Tarot is an ancient system of symbols that has been used for many centuries. The symbols all correspond to specific characteristics of our conscious and unconscious minds, as well as specific phases of our lives (or sometimes they refer to key people in our lives). Tarot is a great tool we can use to gain guidance and insight into ourselves, our lives, and our personal growth.
Most Tarot decks consist of 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards. The Major Arcana cards usually represent life circumstances and lessons which are important for our spiritual growth, while the Minor Arcana cards usually represent some aspect of ourselves, such as our personality traits, fears, likes, dislikes; they can also represent the people in our lives.
Tarot cards are usually read by placing them into a "spread", which is an organized layout that designates a certain criteria for each card in the spread.
For example, here is a very simple spread:
Shuffle the cards until you feel it's right. Place the deck facedown on the table. From the top of the deck, select one card and place it face-up on the table, in position 1. Take the next card from the top of the deck and place it face-up in position 2. Take a third card from the top of the deck and place it face-up in position 3. Note what cards you got, and study the symbolism in these cards. The card in position 1 should give an accurate description of your past, and the major influences during that period of your life. Likewise, the card in position 2 should give an accurate description of your present circumstances, and the card in position 3 should describe what you can generally expect in your near future. (This 3-card spread can also be used with Body/Mind/Spirit as the designators.)
Most Tarot decks come with a booklet that explains the symbolism of each card, and possible interpretations. While you should study these and learn the basic meanings of each card, it is often our intuition that gives the most accurate readings. Often when I'm doing a reading, I get the feeling that a certain card is telling me something other than what the generally known meaning of the card is. I try to go with these hunches when I get them, and I'm usually very accurate when I do so. Click here to see some sample tarot readings that demonstrate this.
Remember that Tarot works on a system of symbols, and that individual card meanings should rarely be taken literally. For example, the Death card. Many beginners fear this card, simply because of its dark appearance, and its apparent message. But the Death card does NOT mean physical death, except in very rare instances. The Death card is symbolic of radical transformation, of letting the old die to make way for the new. It is a time to honor the past circumstances of our lives, for they have made us who we are today, but it is also a time to let go of those situations, for they no longer serve us. If the Death card shows up in your reading, see it as it truly is, a time of new beginnings heading your way, a time of growth and change for the better.
Another example is a card that often strikes fear into the hearts of many: the Tower card. This card often symbolizes drastic destruction, a breaking down of everything sane and comfortable. It can indicate illness, accident, natural disasters, loss of employment, loss of relationships, etc. It is a "dark" card, but only in the sense that it often predicts disaster in some form. BUT - this card's true message isn't the pain associated with disaster, rather it is the healing and rebuilding that happens after the destruction. The changes foretold by this card are ALWAYS positive, and for our better good. The changes this card predicts will be difficult, but not insurmountable. We will prevail, and we will be rewarded with circumstances much more suited to who we truly are.
Pay attention to the symbols, and the many ways they can be interpreted. With practice, you will learn to differentiate between guesses and true intuitive insights. For more reading tips, see my page on Tarot Reversals and Other Helpful Information.
Buying Your Tarot Deck
You should choose a deck that really "calls" to you, rather than just going with the first deck you see. Search out sites on the net, browse New Age stores, and look through catalogs to find your perfect deck. When you see it, you will know it, and it will be perfect for you.
When I found my deck, I had been having dreams for a few weeks prior to that, of a beautiful, fantasy based Tarot deck. I kept seeing deep blues and purples, with great mystical pictures on them. One day I felt a strong desire to visit my local New Age store, and there, behind the glass of the display case, was "my" deck. I knew it instantly, and it has worked out wonderfully for me since then. (It was the Tarot of a Moon Garden deck by Karen Marie Sweikhardt) Keep searching until you find "your" deck. Don't just settle for the first one you see. Some people collect decks, and have a wide array of them, and it seems to work well for them. Others fall in love with one deck and stick with it forever. It all comes down to personal choice.
Exercises to help you learn Tarot more quickly:
Give yourself a reading every day. Each morning, shuffle the cards and pick the top card from the deck. Study it and memorize its meaning. Watch for signs of the characteristics of this card throughout your day. See them and record them for future reference.
Before you know all the meanings of the cards, give yourself a reading, going only on intuition. (see below for a sample spread) Do not look up the meanings of each card. Rather, try to discern by the appearance and symbolism of each card, what it means, and how it relates to you and your life. Record these insights, and write them down. Then go back and check the known meanings of each card, and see how accurate you were. Do not despair if you were not correct with the card meanings. Instead, ask yourself this question: "Were my intuitive insights accurate as they pertain to my life? Overall, did this reading give me some insight into my path, my life and my goals?" If your answer is yes, then you have some real intuitive ability. If your answer is no, do not despair. Tarot, like anything, takes time and practice to learn. Most people do not learn it overnight. Keep working at it, and you WILL learn it.
Design your own spreads. Study generally used spreads, then using those as a base, create your own with placements that mean something to YOU. This will help you immeasurably, simply because it will be easier for you to remember which category means what. I've designed a few spreads, which I hope to put on here one of these days, but for now, here is a general 10-card spread (Author Unknown).
Shuffle the cards. Place the deck facedown on the table. Pick the top card, and place it face up in position one. Pick the next card, and place it face up in position two. Keep going until you have all ten cards face up on the table. Here are the meanings of the positions:
(P.S. "Seeker" refers to the person the reading is being done for, whether it's yourself or someone else.)
Position 1: Present - This card symbolizes the seeker's present position in life. May indicate life circumstances, or something that has been on the seeker's mind lately. This card can also symbolize the Seeker himself/herself, or a prominent person in his/her life.
Position 2: Immediate Influences - Shows the sphere of influences or obstacles that lie just ahead in the immediate future for the seeker.
Position 3: Goal or Destiny - This shows the ultimate goal or destiny of the seeker, their true desire. May also represent the best that they can accomplish considering their present circumstances. Frequently shows obstacles or situations that are KEEPING the seeker from attaining their ultimate goal.
Position 4: Distant Past - The influences and situations which existed in the seeker's past, usually their childhood, upon which current circumstances are based.
Position 5: Recent Past - Most recent circumstances in the seeker's life. This can include events and circumstances up to the past few years of the seeker's life.
Position 6: Future Influences - The influences that are coming into being in the near future in the seeker's life. The situations soon to be entering the seeker's life, if the current direction of events continues as it is.
Position 7: The Seeker - This card symbolizes the seeker's present position or attitude in their current circumstances.
Position 8: Surrounding Influences - This shows the environmental influences currently in the seeker's life. This may include people in the seeker's life that may have an effect on him/her, as well as people and situations the seeker may have an effect upon.
Position 9: Hidden Hopes and Fears - The hidden desires and fears of the seeker. This includes fears and desires that have not yet manifested consciously, but will in the near future.
Position 10: Final Outcome - The final results of the current situations, if circumstances continue as they are.
Tarot Cards Don't Hold the Power, You Do!
Remember that in life, we have free will. If something comes up in a reading that you don't like, you have the power to change it. Tarot readings are extremely helpful, in that they can alert us to potential problems and obstacles, but they cannot cause things to happen. They can only show us how things will be if circumstances continue on their present path, if nothing is done to change the course of events. We are in charge of our own destinies, we have the power to change. Doing Tarot readings frequently is helpful, because we can keep getting insight and guidance about the most current course of events in our lives. As situations change, so do the readings.
