How To Get Started With Your Tarot Practice
So, the Universe answered your call for a magical initiation, and guided you to purchase your very own Tarot deck. But after the incense wore off when you got home, fanning out all 78 intricately illustrated cards in your hands, you may have been struck by a startling thought, “Where the hell do I even start?”.
This is a fair question. Truth be told, Tarot is not for the faint of heart. Not because it’s an impossible system and skill to learn, but because it requires a tremendous amount of patience and devotion to really learn the basics, at least in the beginning. From then on, it becomes a lifelong study and practice that deepens over time. If you approach it as a labor of love, you’ll find magic and enjoyment in the process. If you’re expecting instant gratification and shortcuts, I suggest taking up a new hobby.
Exploring the magical world of Tarot is equal parts exciting and daunting, although I find that the initial curiosity and wonder can carry you pretty far into your Tarot study before the glowing mystique wears off and the frustration sets in. If you’re feeling overwhelmed trying to figure out how to approach learning the Tarot in a coherent and manageable way, let me offer some suggestions to get your started off on the right foot.
Step 1: Identify the Type of Learner You Are
We all have different learning styles, so it’s hard to direct Tarot students with a one-size-fits-all approach. Take a moment to give yourself an honest evaluation about how you learn best and what helps you memorize and retain large amounts of information. Do you need a textbook,? Are you more of a visual learner? Do you like the added support of a study group? Do you need a tutor or a mentor? Are you self-directed or do you prefer a daily guided practice and syllabus?
Your success will be largely determined by what approach works best for YOU. So before you tackle the mountain of information that comes with Tarot, think about what type of student you are and plan accordingly. You might need to switch things up as you go along and that’s perfectly fine!
Step 2: Take A Good Look At The Cards
Before you start memorizing meanings, it’s really helpful to visually see the entire deck laid out in front of you. This will help you understand the general format of the Tarot, which includes the Major and Minor Arcana and the four suits: wands, cups, pentacles and swords (or any other iteration of).
Examine the visual story unfolding in sequence from the Fool to the World. Do the same for each suit from the Ace to the King. See the evolution taking place in each series and note the differences between them. Pay attention to the colors, symbols and characters. You don’t have to know exactly what they all mean just yet. Trust that your subconscious mind and your intuition are already making connections and creating meaning for you without needing any formal background knowledge. Allowing your own intuition to freely explore the Tarot without judgement or expectation is an important first step before the mind begins to intervene. Take your time dissecting the cards and carefully examining every little detail. Soon you’ll discover that nothing in the artwork is unintentional.
Step 3: Break It Down Into Sections
I don’t need to remind you that 78 cards is a lot to memorize, so you shouldn’t expect to master it in one sitting (or even 100). Let’s make the learning process easier on you by breaking it down into smaller chunks. Whether you are learning on your own or taking a course, any Tarot teacher will have modules, and you should too.
Start with the Major Arcana series. This is your primary story arch that depicts the Fool’s journey towards enlightenment. Start by studying one or two cards per day (or more if you’re really keen). Read your guidebook, watch a YouTube video, do a few google searches. Take notes in a specific Tarot journal if writing helps you memorize information. In less than a month, you’ll be familiar with some of the most important cards in the deck.
Once you’ve gone through all 22 Major Arcana cards, start on the Minor Arcana and go one suit at a time. With some consistency and commitment, you’ll fly through the deck in no time.
Step 4: Start Pulling A Daily Tarot Card
You can do this in tandem with Step 3 to cover more ground, but once again, you’ll want to keep things relatively simple and not overdo it.
Pull one card to start your day off with a message from the Tarot. It’s important to see how the energy plays out in real life and not just in the literature, so pay attention to how your day unfolds and how you relate to the energy of the card before you go to sleep. Keep track of your insights in your Tarot journal if that helps. This is a great way to expose yourself to the Tarot and familiarize yourself with new cards. As the days go by, you can also start testing yourself on the ones you’ve already learned. The practical application of the Tarot in a daily ritual will help crystallize the meanings and jog your memory more and more. Your understanding of the cards may be somewhat superficial at first, but eventually you will build on your knowledge to become a wealth of information, from the history to the symbolism to the psychological undertones.
Step 5: Step Outside The Box
A great guidebook is as good as gold. Start there. In the early stages, that guidebook will never be out of arm’s reach, and that’s perfectly okay. Especially as beginners, we need that lifeline and extra support. Don’t be embarrassed if you are more comfortable using it while your intuition develops. It’ll come.
When you feel ready to branch out beyond the guidebook, I highly recommend taking in different information and interpretations from a wide variety of sources (Google is a great place to start). The truth is, there isn’t just one way to interpret any specific Tarot card. Collectively, it’s more like we are all just contributing to a growing arsenal of meanings and possibilities, and every single Tarot reader and teacher has a part to play in this. The more interpretations you can expose yourself to, the more fortified your Tarot repertoire will be. Interpretations are highly subjective which is why it’s good to get a sampling of opinions which will help you form yours.
Remember, there is no right or wrong when it comes to Tarot. Keep an open mind, and let curiosity guide you. Seek out teachers who you resonate with. There are many of us out there who are here to help you along your Tarot journey, but first you might have to get some more exposure and experience so you know what you’re looking for. Do the legwork, read the blogs, and the next steps will become clear over time.
Step 6: Practice, Practice, Practice!
This is the fun part! Grab your nearest friend, sibling, parent, cat, or goldfish, and give them a reading! The true test of Tarot is putting it into practice, and if you want to get good, it’s going to take a lot of it. Find the people in your life who support you and who can show up with patience and understanding as you learn something new. Be honest with them about where you’re at, and know that it’s completely okay to say that you don’t really know the meaning of a card yet when it pops up in a reading!
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself and have fun. You can also read for yourself as much as you want, but sometimes the honest feedback from another person can really be helpful in gaining confidence as a reader. Be sure to mix up your readings and find your guinea pigs who are willing to be part of the Tarot experiment.
WITCH TIP: Start small. I recommend simple 1-3 card readings in the beginning. Trust me on this. I know you want to go fast and jump into that Celtic Cross spread. I KNOW. I’ve been there, but I’m telling you that the cards will teach you everything you need to know when you take your time with them. You’ll thank yourself later for being thorough instead of jumping ahead before you’re ready.
Final Thoughts
Even after Step 6, your Tarot study will be far from over. In many ways, Tarot keeps on getting better and better the more you learn. It goes deeper than you could possibly imagine, which makes for a very enchanting and humbling obsession.
Even though I have profound faith in the magic that draws people to the Tarot, we are human, and we get frustrated when things get hard. I ask you not to give up when you feel stuck or challenged in your Tarot journey, or like it’s too much to learn. I promise that if you give Tarot a chance to wow you (which it most certainly will), you will never want to stop.
If you have made your way to the end of this long-winded article, then you already probably have what it takes to tackle the intricate and mysterious language of the Tarot. Like anything in life, you’ll reap the rewards if you put in the effort. I believe in you.
Welcome to the club.