At this point, you have picked a deck and learned a little about how tarot works. Now you are ready to begin reading. As I have said before, I will not tell you the meanings of each card. All decks come with a booklet (called the Little White Book or LWB) you should read that through once then put it aside. What you really must do to read tarot cards is look closely at the pictures and use your intuition to help you find answers to your questions in them.
Start with the Minor Arcana
Lay your cards in rows, Ace through King of each suit and Fool to Wheel of Fortune and Justice to World. The Minor Arcana shows a progression from Ace to 10. For example, if you start with the Ace of Swords, you could say it points in some direction or another. The two of Swords, which way do you go? Three of Swords, small worries and dramas, and so on to 8 of Swords where you are all wrapped up in your worries, 9 of Swords where you wake up in the night and worry and 10 of Swords, where your worries pin you to the ground helplessly.
Do this will each suit and look across the cards, what are the fives all like? The 10’s? This will help you feel more comfortable with your deck.
Major Arcana
Then look at the Major Arcana. These cards tell a story, a Fool–a student learning magic—spreads his tools out and starts working (Magician). You encounter a High Priestess who intimidates her secrets to you. You meet an Empress and rejoice in her abundance and an Emperor who sits above it all and looks at the big picture. And so on.
One card Pull
Now that you have looked at the deck as a whole, shuffle it. Think about a question about your life that the cards can answer. Pull one card. Look at it closely. What suit is it? Remember, swords are worries, cups are love and emotion, pentacles are money and power and wands are enterprise or work. What number is it? Aces are new beginnings, 10’s are endings, Court cards are people: Pages are students seeking information, Knights are massagers bringing news. Queens are your peers. Kings are people in authority. If you get a Major Arcana card, what does it say to you? Again, look closely at what is going on in the card. Look in the LWB if you must but do not peek unless you absolutely must.
Do not rely on the LWB
Do not rush to look at the LWB, try to figure out what the card might mean by looking closely at the picture. What is the figure doing? What is in the background, or surrounding them? What does the number on the card mean to you? Is it a low number (under 5) or a high number? Is it a court card or a Minor Arcana pip card or a Major Arcana card?
Leave the card out all day. As you go about your day, think about how your life relates to that card. If you get the King of Wands, do you have to show leadership at work? You got the 4 of pentacles, are you being forced to do something different than you are comfortable with? Devil card? Were you angry about something and wanting to hold or rekindle a grudge?
Come up with your own meanings for the cards. That will mean you are really looking into the Akashic record. If you just go with what it is “supposed” to mean, you block your creativity. Look for details, what is in the background? Sometimes the background will cue the answer you need.
Do this every day for a while. Just like you exercise every day for your health, do this exercise to learn the skill of reading tarot cards.
Looking for a fun idea for your next party or event? Consider Psychic Entertainment by Barbara G Meyer. If you are looking for a new idea for a ladies’ night out? Consider a Tarot class for you and your friends. Either in person or on Zoom.