So, You Think You Can Read Tarot? Yes You Can!

What is this thing called Tarot, anyway?

Let me start by saying that I have been reading for over 35 years, and I don't claim to understand exactly the mechanisms behind Tarot reading. There are many different ideas about this, and I won't get into all of it here, but I think it's important to know that it does work. 

Here are some basic theories, just for reference (if any of these resonate with you, great. If they don't, it won't prevent you from reading effectively):

 - Tarot allows the reader to tap into their intuition and is therefore a tool similar to channeling, but with pictures

 - Tarot taps into symbolic themes within the story of humanity (often referred to as archetypes or the collective unconscious)

 - Tarot involves the higher self and/or spirit guides, which are all around us and hold special information and insights

All I know is that my readings are super accurate, and I'm not going to let a belief system stop me from continuing to be passionate about reading and teaching Tarot. And neither should you.

Okay, so where do I start?

Congratulations! You're about to embark on a fantastic journey of self-discovery. Get ready to become a more effective storyteller as you learn to weave the card meanings together in a cohesive and meaningful way. A lifetime of learning and study awaits you!

Here's a list of the most frequently-asked questions I get from those interested in beginning their Tarot journey:

1. What's a good deck to start with?

2. What's the best book for a beginner?

3. What's the easiest way to learn the meanings of the cards?

(I get lots of questions, but these are the top three)

My answers:

1. Any Rider-Waite variation would be a good place to start, and there are many beautiful decks to consider, but I highly recommend using one of the following decks specifically:

• Classic Rider-Waite
• Universal Waite (pictured above)
• Radiant Rider-Waite

Why? Because these cards are rich in symbolism, and because many Tarot books focus on these decks and provide rich descriptions of this symbology. You'll find no absence of books that highlight the RWS.

2. There are many good books for novice readers, but I'll specifically recommend a few books below:

• Learning the Tarot by Joan Bunning
• Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack
• Guided Tarot by Stefanie Capone

Again, there are so many, so please feel free to explore outside this list. 😊

3. I'll return to this. Keep reading...

I'll let you in on a little secret: 

You don't have to know all the meanings of the cards in order to start doing readings!

Does book study help? Of course - it's very important (and a lot of fun). But it's not crucial. Here's why:

If you consider Tarot as a tool for accessing tuition, and you have deck with lots of symbolism - it helps if you know a little about astrology and/or numerology - then you can start by spending some time looking at the cards and making note of your reactions to them and your impressions of the message they're trying to convey.

Let's look at this card (from the Universal Waite):

Here we have the Eight of Pentacles. What do the pentacles look like? Coins, perhaps? Well, from this, we can determine that this card might have something to do with money or financial security.

What is he doing in the card? It appears he is carving a pentacle into one of these gold disks. In other words, he's working diligently and carefully, with attention to detail. His face conveys confidence in what he's doing, as well as a focused concentration. 

His hair and shoes are brown, as are his workbench and the tree he's placing the pentacles upon. All can be representative of the earth beneath our feet (and pentacles correspond to the Earth element).

Let's now shift our focus to the background. There's a castle-like structure back there, as well as lush green grass. Homes are structures, correct? They keep us safe and protected. Green grass is well cared-for, watered and weeded and protecting the soil from erosion. 

The sky is gray but doesn't appear stormy. Now, you may not know this, but gray can represent wisdom and insight. Just something to think about as you examine this card.

Now, I challenge you to come up with a succinct meaning for this card, simply based on the above-mentioned details. Got it in your mind? Have you written it down? Okay, here goes...

You're correct!

Look at you go! And you haven't even cracked open a book yet!

When I teach my Tarot Bootcamp, this is where we start. It makes learning the cards so much less intimidating to recognize that you already have access to your intuition and the images and symbols on the cards, and can add to them by reading and studying. There are so many great websites to learn tarot, such as Biddy Tarot, Labyrinthos, and Learning the Tarot. But there are many others as well.

Happy Reading! And please visit again, as there will be more in-depth Tarot information and musings to come!