Learning Tarot: A Manageable Approach
Let’s face it: learning Tarot can be a daunting prospect. The deck
is big–seventy-eight cards big. In practice, the deck doubles in
size, if you consider reversed meanings. And once you’ve learned
each card backward and forward , (or right side up and upside down,
even) you’ve got to apply that knowledge in readings, right? So
just when is all of this learning supposed to happen?
If you’re anything like I was way back when, the sheer magnitude of
the task that is learning Tarot may be keeping you from digging in.
Personally, I avoided Tarot for a solid decade because I thought
that I’d have to spend years acquiring basic knowledge before the
payoffs appeared. While it’s true that Tarot has a learning curve
and you’re not going to absorb it all overnight, you don’t have to
let that stop you from getting started. In fact, with the right
approach and attitude, your practice can reap great rewards from the
very beginning. Kick intimidation to the curb and keep the fun in
your learning with these strategies.
1. Forget Reversed Meanings–For Now
Here’s an idea that may surprise you: you don’t have to read
reversed cards if you don’t want to. Yes, it’s true that most
readers interpret reversed cards and that reversals can add depth
and clarity to a reading. But there’s no rule that says that you
have to use them, especially when you’re first starting out. In
fact, one valid point of view states that the seventy-eight cards
upright contain all the meanings necessary for a good reading.
Concentrate on learning those upright meanings first. That may
sound obvious, but many a beginning practitioner (myself included)
has been distracted by trying to get reversals “right” before
learning the basics. Regardless of whether you read reversals,
you’ll still need to have a good handle on the upright meaning of
the cards. And, since reversed meanings are often intimately tied
to a card’s upright meaning, getting that down pat will only
strengthen your reversed interpretations, should you decide to use
them later.
2. Study the Pip Cards First
Many authors place special emphasis on the Major Arcana, and rightly
so–after all, those are the cards that tackle the philosophical and
esoteric issues. But that doesn’t mean that you have to learn them
first. Similarly, the court cards can be some of the most
difficult, confusing cards in the deck. Why struggle with all that
up front when you’re brand new to Tarot? There’s no shame in
putting off the tougher stuff until a little bit later.
Instead of tackling the Majors from the get-go, consider spending
time with the Ace through Ten cards (or “pips”) of the Minor Arcana
first. These Minors deal with mundane, day-to-day issues. When
Tarot is completely new to you, those cards can be easier to
understand and absorb because you relate to their issues already.
One way to start is to learn the qualities associated with the
various suits and some of the basic numerology associated with the
numbers one through ten. Once you have those concepts down, apply
them to the Aces through Tens of each suit. Cross reference your
interpretations with those found in your favorite beginner book. By
the time you’re finished, not only will you have a grasp of those
cards and the suits, you’ll be familiar with over half the deck.
Quite an accomplishment!
Whatever cards you choose to tackle first, throw yourself into them
head-on and don’t worry so much about the others. You don’t have to
learn every card at once. Eventually, they’ll all get a turn.
3. Keep Your First Readings Small–Really Small
The little white booklet (or LWB) that comes with your first Tarot
deck isn’t going to tell you this, so I will: you don’t have to
start reading with that old chestnut, the Celtic Cross spread. The
Celtic Cross is often passed off as a beginner’s spread, but any
spread with ten cards is bound to be needlessly complicated for a
beginner. That’s not to say that the Celtic Cross isn’t useful,
just that there may be better spreads to start with.
When you’re starting to learn Tarot, it can be daunting to try to
make sense of a complicated pattern of ten cards. Your first
readings will be spent sitting there with your instruction book in
one hand and your notebook in the other. Making sense of what’s in
front of you can be hard, so help yourself whenever possible.
Smaller spreads make it easy to cut your teeth on readings without
feeling overwhelmed. Try reading some simple spreads with just a
few cards, such as three-card spreads (mind-body-spirit, plysical-
mental-emotional, etc.) There is no shortage of such layouts–lists
of them can be found on the Internet without much trouble, and you
can even make up your own (yes, you really can make up your own
spreads)! After you have spreads with a few cards down, try spreads
with four cards, then spreads with five, and so on.
There is nothing wrong with starting with spreads of two and three
cards, or even one. Master these, and you’ll be performing
complicated readings before you know it.
4. Begin to Read Right Away
For many beginners, the idea of learning seventy-eight cards is
exhausting enough. But it’s the idea of putting it all together in
a reading that really sends them over the edge. Will they “do it
right”? Will their readings be correct? Will they have one of
those grand mystical experiences rumored to follow bouts of
prolonged esoteric or spiritual practice? These concerns are beside
the point when you’re just starting out. What’s worse, they can
suck all of the enjoyment out of learning a new skill.
Instead of all that, try this: forget that you’re a beginner, trust
yourself, and start to read right away. Make reading less of
an “event” and instead something that you do naturally by doing it
all the time. Yes, you’ll probably make mistakes. So what?
Everyone makes mistakes. the process of reading becomes easier as
you do it more often. Get used to applying your hard-earned
knowledge from the very beginning, and in no time at all the act of
reading will become instinctive. That instinct is exactly where
your best readings will come from.
Another benefit of reading right away is that you’ll get exposure to
those cards that you don’t yet know well. Even if you haven’t
studied certain cards, per se, there’s no reason why you should
avoid them. The more you see them, the more information you’ll
absorb about them, making them easier to learn when the time comes.
For your practice readings, you can read for friends, family, or
anyone who will sit still long enough to get a reading. Also,
despite rumors to the contrary, there is nothing wrong with reading
for yourself. Indeed, why deny yourself personal guidance, which is
one of the greatest benefits of learning Tarot in the first place?
5. Lighten Up, or, There’s No “One Right Way” to Do It
Ask a dozen Tarot readers how to read Tarot, and you’ll get a dozen
different answers. Take a look at the New Age section of any
bookstore and you’ll find scads of Tarot books, each with a
different approach to learning the deck. Speaking of decks, there
are hundreds available, each with a different focus and point of
view. So where does that leave you, the humble enthusiast just
starting out on “the Fool’s Journey”? Hopelessly confused, right?
Instead of confusion, let this abundance of ideas remind you that
there’s no one way to learn Tarot but your way, and that your way is
just as valid as anybody else’s. Ultimately, your understanding of
the cards will come from the mixture of the symbols on your deck,
what you’ve learned from authors or teachers, and what your own
intuition brings to the table. As such, no two people will know the
cards in exactly the same way. This frees you from the pressure of
having to conform to someone else’s strict vision of what the Tarot
is. Instead, you can create your own vision–and from there create
your own practice. That vision and practice is made one card,
spread, or reading at a time.
Breaking the task of learning the Tarot down into smaller pieces can
make the difference between mastering the cards and giving up in
frustration. Allow your confidence to grow by taking on just a
little bit at a time. Apply yourself with sincerity to the smaller
tasks. You may be amazed at what the Tarot gives back.
by Elizabeth Genco,
