Have you ever been drawn to tarot cards but felt intimidated by the 78-card deck and all those intricate spreads? You are not alone. The beautiful, mysterious artwork on the cards sparks curiosity, yet the sheer volume of symbols and meanings can feel overwhelming at first glance. The good news is that tarot is far more accessible than it appears, and anyone can learn it.
While tarot is often associated with fortune-telling, it is more accurately described as a tool for self-reflection. Rather than predicting a fixed future, tarot helps you examine your current situation, tune into your inner feelings, and explore the energy surrounding your choices. Think of it as a mirror for your subconscious — one that speaks in images and archetypes instead of words.
A Brief History of Tarot
The story of tarot begins in 15th-century Europe. The earliest tarot cards were created in Italy as a card game called Tarocchi, played among the aristocracy. These elaborately illustrated decks were purely for entertainment, with no mystical connotations at all.
It was not until the late 18th century that French occultists began attributing divinatory meaning to the cards. Antoine Court de Gebelin claimed that tarot contained the hidden wisdom of ancient Egypt, cementing its mystical reputation. The system we know today largely took shape in the early 20th century with the creation of the Rider-Waite deck, designed by Arthur Edward Waite and illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith. This deck remains the most popular starting point for beginners, thanks to its richly symbolic imagery across all 78 cards.
How a Tarot Deck Is Structured
A standard tarot deck contains 78 cards, divided into two main groups: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.
Major Arcana (22 Cards)
The Major Arcana represent life’s big themes — spiritual lessons, turning points, and profound experiences. Numbered from 0 to 21, each card symbolizes a significant stage in the human journey. When Major Arcana cards appear in a reading, they signal that something important and transformative is at play, beyond everyday concerns.
Here are some of the most iconic Major Arcana cards:
- 0. The Fool — New beginnings and infinite potential. The card shows a figure stepping boldly toward a cliff’s edge, embracing the unknown with trust and openness. It is the very first card of the journey.
- I. The Magician — Willpower, skill, and creative manifestation. All four suit symbols appear on the Magician’s table, reminding you that you already have everything you need to succeed.
- II. The High Priestess — Intuition and inner wisdom. This card encourages you to look beyond logic and listen to the quiet voice within.
- X. Wheel of Fortune — Cycles and change. A reminder that life is always in motion, and both good times and challenges are temporary.
- XXI. The World — Completion and fulfillment. The final card of the Major Arcana, it marks the successful end of a cycle and the dawn of a new one.
Minor Arcana (56 Cards)
The Minor Arcana deal with the day-to-day situations, emotions, and decisions that make up daily life. They are divided into four suits, each containing cards numbered Ace through 10, plus four court cards (Page, Knight, Queen, and King).
- Wands — Element of Fire. Action, passion, creativity, and ambition. Wands show up when you are pursuing goals or channeling your energy into something meaningful.
- Cups — Element of Water. Emotions, relationships, love, and intuition. These cards speak to matters of the heart and your inner emotional landscape.
- Swords — Element of Air. Thought, communication, conflict, and truth. Swords often appear during moments of mental challenge or when difficult decisions need to be made.
- Pentacles — Element of Earth. Material concerns, finances, health, and practical matters. These cards address the tangible, physical aspects of life.
Basic Reading Methods
A tarot reading involves shuffling the cards, drawing them with intention, and interpreting their meaning. If you are just starting out, begin with the simplest methods and build from there.
One-Card Reading
This is the most straightforward and surprisingly powerful way to read tarot. Shuffle the deck while focusing on a question or simply asking, “What do I need to know today?” Then draw a single card. That one card becomes your daily message or the core answer to your question.
Making a habit of pulling one card every morning is an excellent way to build familiarity with the deck. Keep a journal of your daily draws, and over time you will notice patterns and deepen your understanding of each card.
Three-Card Spread
Lay three cards side by side to explore Past — Present — Future. You can also assign different meanings depending on your question: Situation — Challenge — Advice, or Mind — Body — Spirit. The three-card spread provides more context than a single card and is ideal for specific questions.
Celtic Cross Spread
This classic spread uses 10 cards and offers a comprehensive view of a situation — covering your current circumstances, challenges, subconscious influences, recent past, near future, and ultimate outcome. Because the interpretation is more complex, it is best to try this spread once you are comfortable with simpler methods.
Tips for Better Tarot Readings
Upright vs. Reversed Cards
When a card faces you right-side up, it is in the upright position. When it appears upside down, it is reversed. A reversed card typically suggests that the card’s energy is blocked, internalized, or manifesting in an imbalanced way. For example, an upright Magician indicates confident use of your skills, while a reversed Magician might suggest self-doubt or untapped potential.
If you are a beginner, it is perfectly fine to read only upright cards at first and introduce reversals later as you grow more confident.
Trust Your Intuition
There is no single “correct” interpretation for any tarot card. The same card can mean different things depending on the question, the surrounding cards, and your personal situation. When you draw a card, pay attention to what catches your eye first in the image — a color, a figure, a symbol. Notice what feelings or impressions arise. These intuitive reactions often hold the key to the card’s message for you.
Ask Specific Questions
Vague questions like “What does my future hold?” tend to produce vague answers. Instead, try asking something specific: “What should I focus on at work this month?” or “How can I improve my relationship with my partner?” Open-ended questions that begin with “how” or “what” work far better than simple yes-or-no queries.
Tarot and MBTI: Your Personality, Your Reading Style
One of the fascinating things about tarot is how differently people approach it based on their personality type. If you know your MBTI, consider trying an approach that aligns with your natural strengths.
NF Types (INFP, INFJ, ENFP, ENFJ) tend to connect with tarot effortlessly. Their strong intuition allows them to read rich meaning from the card’s symbols and imagery. If you are an NF type, try reading in a meditative setting — draw a card, gaze at the illustration, and let stories and associations flow freely. Your natural empathy makes you especially gifted at reading for others as well.
ST Types (ISTJ, ESTJ, ISTP, ESTP) prefer a systematic, grounded approach. If this is you, start by studying each card’s established meaning thoroughly. Follow the rules of traditional spreads step by step, and consider creating a reference notebook where you log card definitions and reading results. Over time, patterns will emerge from your data, and interpretations will become second nature.
NP Types (INTP, ENTP, INFP, ENFP) are the experimenters. They love collecting different decks, inventing custom spreads, and approaching the same question from multiple angles. If you are an NP type, embrace your curiosity — try unusual card combinations, compare readings across different decks, and let your creative mind find unexpected connections between cards.
SJ Types (ISFJ, ESFJ, ISTJ, ESTJ) thrive with routine and consistency. Building a daily one-card ritual — same time, same place, always recording the result — will steadily deepen your connection with the cards. Your reliability and attention to detail mean that your tarot journal will become an invaluable personal resource over time.
Understanding your personality type can transform tarot from a confusing mystery into an enjoyable practice that feels naturally suited to who you are.
Wrapping Up
Tarot is not a crystal ball that reveals a predetermined future. It is a tool for reading the energy and direction of the present moment, offering fresh perspectives that help you make more mindful choices. As you slowly learn the stories and symbols within each card, you will find yourself engaging in a meaningful dialogue with your own inner world.
Why not start today with a single card? Visit Tarot Fortune on Starnia to discover the message that awaits you.