Once you’ve become more familiar with your chosen deck you’ll probably be eager to start doing your own readings. From now on it’s going to be a case of practice makes perfect; the more readings you do the easier it will become.

Start with an easy spread, the Celtic Cross is a great beginners spread and is still used by many seasoned Tarot readers – the Celtic Cross is a classic. Shuffle and and deal yourself a spread daily, refer to your card reference for each card you lay.

As the days and weeks pass; you’ll probably notice that you see some cards more than others. You may even find it a little spooky how often the same cards come back, and in exactly the same position and combination too. These cards are probably very relevant to a particular situation that you find yourself in now or reflect a future outcome based on the path you’re currently following.

Identifying with a card on a personal level like that, really helps to understand the essence of the card. After all, reading Tarot cards is not just about memorising the meanings; the idea is allow the card to trigger your intuition.

As you get more experienced and familiar with the spread you might want to practice on a few patient friends. Eventually you’ll find yourself saying things that you didn’t read in reference guide. Instead you’ll be elaborating on situations that you know nothing about. The words will just tumble out.

Although the fundamental meanings to the cards will always remain the same; the translation to a client can vary dramatically from reader to reader and also from client to client.

On my own personal learning journey, I found that one day it all just clicked , I suddenly stopped thinking about the cards and the translations and started to ‘feel’ the cards instead. I also read as much about Tarot as  I could find, talking to other more experienced readers was also invaluable learning.

You could even book yourself in with a professional and study the cards laid out,  try to understand why the reader is interpreting them the way she is. You can gain more insight if you experience another take on things.

As your confidence grows you may even want to to design your own spread, that way you can determine your own meanings for the positions in the spread.

To become a fluent and confident Tarot reader you have to learn to relate many sources of information and deliver an interpretation that makes sense to the client.  The main factors to consider are the symbolism and meaning of the card, it’s position in the spread and the combination and relation to other cards in the spread. I’ll be discussing Tarot card combinations in a future post.

One of the most important things to remember is to trust your Tarot cards, if you doubt what they say then others will doubt you. Read with conviction and confidence, even if what you see doesn’t make any logical sense – these things can often make perfect sense in the near future much to everyone’s surprise.

Enjoy your journey!

Tarot card meanings may vary from deck to deck but the basic symbolism and element stays the same. It’s the symbolism, and mood of the card that needs to be interpreted, not by simply regurgitating what it says in the book, but by letting your intuition decide how the message needs to be interpreted.

Of course you should refer to some sort of reference to learn the symbolism and the keywords but I’ve heard many Tarot readers say that once they’d learnt the basics they simply threw the book away (not literally).

As you’re learning the Tarot card meanings; you will relate to the story behind the picture. This may evoke feelings and bring back good and bad memories from your past experiences. It’s much better to feel the card than simply memorise the book.

Tarot cards are your tool; it’s really your intuition and psychic ability that does the work. See the card as a trigger and then let your third eye guide you. It won’t let you down.

You should decide if you want to read reversed cards too, Tarot card meaning can change when ill-dignified. It’s a personal choice and you should do what feels right for you, some Tarot card readers do read reversed cards and some don’t.

There is such a vast selection of Tarot cards on the market that choosing your own deck can be a daunting process. Often the retailer will have a display deck and images are always available online so you can have a good look at each card. Hunt around until you find a deck that you are drawn to.

Whether you prefer a traditional deck like Rider-Waite or a more contemporary style there are hundreds to choose from.

I’ve found myself drawn to many different decks and bought at least 4 or 5 different decks over the years, yet I still tend to stick with 1 particular deck – the Mythic Tarot which is the first deck I bought.

Another option is to make your own Tarot cards. In fact to make your own deck would be a fantastic way to stimulate your imagination and help to learn and understand the many meanings. You could make a collage using magazine cuttings, photos and drawings of things or people that stimulate your imagination and evoke particular emotions.

I never seem to have the time but making my own deck is something I really want to do.

The Minor Arcana cards represent the events we experience as we journey through life. Different decks depict different stories but the symbolism, lesson learned or moral of the story is carried from deck to deck with only a few minor variations.

There are fourteen cards in each of the four suits, wands, cups, swords and pentacles; which are numbered 1-10 and followed by the court cards Page, Knight, Queen and King.

Tarot decks do vary and sometimes you’ll find that the suit of wands is called batons, cups referred to as chalices and pentacles are often called coins or discs.

There are many highs and lows depicted in the suit cards, which is an honest reflection of most people’s lives. Associating a story or a memory to a card is good way to remember its meaning and it also gives us a better understanding of the symbolism in the card rather than just memorising the keywords.

The Major Arcana cards signify major changes and karmic lessons. If we see many of these in the same spread then we can guarantee that there’ll be major changes going on in our life.

The Major Arcana cards force us to analyse ourselves, they delve into our psyche, test our strength and our values and guide us towards the next level of growth. These cards lead us along our journey and teach us the valuable lessons that we need to learn and understand in order for us to progress.