In this first article, I will set out some necessary introductory details that any aspiring Tarot reader must know, and describe the best spread for beginners. Then I will move on to the meaning of the first card in the Major Arcana, the Fool.

In subsequent articles, I will go through the meanings of all the cards (upright and reversed) from both the Major and the Minor Arcana and give some further advice about Tarot reading in general.

I expect you know that a fair amount of mystery surrounds the origins of the Tarot, and when and where they originated. Also that the cards to depict a good deal of magical knowledge, and that the Major Arcana is argued by many occultists to depict the soul’s journey to enlightenment.

However, I also bet that you are reading this article because you would like to be able to read the future a bit – and correctly used, the Tarot can do that. This is the aspect which we will go into.

This is not to say that you won’t have off days when you won’t be able to read the cards at all – and there are other times when the Tarot deck seems to refuse to answer a specific question. Sometimes, even an experienced reader can get what appears to be a meaningless jumble of cards.

Here, a warning: – should you attempt a reading during the “dark of the moon” that is, the couple of days on either side of the new moon, you will probably get just such a spread. That is why the Tarot reader should have to hand a diary that lists the dates of the New Moon for the current year – not because you are likely to be struck down for attempting to read the Tarot at an inopportune time, but because you won’t get any worthwhile information.

There is a legend that has grown up which says that “you should never read the Tarot cards for yourself” again as if something terrible will happen if you do; in fact, you are the best person to practice upon. Who else is going to be so patient with your mistakes? It is however, true that it is hard to give the objective sort of reading for yourself that you should soon be able to give to someone else.

Tarot Packs

Buy one that you like, or if you can’t afford that, buy a cheapo one until you can afford a better one; it won’t affect your readings, though it might affect your artistic sensibilities.

A Tiresome but Necessary Warning Before you Start

Some people, of course, completely disapprove of reading the cards. If your real religious feelings make you doubtful about it, don’t continue. Other people believe that it creates a pathway to sinister influences from beyond. I think that this is possible in certain circumstances, but that if you carry out the following rules you will have adequate safeguards from such unpleasantness.

1. Never read the cards when you have had any alcohol or drugs
2. Never read the cards when you are angry with anyone. If you need to do a reading which concerns someone with whom you are angry, wait until you are in as calm a frame of mind as possible or better still, get someone else to do a reading for you. In the latter case, it will be more objective anyway.
3. Always wash your hands before you do a reading (rather like eating a meal!). Don’t let anyone else “mess about” with your Tarot cards; keep them in their box or in a silk scarf and the only time to let other people touch them is during a reading.
4. Don’t ever do a reading for anyone you dislike, or whom you find to be creepy or in any way threatening. Even if this leads to someone taking offence, don’t back down; say that you’re not attuned to him or her, or whatever waffling excuse will get you off.
5. Imagine that you are surrounded by a bright white or light blue aura.
6. Say a prayer before beginning if you like.
7. When you have finished, remember to clap your hands or stamp your feet to bring you back to the mundane world. Imagine that you are closing down all your “charkas” or if you don’t know where they are, just do something mundane like the washing up or gardening for ten minutes or so.
8. Finally, if you are doing a reading for someone else, try to be sensitive. The cards may be showing disaster approaching, but try to tone it down a little. Recommend a course of action that will possibly avert this coming disaster and mention it as a possible outcome, not an inevitable one; after all, the function of the cards is to advise and warn; it does not give messages of a future written in stone. Water it all down a little, if possible – and flavour everything with optimism.

Meanings

These are legion, but don’t be discouraged, you will learn surprisingly

quickly the general meanings of every card upright and reversed, and

what they mean for you, which can vary from the conventional

interpretations. One can get too wrapped up in esoteric meanings. Sometimes,

the cards can mean just what they say, ie a knight card (they are always so far

as I know on horseback) can mean a riding lesson!

Shuffling

Cutting and Reversed Cards

I believe that most Readers cut the pack after an initial shuffling by the Questioner. That is, he or she asks the Questioner to cut the pack into three (traditionally, with the left hand) and then put back the sections in whichever order they feel appropriate. Some recommend that one of these sections should be reversed. After that, the pack is ready for the reading to begin. That is, the Reader asks the Questioner to pick out the requisite number of cards for the spread in question.

My Method

I personally don’t cut and reverse. Instead, I ask the Questioner when shuffling the pack and concentrating on the question to reverse a few, and then I ask him or her to select the requisite number of cards.

Spreads

I learnt the Celtic Cross and tend to use this. I like it because it gives you an insight into past, present and future and the opportunity for people or situations that are significant to the matter under inspection to show up. As you become more confident, you can make up your own spreads. The Celtic Cross is a good basic spread to learn with. I will explain this spread in a minute but first there is the Question of Significators.

In many spreads, you must first choose a signifying card to indicate the Questioner. This will be based on colouring, disposition, etc. This will be a Court card, of which there are four for every Suit in the Minor Arcana that is, Cups, Wands, Swords and Coins.

Generally, a mature man – say over 25 – is a King, and a mature woman – again, say over 25 – a Queen. Young men are Knights, and young people of either sex are Pages. It is inconvenient that there are no specific cards for young woman and I believe some tarot books do recommend that the Knights are interpreted as being young people of either

sex. I have to say that I have never found this particularly useful myself and I work under the assumption that a young woman will be represented by a Page. However, some people may find it works for them.

I have found the following way of finding an appropriate Signifying card useful.

Cups

These are blonde or fair-haired people. On the whole they will tend to be a fairly nature oriented or spiritual sort of person.

Wands

These are fair, red or brown haired people of a more down to earth type than the Cups people. They often tend to be good communicators.

Swords

These are darker in colouring. They are often people of a rather more sharp tongued disposition, and they tend to be energetic.

Coins

These people are much darker generally, and/or very practical. These rough guidelines can be used to choose a Signifying card. We will get on to the meanings of the Court cards apart from their use to indicate the Questioner in a spread later on.

It is worth noting here that in fact the traditional meanings of the Court cards can be outdated; for instance, I believe that the traditional one for the King of Cups is roughly “a kind hearted man with fair hair living in the country”. As I suppose about 95% of the population of Britain live in towns or cities nowadays, I think it is better to update this a little as “a fair haired man who is a nature lover”.

The Celtic Cross

This is laid out in the shape of a cross with four cards running up by the side.

First Card

The Significator (chosen according to the colouring and characteristics of the Questioner as discussed above

Second Card

(Laid on top of the Signifying card). The question or present situation

Third Card

(Laid horizontally across the second card) The cause of the situation or the opposing forces

Fourth Card

(To the right side of the first three cards) Goal; the best that the Questioner can expect under the present circumstances.

Fifth Card

(Underneath the first three cards) The distant past

Sixth Card

(To the left of the first three cards) The recent past

Seventh Card

(Above the first three cards) People or happenings in the immediate future

Eighth Card

(To the side of the cross made by the first seven cards) The Questioner and his or her affect on the environment (Above the last card)

Ninth Card

The Questioner’s environment; other people around the situation and how they affect the Questioner (Above the last card)

Tenth Card

Hopes and Fears

Eleventh Card

(Above the last card) Outcome or general atmosphere surrounding the question

You should now have the cards in a cross shape with four cards running up by the side of it. That is the Celtic Cross spread.

The Fool: The Unnumbered Card

The Fool may look an idiot – he is usually depicted as someone wandering along not looking and about to fall into an abyss, despite the fact that his dog is running along beside him trying to warn him – but in fact, he is in some respects the Wise Fool. He is starting out into the unknown with confidence, rather as we must be when we are very young and about to leave home. If we then had the consciousness of the dangers that a mature person has we probably would never leave home at all – and that would be disastrous. Therefore, in some circumstances, an attitude of in insouciance or supreme self-belief may be necessary.

The Fool often relates to youthful activities, fun, a carefree attitude, sometimes celebrations. It can mean a new start.

Reversed

Reversed, the Fool is a different matter. It can mean a wild infatuation, which may lead to disaster or at least to the person in question literally making a fool of himself/herself. It can mean a ridiculous act, or a refusal to grow up.

Either upright or reversed, the Fool does warn the Querent to use restraint in any forthcoming situation.

Remember what I said about literal depictions of future events? I have never known it to mean falling of a cliff, but I do remember that it came up just before a woman I know went on an ill advised climbing trip in Snowdonia on a windy day (so that nobody would have heard their alarm whistle above the howling wind). Fotunately, none of the people in the party fell into an abyss, but my friend did hurt her leg stumbling into a concealed rabbit hole; she was lucky to get away with just a few cuts, but it could have been a lot worse if she had been unable to walk back down.

Books for Beginners on the Tarot

There are many books on the Tarot, but I don’t think that there are many which explain it lucidly enough for it to be accessible for the absolute beginner. There was one excellent book “Fortune Telling by Tarot Cards” subtitled “A Beginner”s Guide to Understanding the Future Using Tarot Cards’ by Sasha Fenton, published in 1985 by Aquarian Press, which I found excellent myself, but this book may well be out of print. If you can find it, you will find it invaluable, and I would like to acknowledge my indebtedness to her humorous, down to earth approach to the subject.