So, you want to learn Tarot?
It can feel overwhelming and confusing getting started with Tarot, so let’s run through a technique I get my students to do.
You’re going to need:
· A calm space where you are undisturbed.
· A notebook/journal
· A pen or pencil for writing
· A Tarot deck.
In the morning, get comfortable in your space, with your journal and pen ready.
The most important thing in all this is that you need to trust that you instinctively “know” what feels right. Feel not think.
Shuffle your Tarot deck whilst asking what you need to know or be aware of today, either out loud or in your mind.
When it feels right, select a card.
Sometimes, you may have a card jump out while shuffling, it is up to you if use that or not.
I like to think that it doesn’t matter how it’s done, the card that’s meant to turn up, will.
We have a card… now what?
Now is the exciting part, reading the Tarot card. It may seem daunting, but you’ll see it’s easier than you think…
Look at the card and note what you get. No rush, take your time.
· Does anything pop in your mind?
· Any phrases or song lyrics?
· Do you feel anything in your body?
· Any smells or tastes?
· Does any imagery stand out to you?
If you find yourself saying “Oh that’s silly”, go with it. That response means it likely came from your intuition not your logical mind. Intuition is that instinctual knowing — when you know something, but you don’t know why you know, you just do.
Follow the silly and see where it goes. There is no right or wrong, just write everything down.
You can also doodle. Sometimes, I voice record if my hand can’t keep up with the things coming in. Do what works for you.
If you get nothing at all, that is also a valid reading and not “wrong”. I’ve had it a few times and found I make sense of it during reflection.
Now you’ve mused, you can take the time to find the traditional meanings of that card, firstly to learn them, but also to compare and contrast with your own notes.
Books I recommend for beginners are:
· Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack
· Guided Tarot by Stephanie Caponi (Adult or Teens edition)
· Truly Easy Tarot by Mantis
· How to Deal by Sami Main
· All Of Our Stories by Beth Maiden.
I also highly recommend the Labyrinthos app, with its fun exercises to help learn. It has a cute little avatar that changes as you progress too!
You can then go about your day as normal.
In the evening, find a quiet spot with your journal to reflect. How did that card show up today? Were you on the money? Or was it a swing and a miss?
Although getting it right feels great, being inaccurate is equally valuable. We learn more when we are wrong than when we are right. No-one is 100% accurate, I’m not, even after my 20 years, and I still learn something new about Tarot all the time. No-one can ever know everything, so don’t feel like you need to.
Tarot is an art. Like any artform, it requires practice. Da Vinci didn’t pick up a paintbrush and produce the Mona Lisa the first day. He studied, learned the skills, and refined them until he reached mastery. Just as anyone can draw, anyone can read Tarot. You just need to give yourself time and space to develop, this is why many call it their Tarot “practice”.
And there we have it. Congratulations on your first Tarot reading! You’re now on your Tarot journey. Keep doing this and you’ll build your personal connection to Tarot.
The more you practice, the more your trust your intuition and yourself, the more your confidence will grow as a result.
If you want to go deeper and learn with a teacher, I teach Tarot Reading on my Tarot page — Magpie Moonchild.
I also have a Tarot 101 video explaining the history and basics of getting going with it.
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