How to Read Tarot for Yourself and Your Loved Ones: An In-Depth Tutorial on Tarot Reading


Welcome to your introduction to the divination system known as "tarot"!

Any journey in life begins with a single step. Before that step comes a thought. Before the thought, a feeling, a seed deep in the psyche that longs to germinate into knowledge. As in The Fool - the first card of the Major Arcana - all journeys begin not with "One", but with "Zero", the shape which represents coming full circle back to oneself. From this place we experience a sense of wonder and budding curiosity, which gives rise to questions such as:

Where will the road lead and what pitfalls can I expect along the way?
Will I experience love, happiness, sadness or regret?
What actions must I take to better my situation, and thus better myself?

The tarot is an excellent tool to help answer these questions and many others, and has been used for hundreds, even thousands of years. Indeed, it is possible that eras were shaped around single questions asked by the pharaohs and queens of long ago. In the modern world, it is sometimes hard to block out the bustle of distractions. But by using tarot, you can learn to find that ancient place within yourself, to the center where all things begin, end, and begin anew.

Where did tarot cards come from? What is their origin?

Scholars and historians have long wondered where the tarot came from, but to this day nobody is certain. The closest approximation thus far is that the twenty-two Major Arcana originated in ancient Egypt, where early records of the practice of divination can be found. The Egyptians were "connected" to the universe, and relied on spiritual guidance to tackle the problems of their daily lives. For example, The High Priestess - the third card of the Major Arcana, represented by the two pillars of the Roman numeral two - is pictured with the full moon nestled into her crown, which is also how the Egyptian goddess Isis is pictured. The Egyptians revered Isis perhaps above all other goddesses, for she represented the ultimate female energy, the force that gives life and takes it away. It is no wonder then that this counterpart to The Magician would be considered one of the most meaningful to receive in a reading, particularly when the reading involves questions of belief and empowerment.

Some religious historians have wondered about the connection between the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet and the twenty-two cards of the Major Arcana. The words "Tora" and "tarot" are so similar that some scholars believe there to be a connection between the cards and the Jewish holy book. After all this study and research, only one real conclusion was made regarding the tarot/Kabala connection: Even if the tarot came after Kabalistic teachings - or vice versa - there is a clear association between the two, and there are deep insights to be learned and applied through conscientious use of the cards.

Today, tarot cards are seen all over the place. Particularly in the US, the cards are no longer banished to secret rooms deep within palace walls. Infomercials advertise tarot readings by psychics over the phone. Hundreds of books offer step-by-step instructions on tarot reading. You can buy tarot CD-ROMs or receive free automated tarot readings on the Internet. The possibilities are endless. The most rewarding way to "receive" a tarot reading, however, is to learn how to read the cards for yourself! After all, only you know the specifics of your internal and external life.

What do I need to get started learning the tarot?

You need a deck of tarot cards! Deciding which deck to buy is a matter of personal taste, although generally the Rider-Waite is the best deck for the beginning reader, mainly because most classic interpretations of the individual cards are based off the Rider-Waite deck. Any deck that coincides with those interpretations will work. Most importantly, the deck you choose should resonate with you. The images should be pleasing enough to you that you won't mind looking at them over and over. You should be able to pull any random card and get a good basic "vibration", a general feeling of what the card means. The best online stores offering tarot decks include http://www.llewellyn.com (click on the "tarot and divination button to the left of the screen) and http://www.usgamesinc.com. (This is the website for US Games System, the company that makes the Rider-Waite deck. Click on the "tarot" button to the left of the screen.)

Ideally, you will be able to physically hold and look over several decks of tarot cards to find the right fit for you, which can best be done at a bookstore offering New Age publications. Barnes and Noble (http://www.barnesandnoble.com), for example, offers several different decks in their stores and can place special orders. Most decks come with a booklet providing abbreviated upright and reversed interpretations of the cards. (What is "upright" and "reversed"? Worry not! We will get to that during the interpretation phase of this tutorial. Basically, "upright" means the card shows up upright in the spread, and "reversed" means it's upside down and therefore takes on either an opposite or lesser meaning.)

Now that I have my tarot cards, what do I do with them?

The first thing you need to do is a simple meditation exercise, in which you will quiet your mind, gently pushing away distractions, aggravations, anything that keeps you from focusing your internal awareness on the task of reading the tarot cards. Sometimes just a few deep, slow, cleansing breaths can help. Counting to 100 and backwards again to one can help you find your center and relieve disruptive tension. You could try lighting a candle or some incense (and be careful!), and gazing into the flame or ember while you slowly shuffle the cards. Try to keep your divination space quiet, and turn off unnecessary electronics, such as the TV or radio, unless you like to have relaxing music. Use whatever method works best to put you in a quiet, relaxed, and open state of awareness.

When you are in that state, stop shuffling the cards. Place them on a clean, dry surface, and cut them. Then you will pull them from the top of the deck without rotating them (the deck should be resting face down), and lay them out face-up as follows in the Celtic Cross spread, which should be illustrated in the manual that came with your cards. For now, use the interpretations from your manual to get a general feel of the cards' meanings. As you progress through the learning phase, you will gain a deep understanding of the cards' myriad interpretations. You, the person asking the question, are now referred to as the Querant.

The Celtic Cross Tarot Spread

Position One: This is it. (At the center of the spread)
This card represents the present situation; the question itself as it stands now. If you are asking, "What will become of my relationship with so-and-so?” this card represents the energy surrounding that question.

Position Two: This crosses it. (On top of Position One, crossways)
This represents opposing forces to the card in Position One. If it is a positive card, then it probably represents forces that support the Querant, but even a positive card can be seen as a possible obstacle when it is in this position.

Position Three: This crowns it. (Above Positions One and Two)
This is what is known to the Querant; what is in your consciousness. If you know, for example, that your mother-in-law coming to visit is grating on your nerves, then it might show up in this position. This card challenges us to direct our thoughts to more positive things, and to recognize the limitations of the intellect.

Position Four: This is below it, or this is the foundation. (Below Positions One and Two)
This is what is in your unconscious, the energies that you might not be aware of but that influence the state of affairs as they stand now. Positive or negative, whatever is lurking deep down will show up here.

Position Five: This is behind it, or "before". (To the Left of Positions One and Two)
These are influences that are now passing away, or events that are now coming to a close. If for example you have recently gone through a breakup - or have been considering one and are almost to a decision - it will show up in Position Five.

Position Six: This is after, or where it leads. (To the Right of Positions One and Two)
This card tells you what is likely to happen in the near future. What you consider the "near" future is highly individual. If you gave a specific time reference in your question - say, one month - then this card might show what will happen next week.

Now come four more cards, which will be placed in a column to the right of Positions One through Six, starting at the bottom.

Position Seven: This is the Querant. (How the Querant sees the situation/question)
This shows how you feel about the question, whether you are afraid to know the answer, whether you are eager to reach a resolution, whether you are resigned to a distasteful task, etc.

Position Eight: This is where it happens. (The surroundings, and often how those directly involved see the situation and/or the Querant)
If you are curious about the influence of others on the question, or about how they feel about you in regard to the situation, then you just might find some insight here!

Position Nine: These are your hopes and fears.
These are your internal mechanisms that either support you or hold you back. Some tarotists believe that this card represents what you have to get through in order to reach an "answer": the resolution or result found in Position Ten. This card shows that wherever we place the bulk of our energy is where events are likely to follow. In other words: You reap what you sow!

Position Ten: This is where it leads. (The Final Outcome)
The reading culminates to this, the final card: The outcome. This is what will happen if you, the Querant, take no action to change either your energy or your situation. The card you receive in this position holds the key to what you need to do differently, or what you need to keep the same. Even when events are out of our control, this final outcome gives us a clue about how to react or whether to decide not to react at all, whether to sit still or burst into motion, whether to consult outsiders for advice or contain the energy within.

After more quiet meditation, keeping your mind still and your heart open, you will see that the reading presents itself as a whole, like a picture or painting of this one aspect of your life. Images and messages will begin to come together and offer deep insight. It is often helpful at this time to write down the impressions you get. You can always come back later and read what you wrote, and you will often be surprised at just how accurate your own impressions were, and you might "see" something in your reading that you did not understand before. If this happens, go ahead and add it to what you've already written. With practice, your readings will come together more quickly and accurately, and the cards themselves will become a part of you.

When that happens, you will find that your center is a wondrous place to be, a seed germinating into a complete flower, which will then drop more seeds and become a garden of experience and knowledge that has existed since long before histories were written or cards were printed.