THE PERFECT TIME TO JOIN
50% OFF MEMBERSHIP

We use cookies to provide and improve our services. By using our site, you consent to cookies.

Cookie Image

Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Tarot Cards

Tarot is a manifestation of your intuition. An ancient tool of divination used to connect with your intuition, your spirit guides, and your soul, tarot is a way to bring what is within into your physical reality.
 
Nothing more than imagery on cards, tarot is simply a medium to get closer to your truth and clarity.
 
Luckily for us, tarot has seen a huge resurgence in the Aquarian Age. It’s no longer seen as exclusive to crystal-balling psychics who deliver ominous messages or mysterious predictions.
 
With artists from all walks of life creating decks of supreme beauty and weaving together ancient symbols with modern imagery and design, it has never been easier to find a deck that speaks to you in order to begin making heart-led choices in your life.
 
Basically, tarot is divine guidance to help you get unstuck. This guide to tarot for beginners will help you understand how.
 

What Exactly Is Tarot?

The traditional 78-card deck is represented by two major groups: the 22 Major Arcana cards and the 56 Minor Arcana cards.
 
The Major Arcana represents the karma in life and the spiritual lessons that cross our paths to help us reflect and grow. You want to pay attention to these cards because they are going to carry an important, more urgent message – whether that be positive or shifting.
 
The Minor Arcana reflects life’s daily trials and tribulations and how to navigate them with grace and ease. The Minor Arcana contains four suits traditionally represented by pentacles, wands, swords, and cups – each with their own connotations and meanings.
 
You may have also heard of oracle decks. These are not the same tarot decks, but can be used in conjunction with tarot for further insight.
 
Oracle decks are the lawless leaders of divination tools and can pretty much be whatever anyone wants, in any number of cards. Animals, chakras, crystals, faeries, gods, goddesses, plants, affirmations, etc. Oracle cards are thought to be more for breaking patterns and inspiring intentional change.
 
The themes, patterns, lessons, purpose, victories, passion, weaknesses, and losses in your life can be reflected in a tarot reading.
 

How Does Tarot Work?

The cards themselves are not magic. The magic is within you and the cards are just a way to converse with your higher self.
 
Tarot is all about intuition. It is a way to quiet the mind, tap into the soul and speak through the heart. We are always receiving messages from spirit, ether, the universe, our guides and angels, etc. However, it is sometimes difficult to tune into these messages with the distractions of life.
 
Pulling a card, or creating an entire spread (discussed below), can help us better see the path we are on and where it is leading us.
 
Learn to start your day connected to your intuition with these morning rituals: 7 Morning Rituals to Aid in Clear Communication
 
tarot-for-beginners-featured
 

How Do You Use Tarot?

The beautiful thing about tarot is that the way you obtain your insight is entirely up to you! There are some tried-and-true methods of pulling cards and crafting a super insightful spread, or you can just follow your intuition and do whatever you feel is going to resonate most.
 
Start by looking at each card in the deck and familiarizing yourself with the imagery and how the card makes you feel. You will form a relationship with the cards and, strangely enough, they with you.
 

It is in our acceptance where we find freedom.

 
Everything comes down to energy and tarot is no different. The power of the mind is incredible, and when the mind takes a backseat to your intuition, you better get ready for some miracles!
 
The only rule in reading tarot is to have an open mind and listen with your heart, not your head.
 

 

Tarot For Beginners – Here’s How to Read Tarot:

Release any expectations, fears, doubts, and myths about tarot. Go within and invite the magic to speak.
 
Here’s one way to read tarot:

  1. Take a few deep breaths holding your deck in your hands and meditate on sharpening your intuition and connecting with the cards
  2. Shuffle your deck while asking your question in your head and meditate on inviting the card that is best suited to come through
  3. You can either stop when you feel ready, count to a number, cut the deck, or feel it out for which card is raising it’s cosmic hand to answer you (sometimes they even jump out!!)
  4. If the card is upright, there is believed to be one interpretation, and if the card is reversed, or upside down, there is an opposite interpretation, usually to inspire growth and a shift. Not all tarot readers will read with the reversed meaning, so this is also up to you

 
So you pulled a card . . . now what? You can pretty much go anywhere from here, but read the description in the guidebook for the author’s message and look at the imagery, and then notice how the card resonates with you.
 

Tarot is a mirror and, as humans, we don’t always like what we see staring back at us, but it is in our acceptance where we find freedom.

 
If you need further clarification on a message, just pull another card! It may not always be what you want to hear, but it will always be what you need to hear.
 


 

How to Strengthen Your Connection to Your Tarot Deck:

There are, of course, an infinite number of ways you can lay out the cards to gain insight and play with your magic. Play around and get creative! To help you get your intuition acquainted with your deck, here are some different tarot spreads you can use to strengthen that connection:
 

1. Daily One-Card Pull

With this method you will form the habit of connecting a card with your current state and how that reflects your life in the moment.
 
You can ask, “What is the message for me right now?” or something similar to gain some general insight. Although this is just one card, these have been some of my most powerful, breath-taking pulls.
 

2. Past, Present, Future Spread

Easily the most common spread. You can also use this spread to clear emotional blockages from the past, gain insight into where you currently are in life, and where this path will lead you.
 

3. Love, Career, Health

If you’re looking for an overview of the three major pillars of your life, the love, career, health spread provides the ultimate insight. Do you like what you see? If not, what changes are you willing to make?
 

4. The Bridge

This spread can help you bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be. Pull a card for “Where am I now?” and place it to the far left. On the far right, pull a card for, “Where am I going?” followed by the middle card, “How do I get there?”
 

Can Anyone Read Tarot?

YES! Although it does take practice, anyone can learn to read tarot. The key is sharpening your intuition and then listening to it. Doubt creates fear – trust and love is what we want.
 
Reading tarot and translating the message to what resonates with you is exactly how you would read tarot for someone else as well.
 

When the mind takes a backseat to your intuition, you better get ready for some miracles!

 
Trust is ultimately important when reading tarot, and if something doesn’t resonate with you, shuffle again and ask your question in a different way.
 

Where Can You Find a Tarot Deck?

Thankfully, the internet has all. Supporting small businesses and artists you love can be done from around the world! There are many online stores where you can find plenty of decks to choose from.
 
A quick Google search will tell you all you need to know. You can also discover some serious gems on Instagram, or check out this list on Spirit Guides Magazine!
 
If you want to stay local, Google “metaphysical shop” and see what comes up in your area. They are more common than you think, and you may be surprised to find that you’ve been living next to a witch-nerd gold mine the whole time.
 
Check this out: 5 Card Decks for Healing, Wisdom, and Spirituality
 

The Takeaway on Tarot: Connection is Key

No matter how you go about starting your tarot practice, remember that the goal is connection, and coming from place of willingness and openness is key.
 
Have fun, tune in, listen to your intuition, and enjoy the process of growth!
 

This article has been read 30K+ times. Bada bing!

Comments

wonderful comments!

5 Card Decks for Healing, Wisdom, and Spirituality
Wisdom cards are great for any yogi who’d like to incorporate them in their daily practice or their yoga classes if they teach. Cards of a spiritual nature with inspiring words and imagery can bring a class together to reflect on certain concepts or share their stories, and can be a focal theme to concentrate on during meditation.
Read »

Morgan Garza

Morgan is a modern mystic in every sense of the word. As a published author of the book Soul Magic, she lives by the ancient wisdom she teaches about in her book and in workshops around the world. In addition to being an author and teacher, Morgan is also an entrepreneur and community leader. Her mission is to empower you to become your own guru.

morgangarza.com

This Month's Letter
From the Editor

Monthly motivation and food for
thought from our founder.

READ THE LETTER
Mind, body & life wellness in your inbox.
iPhone

Get the
YA Classes App

No WiFi? No Problem! Download
classes and take them without an
internet connection.

2k+
Download YA Classes app on the Apple App Store
Download YA Classes app on the Google Play Store

Also available in Apple TV , Mac and Amazon apps.

Send this to a friend
Follow us on Close

Create Your FREE Account

Woohoo! You’re about to unlock unlimited articles, exclusive
community content, and select on-demand yoga and fitness classes.

OR USE THE FORM BELOW

Lost password?