Tarot Cards, Tarot Card Meanings, Tarot Card Interpretations
At psychic fairs, market fairs, private readings and anywhere I happen to be reading, I'm often asked how I learned tarot, how do you learn to interpret tarot, etc. I respond that anyone can learn to read tarot and the more you read, study, practice and share with other readers the more you know and are able to bring accurate readings for yourself and others.
Besides this blog, I plan on offering online video training in the later half of 2024 for those who want more indepth training and practice. So be looking for those to be announced soon. In the meantime, I will be giving some tips and hints here on the blog.
Getting Acquainted with Tarot and your Cards
I recommend for beginnings to use the traditional Rider Waite cards as your starting point. You can use your other tarot decks you may have after you get through the basics of the Rider deck.
Start by separating the deck into 5 sets; The Major Arcana, The Cups, The Wands, The Swords and the Pentacles.
It's important to spend time observing your own feelings about each card so you have a sense of the positives and negatives you feel from each card and the image depicted on each one. This will help your become familiar with each card and the details you observe along with the feeling the card images relate to you.
Next I recommend you order a general guide to tarot from a renowned source, such as "Tarot A New Handbook For The Apprentice Vol. 1" by Ellen Connolly. This resource will give you simple and easy to remember (and look up) explanations for each card and also some basic knowledge of tarot spreads.
Nuts and Bolts regarding Tarot Cards and Tarot Interpretations
First off, I want you, as a tarot reader, to understand that there are no absolutes in tarot. Intuition and revelations are also a part of interpretation and reading the story your tarot spread presents you. Before you can get comfortable with that aspect of tarot, you need to start with the beginning foundation.
Let's continue to talk about The Suits.
In the Minor Arcana we have The Cups. These cards usually surround the area of strong emotions, feelings, love, contentment, happiness, romance, emotional maturity and the like.
The Wands; the cards often reflect ambition, work, career and motives behind work. Enterprise, Rank and Distinction. This doesn't meant they don't also refer to other areas, but in broadest terms it is work and workload, work relationships.
The Swords; this suit often reflects drive, ambition, intentions, struggles, animosity, conflict and conquering are words that often come to mind when you see Swords.
The Pentacles; think everything money, finances, resources, methodology, interests, contentment levels.
Major Arcana cards I will leave to say that each card presents a picture with one to four word description associated with each card. For this section of the tarot deck; do as suggested with the minor arcana part of the deck. Inspect each card and assess your own feelings about the card, the words and what feelings and thoughts you receive from it. Also notice the number associated with each card as numerology can be a part of the interpretation during a reading.
Preparations for your First Tarot Reading
The best way to learn how to read and interpret tarot is to do a few simple readings. To do this we need to prepare yourself and the deck.
Have a quiet place designated as to where you will do your readings. A simple covering on a table will help keep the cards clean and make it easy to see them without distractions of other things on the table.
Make sure the chair you use is comfortable and allows you to sit upright and allows easy sight to the cards.
Next prepare yourself mentally and your cards physically. First hold yourself still while holding the deck of cards close your eyes and meditate on what you would like to know for yourself. Keep it simple.
The next step is clearing and preparing your cards. Clearing the cards can be done a number of ways. One way is to hold the deck in your non-dominate hand and strike the deck 3 times with your dominate hand while thinking or saying, I clear this deck of all energies other than my spiritual advisors and myself to enable them to give me truthful answers to the questions I inquire.
Then shuffle the cards in a manner which is easiest and most effective for you. While shuffling the cards think of your question and when you feel the time is right, stop shuffling and cut the deck.
Then you will lay out your spread.
I suggest using a simple 3-card spread which will address either:
Past - Present- Future or
Body - Mind - Soul
Do not worry if the cards you turn are upright or upside down. Make mental note of those that appear upside down, but turn the cards so you can easily see each card.
Note the suit of each card and also if any Major Arcana cards are present. Now look at each card and what positive or negative feelings you associate with each card. If there are more positives, then your answer will likely be positive, If the first is negative and they become more positive, this is also likely going to be positive. If the are all negative feeling/looking or they move towards more negative looking then the reading may reveal some answers that you either expected or things you can do to change the outcome if at all possible. Next, go to your resource book, and read the meaning of each card. If they show reversals note that on your reversed cards. In general, I only read as reversals if it makes sense that the main meaning of the card may actually mean the opposite of the traditional meaning.
Continue practicing in this way until you are more comfortable with the understanding and meaning of the cards and the placement.
The next step will be, how to use or create spreads to address questions or special circumstances. Also a more indepth look at the Major Arcana cards and the "Court Cards", (Kings, Queens, Knights and Pages).
Happy exploring and learning tarot!
Judy Emery
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