Teach Yourself Tarot by Creating a Practice Deck

For anyone desiring to learn how to interpret and use tarot cards, there certainly is no shortage of books, websites, and all manner of guides available. But, there are some DIY methods you can employ to help yourself learn while interacting with the deck.

If you've ever taken a college level anatomy course, you've likely used or seen anatomy coloring books. Although it may sound quaint, these are very effective study aids. The act of coloring not only engages the right side of the brain in a left brain-based activity (memorizing the anatomical structures) but it brings a sense of concreteness and tangibility to the process, which the brain can use like a tool in memory and learning.

Another obvious aspect of studying is simple note-taking. There's no reason we can't employ both of these time-tested methods of study while learning to read tarot cards.

Below are supplies, instructions, and ideas for making such a deck and using study methods to teach yourself tarot. Before beginning this project, familiarize yourself with tarot terminology and generalities by reading the appropriate introduction and/or beginning chapters of an instructional tarot book that uses the Rider-Waite deck.

Supplies

Rider-Waite Tarot Deck

Basic instructional tarot book or guide(for Rider-Waite cards)

Sharp pencil

White or off white card stock, pencil

Fine point Sharpie or good, dark pen

Good selection of various colored pencils or finer point colored markers

Scissors or paper cutter

Create your Practice Deck: Step 1

Using a ruler and pencil, divide each piece of cardstock into nine equal rectangle portions. Do this with nine sheets of cardstock. Cut along the pencil lines, creating 81 individual paper rectangles. These cards are going to serve as your practice tarot deck.

Now, begin with the first tarot card, The Fool, number 0. Read your book or guide's section on this card, and focus on the meaning. As you read, write down (in a notebook) key points about this card and its meanings as you would if you were taking notes and studying for a final exam.

Select a blank practice card. Copy the name and number of the card as it appears on the regular deck. Then, draw the image as best you can. Your artistic ability does not matter one whit here. Really. No one is has to see the cards but you-this is your practice deck only.

If you are a poor artist, chances are you can still draw stick figures, right? If so, make the stick figures and other objects as rounded and fleshed out as you can, so you will be able to color them.

If, on the other hand, you are a fair or good artist, don't get too punch drunk making a perfect, exacted and detailed replica of the card. The goal is a fair representation, containing key imagery. Simple is best.

One note: use a light hand with the pencil. Too dark lines will make for messy erasing if necessary, and interfere with a later aspect of the process. Think light and simple.

Continue this process with the entire tarot deck. It is very important to create each card of your practice deck in proper order, starting with number 0. Within tarot philosophy, the major arcane cards are ordered and numbered in such a way that they tell a story-it is thought to be a journey of sorts. After the major arcane is completed, begin with the major arcana in the order they are described in your tarot book or guide.

Create your practice deck: Step 2

Once you have completed the pencil drawings of the deck, it is time to color them appropriately. As before, begin with number 0, The Fool, and work your way through the major arcana, then, the lesser arcana.

Use your notes to review and ruminate on the meaning of each card, before and as you color. Keep your regular deck (or book) in view as a guide for the correct colors. Approximate the colors as best you can-it is said they have meaning as well.

Create your practice deck: step 3

At this point, you will have a full deck of practice cards. The final step is to write key meanings and terms on the cards. That's right-you're now going to write on the cards, right over the drawings. Give not one moment's thought to 'defacing' your cards-this is simply a necessary aspect of the practice deck. Between your notes and the book, come up with 3 to 6 keywords or short phrases that will describe the meaning of each card.

Using a fine point black Sharpie (or similar quality pen) very neatly write these words and phrases. Do not write over the cards number, or the card's name at the top and bottom, respectively. Again, do this working your way through the entire deck, as the cards are ordered, beginning with 0. That's it! You now have an individualized practice tarot deck that has been, and is going to be one of the greatest learning tools.

This project will take some time, just as any thorough and worthwhile study of the tarot shall. It doesn't have to be completed all at once, in the same way that studying for anything does not. However, there is an alternative-a shortcut method. Although fashioning your own deck from scratch is my recommendation, this is effective as well. Below are alternate instructions.

Shortcut Method:

Wikimedia Commons has a large entry based on Pictorial Key to the Tarot. There are accompanying Major Arcana cards that are uncolored. You can simply print these out (altering the format and size as desired in Photoshop) in place of drawing the major arcana cards, and color them and write the meanings as instructed. The court and suit cards are not displayed, but it may be possible to find them in some other manner.

Using your Practice Deck

Simply begin reading exercises as described in your book. Because of the study methods that were used in the creation of your deck, and the accompanying notes on the cards, you will have a big head start on card meanings and tarot understanding. It's very convenient not to have to look up every card every time, when beginning readings.