Have you been curious about tarot but aren’t sure where to start? Starting anything new can be daunting, but don’t worry with a little practice you’ll be tapping into your intuition in no time!
Tarot has been around for centuries in various forms, early versions of tarot cards can be traced back to the late 14th century. However, the most commonly used Smith-Rider-Waite wasn’t published until 1908. Many artists still use the imagery and meanings of the Smith-Rider-Waite deck to this day. If you want to read more about the creation of this deck, you can read the biography of Pamela Colman Smith.
Note: Tarot was/is a big part of Romani culture and is used as a way to economically support themselves. Throughout history, many places in Europe made cartomancy illegal to prevent Romani people from earning a living. There is an ongoing debate about whether or not any tarot should be a closed practice, meaning non-Romani should not use tarot, or if the Romani-specific way of reading cards is a closed practice. The history of tarot is complex and we encourage folks to do their own exploration around this topic!
Tarot is a great way to meditate, journal and reflect! But because it’s been around for so long and some folks think it’s a way to divine what lies ahead it can be daunting to dive into. Below I’m going to provide a beginner’s guide to tarot. If you’d like to learn more you can check out some books or check out our events for tarot programs at your library.
Setting the Scene
Create a Cozy Space
- Make a warm drink, put on some music, and get out your softest blanket. Do whatever you need to ground yourself.
Pick a Spread
- Spreads tell a story. Pick one that speaks to you or create your own. A simple past, present and future spread is a great place to start. Or you can check out a book of spreads. Below you’ll find our very own Daniel Boone Regional Library tarot spread.
Set an Intention
- Focus on your query. Don’t forget to shuffle – mix them around, standard bridge, or make piles. There is no wrong way to shuffle your cards just make sure to get your energy on them!
Reading the Cards
Like we stated before, most decks are modeled after the Smith-Rider-Waite imagery. Most tarot decks will come with a guidebook, but if the meaning doesn’t resonate with you feel free to look at other sources or journal about what the card means to you.
Major Arcana – The Fool’s Journey
The Fool is the main character of Major Arcana & makes a journey through each of the cards, meeting new teachers and learning new life lessons along the way, and eventually reaching the completion of their journey with the World card. Tip: Try laying your major arcana cards out in order and track the fool’s journey for yourself.
Minor Arcana
These are the suits, similar to a deck of playing cards with number cards 1-10 and royal cards including the page, the knight, king and queen.
Wands
- Represents: Energy, motivation & passion
- Element: Fire
- Astrological signs: Leo, Sagittarius & Aries
Pentacles
- Represents: Finances, work & material possessions
- Element: Earth
- Astrological signs: Taurus, Virgo & Capricorn
Cups
- Represents: Feelings, emotions, intuition & creativity
- Element: Water
- Astrological signs: Cancer, Scorpio & Pisces
Swords
- Represents: Thoughts, words & actions
- Element: Air
- Astrological signs: Gemini, Aquarius & Libra
DBRL Tarot Spread
- Genre – theme
- Hero’s journey – what’s in store for me
- Plot twist – obstacles to watch out for
