Learning to read Tarot Cards is fun, and it’s not just a way to see the future, but also a tool for spiritual guidance. What ever the reason is for your interest, it’s going to need dedication and work.
One other thing you should keep in mind, is that learning to read Tarot Cards is not something that you do in a week. It takes much longer than that. If you’re determined, you might be looking at months, but a realistic goal is to look towards some years.
Of course you could learn all the cards and the meaning behind them. You might even become a specialist in the meanings of Tarot Cards, a true expert.
You might also know quite a few Tarot Card spreads. Being able to do simple Yes or No spreads, The Celtic Cross Tarot Spread or even a more complete twelve month spread. You might even have invented your own spread.
All this can be done in few months, few weeks even. This can also be done with a relative ease, that is if you are good at memorizing things. So why do I talk about months or even years when you’re learning to read Tarot Cards?
The thing is, by knowing all this does not mean that you will be a good reader of Tarot Cards. For that you will need the months and years I mentioned.
If you’re willing to do the work and you got the dedication, I’ll promise you that you’ll enjoy it all the way. You might have noticed that I mention work, but I do not mention hard work. The reason for that is simple, no matter the work, if you like it, it will never be hard. A lot of work doesn’t have to be hard work.
The connection between you and the cards is what matters the most and this takes time. So if it’s not just knowing the Tarot Cards meanings, then how do we know when we’ve “got it”?
For me it just arrived like that. I was doing a reading for a friend and suddenly I just knew the meaning of the cards combination. It was like if the cards were talking to me. My books had taught me the “meaning” of the Tarot Cards, but suddenly I felt the connection.
It’s this connection that makes the difference between those who know what they’re doing and those who don’t.
Learning to read Tarot Cards
If you’ve reached this point, it means that you’re willing to do the work. You should be able to get all the information you need on this site to start learning to read Tarot Cards.
To start with, you need to get acquainted with the cards. This is the most important factor in the learning process. Learning to read Tarot Cards, does not center around you having to learn the meaning of each card. Well it does up to a point. What you need to do, and this is what most students forget, you need to get the feeling for the cards. Get acquainted with them.
The best method is by learning the 22 cards of the Major Arcana by heart. You need to study each card individually. You should learn the basic meaning behind each card and study its design in details.
After you’ve learned the meaning of the first two cards, you should look at them together and see the connection between them. You continue the same after you’ve learned the meaning of the third card, arrange the three first cards in different order and see how the meaning changes. Then you use them to do a simple three card Yes and No spread.
You continue like that with each of the cards of the Major Arcana until you’ve gone through them all. As you go through more cards, you will be able to do more complicated spreads.
A good idea is to have a list of Tarot Card meanings that you can use as a quick reference guide while you are getting the feeling for the meaning of the cards.
Choosing Your Deck Of Tarot Cards
Though you can always change and use a different deck later on, I do not recommend it. From the moment you open your pack and break in the deck, you start to connect with the cards. So by changing, you have to start all over again.
Personally I use the Rider-Waite Tarot Cards for the simple reason they where my first deck. The fact that the Minor Arcana has descriptive images on them makes them also an excellent choice for readings and when you’re learning to read Tarot Cards.
If you’re anything like me, you will end up buying more than one deck. Tarot de Marsella and the Order of the Golden Dawn Tarot Cards were cards that I was quickly looking for as they are probably the best known decks apart from the Rider-Waite deck.
You can in fact collect all the decks you can get your hands on, but there will be only one deck that you will use for your reading or spiritual work.
You can also make your own Tarot Cards, something that will build a very strong connection between you and your cards. I believe everyone can make their own cards, though a drawing talent is a plus.
What ever your choice will be, taking care of your Tarot Cards will always be important. You should be careful that no-one handles your cards, unless it’s for reading purposes. You should also try to keep them well packed or protected.
Tarot Card Reading Instructions
Your choice of spreads to do, is all based on the purpose of your reading. Quite often a simple three card Yes and No spread is all you need. The fact of the matter is, that most people are looking for an answer to a simple question, a yes or no answer.
For a general, what will happen reading, you can go for a horse shoe spread and The Celtic Cross Tarot Spread or a fifteen card spread.
For further information on reading your Tarot Cards, you can read my Tarot Card reading instructions on this site.
It would be arrogant of me to say that this site is all you need, though my purpose is to offer as much information as I can. I recommend that you also look elsewhere on other sites and from Tarot Card books and DVD’s.
There are e-books or guides that offer the beginner some guidance, when you’re learning to read Tarot Cards, as for example Tatiana’s Tarot Cards reading course . But you should always remember that true knowledge of the Tarot Cards comes with training and time.