How can you read tarot cards as a beginner?
05/07/25 5:33pm
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This post was sourced from submitted reader questions and posted by wikiHow Editorial Staff.
For beginning tarot readers, I recommend learning the Ryder-Smith-Waite deck. The Ryder-Smith-Waite Tarot deck is the Tarot deck that most other decks are based on. If you learn that deck, you're going to be able to navigate any deck that you come across.
Also, get a book that teaches you about the cards and learn the Major Arcana, which are the cards that I think excite people the most because they represent big life events or developments. Keep your readings really simple. A one-card reading or a three-card reading is the best way to avoid confusing yourself or overcomplicating it.
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Also, get a book that teaches you about the cards and learn the Major Arcana, which are the cards that I think excite people the most because they represent big life events or developments. Keep your readings really simple. A one-card reading or a three-card reading is the best way to avoid confusing yourself or overcomplicating it.
I feel like the best way to learn is by pulling your own cards
and just doing it. And be fearless – don't be intimidated by the fact that there are 78 cards holding multiple meanings. You just have to dive in and start exploring and playing. I think the best way to learn is to pull a card every day. It's a lovely way to start the morning by pulling a card and spending time with it.
I also think it's essential to get a tarot deck that resonates with you , that you can really connect with, because there are so many options now, more than ever. Find the one that lights you up, that you feel excited to pick up, and you want to work with, you want to play with, you want to spend time with. I think starting your day with maybe a brief meditation or a couple of deep breaths and just asking the cards, “What do I need to know today, or what could support me today? What could be beneficial?” Something really lovely and simple like that. Pull a card, see what comes through, spend some time looking at the imagery, notice how you feel, and ask what that card is telling you.
It's also really lovely to pair this with some journaling. And then whatever is coming to mind, you can write it down. Then you can look at that companion book that often comes with a deck, or if you have a favorite book or website you'd like to consult with that shows meanings of the cards, and see how that relates to what you've already picked up on. And just see how that card's advice comes through to you all day.
I also like to revisit at night and take a little time with it, and then put those notes down as well. Maybe I thought the card was coming through to me in one way, but it actually came through in a different way. Or maybe what I picked up on this morning was very spot on.
I feel like tarot reading is a living, breathing modality , where it shifts and changes as time goes on. And I think it's very reflective of ourselves at the time. So, just start pulling cards for yourself and seeing how they resonate, and don't be afraid to play. And that's how you really get to know the cards.
View hidden comment
I also think it's essential to get a tarot deck that resonates with you , that you can really connect with, because there are so many options now, more than ever. Find the one that lights you up, that you feel excited to pick up, and you want to work with, you want to play with, you want to spend time with. I think starting your day with maybe a brief meditation or a couple of deep breaths and just asking the cards, “What do I need to know today, or what could support me today? What could be beneficial?” Something really lovely and simple like that. Pull a card, see what comes through, spend some time looking at the imagery, notice how you feel, and ask what that card is telling you.
It's also really lovely to pair this with some journaling. And then whatever is coming to mind, you can write it down. Then you can look at that companion book that often comes with a deck, or if you have a favorite book or website you'd like to consult with that shows meanings of the cards, and see how that relates to what you've already picked up on. And just see how that card's advice comes through to you all day.
I also like to revisit at night and take a little time with it, and then put those notes down as well. Maybe I thought the card was coming through to me in one way, but it actually came through in a different way. Or maybe what I picked up on this morning was very spot on.
I feel like tarot reading is a living, breathing modality , where it shifts and changes as time goes on. And I think it's very reflective of ourselves at the time. So, just start pulling cards for yourself and seeing how they resonate, and don't be afraid to play. And that's how you really get to know the cards.
To read tarot cards
as a beginner, stary by familiarizing yourself with all the tarot cards in a deck and their meanings. Both the major and minor arcana are associated with different meanings based on whether they're upright or reversed, and each also corresponds to a "yes" or a "no."
Start with a simple yes/no reading or a three-card spread. For a yes/no reading , ask an open-ended question, then draw a single card and interpret it as a yes or no. For a three-card spread, draw 3 cards—the meaning of the first represents your past, the meaning of the second represents your present, and the meaning of the last represents your future.
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Start with a simple yes/no reading or a three-card spread. For a yes/no reading , ask an open-ended question, then draw a single card and interpret it as a yes or no. For a three-card spread, draw 3 cards—the meaning of the first represents your past, the meaning of the second represents your present, and the meaning of the last represents your future.
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