Tarot Readings: Crush doubt and learn how to interpret with ease
New to Tarot?
Maybe you’ve done a few tarot readings before but still feel like the process is confusing and complicated.
Or you could be having a hard time deciphering the meaning of individual cards.
What the heck does it mean when the card is drawn in reverse?
Trust me. We’ve ALL been there. Like any other skill, you must sharpen the knife to keep it from getting dull. After reading this article, you’ll able to do your own tarot reading in a snap.
The main objective? Learn a basic 4 card spread.
A Tarot reading can determine if we are learning from our experiences or if we are being consumed with negativity and failing to find that silver lining.
Shannon Yrizarry
Sections: click to jump
Preparation – How to focus your mind and unlock your potential + the tools you will need.
Types of Cards– Overwhelmed? Take a look at an overview of your deck, simplified.
During the reading – Easy to follow, step-by-step directions with useful images.
After the reading– Interpreting your personal reading and cleanse your deck.
Read on to learn how to perform a basic personal tarot reading.
Preparation
You’ll find that most tarot decks come with a book or manual that includes basic interpretations.
Set this aside to review later.
Make sure you know your intention prior to the reading. This is essential.
Here are a few questions to consider:
- What are you trying to learn?
- What area of your life requires more guidance or attention?
- How will you use the information you gain from this reading?
If your mind is clouded it can affect the results of your reading.
Let’s say you really want to understand your current financial situation and how you can improve it.
But you also are thinking about your strained relationship with a loved one.. and yes, even if it’s in the BACK of your mind- the tarot can detect it.
The result? Your reading might show cards that pertain to both situations. This can lead to a very confusing interpretation. While it can be difficult to avoid , remember- YOU have control over your thoughts.
Let’s break down this process:
- Get into a meditative state. You will need to have a clear mind to perform your reading.
- If you have an altar you can settle comfortably in front of it and get down to business.
- You can also create a crystal grid or a makeshift altar on your workspace.
- Light a candle, burn some incense or sage, diffuse some essential oils.
- clear out all that bad juju and bring in the good vibes.
- Whip out your favorite crystals. I used Flourite, honey calcite, and a lovely malachite/dolomite stone.
- Create a journal that you will write your readings in.
- This can be a composition or spiral notebook.
Types of cards
Tarot decks are divided into two categories:
- Major Arcana
- Minor Arcana
Major arcana cards have no suit- they are simply numbered 0-21
Minor arcana- Cups, swords, pentacles, & wands
- They are ordered by:
- Aces
- Numbers: 2-10 (commonly depicted in Roman Numerals)
- Court cards: Pages, Knights, Queens, and finally-Kings
Cups represent: Love & relationships; subconscious & intuition; emotions & connections.
Swords represent: aggression & force; communication, conflict, intellect, movement
Pentacles represent: finances, health, education, business, materialism, building
Wands represent: inspiration, creation, ambition, passions, expansion, spirit
Note: Cards that appear in reverse have an entirely different meaning.
During the reading
Now that you’ve calmed your mind and are in the zone:
- Breathe. Clear your mind and focus on a particular topic as you shuffle the deck.
- If you don’t have a topic, keep your mind clear. Trust in the tarot- you will know what the subject is when you interpret the cards.
- After about 20 sec. of shuffling, use your left hand to cut the deck into 4 piles.
- Use the same hand to turn each card over.
- Write down these cards in your journal. I also find it helpful to photograph the results so that I can keep track of my readings.
- Follow your intuition and write down your initial thoughts upon viewing your cards.
- What do the illustrations tell you?
- Are you drawn to certain aspects of the images on each card?
- Breathe. YOU did it!
- Use your reference book, website, ect to interpret the cards.
- Write down your findings so you can refer to them at a later time.
This layout was included in my personal deck, a gift I received from my aunt about 15 years ago. I’ve never found the need to purchase another one and it reminds me of her 🙂
After the reading
Pay attention to which cards are dominant in your spread.
- Upright cards: indicate that you have the upper hand in the situation.
- Reversed cards: usually signify loss of control.
- Major arcana cards: indicate that your situation is at a higher, meaningful stage.
- Minor arcana cards :Scroll back up (or Click Here) to refer to the minor arcana chart and see their respective descriptions.
Remember that very first image at the top of the post? Here is the interpretation that was provided with the deck.
A Helpful resource
LOVE this website: Helpful for more in- depth interpretations.
Reasonably, each card has a different interpretation according to the situation at hand. This site is amazing and has really helped me when I’m absolutely STUMPED during a reading.
What’s included/provided for each individual card:
- Intro and General info.
- Interpretation based on the main areas of your life.
- Work, love, finances, health, and spirituality.
- Useful if you’d like a specific explanation!
Be sure to cleanse your cards
Note: this was something I was completely unaware of until recently. I decided to try this out.
Congrats- You just completed a basic Tarot reading! Easy- breezy.
And I’m sure you went through each step gracefully. You’ll continue learning as you perform more regular self-readings.
Remember: your intuition will provide all the guidance you need.
Curious for more? Stay tuned for a new spread that I’ll be trying out.
