Classic and popular decks are always in circulation, but new tarot decks are published each year so there is an ever-changing inventory to look through. The top five tarot decks of all time are: Deviant Moon Tarot, Rider-Waite Tarot, Aleister Crowley Thoth Tarot, DruidCraft Tarot and Shadowscapes Tarot. [1] X Research source
Major arcana. The Tarot archetypes represented in the major arcana are pictures that represent life and the stages and experiences we all go through. It’s meant to be the story of one’s journey through life starting as The Fool (young, pure energy in spirit form) moving through events and cycles and finding completion in The World (the end of our life cycle). Minor arcana. Minor Cards describes the people, events, feelings and circumstances we encounter on our personal “Fool’s Journey. “[2] X Research source It represents events that are within the control of the individual and indicate how you do something. The minor arcana fairly closely resembles a traditional deck of playing cards. It’s made up of four suits, and each of these suits are associated with one of the elements: Wands (Fire), Cups (Water), Pentacles (Earth) and Swords (Air). There are also the Queen, King and Knight (or Jack) of each suit plus the addition of Pages or Princesses. Memorizing all 78 cards will take time. Try working with a partner who can quiz you using the deck as a kind of set of flash cards.
Don’t plan to rely too heavily on your book. It will be helpful to get you on track for learning, but you need to integrate your intuition with your book knowledge to fully develop as a Tarot card reader. Try this trick for incorporating your intuition into your learning. Look at each card and decide what you think it means. Don’t worry about being right–just go from your gut. Then look in your book and see what it says. This will take the focus off pure memorization and the fear of being wrong and allow you to create readings that flow because of the way you’ve personally connected with the cards. [3] X Research source
To get to know the deck. Choose a card at random and gaze at it a bit. Write down your first impressions and intuitive thoughts. Write these with one particular color of ink a journal or notebook. With a second, different ink color, write down more information you find about the card from other sources (books, e-groups, friends). After a few days, review what you’ve written and add comments in a third color of ink. [4] X Research source Get a daily reading. Choose a card at random the first thing in the morning. Spend some time looking at it. Pay attention to its colors and how you react to them. Note the general atmosphere of the card and the emotions it brings out in you. Look at the figures in the card–what they’re doing, whether they’re seated or standing, who they remind you of and how you feel about them. Focus on the symbols and what they remind you of. Write your thoughts down in a journal–you can refer back to this as a learning tool and use it to track your progress. [5] X Research source
Line up all the cards from a constellation in front of you and ask yourself some questions such as how you feel about each card, what attracts, repels, annoys or makes you anxious about the cards, how they’re alike and how they’re different and what symbols they seem to share. Repeat this exercise for each of the nine prime numbers and record your impressions in a journal. Understanding the energy of each of these cards will facilitate a smoother reading when multiples of the same number come up. Instead of focusing on the meaning of individual cards, you’ll be able to focus on the energy they bring in as a group. [7] X Research source
This game actually helps you develop a skill you can use in your readings. When a difficult card comes up in one of your readings and you want to help the Seeker resolve that issue, you can suggest a card that will counteract the difficult card. [8] X Research source
Some possible positions for a reading designed to understand a situation are: past/present/future, current situation/obstacle/advice, where you stand now/what you aspire to/how to get there and what will help you/what will hinder you/what is your unrealized potential. Some possible positions for a reading designed to understand relationships are: you/the other person/the relationship, opportunities/challenges/outcomes, what brings you together/what pulls you apart/what needs your attention and what you want from the relationship/what you want from the relationship/where the relationship is heading. Some possible positions for a reading designed to understand relationships are: mind/body/spirit, material state/emotional state/spiritual state, you/your current path/your potential and stop/start/continue. [10] X Research source
Remember that if at some point a card feels like it has a different meaning to you than what the book says, go with that meaning. Trusting your intuition is the true way to read tarot cards and something you’ll begin to do naturally you become more experienced. Just let the cards speak to you.
Earth. Bury your protected deck in sand, salt or dirt for 24 hours. Alternatively, fan your deck on a tablecloth and sprinkle it with salt and/or sand for one to two minutes or any combination of basil, lavender, rosemary, sage or thyme. Water. Sprinkle your cards lightly with water, herbal tea or a plant infusion and wipe immediately or expose your deck to moonlight in a protected area for half the night. Fire. Taking care not to burn yourself, pass your deck quickly through a candle flame. You can also expose your deck to sunlight in a protected area for half a day. Air. Pass your deck five to seven times over burning incense. Or try instead taking a deep breath and breathe deeply and slowly into your deck three times.
