Learning to Read Tarot Cards: Some Basic Advice
Perhaps the most difficult aspect of reading tarot cards is how subjective it is. It is both fortunate and unfortunate that there is no simple formula for interpreting the tarot. Reading tarot cards is an art that combines skill and practice with intuition and emotion, making it a particularly challenging undertaking. The same card may have different meanings depending upon its context, placement in the spread, and the situation being asked about. Combine this with the fact that there are, usually, 78 cards in the traditional tarot deck, infinite spreads (card layouts), and hundreds (if not thousands) of different decks, it’s understandable that some people spend their entire life honing their tarot reading skills. The good news is that it’s totally doable – and totally fun! Reading tarot cards can be incredibly satisfying, not to mention useful. Along the way, you will learn more about yourself than you thought possible, and will give you a sense of accomplishment and “inside” knowledge.
Like a Language
You can compare the tarot with a language. Can anyone ever know every meaning of every single word in any language? Of course not. So with Tarot. It is a language in itself – a language of symbols. Just as an individual word can have multiple meanings, so can every individual card. Beyond simple definitions, every word can have multiple connotations which vary with the context of its usage and even the tone of the speaker. Ever heard, “It’s not what you said, it’s how you said it”? This applies to every language and no less to the