I have been asked many questions over the 20 years of reading Tarot.

Questions for the cards and Questions ABOUT the cards.

Beginners to Tarot, (especially now with the Internet) can feel totally overwhelmed with information overload. I like to keep things simple, even complex Kabbalistic theories so here goes…

Here are the Top 10 Questions Beginners to Tarot ask…

What is Tarot used for?

Tarot is a set of 78 cards with pictures / symbols on them.

They have been used since the Middle ages as a card game and later to explain esoteric ideas.

Inside a Tarot Deck there are actually two decks – the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.

To put it very simply – think of major life events and energies when you think Major Arcana and minor life events and energies when you think Minor Arcana.

Tarot is used to help us understand where we are, where we have come from and where we are possibly going.

Tarot is a guidance tool that makes life easier by giving us information about the possible future.

It also gives clarity on WHAT is the best decision to make in any circumstance.

Because Tarot is full of symbolism it can be used in so many different ways, from counselling and psychology to self-help and manifestation.

Tarot can in fact, help you with any issue, problem or question that you have. 

How can Tarot help me?

Tarot can help with practically everything!

You need to understand a situation – Tarot to the rescue.

You need to know about the future based on decisions you make today – check it with the Tarot.

You want to know if someone is your Soul mate – the Tarot will be honest

You want to understand yourself deeper – Tarot can reveal the deep layers inside.

You want to be successful – Tarot can give you guidance.

You want to balance all the craziness in your life – Tarot can show you how.

Tarot can help you by making the best choices in your life.

Can Tarot predict my future?

Yes and No.

Let me explain…

The future has not been created yet. It does not exist. Therefore the future can be anything. There are infinite possibilities. So in this regards, the future cannot be predicted because it has not happened yet.

BUT, AND ITS A BIG BUT…

We are creatures of habit and tend to repeat the same patterns over and over again until we get a big hit on the head.

So it is actually easy to predict THE MOST POSSIBLE FUTURE.

Do not forget however, that Tarot is like a good friend, it will give you advice but at the end of the day, you decide what to do.

The bottom line is that the more AWARE you are the more likely you can create your future, otherwise the future will happen to you. 

What Tarot deck should I start with?

This is open for debate. Many courses recommend the Rider Waite deck (or more popularly known today as the Rider Waite Smith deck) because every card has a picture and they are easy to interpret. Also 70 – 80% of modern decks are based on the Rider Waite imagery.

Some people find the Rider Waite deck too bland or boring and choose other options.

The top five decks that I personally think are the easiest to start with if you do not want to use Rider Waite are…

Robin Wood Tarot

Mythic Tarot

Morgan Greer Tarot

Hanson Roberts Tarot

Llewellyn Tarot

You can read more about each Tarot deck mentioned over at the AECLECTIC TAROT website.

Where can I buy/get a Tarot deck?

Tarot is so prolific today that it is very easy to find a deck that you like (not like in 1996 when I was starting off).

Local bookstores often sell a few Tarot decks or can order one for you if you give them the details.

Local occult /New Age shops nearly always have a range of the most popular decks. They can often advise you on which one might suit you and your personality. Google where the nearest shop might be.

Online publishers like Llewellyn, Lo Scarbeo, and US Games often sell direct to the public and you can sign up for their regular newsletters and find out about their sales.

Online shops like EBay, Amazon have a huge range of Tarot decks, both new and secondhand. I personally think it is totally fine to use a secondhand deck. To make it your own, give it a good cleanse. It can be as simple as leaving a clear quartz crystal with your deck for a week or two.

Specialist online shops like The Tarot Garden or Tarotopia are your best bet if you want to support a Tarot business and get first class service.

What is the best way to learn Tarot?

OK I will give you the way I learned Tarot best and how I teach in my beginner’s classes.

There are so many ways to learn Tarot and for the beginner it can get very confusing.

My advice when beginning is to put away any books on Tarot and do not look online.

Get a Tarot deck you strongly resonate with and do some or all of the following:

Look slowly through each card. Do this a few times to familiarize yourself with it.

Separate the deck into the Major Arcana (numbered 0 – 21) and the Minor Arcana (all other numbered cards and the page, knight, queen and king).

Look at how you react to the cards – fear, disgust, love, attraction etc.

Photocopy a card you are attracted to in black and white and color it in.

Photocopy a card in color that you are repelled by and meditate on it.

Pick two cards and imagine the characters having a conversation.

There are many tips and tricks but basically the first most important thing is to develop a relationship with your Deck.

How do I interpret a Tarot card?

Again there are so many ways to interpret a Tarot card. So many ways again it can get overwhelming.

Lets keep it simple if you are a beginner…

The trick is to simply describe what you see in the cards.

Forget about correspondences, symbolism, esoteric meanings and numerology for now. Simply describe what you see.

For example if you ask the question, ‘Will I meet my Soul Mate this week?’ and you get the Tarot card called The Sun you can see that it is bright, happy and positive. That could be a yes. If you ask the same question and get the ’10 of Swords’ it is likely this week you are too busy dealing with life to have energy or space for a Soul mate, therefore the answer would be a no. 

Describe what you see and how you feel when you turn a card. That is the best place to start. 

Are the bad cards in Tarot really bad?

Every card in the Tarot deck has a dark and light side. Even the Sun card!

The cards that freak people out most are the following: The Hermit, Death, The Devil, Judgement and many of the cards from the swords suit.

Lets look at the Death card because that is the one that usually strikes TERROR in the hearts of many.

Death is about an ending.  

Yes, dying is an ending and sometimes the Death card will mean this but its not so common and most Tarot readers if they are ethical will not point that out.

Yet in life, we also experience an end to relationships, bad habits, addictions and work.

So Death can also be a great card, one of relief even.

Sigh!

Thank God that idiot is not in my life anymore OR I am so happy I kicked that smoking habit.

Tarot is simply a messenger. It is up to you if you want to hear the message.  If you don’t like the advice then don’t take it on board.

Life unfortunately is not all love and harmony. Life can be a total bitch.

I love Tarot because it can reveal what is REALLY happening – no sugar coating.

It gives us the opportunity to see beyond what we want and what actually IS!

When you see what you consider is a bad card – perhaps ask yourself how that card can HELP you.

Do I need qualifications or insurance to read Tarot professionally?

In regards to insurance it all depends on the country you live in. You need to check where you are living and first understand if you can legally read Tarot at all. For example some states in America will not allow Tarot reading. Some places may request you get insurance to read Tarot professionally. 

If you want to be a professional Tarot reader and you can get insurance I highly advise to do it.

This is because you are running a business and this means all the risks that come with a business.

So you do need to check – simply Google it.

In regards to qualifications, beginners to Tarot often feel they need a piece of paper to give them permission to read the cards.

However to date any person around the world can read Tarot cards professionally without having a qualification to do so.

In fact Tarot is not an easy subject to regulate and I am not sure it would be healthy to. 

There are many courses out there where you can receive a Certificate for example but the quality varies considerably.

The best way to find out if a course is good quality is to read Testimonials. Genuine testimonials are worth their weight in gold and these people are often happy to talk to you about their experience.

Where can I go to learn more about Tarot?

 

Some people really want a specific form of training to give them a foundation in Tarot.

There are many courses online and locally  – you just need to look for them.

The problem is often the quality.

You want to spend your money knowing it was worth it so again testimonials can help to understand other peoples experiences.

You can sometimes find online reviews of the courses also. A proper teacher will answer all your questions so feel free to contact them.

The most important thing is that however or where ever you learn, the course must be practical and get you using the Tarot cards straight away.

Lots of theory is wonderful but at the end of the day you want the answers asap from the cards, right? 🙂

 

Some people prefer face to face lessons and looking on Google can often help you find the nearest classes. It can be a lot of fun to get together in a group and play with the cards. Often these groups continue after the class is over as a study group. 

You can also learn Tarot online.

The benefits of online learning is that with some courses you can learn anytime, anyplace, anywhere as long as you have an internet connection. Other courses have limited numbers of people or availability only on certain dates – for example a 10 week program or a weekend course.

Find the best way that works for you and go from there. 

eCourses from the Academy for Tarot

The Academy for Tarot exclusively for women currently offers two Tarot courses – Learn Tarot in a Day and the Certificate in Tarot.

 

Learn Tarot in a Day (CLICK HERE) is exactly that and fantastic for beginners to Tarot. It can be learned as a focused morning, in a lazy day or however long you want to take. You get ALL the tools to start reading Tarot immediately. Even women who know Tarot, loved doing this refreshing course as it gets you thinking outside the box. 

 

The Diploma in Tarot is a rich deep course going way beyond the basics. It looks at various aspects and levels including all the juicy stuff associated with the cards: psychology, dreams, manifestation, astrology and symbolism. 

What ever way you learn, make sure it is fun and easy. That is the best way to incorporate knowledge and experience and have it stick – so feel what is right for you and then do it.

Beginners to Tarot do not have to feel overwhelmed – there are lots of easy methods to learn the cards once and for all.

 

Till next time