Getting Started in Tarot
So, you’ve felt the calling. Now what?
Maybe you’ve seen tarot readings, experienced one, have played around with friend’s cards or watched movies that showed them. You’ve probably even seen me post my own cards and readings a lot! You may feel drawn toward learning Tarot yourself, but have no clue where to start. Well, I’m here to help!
First, I want to address the most popular question: “who can read tarot?” My answer to that is…anyone. Literally, anyone can buy a deck of cards and learn how to use them! It is not just for psychics, witches, or the typical tarot-reader stereotypes. If you feel drawn to the cards, or even just want to learn about them hands-on, it’s for you.
One thing I will say though is that if you are interested in using tarot cards, you should have a certain level of respect for them. Receiving messages from higher powers is not a toy, and if used wrongly or in a negative way you can open up doors that you may not have wanted to. Respect your cards, use them in positive light and with a good heart. Call on your Guides, God, Goddess, or any deity you believe in to help you on your journey, and you’ll be just fine.
So…let’s get into it!
Research & Choose your Deck
In this blog post I am totally not going to claim to know it all. I do just as much google-searching as the next person! When I felt drawn to start my journey in tarot reading, I read blogs much like this one to see how to start. So my first piece of advice is something you’re doing right now — research!
If you have someone in your life you can turn to for advice on this, give them a call! If you need to watch some YouTube videos, read more blogs or articles, or even buy a Tarot book, go for it. The more knowledge you have, the better in my opinion.
Once you’ve got some of your questions answered, start looking at different kinds of tarot decks. There is no wrong one to start with! Many people start with the classic Rider Waite Tarot, but I didn’t feel connected to that one. I personally started with The Wild Unknown Tarot by Kim Krans; it came with a detailed guide book and nice packaging to keep them in until I bought my own box! The best thing you can do is look at various decks (either online or in-store) and choose the one you feel most drawn to, no matter what it looks like. If your deck doesn’t come with a detailed guide book, I highly recommend buying one to help you learn the meanings of each card. (I liked Tarot Plain & Simple by Anthony Louis).
Practice, Journal, and more Practice!
You have your deck, now what? Well it’s time for practice! When I first started, I used to go through my cards one by one and make an intuitive guess at what each card meant. If I had no clue, I put them in one pile; if I felt strongly about my answer, I put them in another pile. Then, I’d refer to my guide book to see what the card’s meaning was, and if I was close! Part of Tarot is studying the cards like you would for a school test; but the much bigger meaning behind tarot is working your intuition and psychic abilities. You may not think you have those things in you, but the more you practice with the cards, the more your third eye will open!
I also recommend keeping a journal dedicated to your practice. Try to journal your thoughts on each card, write down answers from your readings, etc. It will really help you in the long run and it’s also fun to look back on! Now the real fun part…try to do some readings for your friends and family! If you have someone in your life that is interested and supportive of your tarot journey, ask them if you can read for them. Once you’ve practiced reading for yourself for a while, you’ll be ready to read for others. It’s a fun learning experience and helps you connect to your deck and tune into your intuition!
Self-Discovery and the Broom Closet
I could honestly go on forever about Tarot reading and all the other elements that go into it, but that would be a novel. Personally, tarot reading opened up a spiritual journey for me that I never imagined I’d go on. It has truly unlocked a side of myself that I pushed down for so long, and freed me to be my magical self! It is highly likely that once you start diving deeper into your cards and opening your third eye, you’ll want to learn more about other forms of divination, spirituality, energy healing, the list goes on.
Spirituality is a journey that is totally unique to each person. If you feel drawn to learn about something or experience something, I say chase after it! Unfortunately, not everyone we encounter will have the same feeling about it. You might even have people in your life who try to scare you out of learning tarot, or judge you for what you’re interested in. Don’t let those people bully you out of what you feel drawn to do. If I had listened to certain people in my life when I started my journey, I wouldn’t be where I am today. This is what I call, being stuck in the broom closet — meaning, you are hiding your true magical self and in turn, blocking any meaningful spiritual experiences from entering your life.
Lastly, when you are going on this beautiful journey, learn not to doubt yourself! Self-doubt is an intuition killer and will not get you anywhere, in tarot or in life. Trust yourself and your instincts. Tarot is only a visual tool to help guide you, and those you read for. You do not need to look up the meaning of every card you pull — try to use what you feel intuitively and what messages you feel are being presented. You are more magical than you even know!
I hope this helped you get a little start into your journey. My messages are always open if you have any questions or want further explanation! Congrats on taking the first step! You can also refer to my blog post about how I do my tarot readings here. :)
