, picking up a deck and seeing if you like the feel of the
cards. The feel, weight or look of the cards often “speaks” to
you. If you a feel a connection with the images on the cards or
even how they feel in your hands, then that is probably the deck
that you will relate to best. I also recommend a deck that comes
with a small book inside the package or box so you will have
something to quickly reference if you should get lost in the
meaning of the cards. When I first read the Tarot, I typed
myself up a one sheet that a resembled a chart on a computer so
that all the meanings of each card right side up and upside down
were apparent to me at a glance. Your next step would be to get
acquainted with your cards. The best way to learn is to study
the image on each card, one at a time, while memorizing it’s
meaning. Be patient. There are usually 78 meanings to learn so
this is not always a fast process. Some tarot teachers recommend
that you put the deck of cards under your pillow at night so you
can get better acquainted with them. The idea is that your
subconscious will absorb the meaning. You can also meditate or
dream upon the individual cards in the same way by placing them
under your pillow. Some people like to charge their cards after
they first get them, either by praying or meditating over them,
passing them through the smoke of incense or placing them in the
light of the full or new moon for a night. Finicky readers
believe the power of the cards is enhanced if they are placed
inside a special box, pouch or wrapped in a silk pouch. I
personally don’t think this makes much of a difference but pomp
and circumstance is supposed to add to the power of all ritual
and magic, so if storing your cards in a special way or in a
special place helps you read them better than by all means do
so. Also many readers protect their cards by not letting anyone
touch them. There is a belief that others can “infect” the cards
with their beliefs, fears or anxieties. The cards do act as a
portal through to the other side, so keeping them away from
other people may be a good way of preventing people from
accidentally “touching” you through the cards and passing along
possibly toxic energy. This however brings up issues when it is
time to decide who is actually going to shuffle the cards. Some
readers hand the cards over to the questioner and others prefer
to always do the shuffling and never let the cards be tainted by
another’s hands. My personal take on this is that if you don’t
like the person’s energy, shuffle them yourself or even — don’t
do the reading at all! Most Tarot decks consist of 78 cards: 22
Major Arcana, and 56 Minor Arcana cards. The Minor Arcana
consist of four “suits”, just like a deck of regular playing
cards… The four suits are, Pentacles or Coins, which deal with
work/money/success issues, the Wands, or Staffs, which deal with
more spiritual issues, the Cups, which deal with emotional
issues, and the Swords, which some see as representing negative
experiences and loss. When starting out, I highly recommend
making your life easy, and getting the person to ask you a
question out loud. Both parties should focus on the question
while you shuffle the cards. As you get more experienced or
confident with the cards, you won’t care if they ask a question,
but repeating the questioner’s question out loud yourself does
seem to assist the divination process. Shuffle the cards until
the person you are reading for feels it is “right” to stop or
until you feel it is right to “stop”. After you are done
cutting, you need to cut the deck. Most readers divide the deck
into three piles. At this point you can either have the person
you are reading for pick which pile to pick up as the top of the
deck, or you can pick them up in an order that feels right to
you. Another option, is to fan the cards out face down, and have
the person you are reading for pick out the cards they want you
to read Two Simple Spreads: The Three-Card Spread: This spread
is good for yes or no questions. After you are done cutting the
deck lay the cards out from left to right. The first card to the
left represents the past/issues affecting the problem. The
second card in the center represents the present/problem. The
third card to the right represents the future/outcome. The
Celtic-Cross Spread Lay out the cards on the table in the
following order:
4 10
5 1/2 6 9 8 3 7 The first card represents the person asking the
question and the foundation of the matter.
The second card is placed across the first sideways and
represents obstacles or issues dealt with the person in the
present.
The third card represents what is on the subconscious mind of
the questioner and everything he or she has been through with
regards to the matter.
The fourth card represents the potential and the best that can
be accomplished given the choices the questioner has made so far
in his life regarding that matter.
The fifth card represents what has transpired in the past.
The sixth card represents what will take place in the immediate
future.
The seventh card represents the fears of the person. Generally,
this card will show you what is inside of them that is blocking
him or her from reaching their desired outcome. It can also
represent the atmosphere or influences that strongly affect the
questioner.
The eighth card represents how others see the person or the
situation.
The ninth card represents the hopes and fears that the
questioner might have for the future.
The tenth card represents the predicted outcome of the situation
or the actual answer to the question. Some individuals like to
keep pulling an addition six to ten cards after this cross is
laid down to determine what will happen in the future. It is
important to remember, that no matter what maps or directions
you are given, Tarot reading is an intuitive art and after you
do it enough you will begin to develop an intuitive sense of
what the cards mean when they are placed in relationship to each
other. Happy Reads!