Are you interested in learning how to read the Tarot, but have no clue how to start?

My 7 Steps to Start Your Tarot Journey is your how to guide for absolute beginners.

Tarot Basics

A pack of Tarot has a total of 78 cards.

This is formed by two groups – the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.

The Major Arcana are good strong powerful cards and their meanings are clear and fairly forceful.

The Minor Arcana give more detail and description to a reading and consist of four different suits, much like normal playing cards.

Each card shows a different picture and scene and the suits are called – Cups, Pentacles (or Coins), Wands (or Staffs) and Swords.

Each suit has a meaning to a different area of your life and emotions.

Very briefly:

Cups cover emotions, Wands are usually to do with work or life situations, Swords concern conflict and Pentacles cover money situations

Your 7 Steps

Step 1 – Choosing Your Deck

There are a huge variety of Tarot packs available – many gimmicky looking packs, some with cartoon-like pictures and some that resemble famous film stars, there are all sorts of animal packs, witches packs and too many more to mention.

You only have to search online to see what is available.

The important thing is to choose the one that you are drawn to.

When you are faced with several packs, just look at the pictures on the cards, open your mind and don’t think too deeply.

Go to the one you are drawn to, the one whose pictures seem to make sense somehow and speak to you – these will be the right ones for you.

To Gift or Not to Gift

Old advice used to be that your tarot should be received as a gift and not bought by you but this is now accepted as not the case.

You can choose your own cards – or more correctly they will choose you.

If you have chosen your pack you could of course always ask someone else to buy them for you as a gift.

Step 2 – Connection

Once you have bought your pack you need to start getting acquainted with the Tarot.

Unwrap the cards and look through them slowly.

Pass them through your hands and begin to look at the pictures and images.

You need to get familiar with them and them with you.

At this stage don’t worry about what the pictures might mean, just look at them and start to get familiar with their images.

You need to build a bond with your cards, they should to become part of you and your energy.

It’s a good idea to carry them around with you, in your pocket or bag.

Place them under your pillow at night so that you are absorbing their energies while you sleep and they are absorbing yours.

Handle your cards as much as you can but don’t allow other people to play around with them without giving your permission.

Only you should give readings from your Tarot pack, do not allow anyone else to use them for readings.

Step 3 – Protection

Most Tarot readers protect their cards by wrapping them in a cloth, any colour you choose, is fine.

The cloth can be silk or velvet or whatever you are drawn to – you may get one of these with whichever pack you buy or you can find your own.

Wrapping them means you are protecting them from unwanted vibrations, preserving their good condition – and showing respect for their wisdom and abilities.

A black cloth is traditionally used because the colour black is the culmination of all the colours, it is solid and safe and will help to keep out bad energies that we all come across at some time or another.

All you need is a headscarf sized piece of plain or un-patterned cloth, silk, velvet, cotton or whatever you like.

By wrapping the Tarot you are protecting them so the colour of the wrapping is not really important as long it is something that you have chosen because you like it.

Some people keep their Tarot in a wooden box, or velvet bag – whatever you choose is up to you.

The Tarot should be respected, by the process of wrapping and unwrapping you are taking care of them, those few seconds are also used for bonding with them and your touch is important.

As an added bonus taking good care of your cards will mean that your pack should last a long time and your bond with them will be strong.

Step 4 – Reflection

Choose one Tarot card from your pack.

You can spread them out on a table face down so that you cannot see the pictures and then just pick one that you are drawn to, or just pluck a card from the pack at random.

Just for fun try holding the palm of your hand a few centimetres above the cards and then slowly pass your hand over all the cards.

See if you can feel anything, does your hand tingle slightly when it is hovering over a particular card?

If it does pull out that card, it is calling you to pay attention to it!

Now relax, hold the card in your hand, smell the card (yes I know how this sounds but just go with it…) then close your eyes and slowly and gently feel the card, the front, the back, and the edges.

Then, open your eyes and just look at the picture.

Look slowly at every detail on the card, large and small things. What is the picture showing you, who is the main character, what is he or she wearing.

Are they holding anything, what other things are in the picture, check out all the detail big and small.

What could this card be telling you about what is happening to this person? You should do this with each card of your Tarot pack.

Really look at each picture, each character and scene they are showing you.

Don’t worry about trying to work out what they mean at the moment, this exercise is just to get you more familiar with handling them and to the strange colourful pictures.

Step 5 – Preparation

You will by now have started to build a bond with your cards.

You also need to think about yourself, before you begin a reading.

When you are reading the cards you are opening up your psyche to the universe and making yourself open to receiving any vibrations and energies that wish to make their presence known to you.

Conversely, at the end of a reading, you will need to know how to close yourself down again.

It is exhausting being ‘open’ all day, this will sap your energies, give you sleepless nights and drive you crazy (figuratively speaking).

Spirit is attracted to an aura, it’s what gets you noticed and if you are open to receive you can then use this information in your work.

A psychic aura shines much brighter than anyone else’s normal one so, as you don’t really want to be receiving psychically 24/7, it would be sensible to protect your energies by opening and closing these at the start and finish of each reading session.

Most Tarot readers, mediums and the like, have a really simple method of doing this opening and closing when they need it.

It takes seconds once you get the hang of it.

Step 6 – One Question One Card

Now you’re ready to draw your first card.

Place your pack face down on a protected surface and gentle spread them out.

Think of a question you would like to ask.

If you don’t have a specific question in mind, you may ask for general guidance.

With your question or intention in mind, take a deep breath, and lightly gaze at the backs of your cards.

Move your eyes slowly over your deck until one card draws your attention.

Choose that card.

As you practiced in step 4, cast your eyes over your chosen card.

What is the overall theme of this card?

What are the general details?

How about smaller details?

As you gaze at this card, what messages come through to you?

If you draw a blank at first, please don’t worry as this is a skill and like all skills, will take time, patience, and practice to master.

Make a note, either mentally or written on which card you have chosen and what the card may be telling you.

When you have finished make your notes, take a look at the explanation of that card.

How similar or different were your own interpretations?

Step 7 – Reverse Readings

Not all readers read reversed cards, I would suggest that you don’t worry about these if you are just starting out on your own Tarot journey.

Reversed cards are just ones that when you turn them over the picture is upside down.

For the moment treat all cards dealt as normal upright pictures and the path will be clearer.

Once you are really confident with your reading skills you can include the meanings of reversed cards if you choose to.

If a card is dealt and it is upside down the meaning is the opposite of the normal interpretation of that card.

Sometimes this is a warning.

For example, if The Fool was dealt upside down it could mean that instead of taking that leap of faith and starting a new journey, the person (questioner) may need to use more caution with any changes offered in their life and not necessarily accept them without looking or planning ahead.

On the other hand, when you learn to use your intuition when reading the Tarot, you will soon become experienced in receiving the message as it is intended – regardless as to whether the card itself is upside down or not!

Are You Interested in Learning More?

Learn how to read the Tarot intuitively with our Tarot 4 Beginners Workshop.

Develop your senses and explore each card to get the best from your interpretations.

Whether you want to read for yourself, for friends and family or for being your journey towards becoming a professional Tarot Reader, this workshop will open your eyes to this fascinating skill.