Tarot Cards: A Little Magic in a Deck of Cards
Tarot cards have a reputation for being mysterious, magical, and perhaps a little intimidating. You may have seen a tarot reader dramatically lay out a series of beautifully illustrated cards and announce your fate with a knowing look. But tarot doesn’t have to be quite so mysterious – or quite so serious!
At its heart, tarot is a tool for reflection, intuition, and divination. A deck of cards can help you explore questions, consider different possibilities, and look at situations from a fresh perspective. Whether you believe the cards are guided by spiritual forces, your own intuition, or simply the wonderfully curious workings of your subconscious mind, tarot can be an interesting addition to your witchy toolbox.
What Exactly Is Tarot?
A traditional tarot deck contains 78 cards, divided into two main sections: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.
The 22 Major Arcana cards represent larger themes, important lessons, and significant experiences along life’s journey. Cards such as The Fool, The Magician, The High Priestess, The Empress, Death, The Tower, and The World can represent everything from new beginnings and personal growth to transformation and major life changes.
Don’t let some of the names frighten you! The Death card, for example, rarely means literal death. In tarot, it is much more commonly associated with endings, transformation, and making way for something new. The Tower isn’t necessarily predicting that your house is about to fall down, either – although checking the roof after a particularly windy day never hurts!
The 56 Minor Arcana cards are divided into four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. These cards tend to focus more on the everyday parts of life.
- Wands are associated with energy, creativity, passion, inspiration, and action.
- Cups are connected with emotions, relationships, intuition, and matters of the heart.
- Swords often represent thoughts, communication, decisions, challenges, and conflict.
- Pentacles relate to the physical world, work, money, home, health, and practical matters.
Each suit contains numbered cards from Ace through Ten, along with four court cards: Page, Knight, Queen, and King.
Together, these 78 cards create a colourful collection of symbols and stories that can be interpreted in an astonishing number of ways.
How Do You Use Tarot Cards?
There is no single “right” way to use tarot. Some people follow traditional meanings very closely, while others rely heavily on intuition. Many readers do a little of both.
The best way to begin is simply to get comfortable with your cards.
Find a deck that appeals to you. There are hundreds of different tarot decks available, featuring everything from traditional artwork to animals, plants, mythology, and modern themes. The most important thing is that you enjoy looking at the cards. If the images speak to you, you’ll likely find it easier to connect with them.
You don’t need a fancy altar, a crystal collection the size of a small mountain, or a velvet cape. Although, if you happen to own the cape, by all means wear it.
Step One: Get to Know Your Deck
Spend some time looking through your cards. Notice which ones immediately catch your attention. Look at the colours, symbols, people, animals, landscapes, and objects shown in the artwork.
You might even choose one card each day and spend a few minutes thinking about it. What does the picture make you feel? What story does it seem to tell? What might the card mean to you personally?
This is a wonderful way to develop your intuition without worrying about memorizing all 78 card meanings at once.
Step Two: Ask a Question
When you’re ready to do a reading, think about what you’d like to explore.
Open-ended questions often work better than simple yes or no questions. Instead of asking:
“Will I get that new job?”
You might ask:
“What should I know about my career situation right now?”
Or:
“What can I do to improve my chances of finding work I enjoy?”
Tarot is often most useful when it encourages you to think about your choices rather than simply handing you a fixed prediction of the future.
Step Three: Shuffle the Cards
Shuffle your deck in whatever way feels comfortable. Some people spread the cards across a table and mix them around. Others simply shuffle them like a regular deck of playing cards.
Some readers believe cards that jump or fall from the deck have special significance. Others put them back and carry on. There is no tarot police waiting behind the curtains to issue a citation, so choose the method that feels right to you.
You can also take a moment to set an intention before your reading. This might be as simple as thinking, “Show me what I need to understand.”
Step Four: Choose Your Cards
For beginners, a one-card reading is a great place to start.
Ask your question, shuffle your deck, and draw one card. Study the image before reaching for your guidebook. What do you notice? What feelings does the card bring up? How might the traditional meaning connect with your question?
Once you’re comfortable with one card, try a simple three card spread.
A three-card spread might represent:
Past — Present — Future
or
Situation — Challenge — Advice
or
What I know — What I don’t see — What I should consider
The beauty of tarot spreads is that you can create your own. A spread doesn’t have to have a complicated name or a diagram that looks like an ancient treasure map. If three cards arranged in a row help you explore a question, you’ve got yourself a perfectly good tarot spread.
Step Five: Interpret the Reading
Now comes the fun part!
Look at the cards individually, but also consider how they work together. Is there a particular suit appearing repeatedly? Are there several Major Arcana cards? Do you notice a common theme?
Pay attention to your first impressions. Sometimes the meaning that jumps into your mind when you see a card is just as valuable as the definition written in a book.
If you’re new to tarot, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with using a guidebook. In fact, most experienced readers still consult books from time to time. Tarot is a lifelong study, and even seasoned readers can discover something new in a card they’ve seen hundreds of times.
What About Reversed Cards?
You may eventually encounter the practice of reading cards reversed, meaning they appear upside down when drawn.
Some readers use reversed meanings, while others don’t. A reversed card might suggest blocked energy, an internal experience, a delay, or simply a different aspect of the card’s traditional meaning.
If you’re a beginner, don’t feel you need to add this extra layer immediately. Start with the cards upright and learn their basic meanings first. There is plenty of time to turn your tarot world upside down later!
Can Tarot Really Predict the Future?
This is where beliefs differ.
Some tarot readers believe the cards can offer glimpses of possible future events or spiritual guidance. Others see tarot as a reflective tool that helps us understand ourselves and the situations around us.
One useful way to think about tarot is that the cards don’t necessarily tell you what will happen. Instead, they can help you explore what might happen if things continue along their current path – and what choices you might make along the way.
After all, the future isn’t necessarily carved in stone. Our choices, circumstances, and actions can all change the path ahead.
Tarot can be a wonderful way to pause, listen to your intuition, and consider possibilities you may not have noticed before.
A Brief History of Tarot
Despite their modern association with witchcraft, divination, and the occult, tarot cards did not originally begin as magical tools.
The earliest known tarot-like cards appeared in 15th century Italy, where wealthy families commissioned beautifully decorated decks for playing card games. These early decks were known as tarocchi.
The cards gradually became associated with mystical and occult ideas much later. During the 18th century, European occultists began connecting tarot with ancient wisdom, symbolism, astrology, and other esoteric traditions. Over time, tarot developed a reputation as a tool for divination.
One of the most influential decks in the modern tarot world is the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot, first published in 1909. Created by occultist A. E. Waite and illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith, its detailed imagery – particularly the illustrated Minor Arcana – helped shape the way many people understand tarot today.
Modern tarot has continued to evolve, and there are now countless decks inspired by mythology, nature, animals, folklore, spirituality, and just about every theme imaginable.
Finding Your Own Tarot Path
There is no need to rush into becoming a master tarot reader. Start with one card. Ask simple questions. Keep a tarot journal and write down your readings, impressions, and what eventually happens. Over time, you’ll begin to notice patterns and develop your own relationship with the cards.
Whether you view tarot as a spiritual practice, a form of divination, a way to connect with your intuition, or simply a fascinating collection of symbolic artwork, it can be a wonderful companion on your personal journey.
And remember: the cards are not in charge of your life – you are.
Tarot can offer a mirror, a nudge, or perhaps a little food for thought. What you do with the message is entirely up to you.
Now, where did I put that deck?