The Major and Minor Arcana cards work together to form a complete graphic language. It’s crucial to keep in mind that the deck itself contains all the solutions we seek, with each card representing a certain individual, situation, or possible course of action. Tarot cards don’t have any secret codes or unspoken goals, thus deciphering their significance depends on your own narrative interpretation.
Make sure to shuffle (or “clean” the deck”) it before beginning any reading. This purposeful action ought to be turned into a meditation. As you visualize your inquiry, feel the physicality of the cards in your palm. If you’re reading for someone else, take use of this opportunity to reflect on their circumstances and come up with particular questions for them. Take as much time as necessary. Tarot card reading must start with clearing the deck because it creates a doorway to higher spiritual planes. Cut the cards into three pieces when you’re prepared, then reposition them face down in the pile. Get ready to select cards for your tarot “spread” on your favorite piece of cloth while being careful not to damage your tarot deck.
In This Article...
Is the Rider Tarot a decent choice for novices?
When Rachel True was eight years old, she came into contact with a deck of tarot cards for the first time. This is a language, and I can learn to speak it, she recalled thinking. So started the actress’s lifetime study of tarot, which culminated in the 2020 release of her own stunning deck, True Heart Intuitive Tarot (her face is on the Empress card, if you look closely).
Before purchasing a deck, psychic medium and tarot reader Sarah Potter advises looking at the artwork on websites like Aeclectic Tarot since it communicates the meaning of the cards. “It’s crucial to be able to relate to the imagery. Choose a deck that gives the appropriate mirror for you “she claims.
Tarot reader and astrologer Lexi Ferguson advises purchasing multiple decks if you’re undecided. “Eliminate any uncertainty. Choose one deck at a time from three, four, or five and observe your behavior “says Ferguson. “You don’t need to reflect about your life. It will feel like your deck at some point along the journey because you keep reaching for it.” Added trick? Tarot reader Michelle Tea advises considering a deck carefully before making a purchase. You’ll keep thinking about it, she explains, and that’s how you’ll know you really want it.
The stunning, top-rated tarot card decks that experts suggest for beginners are included below after we surveyed a variety of experts.
How should a beginner use a tarot deck?
Tarot readings typically proceed in the following manner after that:
- You must first pose a query to the card deck. It ought to be unambiguous and open-ended.
- It’s time to shuffle once you have the question in your head.
- Draw a card (s).
- Lay your chosen card or cards in your spread face down after making your selection.
Are there instructions included with the Rider Waite Tarot deck?
the first and only authorized edition of Arthur Edward Waite’s renowned 78-card Tarot deck. A comprehensive instruction manual written by Arthur Edward Waite is included with the Rider Waite Tarot deck.
How do you personally use tarot cards?
I discovered early on in my tarot excursions that knowing the meanings of each card isn’t necessary, even if there is much value and wisdom to be gained from them. Your intuition holds the key to learning how to interpret tarot cards. And this makes sense given that they are instruments for receiving and deciphering messages from the universe or our inner selves. Get the best advice from readers below to learn how to read tarot cards for yourself instinctively and without memorization.
How should I maintain my Tarot deck?
While rearranging the cards in the tarot deck is a good approach to purify and clear their energy, there are some circumstances in which you might wish to perform a more specialized ritual. If you’re just getting started with tarot, cleaning your deck can be an excellent place to start.
You might want to clean your tarot deck for a variety of reasons, including:
- beginning with a fresh deck
- readings for other people
- You think you need to recharge.
- Your card readings seem a touch “odd” or “disconnected”
- Your deck hasn’t been used recently.
- Your deck has been handled by others
- You think you’ve been utilizing your deck a lot. A LOT, especially for books with strong emotional content
Why should you cleanse or clear your tarot deck?
Tarot deck cleansing helps keep the energy flowing between you and your deck. Consider it as a little spiritual hygiene to maintain a strong and clear connection. It’s not necessary, but if you have any of the aforementioned symptoms, try a few of the energetic cleansing techniques listed below and note which ones seem to work the best for you.
How often should you cleanse your tarot deck?
This is another way of stating USE YOUR INTUITION: there are no hard and fast laws. Don’t stress if you don’t believe it is necessary for your deck. Alternately, if you like to cleanse them once per week or once per month, that’s great. If it feels appropriate to you, you can even place your favorite crystal on the balcony each night.
If you frequently place crystals on your deck and store it on an altar while not in use, you might not feel the need to cleanse it frequently because this quick ritual will likely be sufficient to keep your deck feeling nice.
There are numerous ways to cleanse your cards, just as there are numerous reasons why you might desire to do so.
Different ways to cleanse your tarot deck
Use holy smoke. Light a dried rosemary, lavender, cedar, sage, or palo santo cleansing wand until it begins to smoke. Hold the smoke a safe distance below the deck while holding the burning herbs in one hand and the deck in the other so that the smoke drifts upward onto the cards. Turn the deck so that the smoke covers it from all angles. Next, safely put your deck to the ground and put out the fire.
On the deck, set a selenite stone (or a black tourmaline or a transparent quartz). It works well to leave it like way for an hour, but I prefer to leave it overnight.
Set them on display during a new moon. The New Moon is energy of a blank slate; you can purify the deck by setting it on a window sill on a new moon night. At this moment, you can also make a brand-new intention for your deck.
Place the cards in a salty dish. A strong and stabilizing cleaner is salt. My preferred choice for a thorough cleansing is this. Allow it to sit anywhere from one to eight hours in a dry area.
Unorderly shuffle. Spread the cards out on the ground, then shuffle them around like a child playing in dirt. This method’s freedom and randomization serve as an excellent reset.
the shuffle and sort. Set up the deck in rows of seven cards across, commencing with the Major Arcana numbers 0 to 22. (see photo above). Next, arrange the cards, Ace through King, one for each suit, as follows: Swords, Pentacles, Cups, and Wands. View the deck in this configuration, then mix everything up (like the chaotic!) and shuffle it thoroughly.
How do you begin studying the tarot?
If you find this daunting, Howe advises you to take a deep breath and believe in your own initiative. “In order to see it less as “This holds all of these secret meanings that I have to do all this work to access” and more as “I know all the meanings; it’s just a matter of establishing the connections and being able to articulate them,” use language or knowledge that you already possess. She points out that the four elementsearth, water, fire, and airplay a significant role in the tarot, which is advantageous because the majority of people already have an understanding of the meanings of each element. ” If you do that, your viewpoint will be more personal, and you will be able to express yourself more freely.
Howe suggests the three-card draw and the Celtic Cross as the two fundamental spreads for beginning readers. In the former, three cards are chosen at random from the deck to symbolize the subject’s mind, body, and spirit, or past, present, and future. According to Howe, you could even up the stakes and use a six-card draw, with one card for each location.
After a breakup
Draw one card for each of the following inquiries if you’ve recently broken up with someone and want to know more about the reason or determine whether you’ll get back together:
- How energetic is the partnership right now?
- What caused the divide in the first place?
- What do they really think of me right now?
- What do they intend for me right now?
- What kind of relationship will this be in the future?
- Which action is ideal for me to take right now?
When job searching
You can use this spread to explore what kind of career guidance the tarot can offer if you’re feeling uncertain about your career path or thinking about a new employment. Draw one card once more for each query.
- How active am I in my career right now?
- What challenge must I overcome?
- What is my calling in life?
- How can I follow this calling more closely?
- What should I do to prepare for the upcoming month?
When deciding between two options
This spread can highlight the benefits and drawbacks of each option, guiding you toward the best decision if you’re using tarot to pick between two possibilities (two job offers, two apartments, perhaps a love triangle???). Getting the deal Per card, ask one question.
- What is the fundamental cause of this fork in the road?
- What is the likely result of choosing option A?
- What is the most likely result for option B?
- What more should I take into account that was overlooked?
- What’s the best thing I can do right now?
When something is off with a friend
If you’re concerned about the state of a friendship or feel like something is wrong but are unable to pinpoint the cause, you might be interested in seeing what conclusions and solutions this spread offers. Ask one question per card, once more, I repeat.
- What makes this friendship so crucial?
- What led to this sudden change in tone, and why?
- What has changed, in my friend’s opinion?
- What can I do to make this matter more urgent?
- What is the future of this friendship?
- What should I do at this moment?
Where are tarot cards kept?
Your deck will stay clear and tidy for longer if you give it the utmost care.
Vanderveldt says it’s nice to keep your deck in a set location because of this, whether it’s on an altar or a clean shelf. She adds, “I think putting it away consciously after each usage or at the end of the day is a beautiful way to care for it both energetically and physically. You may wrap it in a piece of cloth, lay it in a box, or put a crystal over it.”
Additionally, she advises “absolutely designating a spot to put them,” such as a shelf, basket, or ornamental box, if you have a collection of cards.
Magdaleno advises that if you’ve had a certain deck for a while, you should be sure to pull it out occasionally as putting your decks in shady areas of bookcases or drawers might result in stagnant energy.
How do you decide which tarot cards to purchase?
According to Alvarez, the simplest way to determine your tarot card is to “let your intuition be your guide.” “Choose a card at random, face down, from a shuffled deck. You can get some direction for the day by performing this action every morning or evening.”
This method of reading tarot cards is different from some others in that you don’t ask any questions (like you would with a Magic 8-Ball), you just take cards out of the deck. Then, she advises, “check up the meaning and consider your day to see if the card had any importance or emphasized an underlying theme.” This procedure “assists newcomers in becoming more theoretically acquainted with the cards as well as in viewing them as a link to personal and practical experiences.”
Find your zodiac card
According to Alvarez, this method is based on your solar sign and the traits that correspond to it (the one you say when someone asks you, “What’s your sign?”). “This card assists in highlighting your strengths, areas that may need improvement, and recurring themes in your life that may be caused by imbalances. Look up the Major Arcana card that usually corresponds with your sun sign, then your sun sign.” Although each card has multiple levels of meaning, Alvarez suggests the following descriptions:
