How To Do Tarot

Tarot cards and games have been around for more than five-hundred years. The deck includes seventy-eight cards, divided into four suits or the minor arcana and twenty-two trump cards or the major arcana. In the modern incarnation, tarot cards are used to divine truth and tell fortunes. You, too, can learn to use tarot cards by following these steps.

1. Choose a tarot deck. There are several types of tarot and oracle decks. Shop around and choose the deck that speaks most to you. Consider the artwork and symbols before making your decision.
2. Shuffle the deck. If you are doing a reading for someone else, have them shuffle the cards while concentrating on the question they want answered.
3. Select the spread for your reading. The tarot spread is the pattern in which the cards are laid out. Decide on the layout from the simple with three cards in a line to the elaborate patterns with ten and twelve cards. Start with the simple spreads until you are more familiar with the tarot. Then you can use more elaborate spreads for the more difficult questions.
4. Place the cards face down in the spread pattern. Each spread has different meaning and interpretation. Set the cards down so that the spread faces the person asking the question (not the reader).  
5. Reveal the card faces one at a time. The first card you place represents the person asking the questions and offers insight into their current situation. The remaining card representations will vary depending upon the spread chosen. Read each card in relation to its location. There will also be a different interpretation if the card is upright or inverted.
6. Check your interpretation book to interpret each card. Once you get experience and remember the value of each card, you won’t need the book but that will take some time, so keep the book handy while practicing. Read the interpretation to yourself and apply it to the card's location before interpreting aloud for the person asking the question.
7. Practice, practice, practice. Reading tarot cards takes lots of practice. Experiment reading your own life and questions before trying it out on your friends. Remember that the card’s location in the spread is just as important to the interpretation as the card itself. Try different spreads for different situations until you become an old hand at using tarot cards.

Whether you believe in the mysticism of the tarot deck or not, learning to use the cards can be fun. Feel free to experiment, then amaze your friends with your intuitive and fascinating readings.