Introduction to Tarot

The best way to start reading tarot cards is to do just that, start! Don't be afraid to jump in and discover the magical guidance that reading Tarot can offer you. Once you get going, here are some recommendations on how to proceed. 

Create Sacred Space

When you are ready to do a reading, set up an intentional space. Light candles and incense, set up an altar, or design a space that helps you connect to your spirituality and intuition. Begin the reading with a breathing meditation and a grounding exercise.

Create Intention and Ponder the Questions

Once you feel centered and aware, create your intention and choose the questions you would like to ask. Avoid asking yes or no questions so that divine guidance can be revealed to you in detail. If you're unsure where to start, try one of the following questions:

"What will support me through this situation?"
"What have I been ignoring in this situation?"
"Where is there an opportunity for growth in this situation?"

Your readings will be most beneficial if you focus on yourself rather than on the actions of other people. 

The Reading

Once you have your question in mind, focus on it. Lay the cards out before you, or shuffle through them in your hands. Focus on the energy of the cards, and scan your hands over them. Draw the cards that your intuition leads you towards. You may feel a tingling in your hands, whisper in your ear or an image may even appear in your mind’s eye. It takes time to cultivate this practice, but spending time with your deck and practicing can help deepen this process.

Pull as many cards as you think you should, but start with 1-3 cards for something easier to read. Lay them in front of you. Spend time looking at them, holding them. If you pulled them as a group, look at them together, then separately. How do these inform the question you asked?

Consider the Spread

If any cards are positioned upside-down, do not rearrange them. Reversed cards mean that the energy or meaning of that card is being blocked or ignored in your life. For example, if you pull a card whose meaning is ‘beginning new creative projects,’ the inverse of that card would be ‘your ability to begin new creative projects is being blocked’ or ‘you’re ignoring your potential to begin a new creative project right now.’

Be Your Own Guide

If you want to challenge yourself, ditch the instruction books that come with your deck. While they are informative, and often very beautiful, use them as a reference after you have finished your reading. Using books that tell you what each card means can hinder your ability to grow your intuition and cultivate your own self-trust. Instead, look at the colors, shapes, and the postures of the figures on the cards, and decipher what they mean to you.

This can be a bit scary at first, to read without any book for guidance, but relax into it and allow yourself the love and safety to interpret without judgement. You may call on your spirit guides, your higher self or your intuition for help with this process.

Take Note

Take photographs of your spreads and keep a tarot journal to track what questions you asked and how you interpreted the cards. Sometimes when you struggle to verbally read cards, it can come out more easily on paper. Keep track of your readings over time to help cultivate a relationship with your tarot divination practice.

A great way to deepen your tarot practice is to keep your deck with you or keep it in a sacred space. Wrapping your cards in cloth, housing them in a special tarot card box, or keeping them with charged crystals can help you connect with them over time.

Find Your Path

Across cultures, there are many ways to read tarot, so allow yourself to develop a practice that resonates for you. Be creative and let go of the idea that there is a ‘right’ and a ‘wrong’ way to read tarot. The joy of reading tarot comes from the ability to trust your intuition, trust your readings and create a narrative that you specialize in. Anyone can pull cards and read the definitions from a book—only you can bring your own perspectives and gifts to a reading, so cast your self-doubt aside and pull a card!

Discover our Treasures of the Tarot box and spoil yourself with all its magical goodies that were designed to uplift and amplify your tarot practice!  

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