New to Tarot, Where to Begin?
 

Hello,

I just got my first tarot deck and the book that came with it. I'm looking for suggestions from more experienced readers of how to learn to read cards.

On Youtube I see lots of different spreads, how do you know what spread to use?

Thank you all so much

Hi Ssdm1, welcome to our side of the forum! :wave:

The best tarot deck to learn from is the Rider Waite ( the fools journey) and if you don't have that deck, Most tarot decks are illustrated and centered around rider waite anyways, but its good to understand it. A good resource is ' The Tarot Lady', she goes card by card on the meaning. I learned a lot using the book, ' The Holistic Tarot'.

My best advice, keep it as simple as possible! It's a highly subjective entertainment activity. Try not to let it mess with your conscious or get you 'down', if so, thats probably an indication to put the cards away and rest your mind.


A very simple technique; do the 1 card pull a day. "what do I need to know today" Or 'What is my energy for the day", " what is my lesson for the day'. A lot of us updates on the 'Your card of the day' thread here. So that is one simple technique.


Again, keep the questions as simple as possible when you starting out. When your a little more comfortable, move on to the larger spreads. Below are two very simple spreads. There are tons online I am sure. We don't use specifics. Sometimes you just got to wing it and trust your intuition. A lot of us go beyond the literal meaning of the cards, we use visions or energy feels ..

I'd say no more than 3 cards to begin with.
But first become more acquainted with the cards. Go through them one by one, taking your time for this, might take several afternoons. Write down your own feelings and findings, compare with the interpretation in the book.
You will learn a lot from it and it will help you get to know the cards and get a feeling for them.
Also, do day cards for a few months. Check by the end of the day if it was correct and if not, then what was its message? Cards never lie...

Getting a good book on stuff like this is really handy too.

how do you know what spread to use?

Welcome ssdm1 :-)) Initially, you don’t know which spread to use, you just keep noting spreads that appeal to you. The advice from clover and FC is most correct! Keep it simple while you study each card’s meaning. This is accomplished by reading the book or going online.

I am not a Tarot YouTube fan anymore, mainly because the vids are too long, but I admit they helped in the beginning of my study..
Now I google engaging/entertaining spreads for romance, career, the full moon, the new moon and whatnot, when needed.

The first card usually sums up the situation. The second card indicates the challenge or hidden influence. The third card alludes to advice or outcome of the situation. That’s the way I see a simple spread.. All the best!! :hug3: