Your first tarot deck is open on the kitchen table, and the 78 cards seem to expect an introduction. Start by finding the four suits. You can learn their themes before attempting to remember every image in the box.
In short: Tarot for beginners starts with a standard 78-card deck: 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards. Learn the suits, choose one question and try a one-card or three-card spread. Read the symbols as prompts for self-reflection. A card doesn’t establish what will happen or what another person secretly thinks.
This roadmap keeps the practical sequence: deck structure, meanings, simple spreads and a complete example, then love, decisions and getting ready. You can use the guidebook that came with your deck. There’s no need to guess beautifully on your first afternoon.
What is tarot and how do you use it?
A tarot reading combines a question, drawn cards and an interpretation of their imagery. A spread is the arrangement: each position has a meaning you choose before drawing. One position could ask about your situation, another about a possible next step.
Some people approach tarot as a spiritual practice; others enjoy the pictures as a way to explore ideas. In this guide, the interpretation stays separate from evidence. If a reading raises a question about your relationship, work or wellbeing, check it against your actual experience and relevant information.
Decks also have an artistic life beyond divination. The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s survey of tarot decks shows artists reworking the familiar images, including the 78-card structure and the Major Arcana. Look at the pictures as well as the keywords: different artwork can draw your attention to a different part of a theme.
The structure of a tarot deck: Major and Minor Arcana
The Major Arcana: 22 larger themes
In the Rider-Waite-Smith convention used here, the Major Arcana run from the Fool, numbered 0, to the World, numbered 21. Their traditional associations include beginnings, choices, change, patience and completion. They’re useful themes to explore; drawing one doesn’t prove that a major event is about to occur.
The Fool can suggest a beginning; the Magician, using skills you already have; the Hermit, taking time to think. With the Tower, ask what feels unsettled rather than assuming disaster. Death is read symbolically as an ending or change, not as a diagnosis or prediction of death.
The Minor Arcana: 56 suited cards
The four suits each contain an Ace through Ten plus a Page, Knight, Queen and King. That makes 14 cards per suit, or 56 altogether. These cards usually supply the everyday details in an interpretation. Their names can vary between decks: Pentacles may be Coins, for example.
- Wands: action, creativity, enthusiasm and projects.
- Cups: feelings, friendship and relationships.
- Swords: thoughts, decisions, communication and disagreement.
- Pentacles: work, resources, practical routines and material concerns.
Treat court cards as possible attitudes or roles as well as people. A Page can suggest learning, a Knight an approach to action, a Queen a way of tending something and a King a way of managing it. Gender on the card doesn’t dictate the gender of the person you’re considering.
Key tarot card meanings at a glance
Here is a quick Major Arcana reference using Rider-Waite-Smith numbering. These are conventional starting themes. Some decks swap the numbering of Strength and Justice, so check your own guidebook before assuming it’s wrong.
| Card | Traditional theme |
|---|---|
| The Fool (0) | New beginnings, taking risks, stepping into the unknown |
| The Magician (1) | Willpower, skill, action, manifestation |
| The High Priestess (2) | Intuition, inner wisdom, mystery, going within |
| The Empress (3) | Creativity, nurturing, abundance, growth |
| The Emperor (4) | Authority, structure, control, leadership |
| The Hierophant (5) | Tradition, teaching, shared values |
| The Lovers (6) | Choice, connection, alignment, values |
| The Chariot (7) | Momentum, willpower, moving forward, control |
| Strength (8) | Inner strength, patience, gentle power, resilience |
| The Hermit (9) | Introspection, solitude, seeking answers within |
| The Wheel of Fortune (10) | Cycles, destiny, turning points, karma |
| Justice (11) | Fairness, accountability, considered judgement |
| The Hanged Man (12) | Pause, perspective, sacrifice, surrender |
| Death (13) | Transformation, endings, new beginnings, release |
| Temperance (14) | Balance, moderation, patience, harmony |
| The Devil (15) | Temptation, bondage, shadow self, illusion |
| The Tower (16) | Change, disruption, reassessment |
| The Star (17) | Hope, inspiration, renewal |
| The Moon (18) | Illusion, intuition, fear, hidden things |
| The Sun (19) | Joy, confidence, vitality |
| Judgement (20) | Awakening, calling, reckoning, transformation |
| The World (21) | Completion, wholeness, fulfillment, cycles ending |
Reading the numbered cards
An Ace is commonly read as a beginning or possibility in its suit. A Two can introduce a choice or relationship; later numbers can suggest development, difficulty or completion. These are broad aids to learning, not a code that makes every card with the same number identical.
Compare the Two of Cups with the Two of Swords. Both involve a pair, but their pictures and suits change the question: connection in one, a difficult choice in the other. Look up the full card-meaning reference when a card is unfamiliar, then write your own observation beside the traditional theme.
Tarot for beginners: simple spreads
The one-card draw
Choose one question, shuffle and draw a card. “What would I like to pay attention to today?” is a manageable starting point. Describe what you see before consulting the guidebook: a person waiting, a full cup, a road, a crowded scene.
Then connect the theme to an actual situation. If you draw the Eight of Pentacles, traditionally associated with practice, you could think about a skill you’re learning. The card hasn’t ordered you to work harder. Perhaps it reminds you that enjoying the process matters too.
The three-card spread
Write down the three positions before drawing. For a first reading, try situation, what to consider, possible next step. Lay the cards left to right and read each in its position. You can use past, present and possible future later, while remembering that the last card is an interpretation rather than a forecast.
Here is an invented example. You’re deciding how to approach a new course, and draw Eight of Pentacles, Two of Swords and Page of Wands. Practice is the situation; uncertainty is something to consider; curiosity is a possible next step.
A practical reading could be: “I want to learn, but I’m hesitating between two options. I could attend an introductory session before committing.” That conclusion belongs to you. Check the fees, timetable and course content before enrolling. The cards introduced questions; the facts inform the decision.
Key takeaway: Give each position a job before drawing, then turn an interpretation into a question you can check in ordinary life.
Advanced spreads: when you want more detail
The Celtic Cross
This ten-card spread offers more positions to interpret. Conventions differ, so choose one guide and label the positions. A version can cover the situation, challenge, background, recent past, possibility, current influence, your approach, outside circumstances, hopes and concerns, and an overall perspective.
Keep the labels beside you and start with the first two cards. Notice where their themes support or contradict one another before adding the rest. You don’t have to produce one seamless story. If a position is unclear, note that instead of forcing an answer.
Relationship and love spreads
Keep a solo relationship spread centred on your experience: what I feel, what I need to consider, a conversation I could have. A card in a position called “what they feel” still can’t verify somebody else’s feelings. Ask the person rather than treating the draw as evidence.
If you read with a partner, agree on the question and let each person describe their own response. Our guide to reading tarot together as a couple explores that shared format. Either person can disagree with the interpretation or decide to stop.
Using tarot for love, work and decisions
A useful question gives you something to discuss or examine. Try “What matters to me in this choice?” or “Which part of this conversation am I avoiding?” These keep your own needs and actions in view without promising an answer about a stranger’s motives or the date your life will change.
For a work decision, compare the same three positions for each option: what appeals to me, what I need to investigate, and a possible next step. Write down the differences. Then look at the actual salary, responsibilities, costs and constraints. Financial, legal or medical decisions need appropriate professional advice.
Our guide to tarot and decision-making develops this reflective approach. A reading can be something you consider; it shouldn’t become the authority that makes the choice for you.
How to prepare for your first reading
Choose a surface with room for the cards and a few uninterrupted minutes. A cloth can protect the cards and make them easier to handle. It doesn’t have to contain energy or create a special space. Your kitchen table will do perfectly well.
Keep the question, spread positions and guidebook within reach. If you’re distracted, pause until you can pay attention. You don’t have to achieve a particular mood or breathing pattern for the symbols to be available to read.
Record the date, question, cards and your interpretation. Separate what was on the card from what you concluded. When you return to the notes, include both the parts that fitted and those that did not. That’s more useful for learning than remembering only a striking match.
Online and in-person readings
If you’d rather speak with a reader, choose a format you feel comfortable using. In person, you can see the physical layout. In a chat, you may be able to retain the messages. Check the particular service rather than assuming one format is cheaper, more accurate or available at every hour.
Read the price and terms before beginning, and ask how the reader approaches tarot. The psychic reading ethics guide explains service boundaries, privacy questions and the difference between an interpretation and a guarantee.
Next steps: learn one spread before adding another
Try a one-card draw, then the three-card example above. Take time to understand a few images instead of buying more decks or repeating the same question until an answer pleases you. You can set a card aside if the theme doesn’t fit.
If you choose to discuss a tarot question with an Esmeralda Chat reader, new members receive five free messages after completing registration. Check credit prices and terms before any paid continuation, and decide if the conversation suits you.
Your first-deck questions, answered
Do I need a special space?
No. A deck, a surface and enough time to look at the images are a practical start. A notebook can help you keep the question and interpretation together. Candles, crystals and a dedicated room are optional preferences, not requirements.
Does a tarot reading prove what will happen?
No. This guide uses tarot as a symbolic and spiritual practice. A confident interpretation doesn’t establish a prediction. Assess any suggestion against your own experience and information you can verify.
How long does learning take?
There’s no fixed timetable. You can try a one-card draw with a guidebook immediately, then learn through repeated practice. Familiarity with the images will develop at your own pace; there’s no need to promise competence within a set number of months.
Can I learn from the deck’s guidebook?
Yes. Use it to learn the maker’s imagery and conventional meanings. Compare the explanation with what you actually see. A teacher can offer another perspective, but formal instruction isn’t a requirement for enjoying your own reflective practice.
Which deck should I start with?
Choose clear images and a guidebook you can read comfortably. Rider-Waite-Smith imagery is one common starting point used in this article. If you choose another tradition, check its suit names, numbering and interpretation before applying this reference.
Can I read for myself?
Yes. Keep your question and notes, and acknowledge when you’re hoping for a particular answer. Avoid drawing repeatedly to override an unwelcome card. For decisions involving another person, their actual words and behaviour matter more than an interpretation.
Do I have to read reversed cards?
No. Decide before drawing if you will interpret upside-down cards separately. You can begin with upright meanings and add reversals later. A reversal convention should help you learn, rather than make the first spread unnecessarily complicated.
What if a card worries me?
Look at its symbolic meaning in context and pause if you need to. Death, the Devil and the Tower aren’t evidence of an impending death, a curse or a disaster. A reader shouldn’t use those pictures to frighten you into purchasing a remedy.
About the Author
Written by the Esmeralda Chat editorial team, which creates practical, carefully reviewed guidance on relationships, astrology, tarot and spiritual self-reflection.
Disclaimer: This article is for entertainment and self-reflection purposes only. It’s not a substitute for medical, legal, financial or mental health advice.