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6 Ways to Practice Tarot Card Reading
What are Tarot Cards and what are they for?
A deck of Tarot Cards is made of a total of 78 cards. The cards are categorized into one of two sets; the Major Arcanas (twenty-two Trumps) and Minor Arcanas (fifty-six suit cards). The twenty-two Major Arcana depict images, such as The Hanged Man, The Devil, the Wheel of Life, and the Fool. The Major Arcana cards in a Tarot deck are all very symbolic and can be studied and interpreted in various ways. The Minor Arcana suit cards typically depict objects such as swords, coins, cups, and wands or batons. Practice Tarot Card Readings for divination, i.e. predicting the future, as well as guided meditation, and fortune-telling and they can also be used in certain types of games. Let’s read more about how to practice tarot card reading.
The exact origin of Tarot Cards is unknown at this point, some believe that they were created in China and were then brought to Italy, whilst others believe they are Italian. Another belief is that they were created in London, but nobody knows for definite where exactly the first deck of Tarot Cards came from. However, with that said, it is known that they were first introduced in the late eighteenth century.
Tarot Cards can be used in many different ways, as stated before. The meanings behind Tarot Card readings can be interpreted in numerous ways. As a result, the possibilities for Tarot cards and Tarot readings can be said to be almost limitless.
How to Practice Tarot Cards
Before we can understand the methods available for deciphering a Tarot reading, first we must make clear, how to use a deck. It would be worth noting at this point, that nobody can learn to understand Tarot Cards in their entirety overnight. They are a very complex entity and it is recommended that you do not have too-high expectations of yourself when you begin using Tarot Cards; it takes time and frequently causes frustration. I suggest that you keep at it though, as they are a valuable asset to have.
It is strongly believed amongst Tarot professionals that the only person who should touch our decks is us. This is because, if another soul had placed their fingerprint on our decks, then the cards become confused as to whom they are being used by, and this, in turn, results in a vague, ambiguous reading. When this happens, people can often become confused or misled by what their reading is telling them.
Shuffling Your Deck
Whilst shuffling your deck, you must ask yourself a question. This can either be mental or verbal and also it is not important. The question must be linked to the type of spread you use, i.e. if you are using the Hearts Desire Spread, a suitable question might be; ‘will I ever fall in love?’ We will be discussing the various spreads shortly.
All of the seventy-eight cards in a deck have images on them. Every image has a meaning and so before you take your reading to heart, based on what is depicted on your card, it is important to gain an in-depth understanding of what your cards mean.
Reversed Card
If a card is laid down after shuffling and has been dealt upside down, do not flip it the correct way. Upside-down cards have different meanings from cards dealt the correct way up and so by flipping it, our reading would become inaccurate. Therefore, this is called a ‘reversed’ card.
Also, one more important thing to remember whilst reading the cards is that the images depicted on the Major Arcanas are not accurately representative of our reading. For example, if we dealt the card that depicted ‘Death’ on the front, it doesn’t mean we are going to die. It is encouraged that we research the meaning of the card that we have been given, to have a more thorough understanding.
Practice Tarot Cards: A View of the Universe
Each card teaches us about a different area of our lives when we practice Tarot Card readings. As a result, when combined, they present us with a complete view of the universe.
The number of Major Arcana cards holds purpose, as there are twenty-two different paths on the Tree of Life. In addition to this, there are twenty-two letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Tarot Cards are relevant to the Jewish religion, through the link of the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life is one representation of the secrets of divine truth and is part of the Qabbalah. The Qabbalah is the ancient Jewish tradition of mystical interpretation of the Bible.
In this article, we will discuss the six different spreads used when reading Tarot cards, and the meanings behind them
Three-Card Spreads; ‘The Day Ahead’ Spread
The ‘Day Ahead Spread’ about the Tarot should be self-explanatory. It is the deck used by Tarot readers when they are attempting to have a glimpse of what the coming day will consist of, i.e. occurring situations, emotions, feelings, etc. In this case, the Tarot is being used to tell the future. Lay each of the cards beside each other.
The three cards in this spread are representative of three different times of day; the first card dealt is the ‘morning’ card, the second card dealt is the ‘afternoon’ card and finally, the third card dealt is the ‘evening’ card.
For example, a man named Matt was looking forward to spending the day with his soon-to-be fiancé, Demi. The morning of that day, Matt used a three-card ‘Day Ahead’ Tarot spread to predict how the day would go. The first card that Matt dealt, the morning card, depicted a Two of Cups.
Practice Tarot Cards: The Two of Cups card
The Two of Cups card tells Matt that Demi and he would have a wonderful day and that the two may discuss taking their relationship further. The second card dealt depicted a Nine of Cups. This card, representing the afternoon, informed Matt that the day would become even better as it progressed; the Nine of Cups is also the wish card, meaning that one of Matt’s wishes could potentially come true.
Finally, the third card, representing the evening, depicted a Seven of Pentacles reversed card. This means that Matt & Demi’s relationship will take a step forward, as long as the two can past certain anxieties.
Three-Card Spreads; ‘Choices’ Spread
This spread is what a reader should use when curious about where a new path will take them, e.g. moving away from your hometown, a new house, a new girlfriend, etc. This is done with the hope of the correct path making itself known, in the process of avoiding any other paths that may cause physical or mental harm. Similar to the ‘Days Ahead’ spread, the ‘Choices’ Spread is used to gain insight into a person’s future. Lay each of the cards beside each other.
Unlike the ‘Day Ahead’ spread, the cards dealt in the ‘Choices’ Spread are not representative of a time of day. Instead, the three cards are representative of three different possible factors of a scenario.
For example, Katie was considering three new job offers. Katie was struggling with deciding as to which job she should take, so to give her more confidence on the matter, Katie used the ‘Choices’ spread to help her make the decision. Katie’s cards depicted The Sun (Major Arcana), Three of Wands, and the Wheel of Fortune (Major Arcana).
Practice Tarot Cards: Representation
In this scenario, the Sun is representative of the first job offer, the Three of Wands for the second, and the Wheel of Fortune for the third. The Sun card told Katie that in the first of these three job offers, Katie would be given the chance to use her creative talents to her utmost and that by doing so she would excel. The Three of Wands card alerted Katie that in the second job of these three offers, she would find herself unsettled. Her expectations are high and hence, this job will disappoint her.
In addition, her colleagues would be unpredictable. Finally, the Wheel of Fortune card informed Katie that by taking the third job offer, her liking to it could go either way and that there was no certainty of whether she’d enjoy the job. It could mean big changes and potential developments; however, it’d be a gamble.
Three-Card Spreads; ‘Relationship’ spread
The three cards when you practice tarot Card readings are representative of three different sorts of relationships; friends, family & partners. Card no.1 is usually the card representing friends, card no.2 is family, and card no.3 is for our significant others. Lay each of the cards beside each other.
Whereas the previous three-card spread techniques we’ve looked at were used to tell the future, this technique is instead looking to tell fortune.
For example, Randy was suffering from anxiety regarding all three sorts of relationships. To ease his nerves, Randy used a three-card ‘Relationships’ spread of Tarot Cards. The card representing his friends was a reversed Queen of Swords.
Practice Tarot Cards: The reversed Queen of Swords
The reversed Queen of Swords told Randy that a woman he was close with was merely faking her liking of him and that she was only trying to cause issues for Randy. The card advised Randy to stay away from this person. Randy’s second card depicted The Tower, representing the family. According to The Tower, there will be upcoming shocks and surprises about a relative, and these surprises will reveal a new side to their character.
Lastly, Randy’s third card was The Magician, representing Randy’s love life. According to The Magician, Randy may have a new partner on the horizon, one involved with a business with an inspiring personality.
Practice Tarot Cards: The ‘Celtic Cross’ Spread
The ‘Celtic Cross’ spread is one of the more ancient tarot spreads. It can be used for more in-depth knowledge regarding any circumstances. This can be done either through asking a particular question or instead of asking for an overall evaluation of your life. The ‘Celtic Cross’ spread works at its most efficiently when dealt from the whole tarot deck, seventy-eight cards. However, it can also be done by only using the Major Arcana cards, too.
This spread consists of ten cards. Every position the card is put into is relevant to the questioner. The positioning for the ‘Celtic Cross’ spread can be seen below.
Meaning of the Position of Cards
As depicted above, each position has its meaning when you practice Tarot Card readings. Card no. 1 represents the questioner’s current circumstances. No. 2 is current influences. No. 3 is future influences. No. 4 is future events. No. 5 is past influences. No. 6 is past events. No. 7 is the questioner’s feelings. No. 8 is outside influences. No. 9 is the questioner’s hopes and fears and finally, card no. 10 is the outcome.
After receiving our ten cards, we must remember that each meaning of a card is relevant to us and our question. Therefore, all of the meanings link together, creating a solid answer to our beckoning.
Practice Tarot Cards: The ‘Heart’s Desire’ spread
When we are aiming to gain insight into a relationship, we needn’t look any further than the ‘Heart’s Desire’ spread. Asking ourselves if a relationship will work out often leads us to doubt it even more, however, using this spread of tarot cards offers a more spiritual perspective on our worries.
Typically, it is used for a romantic relationship, but it can also be used for insight into a friendship, kinship, or working relationship. The spread is not limited to just two people, either; if more people are also involved in a relationship, all that is necessary to do is to add more cards. To give a more detailed explanation, we will be discussing this spread as if it was between two people, on this occasion.
When using the spread for a relationship made of two people, eight cards are needed. They can be dealt from the entire tarot deck, meaning it is not limited to just Major or Minor Arcana cards.
Like the ‘Celtic Cross’ spread, each of the eight cards represents something; card no. 1 represents the questioner. No. 2 is for the questioner’s partner. No. 3 is outside influences. No. 4 is the questioner’s past. No. 5 is the questioner’s partner’s past. No. 6 is the questioner’s future. No. 7 is the questioner’s partner’s future and no.8 is the outcome. The cards should be laid out as displayed below.
The Horoscope Spread
When wanting to look at each of the areas in a person’s life, this is the perfect spread to use. The ‘Horoscope’ spread’s name is a tribute to the twelve houses (areas of life), due to the spread and the twelve houses’ similarities.
Also, this spread has multiple purposes when you practice Tarot Card readings. It can be used to examine a person’s life over the coming year, with each card representing one of the months of the year. This is in addition to its main purpose, of looking at a person’s life in the future, overall.
The spread consists of twelve cards. The first card is for personal matters. The second is for possessions, i.e. What the questioner values. The third is the questioner’s day-to-day activities and communications. Card number four is for home and family. Number five is for creativity lovers, children, and pleasure. Number six is for health, work, and daily routine.
In addition, card seven is for relationships. Eight regards joint-money matters and sexual intercourse. Nine regards education and challenges in life. Ten is the questioner’s career, goals, ambitions, and reputation. Eleven is for the hobbies, friends, and hopes for the future of the questioner, and finally, card number twelve regards secrets, fears, and physical ability.
In conclusion, there are six ways of practicing Tarot Card readings. I hope you have found this article informative and useful. I also hope that you now have a better understanding of Tarot Cards and the different spreads available. Always remember, that understanding Tarot Cards in their entirety is not a quick process. However, as is the case with most things- perseverance is key!