Complete Guide to Tarot Reading for Beginners

Introduction: The Art of Tarot

Tarot reading is a powerful divination practice that uses a deck of 78 symbolic cards to gain insight, guidance, and clarity about life's questions. Far from fortune-telling parlor tricks, tarot is a profound tool for self-reflection, spiritual growth, and accessing intuition. Each card carries layers of meaning, and through their combinations and positions, tarot reveals patterns, possibilities, and wisdom. Whether you're seeking guidance on relationships, career, spiritual path, or simply want to develop your intuition, tarot offers a rich symbolic language to explore.

This complete beginner's guide teaches you everything about tarot reading. You'll learn tarot deck structure, how to choose your first deck, card meanings basics, how to do your first reading, popular spreads, interpreting cards, developing intuition, and building your tarot practice. By the end, you'll be ready to read tarot for yourself and others with confidence.

Understanding the Tarot Deck

Deck Structure: 78 Cards

Major Arcana (22 cards):

• The Fool through The World (0-21)
• Major life themes and spiritual lessons
• Significant events and turning points
• Archetypal energies
• Carry more weight in readings

Minor Arcana (56 cards):

• Four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles
• Daily life, situations, and experiences
• Each suit has 14 cards (Ace through 10, plus 4 court cards)
• More specific and situational

The Four Suits

Wands (Fire):

• Passion, creativity, action, willpower
• Career, ambition, energy, inspiration
• What drives and motivates you

Cups (Water):

• Emotions, relationships, intuition, love
• Feelings, connections, spirituality
• Matters of the heart

Swords (Air):

• Thoughts, communication, conflict, truth
• Mental clarity, challenges, decisions
• The mind and intellect

Pentacles (Earth):

• Material world, money, health, practical matters
• Career, finances, physical body, home
• Tangible results and manifestation

Court Cards

Each suit has four:

• Page: Messenger, student, new beginnings, youthful energy
• Knight: Action, movement, pursuit, extremes
• Queen: Mastery, nurturing, internal expression of suit
• King: Authority, mastery, external expression of suit

Can represent: People in your life, aspects of yourself, or situations

Choosing Your First Deck

Popular Beginner Decks

Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS):

• Most popular and widely used
• Clear, illustrated imagery on all cards
• Most books and resources reference this deck
• Best for learning traditional meanings
• Excellent first deck

Modern Marseille:

• Older tradition, simpler imagery
• Minor arcana less illustrated
• More intuitive reading required
• Beautiful but harder for beginners

Modern themed decks:

• Countless themes (witchy, goddess, animal, etc.)
• Usually based on RWS structure
• Choose imagery that resonates
• Make sure it's a full 78-card deck

Choosing Your Deck

Consider:

• Artwork that speaks to you
• Clear, readable imagery
• Full 78 cards
• Comes with guidebook
• Standard size (easier to shuffle)

Where to buy:

• Metaphysical shops (can see in person)
• Bookstores
• Online (Amazon, Etsy, specialty sites)

The "deck chooses you" myth: While romantic, just choose one you like! You can have multiple decks.

Preparing to Read Tarot

Cleansing Your New Deck

1. Remove from packaging
2. Hold deck and set intention
3. Smoke cleanse (sage, incense)
4. Knock three times on deck
5. Sleep with under pillow (optional)
6. Shuffle thoroughly to infuse with your energy

Bonding with Your Deck

• Handle cards daily
• Pull one card each morning
• Study the imagery
• Journal about cards
• Sleep with deck nearby
• Use it regularly

Creating Reading Space

• Quiet, private location
• Cleanse space energetically
• Light candle or incense
• Use tarot cloth (optional but nice)
• Have journal nearby
• Ground and center before reading

Learning Card Meanings

How to Learn 78 Cards

Don't memorize—understand:

• Study imagery and symbolism
• Notice patterns across suits
• Understand elemental associations
• Learn keywords, not full meanings
• Build on what you know

Daily card practice:

1. Pull one card each morning
2. Study the image
3. Read guidebook meaning
4. Notice how it shows up in your day
5. Journal about it
6. Best way to learn!

Major Arcana Quick Reference

0 - The Fool: New beginnings, innocence, leap of faith
I - The Magician: Manifestation, power, skill, resources
II - The High Priestess: Intuition, mystery, subconscious
III - The Empress: Abundance, nurturing, creativity, nature
IV - The Emperor: Authority, structure, stability, father figure
V - The Hierophant: Tradition, conformity, education, institutions
VI - The Lovers: Love, choices, union, values
VII - The Chariot: Willpower, determination, victory, control
VIII - Strength: Inner strength, courage, patience, compassion
IX - The Hermit: Solitude, introspection, wisdom, guidance
X - Wheel of Fortune: Cycles, fate, turning point, luck
XI - Justice: Fairness, truth, law, cause and effect
XII - The Hanged Man: Surrender, new perspective, sacrifice
XIII - Death: Transformation, endings, rebirth (rarely literal death)
XIV - Temperance: Balance, moderation, patience, alchemy
XV - The Devil: Bondage, materialism, addiction, shadow
XVI - The Tower: Sudden change, upheaval, revelation, breakthrough
XVII - The Star: Hope, inspiration, healing, renewal
XVIII - The Moon: Illusion, intuition, subconscious, mystery
XIX - The Sun: Joy, success, vitality, clarity
XX - Judgement: Rebirth, reckoning, calling, absolution
XXI - The World: Completion, achievement, wholeness, travel

Your First Tarot Reading

One-Card Reading (Start Here!)

Perfect for: Daily guidance, simple questions, learning

How to do it:

1. Ground and center
2. Shuffle while focusing on question or "What do I need to know today?"
3. When it feels right, stop shuffling
4. Draw top card (or one that "jumps out")
5. Study the image
6. Read guidebook meaning
7. Trust your intuition
8. Journal your interpretation

Three-Card Spread

Most versatile spread for beginners

Common interpretations:

• Past - Present - Future
• Situation - Action - Outcome
• Mind - Body - Spirit
• You - Other Person - Relationship
• Option 1 - Option 2 - Advice

How to read:

1. Decide which interpretation you're using
2. Shuffle with question in mind
3. Draw three cards, lay left to right
4. Read each card's meaning
5. Look at how they relate to each other
6. Synthesize into cohesive message

Popular Tarot Spreads

Celtic Cross (10 cards)

Most famous spread, comprehensive

Positions:

1. Present situation
2. Challenge/obstacle
3. Distant past/foundation
4. Recent past
5. Best possible outcome
6. Near future
7. Your attitude/approach
8. External influences/others
9. Hopes and fears
10. Final outcome

Complex but thorough—practice simpler spreads first!

Relationship Spread (5 cards)

1. You in the relationship
2. Other person in the relationship
3. The connection between you
4. Challenges
5. Potential/advice

Decision-Making Spread (6 cards)

1. Current situation
2. Option A - pros
3. Option A - cons
4. Option B - pros
5. Option B - cons
6. Guidance/best path

Reading and Interpreting Cards

Reversed Cards

What are reversals: Cards that appear upside down

How to interpret:

• Blocked or weakened energy
• Internal vs. external
• Opposite meaning
• Extreme of the card
• Not yet manifested

Beginners: You can ignore reversals at first! Read all cards upright until comfortable.

Reading Multiple Cards Together

Look for:

• Patterns (lots of one suit, many court cards, etc.)
• Story flow from card to card
• Contrasts and conflicts
• Repeated themes or numbers
• Overall energy (positive, challenging, mixed)

Trusting Your Intuition

• First impression is often right
• Notice what stands out in imagery
• How does card make you feel?
• What story do you see?
• Guidebook meanings are guides, not rules
• Your interpretation is valid

Reading for Others

When You're Ready

• Comfortable with card meanings
• Can read for yourself successfully
• Understand spreads
• Trust your intuition
• Start with willing friends/family

Reading Ethics

Do:

• Get permission before reading
• Empower, don't frighten
• Be honest but kind
• Maintain confidentiality
• Know your limits

Don't:

• Predict death or serious illness
• Make decisions for others
• Read without permission
• Claim to be 100% accurate
• Replace professional advice (medical, legal, financial)

Reading Process

1. Create sacred space
2. Have querent (person asking) shuffle or cut deck
3. Ask them to focus on question
4. Lay out spread
5. Interpret cards
6. Discuss with querent
7. Answer questions
8. Cleanse deck after

Developing Your Tarot Practice

Daily Practice

• Pull daily card
• Journal about it
• Notice how it manifests
• Study one card deeply each week
• Practice different spreads

Deepening Understanding

• Read tarot books
• Take classes or workshops
• Join tarot communities online
• Compare different decks
• Study symbolism and history
• Meditate on cards

Caring for Your Deck

• Store in box or wrap in cloth
• Keep in safe, respectful place
• Cleanse regularly (smoke, moonlight, knocking)
• Don't let others handle (optional rule)
• Treat with respect

Common Questions

Can I read tarot for myself?

Yes! Self-reading is valuable practice. Just be aware you may lack objectivity on emotional topics.

Do I need to be psychic?

No! Tarot helps you access your existing intuition. Anyone can learn.

Are certain decks more powerful?

No. The power is in you and your connection to the deck, not the deck itself.

What if I get a "bad" card?

No card is inherently bad. Challenging cards show obstacles or warnings, empowering you to make changes.

How accurate is tarot?

Tarot shows possibilities and energies, not fixed fate. Accuracy improves with practice and depends on the reader.

Conclusion: Your Tarot Journey Begins

Tarot reading is a profound practice that combines symbolism, intuition, and wisdom to provide guidance and insight. By learning the cards, practicing regularly, and trusting your intuition, you develop a powerful tool for self-reflection and divination. Remember: tarot is a journey, not a destination. Every reading teaches you something new, and your relationship with the cards deepens over time.

Start with simple one-card pulls, be patient with yourself, and enjoy the magical journey of learning tarot.

May your readings be clear, your intuition strong, and your tarot journey be blessed!

Continue your divination practice with Other Divination Methods and Psychic Development.