It's World Tarot Day! Here's a Full Guide to Tarot Reading for Beginners, According to An Expert

Tarot cards are a great way to gain insight into the past, present or future. By asking questions or wanting to understand a matter on a deeper level, one can connect to the spiritual realm through this form of divination.

You can consult a professional tarot card reader who can tell you the significance of the cards and how they relate to your life, but you can also perform readings yourself and you don't have to be experienced to dabble with a deck of cards.

By learning how to use tarot, you can apply the lessons and messages to relevant life situations. There is a psychic element to reading tarot cards, and it can reveal truths and help you overcome challenges, however, you can still experiment with a deck, even if you're just curious.

In commemoration of World Tarot Day on May 25, here is a guide to tarot card reading for beginners.

What is a tarot reading?

Tarot is a type of cartomancy — fortune-telling through cards — that brings wisdom, insight, and guidance to the person seeking answers. Practitioners use the deck of cards to tell a story based on the questions being asked. The symbols and meanings of these cards reveal details of matters to the quested.

What do you need to know before you get into tarot reading?

Before getting a tarot reading, the most important thing to know is that all types of divination connect us to our intuition and the spiritual realm. It's essential to keep an open mind and understand that the information being told to you reflects this moment in time. You don't have to ask questions more than once because you will receive inconsistent answers, which will make the readings erratic. Remember that you're being told what you need to know right now.

Are there decks suited for beginners?

Rider-Waite's Original Tarot Deck Cards, The Cosmo Tarot: The Ultimate Deck and Guidebook, Tarot for You and Me: A Queer Deck and Guidebook are some good decks to get you started.

Of course, a fresh deck of cards won't mean much if don't have proper guidance. There are several books out there that can help beginners ease into tarot readings. Michelle Tea's Modern Tarot: Connecting with Your Higher Self Through the Wisdom of the Cards, Theresa Reed's The Weiser Tarot Journal: Guidance and Practice, as well as Rachel Pollack's Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom: A Tarot Journey to Self-Awareness are some good books to help get you started.

What do the different types of cards in a tarot deck mean?

A standard tarot deck typically has 78 cards that are divided into five categories depicting different aspects of life and the world. It starts with the Major Arcana which are the 22 trump cards that begin at 0, The Fool and end with 21, The World/Universe. These represent important lessons we learn throughout life. 

The Minor Arcana comes next and makes up the remaining 56 cards.

The Minor Arcana come in four suits:

Wands/Rods: These range from Aces to 10s, and a Page, Knight, Queen and King. These cards represent the fire element. They are about passion, drive and desire. 

Pentacles/Discs: Also ranging from Aces to 10s, and a Page, Knight, Queen and King. These cards represent the earth element and dictate the material and physical realm. 

Swords: Starting from Aces to 10s and a Page, Knight, Queen and King. These cards represent the air element. They dictate communication and thought. 

Cups: Starting from Aces to 10s and a Page, Knight, Queen, and King, these cards represent the water element. They dictate emotion, relationships, and love.

How do you do a tarot reading?

Think of a question and then shuffle the tarot cards. Once you are ready, you can pull out three cards to start. It's recommended you start with a three-card past, present, and future spread before advancing to one such as a Celtic Cross spread, for example.

You can determine the answer to your question by understanding the meaning of the cards as the reader. It's up to you to decide how you want to interpret the cards. It gets easier with time as you develop the relationship between each tarot card. When placed together, the cards tell a tale, so envision the story based on the imagery.

Can you read your own tarot?

Yes. However, ensuring you're in the right frame of mind to answer questions objectively is essential. People tend to want to find the best answers for themselves, so it's best to have someone else do the reading for you so you don't cloud your own judgment, but the answer is yes, as long as you are fair-minded. 

Is there a way to build a relationship with the cards?

Studying and spending time with the deck you are resonating with is essential. It's recommended that people hold the deck to see if they are inclined to it. Sometimes, you’ll vibe with a deck that your friends don't. Think of it as dating: You must build a relationship with the deck and finding the right one can take time. 

Familiarizing yourself with tarot cards is a great way to bond with them. Examine each tarot card and look at the imagery on it. For example, the Strength card represents a woman holding and taming a lion, alluding to her dominance and power. Above her head is a lemniscate, depicting the infinite fortitude within. The white dress symbolizes purity of heart. Putting it all together, the Strength card allows one to use their assets to overcome obstacles without resorting to bad behavior.

The Lovers shows two different people coming together. Upon a deeper look, we see Raphael, the angel of air, on top of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and a snake entangled around the bark, alluding to the depiction of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Therefore, this card shows the impact of temptation and how one must choose between the high or lower vibration within. 

Once you find a card that aligns with your spirit, make it a screensaver on your phone or computer. This will give you the chance to connect with it more. You're drawn to the card for a reason, so note how it makes you feel. Perhaps it's telling you what energy is missing from your life or forewarning you about future events.

Journaling each tarot pull can also be beneficial to familiarizing yourself because it allows you to reflect on the interpretations. There are basic guidelines for what each card means, but you're the tarot reader, so you paint the picture according to what seems and feels right. Journaling can build the foundation of understanding each card as your association with the cards grows and evolves through practice and time.

What's the best time to do a tarot reading?

It's best to do a tarot reading when you are clear-minded. Take a moment and meditate before you begin shuffling the cards and asking questions, that way, you can understand what is being told through the tarot and take in the answers.

Additionally, meditating prior allows you to ask clear, concise and direct questions. A lot of times when people are feeling anxious or are in a lousy mood, the answers can reflect that, meaning you won't get a clear connection to the spirits or the cards. As a result, you get muddled and incorrect answers because you're not in a headspace to listen or comprehend the card's revelations.

What is the worst time to do a tarot reading?

When a person is in a heightened emotional state, they should pause and reflect or get a reading done by someone else. The energy we are feeling can be put into the reading, making it hard for us to receive the information being told.

Energy mirrors energy. If you're in a place of intenseness and oneness, I recommend calming yourself before pulling out tarot cards for answers. You won't get a straight and definitive answer that way, so it's best to take a moment, beat, and breathe before divination.