Tarot is a very useful tool for those of us who practice the art of divination. If you’re just learning tarot, then this lesson is for you! When we’re learning something new, it takes practice, and the tarot is no different. You should practice as often as possible, get a feel for your cards, get to know their energy and attitude (yes, cards can have an attitude), and start learning the different meanings behind each one.
Today, I’m going to take you through the easiest way to practice reading tarot cards that can be done every day. It doesn’t involve an elaborate spread. It doesn’t involve candles, setting the mood, anything like that (unless you want to, that’s cool too). So let’s get started!
There are some things you might want to do before you get your deck ready, and that includes cleansing them of any residual energy. If the deck was given to you and was previously used, I hihgly recomend this. You don’t know what kind of energy the previous owner left on the cards, so you should cleanse them. This can be done with smoke, a sprinkle of salt, a quartz crystal, the moonlight, etc. There are several ways to cleanse tarot cards of residual energy!
Step One: Gather your tools
After you’ve got your deck cleansed, you want to get it ready and in front of you. Be sure to have the book that came with it if you have it. If not, have your computer or phone handy so you can look up the general meaning of the card you pull in case you aren’t familiar with it. You can also have a cloth that you use for your cards, but that’s not necessary. My cloth is simply a red piece of fabric that I picked up at the store for $1.
Step Two: Shuffle your deck
Shuffling your deck serves two purposes. The first is, obviously, it mixes the cards up. Second, it allows you to add your own energy to the cards by the movement of shuffling, however you choose to do it. This allows you and the cards to get on the same page, so to speak, and know that it is time to focus and get down to business. While you’re shuffling, think about either a question or concern that you have. When doing a morning reading, I don’t like to ask a specific question. I simply focus on the day ahead and ask my Gods for guidance.
Step Three: Center yourself
This can be done at the same time as step two. You want to center yourself and focus your energy. The more you practice this, the easier it gets, but you don’t want to become too distracted and pulled from the moment. The cards are a tool to communicate with whichever Higher Power you believe in. For me, that’s my Gods. For you, it could be the universe or your own subconscious. Focus on the cards. Focus on your question, concern, or feeling. Really be present in that moment.
Step Four: Pull a card!
The last step is the easiest! Pull the top card from your deck and lay it out in front of you. Take note of the type of card. Is it a Major Arcana or Minor Arcana card? What suit is it? Is it a reversal? Do you read reversals? How does the card make you feel?
Without looking at the meaning of the card, take note of how the card affects you and your first impression. Does it seem positive? Negative? Daunting? Scary? Foreboding? Light-hearted? Then look at the meaning of the card and compare them! Part of learning how to read tarot is learning to trust your intuition. There are some cards that might resonate differently with you than what the book says. That’s okay! Trust your gut.
So what now?
So you’ve pulled your card for the day. What do you do now? If you have a journal that you’re using to track your learning experience with tarot, take note of the date and the card that you pulled. Then when your day is over, revisit it and see if the card played a role in your day in some way. Or, if you asked a specific question, take note of the question and the card you pulled. Then, when the situation arises to prove the card right or wrong, take note of that as well.
As always, have fun learning new things!
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