How To Become A Tarot Card Reader

The Tarot can be a very daunting and mysterious thing for those who do not understand what it is, but want to become Tarot Card readers. The 78 cards in the Rider-Waite Tarot deck have some very scary pictures, symbolisms from hundreds of years ago. And what does one learn from reading the Tarot anyway?

Most people learn with the Rider-Waite Deck because it is the most beloved deck. The millions of people who have read with it over the years, and the spreads they use, have given the cards their power. Once a person can understand Rider-Waite, they can go on to read most other decks with ease, as they will have enough background. And there are literally hundreds of decks on the market, for people with all kinds of interests. There is an Arthurian Deck with pictures and symbolisms drawn from the myths of the Knights of the Round Table and the Priestesses of Avalon. There is a Russian Deck of St. Petersburg with the lovely onion domed buildings and ornate period dress. The Round Motherpeace deck was and remains popular as a deck made by women in the height of the Feminist movement of the 1970’s. Many Vampire decks have been popular in response to the Twilight series. The list is long, and one can view all the cards in any tarot deck by viewing them on this excellent site: www.aeclectictarot.net.

The Rider-Waite Tarot begins with 21 cards called the Major Arcana, or Soul Cards. They begin with the Fool, young and inexperienced about life, just as we are born. Each card is a rite of passage that many will master, but some can be considered successful people in life and only have mastered 7 of the 21 important lessons. In the last twenty years or so, the Major Arcana cards have become known as “The Fool’s Journey.” These cards carry more weight in a reading.

Below I have shown how the first line is concerned with the Practical plane, or lessons we learn from our parents, teachers, and spiritual advisors, home and our first places we visit outside of it. The Lovers normally represent the first big decision a person makes without input from their parents, or the actual first time one falls in love and takes a lover, so it's an important decision. The Chariot is a strong willed person who will not be swayed from their course, but since it's a man on horseback, often represents a young person's first car.

The second line of images, or the Mental plane, are more serious in nature. We learn our strengths and weaknesses, find out how much solitude we need, and the Wheel of Fortune brings new things into our lifes, or out of them!  Justice teaches us the consequences of doing wrong, and the Hanged Man aids in our Spiritual growth. When his energies are in our life, it often feels like nothing is happening. But it means growth on the spiritual level is happening. As we enter our early 20's, we learn we must sometimes sacrifice to get what we desire. We will have to face Death, whether of a loved one, or a situation that was meaningful and died. Sometimes it's something we wanted out of our lives that dies. Our balance comes back to us in Temperance.

Line 3 is the Spiritual Plane, the most important. The Devil can chain us to negativity and darkness, but we always have the power to walk away from what is bad for us, there is always help. Please do not ever let yourself get so depressed that you do not seek help, because there is always help for people who need it, and often when they need it the most. It often comes from a source we do not expect, but it does come. Always seek a counselor, a parent, a member of your Church, or an anonymous hotline if your problems are immediate and you feel desperate.  The Tower blasts open, so causes radical and sudden change, or a wonderful burst of inspirtation and ideas. The Star is about Peace and Love, what we need when our spirit needs healing after someone has hurt us very deeply. The Star offers hope to the sick, and in my readings I always use it as a health indicator. The Sun means we shine at what we do best, and will get attention from that. Judgement looks scary, but it means all the things you kept locked up inside are being faced up to now, so it can be a great turning point in your life, though not an easy one. Lastly, we have The World, meaning we have achieved all our Earthly goals, or that everything is coming up roses. Now you can get all these cards many times in the course of life, because the World is always turning, and life is always moving onward. But I think the study of the Major Arcana or Fool's Journey is very important, and like to do birth path readings and others  which only use these cards. They are great for reflection on important issues and decisions in our lives.

The remaining 56 cards are called the Minor Arcana. They are split into four elements or suits, water has cups and represents emotion, air has swords and represents communication, fire has wands, an indicator of our energy levels, and earth has pentacles, nature and money, or our comfort levels. Cards Ace-10 have different meanings depending on the scene, number of the card, and whether it is upright or reversed. Then there are the Court Cards, or People cards, which unnecessarily confuse people. The Page is young and curious, having much to learn, and the sense of adventure to want to learn. This can be a child, but also an enthusiastic older person excited by a new interest. The Knight is on a mission to accomplish a task, and always rides a horse, so it means action will take place when he “rides” into a reading. The Queen is the most at home in her element, and comfortable in her role, wise and maternal. The King is the most powerful figure, a Fatherly one, or someone who has mastered many life lessons and has time to teach others.

So how should one approach a study of the Tarot? Sometimes courses are offered at Metaphysical bookshops, or Metaphysical Schools. You can learn on your own to a certain point, if you have the correct books and are willing to put in the time. Just like Astrology, people don't understand studies such as this are not picked up in a few hours. I took three six week courses, attended numerous workshops (which all cost money), and practiced with my journal and spreadsheet, as I explain below. And all this is before it is possible to read for anyone. Then sometimes people think it's nervy to charge for readings, after the reader has spent several hundred dollars and hundreds of hours of study into their topic. There are many kinds of Tarot spreads too. One card could be drawn each morning. The reader should study it well, then go about their day, but try to keep the card in mind. See if there is anything that happens which seems to have something to do with the scene or type of person in that card. If you are more ambitious, perhaps you would like to keep a Tarot journal, and chose your card, then write an entry about your day in it each evening. At first you may not see a correlation between your journal entry and the card. But now you have a written record, and when you become more experienced, you may go back and see more information, gaining great insight into the meaning of that card. There are many kinds of symbols and colors in the cards, and they all have meaning. So make sure you give your study the serious and quiet attention it deserves.

A spreadsheet made on your computer would also be a great aid in keeping track of which cards have been drawn and how often. As I used to work in an Accounting firm, and am very organized, I like this method. You could make a spreadsheet for each of the four suits of Minor Arcana Cards, Ace-Ten, and the four Court Cards of that suit. Also, make one spreadsheet for the 21 Major Arcana cards. List the names of the cards vertically down the sheet. Make headings at the top for the days of the week, and keep a separate sheet for each month. Check off each card each time you draw it from the deck, and please shuffle long and carefully, it's a pet peeve of mine. You need to get your energies into that deck! Continue doing this for one year. Then you will have enough data to notice definite trends happening in your life, some cards will come up over and over again, almost screaming out for your attention! Try to notice if certain cards keep appearing, as this will be the case, since you are learning something new. The Page of Pentacles will come up when you are learning something new, or the Ace of Wands appears when you have new energies in your life, and are growing as a person. I believe we grow whenever we learn something new, so don’t be surprised if you see both!

There are always naysayers, but usually they are the people who are most afraid of their lives and situations, so they try to disparage what they do not understand. Not everyone wants to dig deeper to understand why they are having the same problems over and over, or why they attract negative relationships. One must do some difficult inner work to uncover these things. But the rewards are many, if we can make positive changes in our behaviors, and sometimes realize we wrote about dreams we have, but did not try to do enough to make them come true. That’s the real tragedy, because we have the power to make our dreams real, if only we plan seriously and pay attention to the path we are on. It can be so easy to be misled onto the wrong path, and being a Tarot card reader can be a great aid in helping you to avoid that. I hope you think about trying this new interest, to become a tarot card reader is very rewarding, and there are many lovely decks, so there is a perfect one for everyone. Start with the Rider-Waite, and then go on to see if there are other decks that you relate to better. Most readers have several decks. Metaphysical (I despise the words New Age, this is all ancient wisdom we are rediscovering) shops usually have open decks hanging freely so the customer can take a good look at the 78 cards in them and decide if they are interested or if the deck “speaks” to them in some way. Go for it! You’ll be the life of the party, and also notice that becoming a tarot reader will bring out the more introspective side of your personality.

No matter which method you choose, try to tally them up and review them at the end of each month. Write a brief summary at the end so when you return to the journal or spreadsheet at the end of the year, you want to recall details of the happenings in your life. With a year’s worth of information, you will have a lot of material to work with, and will notice a definite pattern of some sort. This will teach you the meanings of certain cards, because by now several of them will have been drawn by you at least 5-10 times in the course of the year. When you consult your tarot reference books, you will read about those, and with the help of the books and the information you kept, you will have definite opinions and ideas about the meanings of specific cards. If you see a meaning based on your actions, and the book does not agree, go with your gut, and forget the books! Tarot is an intuitive art. I actually kept journals for five years, and was amazed at how many changes my life had gone through during that time period. So you aren’t only learning to become a Tarot reader, now you have a journal of what was happening in your life for as long as you decide to keep these journals. You may surprise yourself when you go back to read them, as time passes quickly. So will Tarot cards predict your future? I believe that our subconscious mind “picks” the cards we need to see at a particular juncture in our lives. Also, we see what it is necessary for us to see when we are drawn to a certain card’s image. I have been a reader for ten years now, and have learned a lot. I have  read for complete strangers in Metaphysical shops, and been told my readings were “amazing.” There is no better feeling than knowing your reading has helped your querent in some way. Good readers must draw up a set of ethics before they are ready to read for a fee. You must decide what you will and will not do or say. It is also possible to meditate on a certain card to try to soak up some of the energies you need. So I believe a Tarot reading is a useful tool to help us understand ourselves and motivations better.

The Rider-Waite Tarot Deck images have been part of the public domain since 1909 in the United States, and are easily available to be shown and purchased. But in Europe there are complications because U.S.Games holds the copyright to many tarot decks until the end of 2012. I would love to show you more images here, but have been unable to download them from any source. But here is a nice selection of decks, something for everyone. The images of all the cards in the Rider-Waite are clearly shown in Wikipedia.

I am also the proud author of Pathways Through Spirituality, the Tarot interpretation book I wrote several years ago. I wrote one poem for each card, because I thought it was an interesting way to learn the meanings, rather than memorizing keywords. It was very exciting to be a first time author and to finally see my book in print! All of the pictures of the Rider Waite Deck are included in my book. It is listed in the Amazon Capsule above with the list of recommended reading. I wish you all the best if you go on to learn to be a Tarot Card Reader, and welcome any questions you may have.