Tarot Basics!
What is a Tarot reading?
As you probably already know, a deck of tarot cards is one of the "mechanical tools" used in divination. In and of themselves they contain no wisdom or knowledge. When you "read" the cards you are simply unlocking information which is already within you. This may not be easy to believe or understand if you are new to reading, but is easy to understand if you already have experience in any area requiring some use of psychic ability.
Selecting a deck of Tarot cards
The most important ingredient in being able to read cards properly is to be able to "connect" to the visual images on the cards. Therefore, the first step is to find a deck of cards with pictures you love, or which strike a meaningful chord when you see them. If you are using a deck to which you have a luke-warm reaction, your readings will be luke-warm as well. Many tarot readers collect decks, and use a variety of them, depending on their mood or "energy" at the moment.
Formats for reading
The standard format for a reading is to shuffle the cards while concentrating on a question or the subject matter at hand. Often this is done in a room where candles are lit to aid in the focus and concentration. Then the cards are dealt into what is called a "spread".
We do not recommend you memorizing the meaning of the cards. Tarot readings are personal interpretations and each card can have a slightly different interpretation depending on its location in the spread and the overall sense you get of the reading.
Tarot card "spread"
In the Telephone Presentation Guide is mailed to you when and if you sign up, there are additional spreads given which can be used to provide better service to callers, but for the purposes of this information, very simple or common spreads have been selected and are presented with minimal description. These include:
One card pull
1. Answers a yes or no question.
Three card pull
- "past" - The basis for the subject or question.
- "present" - What is occurring now with regards to the subject or question.
- "future" - What will be the outcome.
Three card pull
- The issue at hand
- The course of action to follow
- The benefits to be obtained if that course of action is taken.
10 card spread - also known as the Celtic Cross
- Influences or atmosphere.
- Obstacles, if any.
- Goals, what is looked to be achieved.
- Foundation, that which has already been taken into account.
- Past, that which has already happened.
- Future. That which will occur in the immediate future.
- The position or attitude regarding the question or subject itself.
- The environment in which the question or subject resides.
- Hopes and/or fears regarding the question or subject.
- The outcome which is a composite from reading this card in conjunction with all other 9
3 step learning process
Step 1.
Therefore the method we developed and recommend you use when you are first reading is to ask the cards a question to which you are absolutely sure of the answer. This can be done with a friend or relative at first if you don't want to read for yourself, but you still should know the correct answer in advance.
Step 2.
Look up the meaning of the cards when first reading, but again, don't memorize. Ask a series of questions to which you absolutely know the answers and continue with this method until you start to obtain your own "sense" of what the individual cards mean to YOU. This generally takes a day or so, depending on how much time you devote to the process.
Step 3.
Ask a friend or relative to play along! Make sure you select someone supportive and patient. Have her/him ask a question to which you DON"T know the answer but s/he does. You must be told what the question or subject matter is. Then shuffle and lay out a spread as before, but now see if you can find the answer with no assistance.
Repeat this process as many times as necessary until you get the information correctly. This can take as little as a few minutes or as much as a few days, depending on your own abilities.
Having successfully completed Steps 1, 2 and 3 you are now ready to read professionally!
