How to Read Tarot Cards by Intuition

There are a lot of different Tarot decks on the market. So, the first thing you might do is to find a deck that you are most comfortable with using. In general, the symbolism of most Tarot decks follow stems from a similar notion: the journey of the fool. In short, the cards illustrate the common journey of man from an innocent beginning of life, to the gaining of wisdom and knowledge. We could pick up any deck of Tarot cards and see that the story could be the same, yet it will have different variations.

If you want to pick up a deck of Tarot cards right now and begin reading, all you need to do is have a basic ability to interpret symbolism. Having knowledge of the meaning of the Tarot is helpful, of course. For now, just know that most decks are divided by two types of symbols: major and minor. You will hear people refer to these symbols as the major and minor arcana. The Major arcana represent the major phases in life. The are numbered from zero to twenty-two. The Fool is the first card, and the World is the last card. The other cards have some break down of other symbols such as swords, cups, pentacles and wands, though many cards use different type of symbols. Those cards usually represent the minor issues in life that can affect someone's journey.

Without much other knowledge about Tarot, other then the fact that there are cards that represent major and minor influences, you can pick up a deck of cards and begin to guess at the meaning they hold. While you might feel as though you are making a "shot in the dark," but the randomness of the cards drawn, coupled with your guttural interpretation is a really good way to get a meaningful reading.

Reading the symbolism of Tarot is a lot like understanding imagery in art or poetry. If you see a moon in a Tarot deck, what might that imply? To you, what does moonlight imply? A moon can mean lunacy, or it can mean a lesser light. There is no right answer, and the answer may depend on the question. For example, if you wanted to know what information the Tarot might give you concerning a career path, and you drew "The Hermit," (an older man wearing a hooded garment, carrying a lantern), you might focus on the fact that he's alone with a single light. Perhaps this card means you should focus on a career where you work for yourself. Maybe the card is telling you simply to listen to your intuition and disregard the advice you are getting from a lot of different sources as it is interfering with your own intuition.

Look at the background of the card and ask yourself what those things in the background might mean. Watch the facial expressions of the characters in the card to gather if the symbolism is positive or negative. Be aware of
the position of objects: something over, under, or behind something else says something about the meaning of that object to the person asking the question.

A really good practice is to describe the images out loud to hear the literal descriptions as they sound almost figurative. For example, if you look at the Ten of Cups in the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck, you'll see a rainbow in the sky showing off the ten cups. A couple is standing beneath the rainbow with their arms around each other's backs, with their free hands uplifted, as if to say, "ta da!" There are two children frolicking beside them. They look like a family standing back and gazing at the wonders of what they have. They definitely look happy. There backs are facing the onlooker of the card, but they are facing what looks like a lush landscape. A small river is angled toward a hill-side with a lot of trees and a house nestled among the land. This card just feels really good to look at. If one asked, "Is this a good card?" The response, without much knowledge of Tarot, would probably be an emphatic, "Yes!" Overall, the card looks like it details accomplishment and stability and happiness.

Finally, you may be wondering how to create a "spread." You might have heard of a Celtic Cross spread or maybe you've seen others. Truthfully, you can do a Tarot reading with just one card. Some readers use every single card in the deck. A simple way to read the cards is to use three cards. Three cards can be used to find a beginning, middle, and an end (or solution) to a specific issue. Use your own instincts to determine how you want to read the cards and what each placement of the card means.

In general, all you really need to do is to become acquainted with the cards to a minimal extent. Let yourself interpret them freely, without worrying about some meaning that is set by some unknown authority. You are the authority when you do a Tarot reading. Eventually, you'll have time enough to research the origins of Tarot, and you will learn more and more about how to interpret the symbols, though you certainly don't need to do that before you make your first readings.