The Beginner’s Guide to Intuitive Tarot Reading
Discover how to read tarot cards intuitively, build your confidence, and create a meaningful practice with this beginner-friendly guide.
With 78 cards in a tarot deck, starting your journey into intuitive reading can feel daunting and overwhelming. But with a simple framework, you’ll be able to approach the task with less intimidation and far more confidence.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the most foundational and basic information you need to get started reading intuitively. It may seem overly simple, but keeping this knowledge close at hand will open your channels to more accuracy along your way.
1. The Basics: What You Should Know
Before diving in, it’s important to understand these key points:
Major vs. Minor Arcana: The tarot deck is divided into two main sections:
Major Arcana (22 cards): Represents life’s big themes and transformative moments. When these cards come out, Spirit is using all caps to spell out it’s message.
Minor Arcana (56 cards): Reflects everyday events, challenges, and opportunities, divided into four suits: Cups, Pentacles, Swords, and Wands. When these cards come out, think of them as supporting messages to the Major Arcana cards that are present.
The Cards Are Neutral
Although on the surface some cards may seem more positive leaning and some more negative, in reality the cards themselves aren’t inherently “good” or “bad.” Context is 100% of tarot reading, and even the most negative seeming card can have a beautiful interpretation, depending on the context of your question and your spread.
Tarot Does Not Predict the Future
One of the most common misconceptions about tarot is that it is a tool for dictating future events. Before starting down this path, every reader must know that the future is not fixed, and that everyone is in control of their own destiny.
The tarot simply picks up on your current circumstances to highlight patterns to be aware of and shine light on new possibilities you may not have noticed before. Your guides use tarot to echo the voice of your intuition back to you. It is a tool for introspection and growth, not an external force driving your life.
2. Choose a Tarot Deck
You’ll want to be selective when picking out your first deck, as it is your first opportunity to connect to your intuition through the tarot.
For beginners, it can be helpful to aim for a classic deck or something similar, to learn the original imagery and symbolism and to get comfortable with the traditional meanings. Some popular and beginner-friendly options include:
Rider-Waite-Smith Deck: Known as the “original” tarot deck. It’s imagery is what is commonly associated with the tarot around the world. The symbolism is very clear and straightforward, and can help a beginner to naturally internalize the card meanings.
Modern Witch Tarot Deck: A vibrant and inclusive take on the classic tarot, perfect for beginners to learn the classic imagery with a less-ancient feel. (Did I mention its images feature women only?)
The Light Seer’s Tarot Deck: For someone looking to steer in a different direction from the traditional visuals but still wants a clear meaning portrayed, this deck is a great option. Artistic, creative, and colorful, this is a beautiful deck for the intuitive beginner.
Spend time exploring the artwork and themes of different decks. Choose one that feels personal, inspiring, and not overly intimidating.
3. Ask Specific Questions
When getting started, tarot works best when you ask focused and simple questions. The more clear and direct you are, the easier the cards will be to understand.
Don’t be afraid to have a lengthy question, so long as it spells out exactly what you want to know. Say it out loud before shuffling the deck, and be sure to know exactly what it is that you’re seeking (ex. areas of focus, techniques to achieve, insights/knowledge that you’re missing). Some example questions are:
“What energy surrounds my current career path?” (Seeking insight on your current energetic state)
“How can I strengthen my relationship with [x]?” (Techniques to strengthen your relationship)
“What should I focus on to overcome this challenge?” (Areas of focus)
The more precise your question, the more direct guidance the cards will give you.
4. exercise your Intuition
Intuitive reading can look a lot different than traditional interpretation. To enhance this psychic ability, take a moment to sit with your card before looking at the guidebook.
When you pull a card, look at the imagery and notice what emotions or thoughts come with it. Try not to intellectualize, but simply feel into what the card depicts.
Ask yourself: What story does this card tell me? How does it relate to my question?
Afterward, check the guidebook to see how your intuitive interpretation aligns with the traditional meaning. It doesn’t need to hit it right on the money, but if it falls under the same umbrella as the traditional meaning, you’ve just read accurately and intuitively. This practice helps you build trust in your instincts, and confidence in your own skill.
5. pull a daily tarot card
One card to start your day can improve your practice, get you comfortable with the cards, and enhance your own self-awareness.
To get the most out of this practice, be sure to focus on just one card—as this helps you sit with the answer Spirit gives you rather than impulsively pulling for more.
Overtime this will help you frame your questions more clearly, and you will also get a well-rounded meaning of each card, especially as you internally resonate with them day after day.
Write your reflections in a tarot journal, noting how the card’s meaning plays out throughout your day. The personalization of this practice brings you closer to each card, and sharpens your intuition for more precise reading in the future.
6. Stay Consistent
Like any skill, tarot requires regular practice. Set aside a few minutes each day to work with your cards (and your guides).
When you’re working with tarot, you’re not just working with tarot. You’re exercising your psychic abilities, improving your relationship with your guides, and gaining an intellectual understanding of an ancient practice. There’s a lot to keep up with.
Pulling cards daily for yourself, or weekly for your friends, will deepen your understanding of the cards faster than you think, and make you more confident in your abilities. If you’re using them as recommended, you will also feel more aligned in your own decisions over time.
This doesn’t have to be incredibly time consuming, but staying open to communication from your guides, and taking a moment to sit with a card meaning each day will be worth the time it takes, as your mindfulness improves and you become a confident master of the cards.
7. Progress to Multi-Card Spreads
When you feel ready, you can expand your practice by working with multiple cards, and weighing the meanings against each other to explore different layers and complex insights.
Once you’ve had a personal experience with many of the cards and grasped the meaning of most of them, you’ll be able to up your game. Pulling multiple cards in different spreads can help you gauge timelines, realize specific solutions, or uncover clarity you didn’t know you needed.
Exploring dualities in two-card pulls, such as challenges vs. solutions, or light vs. shadow aspects, can be surprisingly enlightening to personal situations.
Tarot opens up even more when you start diving into timelines, like in a simple three-card spread of reflecting on the past, getting clarity on the present, and guidance for the future.
There are an abundance of multi-card spreads that can be adopted in the tarot, many of which can be found on The Tarot Blog. These are just a few to kick off your next level adventures. Remember no matter what spread you use, to take your time with each card and allow space for the answers to come to you.
Learning tarot is a journey of self-discovery and growth. By following this framework, you’ll develop more comfortability with the cards, and more confidence in your own skill. Enjoy the process, and let the cards be your guide!