Tarot 101: How to get started
This comprehensive Tarot 101 guide will walk you through the following topics:
How to select the right deck for you, online or in-person
How to smudge, cleanse and protect your deck and space before, during and after a reading
How to interview your deck and start working with it
How to say an incantation to open up readings
How to start memorizing and understanding the traditional tarot deck
How to pull and interpret easy spreads (card combinations)
How to select the right tarot deck
The traditional way
The most traditional way to get a tarot card deck is by gifting—in other words, waiting until someone gives you a deck as a gift. That said, most modern-day tarot readers agree that you don’t need to wait until a deck magically appears in your life; feel free to walk into a bookstore or an occult store to grab your first deck—or order one online if you so choose!
If possible, purchase a Rider-Waite deck to get started (or as one of your first decks) because most modern tarot card decks have been designed based on the Rider-Waite design system.
The in-store way
Instructions:
Locate the tarot card section in whichever store you are in. Tarot cards are typically found in bookstores and/or mystical occult shops.
Close your eyes and call your guides for protection. Place your hands out and ask (either aloud or in your head), “Which deck is for me?” Allow your hands and your eyes to be guided towards a specific deck. You may be surprised by which deck(s) may call out to you.
If you are having difficulty discerning which deck is right, you may want to follow up with “Which deck is here for my greatest good and protection?” or “Which deck is most aligned with my spiritual gifts?”
Personal anecdote: As silly as it may feel to do this exercise, I will tell you that I skipped this step when I bought my first deck because it looked gorgeous. It was indeed beautiful to look at, but I could tell that the cards did not want to speak with me and guide me. Whenever I asked them a question, it felt like they were chiding me instead of helping me. I ended up giving this deck away to a friend who had better chemistry with the cards.
The online way
Instructions:
Do a web search for the style of cards you want. I recommend starting with the traditional Rider-Waite deck or a modern deck based on it, such as the Modern Witch Tarot deck. You can typically find tarot cards on Amazon, Etsy and publishing company sites such as Hay House.
Follow the instructions from the in-store section on asking which deck is meant for you. Use the colors, patterns and visual appearance of the cards as helpful cues.
Personal anecdote: I acquired many decks within my first two years of tarot reading. Due to this, I vowed not to buy more decks. However, I kept seeing a deck online—as if it were chasing after me. After weeks of seeing the same deck on social media and various sites, I took it as a sign and finally gave in and ordered it. The moment it arrived in my apartment, I realized how much synergy I had with the deck (from the colors, texture, and its spiritual energy). There was a reason why that deck kept trying to find its way into my hands; it remains one of my most used decks due to its warm aura and nature.
How to smudge and protect your cards
Smudging
Instructions:
Open up your deck and keep it together in one pile or spread it out.
Make sure a window is open in the room where you will be smudging.
Light a smudging ingredient of choice (e.g., cedar or incense).
Wave the smudging tool over your cards. You can also say a short prayer aloud or in your head, such as, “May all dormant and negative energy be released from my cards. May my good angels and ancestors watch over my cards and use them as a tool of positivity and guidance.”
Close your window when you are done. *The open window serves as a portal to release the old energy out of your deck and room. The closed window serves as a closed portal so that old energy cannot return.
Background: Many cultures have used smoke (smudging) to purify and release bad energy from objects, individuals, groups and settings. You can light medicinal plants, herbs and incense to remove unwelcome energy from your space, body and spirit, and to call in guidance and protection from your source of choice (e.g., ancestors, angels, deities). Smudging has traditionally been used in prayer and spiritual rituals and ceremonies. For instance, many indigenous tribes have burned white sage in sacred rituals.
Side note: A growing number of folks have discouraged participating in the burning of sage out of respect for indigenous practices. Similarly, others have warned against smudging with palo santo unless it has been ethically harvested. Alternatives include cedar and incense.
Protecting your cards and space
To protect your cards and magic space (e.g., a spiritual altar), you can use a variety of tools, such as mirrors, salt, and crystals. Make sure to thoroughly smudge this area regularly (e.g., once a week, or at the very least, once a month).
Mirrors: Place a mirror at your altar or near your cards. Smudge and divinate this mirror by giving it an assignment. “From here on, you will only be used to reflect and send back any negative, evil energy that has been sent to me and/or my magic (including my divination tools such as my cards).” Moving forward, do not use this mirror to inspect your appearance; instead, trust that it is like an extra evil eye device that can detect and spit back unwanted energy (similar to a “Return to Sender” spell).
Salt, pepper flakes, and eggshells: You can use witchy ingredients that have traditionally been used to deflect and protect against negative energy. Sprinkle them in a ring around your altar.
If you use red pepper flakes, use a 1:3 ratio between pepper and salt. An overabundance of red pepper flakes can lead to aggressive passion and energy, eliciting conflict and arguments. To avoid aggression altogether, use regular ground pepper or peppercorns.
If you use eggshells, make sure to clean, dry, and grind them first. You can also purchase powdered eggshells from witchy shops in-person or online (e.g., on Etsy).
Crystals: Place cleansed and charged crystals in a grid or circle around your cards and/or spiritual altar. You can also place crystals directly on top of your cards, especially if you have been using a deck heavily (or following a reading that felt energetically draining).
There are many ways to charge crystals. The most popular ways are to charge them in sunlight or moonlight. You can also wash most crystals (but research this ahead of time to ensure it is safe to proceed). *Some folks do not prefer to charge their crystals in sunlight since certain crystals can become dull in appearance or more fragile due to heat exposure.
How to interview your tarot deck
Each tarot deck has its own unique personality and tone of voice. The best way to explore this is to interview it.
Instructions:
Open up a new deck and smudge it.
Then, start to shuffle the deck very well. You may have to shuffle it multiple times to mix up the cards. (Pro-tip: place the cards on a clean, flat surface. Swirl your hands on the cards, moving them in circles until they have been thoroughly mixed with one another).
Once your cards have been thoroughly mixed, shuffle them once more into a single deck. While you shuffle, ask the deck (aloud or in your mind) to tell you more about itself. “I call in good light and protection as I do this first reading. Please tell me what this deck is meant to teach or show me.”
Then, once you feel like the deck is ready to speak, pause and pull out 3-5 cards to get started. If you are a more advanced reader, feel free to pull ~10 cards. Interpret the meaning of each card individually, and then see if you can ascertain a broader message between the cards.
You can also continue to interview the deck and ask more questions, such as “Tell me more about myself. Tell me more about what you are here to reveal to me, on behalf of the spirit world/my god of choice. Is there anything I need to know?” The point is to ask questions that 1) show you that the deck has connected to your spirit energy and 2) ground you in the kind of wisdom you can receive from that specific deck.
Over time, you will come to understand each deck as an individual personality. Some decks will feel like old souls, full of ancient wisdom and sorcery. Other decks will feel like new souls, full of excitement and curiosity. Other decks may feel a bit more sour and hostile, etc. The more you use your cards, the more you will know which one is needed to help you facilitate an appropriate reading. For instance, if I can tell that someone needs tough love, I may select a deck that has an old soul vibe, or a deck that has a more fierce and stern voice. If I can tell that someone needs a lot of healing, I may choose a deck that has a kinder and more gentle aura. I may also select a deck that has a darker, more powerful energy if I feel like I myself need to be protected in a reading (whether I am reading for others or myself).
Cultivate a deep relationship with each of your decks so that you can trust the deck—and so that it too can trust in you to be the interpreter of its images and meanings.
Side note: Some readers recommend sleeping with your cards next to your head or pillow so that your cards and travel with you into the spirit and dream world at night. This can be a way to bond with the cards, and to show them what your inner landscape is like. Be careful with this and only do it if you trust your cards (make sure to cleanse them first before doing this step).
How to use an incantation to open and close a reading
Incantations can be used at the beginning and end of a reading to safely open and close portals and circles connected to the spirit world (and to release any energetic knots and connections between your reading subjects and yourself). You should feel comfortable customizing your incantation to meet your spiritual and religious practices and standards. Here is a relatively straightforward incantation ritual…
Opening incantation instructions:
Set down a crystal grid around your client and you (or around your cards on a flat surface).
When you are ready, invite your client to close their eyes with you. Take a deep breath in and out.
Call upon spirit guides for protection (e.g., “We open up this circle for good light and wise counsel from our ancestors and spirit guides. May they come forth to create a shield for us, and to reveal whatever truths need to be heard for our greatest good.”)
Closing incantation instructions:
When you have wrapped up your conversation, clap your hands, snap or make a clear motion representing an active closing of the circle.
Invite your client to once again close their eyes with you. Take a deep breath in and out.
State the following phrases, “What’s their’s is theirs, what’s yours is yours, what’s mine is mine. With that, we complete and release this circle. We thank our spirit guides for their presence and protection during this reading.”
Once your client has left the space, make sure to smudge it or spritz it with Florida water to release any remnant energy from the reading. Also smudge and cleanse your cards and crystals as well.
You can repeat the same incantation once your client has left to ensure that all energetic ties and connections to that client have been respectfully released.
Some healers will also wash their hands or take a bath or shower immediately after to purify their physical and spiritual bodies; if you do this, it is recommended that you smudge your body and wash it with a salt bath or salt-based soap. You can create a separate incantation during this cleansing exercise (e.g., “I wash away and release all negative or dark energy that is clinging to me—from my client, their karma or anything or anyone else. May it all be released with this salt and water from me, in the physical and spirit realms.”)
How to start memorizing your deck
Most tarot card decks follow the Rider-Waite design system of 78 cards. Here are quick tips on familiarizing yourself with the deck’s content.
#1: Study the underlying hierarchy and structure inside of your tarot deck
There are 78 cards in total.
There are two decks within one larger deck:
The Major Arcana deck has 22 cards;
The Minor Arcana deck has 56 cards.
The Major Arcana features major characters and overarching themes that one may experience throughout their lives (e.g., if someone frequently pulls The Fool card out of the deck, they may encounter a lot of new starts and experiences; if someone frequently pulls The Hermit card out of the deck, they may have a tendency to want to stay indoors away from the chaos of humans and the outside world).
The Minor Arcana features minor themes that may come and go throughout our lives (e.g., if someone pulls a 5 of Cups, they may be experiencing a tinge of regret in their lives, but they will eventually move on from feeling regretful). These themes are represented by four symbols, which make up the four suits inside the Minor Arcana:
Cups: Romantic and platonic love, relationships, creativity; also associated with Water signs in the Western Zodiac
Swords: Strategic wisdom, deep intuition and intelligence, language and communication; also associated with Air signs in the Western Zodiac
Pentacles: Material goods, wealth, affluence and resourcefulness; also associated with Earth signs in the Western Zodiac
Wands: Ambition, creativity, passion and fearlessness; also associated with Fire signs in the Western Zodiac
The Minor Arcana also features Court Cards, made of kings, queens, knights and pages. Like the Major Arcana characters, Court Cards describe specific personality archetypes.
Kings: Leaders and providers with divine masculine energy. Paternal strength and vision.
Queens: Leaders and providers with divine feminine energy. Maternal mightiness and grace.
Knights: Young, aspirational leaders with divine masculine energy. Adventurous, albeit clumsy; typically considered to be messengers and communicators.
Pages: Young, aspiring leaders with divine feminine energy. Naive and curious; typically considered to be beginners. Sometimes also portrayed as weaker messengers than knights.
Numerology is also a pronounced characteristic within tarot card designs in both the Major and Minor Arcana. Typically represented as Roman numerals, these numbers indicate the cycle of life and evolution, starting with 0-22 in the Major Arcana and 1-10 (and then the Court System) in the Minor Arcana. Both the Major and Minor Arcana’s numerology shows how one starts with beginninger’s luck, how one can fumble in the middle, and how one can gain more emotional tenor and perspective by the end of their journey (whether it wraps up nicely or stormily).
#2: Truncate and isolate your studies
Pull a one-card reading at the beginning and/or end of every day. Keep a journal where you can write about the formal definition of the card and what it may personally symbolize to you. Do this for 1-2 months until you get familiar with all your tarot cards.
Start studying each segment of the tarot (e.g., suite-by-suite of the Minor Arcana, card-by-card of the Major Arcana, all of the Aces in the Minor Arcana, followed by all of the II’s of the Minor Arcana, etc.)
#3: Practice by reading with and for others
One of the best ways to learn is to pull cards for other folks. This is because everyone has different energy and needs, and the tarot cards will respond to each person differently. The more you read for a wide range of people, the more cards you will be exposed to (on the flipside, if you only read for yourself, you will notice that you will typically pull the same kinds of cards that tell the same kinds of stories, since you are only reading about your life circumstances).
Friendly PSA: Do not be afraid to pull out a tarot card guide when reading for others or yourself. Embrace being “the Fool” and starting anew. Don’t be too hard on yourself for not knowing all 78 cards at the beginning—or even one year into your tarot practice. The more you read for others and yourself, the more you will naturally grow an affinity for the cards, and the more your decks will be willing to share their deep wisdom with you.
How to pull and interpret easy spreads
The term “spread” describes whenever you pull a set of cards from a tarot deck (e.g., if you pull three cards, it can be called a “three-card spread”). Some tarot readers prefer to pull spreads with specific card positions (with prescribed meanings), while others prefer to pull organic spreads based on intuition.
There is no right or wrong way to pull spreads, though I like to encourage beginners to start out with basic organic pulls of 1-5 cards. That way, you are not trying to memorize both the card position meanings and the symbolism behind each card.
Here are two basic spreads that you can use to get started:
Rose, Bud, Thorn
Shuffle and pull three cards that represent the Rose, Bud and Thorn of a specific situation:
Rose: The circumstances you find yourself in
Bud: The opportunity or note of potential
Thorn: The obstacle that may make it challenging for you to realize your full potential in this circumstance
5-Card Chronological Spread
Shuffle and pull five cards from the top of your deck.
Lay the cards in a chronological timeline.
Use your intuition to see if the first card represents past or present energy. The middle (third) card should represent the middle of the journey, and the last card should represent the end of the journey.
Consider what this timeline may be telling you about your situation. What are the problematic wrenches in your system? What lesson are you meant to walk away with?
Interpreting the story
No matter which spread you use, think about your tarot cards like a comic strip or graphic novel. Each card represents one panel or image. How do the separate panels add up to tell a larger, more complex story? Are there multiple characters and/or storylines to consider? Can you sense a specific kind of emotion or spiritual lesson that needs to be acknowledged? Is it obvious that something is going to happen in the future?—or that something from the past has informed what is going on today?
If you feel confused by what you see, ask your client how they may be interpreting the symbols and iconography in the cards. Often, they will be able to give you information you wouldn’t be able to discern on your own. You may also be able to describe the formal definition of a card and ask them who or what that card may represent for them, and they may be able to offer more context for you to consider. Encourage interactive dialogue so that the two of you can go deeper.
The cards are always listening, which means it may even help to pull more cards once you have started speaking with your client. Trust the process.
Practice, practice, practice
As I said earlier in this guide, the best way to learn is to simply practice—both by yourself and by reading for others.
When I started, I used to practice shuffling my cards while watching YouTube tarot readers (or whatever was streaming on Netflix). I wanted my body to feel comfortable with the motions of tarot. That was just as important as memorizing the meaning of each card.
In case you want a realistic timeline, it took me a couple of months to memorize the general structure of the tarot hierarchy (Major vs. Minor Arcana, the suits and symbols, etc.). It took me a year to get comfortable reading for myself and my friends. It took me another year before I felt comfortable reading for strangers and pulling more complex spreads. It took me two to three years before I felt 100% in touch with my cards—like I was aligned with them on a spiritual level, and like I could tell which deck should be used for which question (or which person).
In the beginning, I’d reserve at least 10-20 minutes every day to explore my tarot cards. Over time, it felt like second nature, but I’d still try to read at least once or twice a week to strengthen my connection with them.
You will forge your own special practice, rituals and routines with your cards. May it be wonderous, and may it feel personal and enlightening!
1:1 Tarot Coaching or Group Coaching
You can always book a 1:1 tarot coaching call or reading with me.
You can also write to me if you’d like to have me host a group tarot coaching session. I have taught workshops both virtually and in person.
Source: My work has been informed by Artis Moon and Daniela Fant