How To Read Tarot Cards and The Meaning of Each Tarot Card   by Trevord

Rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 1 person)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

How To Read Tarot Cards

Before you start to learn how to read Tarot cards, you need to be familiar with your card deck. Take the time to go through the cards so that you instantly recognize them when you deal them.

You'll also need an explanation of the meaning of the Tarot cards like this one. I've given a short explanation of each of the cards below.

You should conduct your reading in a quiet place where you are unlikely to be disturbed. Turn off your cell phone and remind your client to do the same. You may decide to use scented candles or other items to create a relaxing atmosphere.

Before you deal your Tarot cards, separate them into the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.

Ask the person who you are "reading" to shuffle each Arcana and then cut each set. Ask them to focus and think about the question they want answered whilst they do this. Tarot cards can be awkward to shuffle but the method of shuffling isn't important.

You then need to decide which Tarot spread to use. A couple of the easiest ones are:

Three card spread
This uses just three cards, laid out left to right. The cards represent past, present and future.

Five card Horseshoe spread
Five cards, laid out in an arc or horseshoe shape. Left to right, these cards represent the receiver's present position, their present desires, the unexpected, their immediate future and their outcome.

You're then ready to perform the actual Tarot reading and interpret the Tarot cards. You'll need a book on Tarot interpretations to help you do this.

The Meaning of Each Tarot Card 

If you want to understand the meaning of each Tarot card, check down this list of individual Tarot card meanings.
  • The Fool
    Also known as the Jester and can have the number 0. This card is often interpreted as confronting fears and taking risks.
  • The Magician
    The magician normally points to talents available and often signifies an ability for the sitter to tap into their full potential.
  • The High Priestess
    She guards your subconscious mind. When the High Priestess is dealt, it is usually taken as showing that you need to look deeper into the situation being read.
  • The Empress
    She is normally interpreted as anything in the reading that relates to motherhood as well as the loving care and attention that goes with this.
  • The Emperor
    As you'd expect, the Emperor means that you want to rule over the things around you. Sometimes it signifies that you may need to be less of a control freak in your life.
  • The Hierophant
    Sometimes known as The Pope. This card can have religious meanings but more commonly it is interpreted as representing education and also moral standards.
  • The Lovers
    When this card appears, it usually means that a decision will need to be made about a relationship.
  • The Chariot
    The Chariot usually represents some kind of battle that will be won providing the person experiencing the reading has the willpower to win.
  • Strength
    Signifies internal battles that need to be won. So this card relates more to inner strength than physical strength.
  • The Hermit
    As you'd expect from a hermit, this card often means that you need to withdraw from the rest of society.
  • Wheel of Fortune
    Nothing to do with the game show of the same name except that it has an element of randomness about it. Which means it often signifies a change in direction in life.
  • Justice
    There are implications of both justice and the law with this card as well as situations where judgments and decisions are made.
  • The Hanged Man
    Contrary to initial thoughts, this isn't to do with death but signifies letting go of your worldly attachments in order to get a more profound view of a situation.
  • Death
    This is card number 13 and it normally signifies the end of something (but, fortunately, not usually life). It often relates to the end of a relationship.
  • Temperance
    This card normally interacts with one of the other cards that have been turned up in the reading - it shows the need for moderation in some aspect of your life.
  • The Devil
    The Devil represents something we are doing that is holding us back. This could be binge eating, getting drunk or a host of other things. If the person being read is very withdrawn, it could show that they need to get out their shell more.
  • The Tower
    The Tower normally represents a dramatic change in direction or fortune. The fire and lightning on the card design further emphasize tis turmoil.
  • The Star
    We've always looked to the stars for inspiration and that's exactly what this card represents: hope and inspiration.
  • The Moon
    The moon and its gravitational force affects us in a lot of ways and this representation is to do with sleep and sleep patterns. It can refer to pleasant dreams or unpleasant nightmares.
  • The Sun
    The sun normally means happiness, contentment, vitality in life, self-confidence and success. It can also mean enlightenment and greatness.
  • Judgement
    Judgement day, whether that's good or bad will depend on the other cards that are drawn with it.
  • The World
    Normally this represents an end to a cycle in your life. This is often accompanied by a feeling of achievement and accomplishment.

What Do You Want To Get From Your Tarot Card Readings? 

Loading poll. Please Wait...

Interpreting Tarot Cards 

Interpreting Tarot cards is a skill. If this is your first time, it will pay you to get a good book on Tarot card interpretation to help steer you through the many different scenarios.

It's best to practice on yourself at first.

Choose which Tarot spread you want to use, shuffle and cut the cards and then deal them out as you would if you were doing a reading for someone else.

Think of the cards you've dealt as chapters in a book. Each one has a specific story to tell. It's quite likely that the cards will jog your memory as you are looking at them and a particular interpretation will come into your mind - go with this as first instincts are often the best.

Keep a journal of your personal Tarot readings. You can then go back over this to see how events have turned out for you.

Think of your Tarot reading as being similar to going to a doctor other than your own for a second opinion. It will often help you to see a situation in a new light.

When you move on to give readings for other people, be careful in your choice of words. Our minds are easily led and you want to make sure that you are presenting the information you are interpreting from the Tarot cards as well and as positively as you can.

This book will help you in your Tarot card interpretations.

Learning the Tarot: A Tarot Book for Beginners 

Learning the Tarot: A Tarot Book for Beginners

Learning the Tarot: A Tarot Book for Beginners

by Joan Bunning

Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 10/07/2008)

Learning the Tarot is a complete course on how to use the tarot cards for personal guidance. The 19 lessons in the course cover the basics and then move gradually into more advanced concepts. Exercises and sample responses for each lesson help you learn and practice. For simplicity, only one easy layout is used throughout the course - the Celtic Cross Spread.

Tarot Cards on Wikipedia 

The tarot (also known as tarocchi, tarock or similar names) is typically a set of seventy-eight cards, comprising twenty-one trump cards, one Fool, and four suits of fourteen cards each?ten pip and four face cards (one more face card per suit than in ordinary playing cards).

Tarot cards are used throughout much of Europe to play Tarot card games such as Italian Tarocchini and French Tarot.

In English-speaking countries, where the games are largely unknown, Tarot cards are utilized primarily for divinatory purposes Huson, Paul, (2004) Mystical Origins of the Tarot: From Ancient Roots to Modern Usage, Vermont: Destiny Books, ISBN 0-89281-190-0

Mystical Origins of the Tarot

, with the trump cards plus the Fool card comprising the twenty-two major arcana cards and the pip and four face cards the fifty-six minor arcana.

read the rest of the Wikipedia article

Share Your Tips On Interpreting Tarot Cards 

spirituality

To interpret tarot cards, you have to find out what they each mean to YOU.

Posted July 30, 2008