Reading cards is both an art and a science. A Tarot reading is composed of numerous facets and details coming together to weave a story. Below I have outlined a basic, bare bones framework for how to conduct a reading. Keep in mind that the techniques described here are not the only ones that readers use. Tarot reading is a diverse and highly personalized practice.
Step 1: Brainstorm about the topic you want to read about and write down a specific question or area of emphasis. This process can help you figure out a great deal about your thoughts, concerns, and desires before you even touch your cards.
Step 2: Choose or create a spread (layout) for the cards. (A common example of a spread is a row of three cards with one representing the past, one representing the present, and one representing the future.) If you opt not to use a spread, it’s wise to consider how many cards you will pull and to have a very concrete subject for the reading. (Spreadless reading techniques are beyond the scope of this basic tutorial.)
Step 3: Shuffle your Tarot deck. Use any method that’s comfortable for you. Draw the cards and lay them out according to your spread of choice. You may turn them over as you draw them, or leave them face down until all of the cards are drawn. Turning all the cards over at once at the beginning of the reading or turning them over one at a time is a matter of personal preference. It’s always wise to appraise all of the cards as a whole picture once they are revealed, even if you opt to uncover the cards one at a time. Also, be sure to turn your cards over in a consistent manner (flipping them over horizontally or vertically) if you wish to use reversed cards. Reversals are often read as blocked energy, an especially important card in the reading, or as some of the more negative interpretations of a card. There are many variations for working with reversals, but that is beyond the scope of this tutorial.
Step 4: Start reading the cards. The following guidelines do not include all approaches to interpretation, and every reader has their favored methods, but I did my best to provide a well-rounded overview.
Interpreting the cards in a reading:
~ Note the card’s correspondences and themes (the meanings assigned to the card and its associations, such as an element or astrological sign)
~ Note if the card is reversed (if using reversals)
~ Consider the context of the question/situation in conjunction with the card’s general themes
~ Hone your interpretation with the card’s specific spread position (if using a spread)
~ Evaluate the neighboring/influencing cards and their correspondences to sharpen and/or modify your interpretation for the individual card. This will also help you to gain a clearer understanding of the overall situation (unless you are doing a single card draw)
~Does one suit dominate the reading? How does that influence the mood of the situation?
~Are there Trumps present? In what positions?
~Are there any patterns regarding astrology, numbers, colors, symbols, card themes, etc?
~What might a lack of any patterns indicate? Balance? Scattered energy?
~ How do the card illustrations interact with one another? (Are all the figures looking in the same direction, etc)
~ Pay attention to intuitive insights (your personal card associations and gut reactions to the card’s presence)
Pip cards typically indicate mundane matters and the ups and downs of one’s routine. Trump cards often describe shifts and occurrences with a lasting impact – the kind of events that alter the aforementioned daily routine.
Step 5: Write down the cards that you drew and your interpretations. The point of reading cards is to glean information to help you work through a situation or reach a goal. Writing down your insights and plan of action will help you to make the most of what you have learned from the exercise.
Below is a sample reading with my interpretation based on the above list. To view a list of individual card themes and correspondences, check out my Tarot Tidbits. For additional reading samples, have a look at my Sample Sunday posts.
Prudence is unhappy with her job. She wants to gain a clearer perspective of the situation. Prudence decides to use the past, present, future, layout because it lets her see the current situation and recent events leading up to it, as well some ideas about the job’s potential direction. The general nature of the inquiry allows for the following 3 cards to be interpreted in a variety of ways, which makes it a good example to illustrate Tarot’s versatility. For simplicity’s sake, we will limit the use of correspondences to astrology, the elements, and numerology. Let’s have a look.
The cards drawn:
Universal Waite Tarot, copyright U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
~ Justice pertains to matters of balance, equality, fairness and law. It’s associated with Libra and the element of air.
~ The 3 of Coins is related to one’s occupation, learning a trade, and working with other people. It’s associated with Mars in Capricorn and the element of earth.
~ The 8 of Cups pertains to moving on or leaving a comfortable situation to seek something new or better. It’s associated with Saturn in Pisces and the element of water.
All 3 cards are upright.
This reading is concerned with Prudence’s dissatisfaction at work. The 3 of Coins is a very comfortable card in this context. Its major themes are all about working, especially with other people. Justice in this context may refer to fair treatment, equality among employees, pay, discipline, management, or a recent promotion. The 8 of Cups could signify leaving the job for better opportunities, removing oneself from certain coworkers, or turning down a project of some kind.
The spread shows a time lapse from the past to the future, so we will be looking at these three cards as a progression. Justice, trump 11, reduces to 2 (1+1), so we have 2, 3, and 8, which also shows progression. Each card features a different element and astrological sign, so we don’t have an abundance of any one influence at work.
My interpretation of these cards, considering the broad nature of the question, would be that a major event, Justice (as a trump), caused a change at work. Someone may have been promoted when Prudence didn’t feel like they deserved it. Perhaps now she must work under this person, and they criticize her efforts or belittle her.
The 3 of Coins shows three people working together, but perhaps the group isn’t working as well together under the new management. Maybe the promotion fed the coworker’s ego a little too much and she is micromanaging Prudence, even though she is perfectly capable of performing her job. (A reversed 3 of Coins would indicate this even more strongly.)
It looks like Prudence has a stable occupation. The 3 of Coins is a card referencing solid and reliable work, and the 8 of Cups shows someone leaving a pretty good circumstance. Perhaps she can extract herself from some of the projects that will have her working closely with her newly promoted coworker to improve matters for herself and still keep her job. She may need to let go of her dream of having that promotion (8 of Cups) and rediscover the things she enjoys about what her current position entails. That being said, Prudence may need to consider a new job if she was wrongly passed over and is being undervalued. If there is no room for advancement in her current workplace, the 8 of Cups could very well indicate the need to let go and move to greener pastures. The key thing for Prudence to ask herself is if she is thinking clearly or still angry and in shock over what happened. If she is still emotionally charged about the situation, waiting to see if things calm down and getting into a clear headspace will be essential to making the right decision.
Other interpretations:
Justice and the 3 of Coins show a strong sense of structure. Note the columns and stonework in both cards. This could symbolize a very rigid workplace with strict management. Perhaps Prudence is unhappy because her job is restricting her creative innovations and her talents may be better utilized elsewhere, even if the job is steady and pays well.
Justice could be about the necessity of a balanced workload. Perhaps the project in the 3 of Coins is throwing things off balance and Prudence is doing more than her share of work. She, or another one of her coworkers, might be ready to leave if things don’t improve.
Justice could be Prudence’s fair and even-tempered boss, and the present situation may be that the boss is considering retirement or another place of work. The 3 of Coins could represent this announcement (I’m noting the figure with the paper in hand). The 8 of Cups may indicate that the boss will follow through with those plans (notice the red robe on Justice and the figure in the 8 of Cups).
Typically, the cards retain their essence while still blending in with the subject of the reading and the surrounding cards. Some of my interpretations stray farther away from traditional meanings than others because of visual cues in the illustrations and the weaving of the story around those visuals and the context. Incorporating the meanings, associations, and other cues from the cards with the situation at hand is what makes a tarot reading shift from the vague to the useful. Our fictional friend, Prudence, didn’t offer a whole lot of detail about her situation, so we can only scratch the surface of her dilemma, but I hope that this sample reading shows you how to integrate some techniques for analyzing card spreads.