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How to Read Tarot: A Gentle Beginner's Guide
To read tarot, shuffle while you hold an open question in mind, lay out a few cards in a simple spread, and read each card from its picture and its traditional meaning in the position where it falls. Then link the cards into a story. You do not need psychic gifts: tarot works best as a mirror for reflection. This guide covers the deck, questions, shuffling, simple spreads, reversals and building a daily habit.
Know your deck
A standard tarot deck has 78 cards, split into two groups.
The major arcana
Twenty-two cards, from The Fool (0) to The World (XXI). They show the big themes and turning points of a life.
The minor arcana
Fifty-six cards in four suits. Each suit runs from Ace to Ten, plus four court cards: Page, Knight, Queen and King.
Wands (fire)
The suit of Wands is linked in tradition with energy, ambition, creativity, work you feel passionate about.
Cups (water)
The suit of Cups is linked in tradition with feelings, relationships, intuition, dreams.
Swords (air)
The suit of Swords is linked in tradition with thought, conflict, truth, decisions and communication.
Pentacles (earth)
The suit of Pentacles is linked in tradition with money, home, body, work and the material world.
Asking a good question
Open questions work better than yes/no ones. Try 'What do I need to know about…', 'How can I approach…' or 'What is standing in my way with…'. Tradition treats tarot as showing patterns and possibilities, not fixed fate, so ask about yourself and your own choices rather than other people's private lives.
Shuffling and cutting
There is no wrong way to shuffle. Riffle, overhand shuffle, or spread the cards face down on a cloth and swirl them. Many readers shuffle until it feels right, cut the deck into three piles with the left hand, and stack them again. A reading cloth protects the cards and marks out the space.
Simple spreads
One card a day
Draw a single card each morning and note it in a journal. Look back in the evening. This is the quickest way to learn the cards.
Past, present, future
Three cards in a row. The middle card is the heart of the matter.
Situation, action, outcome
A practical variation: what is happening, what you could do, and where that path leads.
The Celtic Cross
Ten cards, the classic spread published in A.E. Waite's Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910). Save it for when you know the cards well.
Reading the cards
Start with the picture
Before reaching for the book, describe what you see: colours, gestures, weather, which way figures face. Your first impression is part of the reading.
Then the tradition
Add the card's traditional meaning, suit and number. Aces are beginnings, fives often show struggle, tens show completion.
Reversals
Some readers read upside-down cards as a blocked, inward or weaker form of the meaning. Others ignore reversals. Both are valid; pick one approach and keep to it.
Tell the story
Look for repeated suits, a cluster of major arcana, or a move from dark cards to light ones. Join the cards into a sentence.
A worked example
Say you ask 'How can I approach my new job?' and draw the Page of Pentacles, the Five of Wands and the Sun. Read as a story, the Page is a keen beginner in practical matters. The Five of Wands is friction and competing voices. The Sun is warmth and success. Together they suggest that learning steadily through a noisy early stage leads somewhere bright. Notice how the reading offers a way of thinking, not a prediction.
Building a practice
Keep a tarot journal, read for yourself often and learn one card at a time. Store your deck wrapped in a cloth or boxed. Some readers keep a small crystal on the deck, a tradition rather than a rule. When reading for friends, keep it kind, private and light. UK delivery is £3.95, free on orders over £40, and usually takes 2–5 working days.
Practice routines
Pull one card each morning, note it, and look back in the evening. After a month, you'll know many cards by heart.
Keeping a tarot journal
Write the date, question, spread, cards and your first impression. Patterns appear over time.
Reversed cards
Some readers read upside-down cards with a different, often blocked or inward meaning. Others ignore reversals. Both are fine: decide before you shuffle and be consistent. Our 78 card meanings give upright and reversed readings for every card.
Reading for other people
Ask what they want to explore, keep questions open, and never present cards as certainties about health, money, pregnancy or legal matters. A good reading leaves the other person with something to think about, not a fear.
When a reading feels negative
Cards like Death and the Tower are about change, not literal events. Ask what is ending and what might grow in its place.
Zodiac links in the major arcana
Many decks follow the Golden Dawn attributions, which match twelve major cards to the signs. It can add a layer when a card appears in a reading:
Words worth knowing
- Major arcana: the 22 trump cards, from the Fool to the World.
- Minor arcana: the 56 suit cards: Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles.
- Court cards: the Page, Knight, Queen and King of each suit.
- Spread: a layout of cards with a meaning for each position.
- Reversal: a card that comes out upside down, read by some with a different meaning.
- Significator: a card chosen to represent the person asking.
- Querent: the person asking the question.
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Questions answered
Do I need to be psychic to read tarot?
No. Most readers use tarot as a tool for reflection, reading the pictures and traditional meanings.
Is it bad luck to buy your own tarot deck?
That is a popular superstition, not a rule. Most readers buy their first deck themselves.
How many cards are in a tarot deck?
78: 22 major arcana and 56 minor arcana.
Should I read reversed cards?
It is optional. Many beginners start without reversals and add them later.
Can tarot predict the future?
Tradition treats tarot as showing tendencies and choices, not fixed fate. Treat it as reflection and entertainment, not advice on health, money or legal matters.
How long does it take to learn tarot?
You can read simple spreads within a week using a guidebook. Knowing all 78 cards by heart usually takes a few months of regular practice.
Should I cleanse a new deck?
Many readers like to, by shuffling it thoroughly, leaving it in moonlight or passing it through incense smoke. It is a tradition, not a requirement.
Does the How to Read Tarot guide make any health claims?
No. We describe spiritual and traditional uses as tradition and belief, never as health, medical or financial advice. For any health concern, speak to a qualified professional.
How often should I read tarot?
As often as it feels useful. A daily one-card draw is a good habit; longer spreads suit weekly or monthly reflection.
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