Have you ever wondered, even just a little, about the world of Tarot cards and Tarot readings? Well even if you haven’t, it’s spooky season, so let’s get a little in the spirit. So does this even work? Well, I personally believe if you give the right vibrations that the cards will truly speak to you. What do I mean by this? I think that in order for you to truly give this a try, you have to really commit to the belief that whatever higher energy you believe in will guide you when you allow for it. I personally grew up around adults who subscribed to this belief, and even had Tarot readings done for myself.
Before starting, let’s get one thing clear: there is no right or wrong way to use your Tarot cards! It’s all about following your intuition and doing what feels right to you.
A good place to start is with the basics:
- There are 78 cards in a Tarot deck
- The deck is made up of two types of cards: the major arcana and the minor arcana
- The minor arcana are depicted as suits with numbers (1-14)
- The court cards are 11-14 of each suit, which are known as the Page, Knight, Queen, and King
- The 4 suits of the minor arcana are: cups, swords, wands, and pentacles
- Each suit represents a kind of overall theme
- There are 22 major arcana cards
- The major arcana cards are represented by “characters” such as the fool, the empress, the tower, etc.
Let’s start with the suits (pictured below). Each suit ranges from an ace (1) to 10, and then proceeds up from 10 with the Page (11), Knight (12), Queen (13), and King (14). So, in total, each suit will have 14 cards.
Pentacles, Swords, Wands, and Cups
If you’re still with me up to this point, you’re already doing well!
Minor Arcana
Cups
The cups in the Tarot represent things relating to emotion. These cards will have a lot to do with relationships, friendships, and just overall matters of the heart.
Swords
The swords in the Tarot represent things relating to action. These cards will have a lot to do with power, change, and overall taking action in various aspects of your life.
Wands
The wands in the Tarot represent things relating to our creativity. These cards will have a lot to do with passions, goals, and your dreams in life. A lot of the wands has to do with things not yet in your external world.
Pentacles
The pentacles in the Tarot represent things relating to worldly materials. These cards will have a lot to do with things like careers, possessions, money, and domestic situations.
Keep in mind that each card in a suit holds it’s own meaning
Here’s the link to my personal favorite website to see the meanings of all 78 cards:
https://www.trustedtarot.com/card-meanings/
Major Arcana
The major arcana cards are represented as “characters,” if you will. These are considered to be the more powerful cards in a reading. These cards kind of represent different stages of our psyche. These range from “The Fool” (0) and end with “The World” (22)
You will notice that in the major arcana cards there are no images of the suits. The major arcana are the full journey and past the minor arcana cards (suits). This is why they are considered to be the more important/powerful cards to focus on in a reading. When a major arcana card shows up, make sure to really take note of it.
A couple beginner Tarot reading spreads
Card of the Day
The simplest is called a “Card of the Day” spread. Essentially, you shuffle the cards keeping in mind what your focus for the day will/should be. You then pull one card and that card is to be used as a guide throughout your day.
Embrace, Erase, Face
This one is also pretty self-explanatory. For this spread, you shuffle the cards keeping in mind the idea that you want to choose something to Embrace (take into your life), Erase (something to be removed from your life), and Face (something you need to take action on in your life. You then pull three cards in this order. This is useful when you feel a bit “stuck” in life or feel you need some extra guidance.
Brittany Coates 