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!

I have been the proud owner of The Transparent Tarot Deck for a few months now and they still fascinate me. Bravo to Emily Carding for taking such an innovative approach to something so steeped in tradition. These cards are not a novelty, they are revolutionary.

Since it’s often the interplay of two or more cards that tell the story in a spread, the opportunity to merge 2, 3 or even 4 cards together into a visual story, brings a whole new dimension to reading Tarot.

These card do not rely on gimmicky images to stand out from the norm, in fact the subtle imagery of The Transparent Tarot cards does stay true to the familiar symbolism found in more traditional decks. These cards are simple and stylish with a quirk.

Emily Carding’s interpretations of the cards are written with thought and care, it’s obvious that these Tarot cards were developed with insight, creativity and intelligence.

The Transparent Tarot is a joy to get to know, I would recommend this deck to any reader at any level. In my opinion they are perfect, exactly what I’ve spent the last decade looking for.

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.

Past – This card describes past events, these events may still have an influence on our present situation.

Present – The second card drawn describes the present situation, the focus of the seeker’s attention.

Future – This card reflects how the present situation will unfold in the near future.

1. Present Situation – The first card drawn represents the current situation the client finds themselves in.This card is sometimes called the significator.
2. Obstacles - The second card drawn crosses the present situation, this represents that which crosses the seeker or an obstacle.
3. Possible Outcome – The card placed here represents the situation as seen from above. It can reflect how things ’seem’ at that time.
4. Heart of the Matter – The third card drawn describes the foundation of the situation at hand; how things really are. Often this card contradicts the card in position 3.
5. Past Influences – This card reflects events in the recent past and can describe where the present situation derived from.
6. Future Influences – The card placed here can give an indication of how present influences will evolve in the near future.
7. Present Situation – The seventh card drawn is an extension of the first card and gives further insight into how the situation will unfold.
8. Influence of Others – This card will give us insight into the thoughts and views of others in and around the situation.
9. Inner Emotions – The ninth card drawn describes our thoughts and feelings, and our hopes and fears.
10. Final Outcome – This represents the outcome of the situation currently being faced.