Is there an easy way to learn reading tarot cards?

Is there an easy way to learn reading tarot cards? Well, I think there are several answers to this question.

a) Probably not

b) Yes

c) Possibly

Ha ha – not very helpful that, really, is it?

The truth is that Tarot decks may have a massive influence over this. But your own personal traits and abilities may have an affect, too.

Let’s take the a) answer first: If you have never read tarot before, and are relying simply on the images of a tarot deck, it is unlikely that you are going to be able to interpret them straight off. There are inherent meanings in tarot cards which are, more often than not, based on the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck – this is because it is the most widely recognised and used tarot deck.

You might be able to grab the basic meaning of a tarot card, most likely in the Major Arcana, such as Death or The World, because they are pretty aptly named. But no, it is not easy to read tarot cards at first; getting to know the cards, their individual meanings and combined card meanings, is something that is going to take time and practice.

b) Yes – it is easy. For someone who is lucky enough to pick up a themed tarot deck, which have images that can immediately prompt their knowledge of that theme, could learn the cards pretty easily. An example of this might be the Mythic Tarot deck by Juliet Sharman Burke and Liz Green;

each of the images are depicted through the gods, goddesses, heroines and heroes of Greek mythology, and if you have studied classics then the inherent meaning is likely to come through your knowledge of the myths and legends depicted in the images. So if you want to learn easily, it is worth trying to find a deck which suits your own particular interests or knowledge – and there is a huge selection.

c) Possibly. The third answer, in my opinion, is the ability to trust your own innate feelings and responses to images. This might be through the colours of the images, and interpreting through Chakra related colours which could give you an indication of where the reading is heading – ie head, heart or spiritual matters etc. Some people can pick up feelings, reactions on a psychic/intuitive level which comes naturally just by looking at a Tarot card.

The Tarot provide the answers via the cards acting as a conduit from the collective unconscious or the Universal oneness of everything, so the cards might just be able to speak to you immediately, if you are naturally intuitive.

The real answer is, you have to decide for yourself where your strengths lie before deciding which tarot deck to start reading with. Are you happy and willing to sit and learn and practice with a tarot deck and the meanings, and build up with it? You could take a look at what tarot decks are out there and choose a deck which suits your own knowledge and interests, which would help significantly. Or, it may be that you are happy to trust your own abilities, and instincts, and choose a deck in which the images bring feelings and natural interpretations to you on an intuitive level.

So, I think that, if you are finding it really hard to learn tarot, you may simply have not got the right deck for you and you might benefit by trying another.

I suspect that many people have decks they just don’t use at all but would love to try another – they can be expensive – maybe this would be a good post to use the comment section to indicate whether you would like to swap a deck with someone?  Go ahead, give it a try!!

Patricia x