Your Beginner’s Guide to Reading Tarot Cards

You just can’t stop thinking about these images! Tarot cards are full of mysterious symbols—but you don’t need to memorize every meaning to get started. Which deck is right for you? And how can you connect with the imagery? Here’s a step-by-step guide to using the cards for personal reflection.

1. Discover tarot as a mirror for your thoughts

The fascinating thing about a tarot reading is that two people can look at the same cards and see completely different themes. You might think about your relationship, while someone else sees those same images in terms of career changes—your questions shape your interpretations. Make use of that flexibility and ask yourself why a particular interpretation resonates with or surprises you. You don’t have to believe in predictions: treat the cards as an invitation to notice your own thoughts more clearly, rather than seeing their images as a fixed future.

2. Choose a deck that speaks to you

The idea that your first tarot deck has to be a gift shouldn’t stop you from getting started: you can choose and buy your own cards. Look at different styles of imagery and notice which designs make you curious, rather than searching for cards that are supposedly more correct than others. Good options for beginners include the Rider-Waite Tarot, Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot, and the Goddess Deck by Motherpeace Tarot. What matters is that you want to explore the images and find a personal connection with them.

3. Choose your own rituals

From cards wrapped in silk to rituals involving salt, you’ll encounter all kinds of ideas about how to care for your deck. These practices may feel right for some people, but they aren’t a requirement for looking at or interpreting cards. So be honest with yourself: does a ritual bring you joy, or would you be adopting it only because you feel unsure? You’re welcome to keep things simple and focus on what genuinely interests you: the images.

4. Get to know your deck

A standard tarot deck has 78 cards: 22 belong to the Major Arcana, and the remaining 56 make up the Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana includes cards such as the High Priestess, the Lovers, and the Fool; the Minor Arcana is divided into Swords, Wands, Pentacles, and Cups, with 14 cards in each suit. Lay out your deck and sort the cards into these groups to give the initially overwhelming number of cards a clearer structure. Look for recurring imagery without expecting yourself to learn a full explanation of every card right away.

5. Learn the meanings with a little help

A guidebook, tarot book, or online learning resources can help you discover the meanings associated with the striking images. If you know someone with experience, ask them to explain how individual cards are read together in a spread. Keep comparing descriptions with the image in front of you: which figure, object, or scene helps the interpretation make sense to you? This way, you’ll go beyond simply reciting keywords and connect what you learn with careful observation.

6. Spend time with one card each day

Instead of trying to work through the whole deck at once, choose a card in the morning and look up the meanings associated with it. Then study its details and go about your day without forcing every encounter to relate to the image. In the evening, ask yourself whether you came across a relevant situation or noticed an unexpected connection. This manageable exercise combines research with your own observations and gives you time to get to know each card.

7. Let the images speak to your imagination

One playful exercise is to imagine having a conversation with a figure on a card and ask what they might say to you. Look closely: what stands out about their posture, what objects can you see, and what thoughts do these details bring to mind? Write down your ideas, even if they seem contradictory or strange at first, instead of dismissing them right away. You’re using your imagination and associations here—the imagined response isn’t an independently verified message, but your own way of connecting with the image.

8. Ask questions that leave room for action

For a question-based reading, decide in advance what you’d like to explore, and try to avoid questions that call for nothing more than a yes or no. Instead of “Will everything work out with my career?” you could ask, “What can I do to better understand my career situation?” “How can I handle this change?” also leaves room for different ideas and possible steps you can take. Before drawing, check how you’ve phrased your question: does it support reflection, or are you asking the cards to make a final decision?

9. Try an open reading instead

If you can’t think of a specific question yet, an open reading offers a different way to begin: you consider your current situation without limiting the interpretation to one particular concern. This might suit you if you’re in a period of transition and dealing with several things at once. Pay attention to the connections you make between the cards you draw and your current thoughts. If this approach feels too vague, switch to a question-based reading and make your focus more specific.

10. Start with a simple three-card spread

Place your deck in front of you, shuffle it, and choose three cards to lay face up in a row. In this simple spread, the card on the left represents the past, the middle card the present, and the card on the right the future. Now connect the meanings you’ve looked up to these positions: what reminds you of past experiences, what’s on your mind right now, and what possible development comes to mind? Treat the future position as a prompt for reflection, not a guarantee of a particular event.

11. Pay attention to neighboring cards and reversed images

A card’s position and the cards around it are part of the interpretation, so once you’ve looked at the individual images, consider the spread as a whole. Think about whether you can see a shared story in the cards or whether they highlight different aspects of your question. Reversed cards can also be interpreted differently: the Three of Swords upright is associated with heartbreak and betrayal, while reversed it can suggest that the heartbreak is easing. Look up these differences, and avoid drawing dramatic conclusions from an unfamiliar image.

12. Practice with people you trust

Once you’ve gained some experience, you can offer readings to friends or family and discover new perspectives. Invite them to ask an open-ended question, then start by describing the images and connections you notice. If something isn’t clear to you, it’s fine to ask: “I’m noticing this theme here—what might that mean to you?” This turns the reading into a conversation and helps you see how differently people relate the same images to their own lives.

13. Broaden your perspective on symbols

As you gain experience, you can try other spreads or explore connections with astrology, numerology, and palmistry without feeling that you have to master everything at once. Images outside your deck can also inspire interpretation: for example, choose three magazine pages and look at their images as if they were a three-card spread. What story do you see between them, and what reminds you of your current situation? This playful exercise isn’t a substitute for learning card meanings, but it can help you become more aware of your own associations.

Conclusion: Start small and stay curious

You don’t need complicated rituals or a perfect interpretation to get started: an appealing deck, some learning resources, and an open-ended question are enough to give you a manageable starting point. Combine the meanings you look up with your own observations, and stay open to other interpretations. Most importantly, don’t treat the cards as the ultimate authority over your decisions—use them as a prompt for reflection. My final tip: stick with a daily single-card draw and the three-card spread before trying more elaborate layouts.