I started reading tarot three years ago and I started with absolutely no knowledge or experience. I didn’t really know anyone who read tarot, and if I did I wasn’t ready to talk to them about it. Even then tarot felt really sacred to me and I didn’t want to be swayed by anyone else’s influence or opinions. That said, I did listen and learn from a lot of different sources and just picked what seemed like a good fit for me. I’m going to share my top tips for learning tarot as a complete beginner, and I encourage you to do the same - take what seems like a good fit for you and leave the rest. Tarot is super personal and whatever way you choose to use it is correct.

Buying a deck

There are so many tarot decks available, it can feel overwhelming at first. Most decks come with a guide book, but they vary greatly in detail. Most of the information online around tarot meanings and symbolism is based around the Rider Waite Smith deck, which is a good deck to learn from because the images are really packed with symbolism and stories, there’s so much information online and it’s one of the cheapest decks you can buy. There’s also quite a few decks that are inspired by this deck, including Neo Tarot by Jerico Mandybur - which also comes with a great book - and the Modern Witch Tarot by Lisa Sterle. The most important thing when choosing a deck is that you love it and you enjoy the images and the vibe of the deck.

Tarot is a journey

When you first get a tarot deck (any deck, even if it’s your tenth one) resist the urge to shuffle it immediately - this is always what I want to do. Your cards will be in order, so lay them out in that order, separating the Major Arcana (the named cards) and then the four suits. Spend some time looking at the images and how they progress and change as you move through the suits. There are often lots of similarities, symbolism and stories for you to notice. This isn’t about trying to figure out any kind of meaning at this point, just notice what you notice and enjoy the deck in its entirety.

Learn as much as you need to

There’s a lot of hype online about reading ‘intuitively’, and not using any traditional meanings or books. This is great and intuition plays a massive role in reading tarot, but if you have no idea where to start, or anything to work from it be really daunting and feel like there’s no way in. My personal tactic was to learn and study as much as possible, and THEN work to balance the traditional meanings with my intuition and experience, and essentially forget everything I’ve learnt. It’s down to you how much you want to study and learn, it might just be consulting your own guide book, you might want to learn the history of the Major Arcana and the themes of the four suits and go from there, or you might want to build a folder and flashcards to learn all the history, traditional meanings and symbolism. It’s all about whatever you feel comfortable with, but when you start doing readings, always remember that your gut feeling is more important than remembering what some book said.

The Fool’s journey

The Major Arcana represents the big milestones and themes across our lives, there’s A LOT to unpack with these cards. I found it helpful to associate each card with a moment in my own life, and how it impacted me at the time and in the future, but I also found the idea of the Fool’s Journey super helpful. You can find a version on Youtube here, and the idea is that The Fool, which is the first card, is the main character and he travels through the other Major Arcana as life events and important characters. It’s a great way to see how the Major Arcana links together and mirrors our life experience, rather than stand-alone cards.

Find the sources that work for you

There’s tonnes of information online about tarot meanings, you won’t be able to read it all, and it’s often conflicting so take a look around and choose a few sources that you like and stick with them. It’s good to look out for meanings that feel good to you and that’s easy for you to digest and understand. My favourite sources are Biddy Tarot, which has super detailed meanings for every card as well as lots of other helpful content, WTF Is Tarot by Bakara Wintner, which is down to earth, straight talking and really easy to understand, and the podcast The Easiest Way To Learn Tarot, because it’s conversational and they discuss different possible interpretations.

Card a day

The process I first used to get started with tarot, and get comfortable with new decks, is to pull a card every day. I do it in the morning with my coffee, but you can do it at any point of the day. Take a moment to connect with your tarot deck and pull a card. I usually ask ‘What do I need to know today?’. You can either journal about your card, spend some time researching it, or just think about it throughout the day and how it’s messages might be showing up for you. This is a great way to really learn and get to know the individual cards, and it’s also a great little ritual to connect with yourself everyday. I still do it every morning.

Tarot can feel overwhelming or really difficult to begin with, and there’s a lot going on and a lot of information out there. My biggest advice is just practice, find the sources that resonate with you and do it in your own way. There is no one right way to learn or read tarot, just whatever way feels right to you. Are you going to give any of these a go? Let me know in the comments where you are in your tarot reading journey.

If you’re ready to experience tarot first hand, click the links below to book your very own bespoke tarot reading from the comfort of your home:

How To Get Started With Reading Tarot