10 Tips for Tarot Beginners
I compiled this list of tips for anyone brand new to Tarot! If you have been working with Tarot for any length of time some of these might seem redundant or ridiculous, but these are important points to go over and not everyone is fully emerged in the tarot community. I hope these help out my newbies and don't hesitate to reach out if you have further questions! It will be great to update the list as I get feedback.
1. Stick to the basics - Tarot is a huge subject and there are many fancy ways to approach it, but I recommend sticking to the basics. Its easy to get overwhelmed with all the information out there so pick a system and stick with it until you are confident, and then you can explore other modes and methods.
2. Pick a deck that will be easy to learn - I always recommend starting with any version of the Rider Waite-Smith deck as most of the beginners books reference the symbols and characters from that deck making it easier to learn and remember. Once you can call cards to memory switching to different decks is so much less confusing. There are many awesome decks to choose from, I have The Radiant Tarot, The Tarot of the New Vision and Morgan Greer Tarot which are all great for learning on!
3. Start a Tarot Journal - Keep record of the readings you do, not only will you have them to reference later, but it also helps commit information to memory when its written down. You can write down your intuitions about each card or go through a book and pick out keywords as you are learning. Don't be afraid to get creative with it! My Tarot Journal is more of a scrapbook than anything, I’ve also seen some nice ones done with project life supplies. All that being a said a simple composition book will work just fine.
4. Listen to your intuition - When you are first starting out it is tempting to take your books definition as hard fact, but I recommend feeling the card out, observing the image and seeing how it makes you feel before looking up the “official definition”. This will also help you get comfortable with your inner eye which is muscle that needs to be worked like any other.
5. Let the fear of “doing it wrong” go - There are many paths to get to the same destination with tarot so don't be discouraged away from finding your own vibe. Don't like to read reverse cards? Dont! Want to choose your cards from the top, middle and bottom of your deck?? Do it! Want to lay your cards on the floor and swish them around to shuffle like you did when you were five? Awesome, me too. Any work you do with your cards is positive, so don't let these little details trip you up.
6. Start with small spreads - reading a celtic cross or zodiac wheel is sometimes exhausting for a seasoned tarot reader, so do yourself a favor, start small and work your way up. Three card spreads are a good place to start when you get confident try moving up from there. Sometimes the best spreads are ones you make up with your own personal questions, make sure to write them down so you don't forget mid-reading! (Speaking from experience on that one)
7. Include Tarot in your daily routine - Start simple by doing a daily draw, journal your findings and see if your cards bring insight to your daily life. You could also chose a card to meditate with, its fun to visualize yourself stepping into the card and talking with the different personalities of the tarot. Keep it fun though, don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day or two!
8. Read for yourself often - I don't know why some people refuse to read for themselves but it seems like they are missing out on the best use of tarot, introspection! I am an advocate of reading for yourself, if the reading doesn't make sense right away, write it down and come back to it, don't pressure yourself to have all the answers all the time.
9. Tarot with Friends - find a friend to accompany you along your tarot journey if possible. Its great to be able to bounce readings off of someone you trust to get new layers of insight. I also highly recommend joining some tarot groups on Facebook, they are a great place to read up and learn from tarot peers! Here is my group if you are interested in joining us!
10. Don’t be afraid to take a break - tarot reading can be draining, so its important to take breaks and ground your energy regularly. Its always a good idea to smudge yourself before and after readings to keep your energy cleared. Its easy to get down on ourselves when starting out if we’re not using our cards everyday, well I say no worries! If you feel like working with your cards, do it, if not don't beat yourself up about it, we all work at our own unique pace.
Again, this is just a little list to get you started, tarot is such a broad subject its hard to hit everything without this post turning into a small novel, so heres a jumping place, spring forward in whatever direction you choose! If you have questions please leave them below in the comments! You may also want to check out my post on BOOKS FOR TAROT BEGINNERS!
XOXO CHELSEA
