Learn How to Read Tarot Cards

Tarot cards are a basically a deck of 78 cards which have pictures on them. These pictures are full of symbolism, meanings and are rife with insights into the human story. A study of the cards will often reveal a lot of hidden depths and knowledge which goes a long way in understanding oneself and providing guidance and help to other people.

While it is not easy to learn how to read Tarot cards, it is not an impossible or a difficult process either. All you need is an open mind and a lot of imagination. People often say that you need to be psychic in order to do a Tarot card reading. I say, that we all possess this inherent capability within us - it is just that we have not exercised our ‘psychic muscle’ as such.

Tarot cards can help us exercise these ‘psychic muscles’ and help us ‘kick start’ our intuitive processes. In my experience, spending time doing Tarot card readings can actually help us get in touch with our inner psychic abilities and these Tarot readings will enhance the process of communication with the unconscious within us.

Let us look at a simple and easy way to learn how to read Tarot cards.

The first step is to get a good Tarot card deck. The deck must have images or pictures that you can relate to. Most shops would have an opened deck which you can go through. Take your time going through the pictures on all the cards. Do they feel familiar? Do you feel as if you instinctively understand what is happening in these pictures?

Nowadays, a variety of decks are available in the market. Search over the Internet. You have decks based on so many themes – Egyptian mythology, Greek mythology, Pagan lore, Animal themed decks, Decks based on Modern themes – the variety is endless. What is your favorite imaginary realm? Do you like Egyptian myths? Do you like futuristic imagery? There are decks which will be just right for what you want. Go for that. A deck which will speak to you will often be something you will find easy to understand.

The next step is to invest in a good book. Ideally, most decks come with a detailed book, or a Little White Book (affectionately called the LWB by the Tarot community). But it pays to have another book. Often enough the LWB may not contain enough insight or information. So one should have a book that contains the information you are looking for. Look at the various sections in the book you want to buy. Does the book talk about the mythological aspects of the cards? Does the book talk about archetypes? Does the book give detailed explanations of the cards’ symbolism? While searching on the Internet, look at the opinions of people about that book. Did they find it useful? Invest in a book that can be a good guide for you to turn to when you are stuck for interpretations.

The third step is to invest in a Tarot Journal. Most Tarot lovers will tell you to buy a two ring binder and many loose leaf sheets (they can be ruled, plain or both). This is a very good method of keeping a record of your work. Journals can be used to record individual card meanings and interpretations, and even a Tarot card reading you did for yourself or for someone else – this record helps you understand your interpretation of each card in a reading. As you progress with your study of Tarot, you can go back and refer to your notes and interpretations. This way, you can gain insight into your intuitive process, and make changes or gain deeper understanding where needed.

Now, we finally get down to it. Here is where you sit down with your materials and start the learning process. Before you begin, make a commitment to yourself that you will complete this task at hand. Find a quiet time and space where you are not likely to be disturbed. A couple of hours or so, for a few days, is great.

Now, take each card in your hand and look at the pictures. Do they say something to you? For example, when you see the images, do you feel as if ‘this is happening’ or ‘that is being done’? Make a note of it in your journal. Then read about the card in the book that came along with the deck. Do you agree with the interpretations? Do you feel that some are relevant while some are not? Do these interpretations match what you felt before? Make a note of the interpretations that vibe with you in your journal. Now take the other book that you bought. Read about the card in that book. Does it help you understand what the interpretation is all about? Does the picture in the card make sense to you? Make a note of your insights in your journal.

Repeat this process with all the cards.

Once you have done this process, go over your interpretations in your journal to refresh them in your mind.

Now we come to the part where you actually do a Tarot card reading. You can do this Tarot reading either for yourself or for a friend.

Generally, at the back of the book (both the LWB and the other book you bought) there would be a sample spread or two (sometimes even more) with a couple of sample readings as well. Go through it and understand the spread and the reading process. Then follow the process given in the book to actually do a Tarot reading.

In your journal, make a note of the cards you pulled and in what positions they appeared in your spread. Write down the interpretations that came to you when you looked at the cards. This time, do not look into your journals or books for the meanings. This time you would be, literally, ‘flying solo’.

After the reading is over, you can go through your notes and the books. Do your interpretations match the meanings that you got? Do you have another insight or meaning to add to the ones you got from the books? Go ahead and add the interpretation into your journal. Make sure that you date the reading and mention the subject or question you asked at the top of the page where you noted down your interpretations.

This way you can go back to the reading and your interpretations after a couple of months and see if you were right or where you did not see something.

Here is a simple exercise for keeping up with your study of Tarot. Every morning, draw either 1 or 3 cards for the day. Note them down in your journal along with their interpretations. Check back the next day if you were going in the right direction. Often you may also find that your interpretations may actually come true within a week or a month, or even in the next couple of days!

This exercise will thus help you hone your skills every single day.

Learning how to read Tarot cards requires a certain amount of dedication and commitment. But if done properly, this connection with the cards can help you come closer to your inner self and remain guided by the Universe forever.