Before you begin to learn how to read the Tarot, here are some information to keep in mind that will make your learning journey easier.

You Do Not Have to Be Psychic

That’s right! You do not have to be a traditional ‘psychic’ to be a tarot reader. In fact, although it may be difficult, you do not have to believe in psychic ability at all to be a reader. There are many different styles of tarot reading, some of which are:

• Psychic Tarot Reader
• Intuitive Tarot Reading
• Fortune Teller
• (Spiritual) Life Coach
• Therapeutic Reader

At the end of the day, the Tarot is a tool. The accuracy of the card reading depends on the reader and how she or he wields their tool. Some readers are more cerebral. They see the Tarot similar to Jungian theory in which the cards are merely archetypes of ourselves. Meanwhile, others have psychic abilities, like clairvoyancy, and only use the cards as a supplement.

The possibilities are endless, but I want to impress upon all of you that the Tarot is a tool. You may or may not have other gifts that you use in tandem, but even if you do not, that does not mean that you are any less than a ‘real’ psychic.

A Meditation Practice Will Help

As irritating as sitting still can be, I assure you that regular meditation will help you to channel messages more clearly. This is true whether you work with the cards alone or have one of the ‘clair’ abilities, which are:

• Clairvoyance – clear seeing
• Clairaudience – clear hearing
• Clairsentient – clear sensing or feeling
• Claircognizance – clear knowing

You can begin to build a meditation practice by simply breathing deeply for one minute at a time while clearing your mind. Once you get used to doing this daily for a month straight, then you can increase the intervals over time. This will be easier on you if you build the practice up, rather than jumping right into a 20 minute meditation.

You can start doing this by using a dedicated meditation app like Calm or look for meditation instruction in real life or on YouTube. If you are an active person who cannot sit still, then try playing ambient music or light a candle for a focal point.

In total, it doesn’t matter how you do it as long as you take the first step.

Creativity Is Essential

This is a little known secret in the world of Tarot. In fact, I’ve not seen anyone besides one medium speak on this topic when it comes to psychic development. The tip is, tapping into creativity helps to open the mind to intuitive messaging.

The reason for this is that when you are performing a creative act, your mind relaxes into an alpha wave state which is the same flow state that the mind drops into during meditation. So when you are being creative, you are less stressed and more open to contact with the spiritual world, which will enhance your card interpretations.

However, not all creative acts are equal. For instance, dancing is too physical; it requires that your mind be on alert whereas knitting is monotonous, yet relaxing enough to lull you into an alpha state. So examples of ‘alpha wave’ creativity are:

• Pottery
• Gardening
• Drawing or painting
• Archery, like kyudo
• Editing – content creation, photography, etc
• Knitting, crocheting and other needlework

The best activities will be anything that involves the use of your hands in a repetitive motion to quiet the mind. If you do this, you will notice that your understanding of the cards will seem to ‘open up’ immediately after you end the creative activity. Give it a try and let me know how it goes.

It Doesn’t Have To Be Complicated

The world of Tarot is amazing, but there are a lot of common traps that new readers fall into. You may be tempted to buy as many decks as you can afford. Trust me, I understand this, because there are a plethora of beautiful decks these days. However, it’s best to stick to one deck at a time when you are just learning.

I have also seen many arbitrary rules regarding Tarot. Some believe that you should only be gifted a deck, that they should be cleansed on an altar, under the Full Moon or with crystals and that cards should be buried, never thrown away.

These rules are bogus. There is no set way to take care of your cards, so handle them however you see fit.

Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself

I know that this is easier said than done, but it needs to be repeated. If you’re just starting out, then don’t expect too much from yourself. Also, even if you’ve been trying to learn for years, it will still take time for you to create your own definitions for the cards and method of reading that makes sense for your style and personality.

The meaning of cards will be provided in this series, but just remember that eventually, you will branch off to create your own card meanings as well as your own voice as a reader. This will take time, so be patient with yourself and remember to have fun while doing so.

Anyway, that’s all for today. Don’t forget to follow me on IG and buy a personal reading here or on Etsy.

See you next time!