Stop Trying to Memorize Tarot, Witches!
Tarot might be the most universally recognized form of divination, but did you know it didn’t start out as a divination tool? It was created in Italy in the 1430s and was a card game reserved for the wealthy class, as each card was hand-painted. In 1909, Arthur Edward Waite and artist, Pamela Colman Smith, created the tarot deck we recognize today. More traditional tarot decks follow the same format as the Waite-Smith Deck to this day.
With the Major and Minor Arcana, there are 78 cards in all, and that makes for a lot of memorization. But what if you didn’t have to memorize the cards at all? That’s right, witches! It’s time to stop memorizing the cards and allow your intuition to guide you. Here’s how.
Dedicate Your Card Deck to Yourself
One of the most powerful things you can do with your new card deck is to take ownership of it by dedicating it to yourself and your practice. I do this with every card deck I add to my collection, whether they are tarot or oracle cards.
Take your card deck out of its box and hold it between both hands against your heart. Recite these words or use your own:
May this deck illuminate truths and serve the highest good.
This deck is now mine and will speak to my heart.
Then I begin to sort the new deck into different piles as a way of shuffling it for the first time, since the cards will be in numerical order and some may stick together.
I always do this with some good vibey music playing and a lit candle. Touching each card helps tie it to you magickally as well.
Reading Tarot Intuitively
Here’s the key to reading tarot: The messages in any card deck come from you – the cards are simply a tool for you to interpret the messages. If you invite your guides to help you in the reading, the cards are just channeling their messages. Follow your intuition as you read the cards. If the card doesn’t exactly match what you’ve learned or what the book says, that’s ok.
The cards have their own meanings, but they also tell stories based on the cards around them or their placement in the reading.
Here are a few easy ways to interpret a reading:
Mostly Major Arcana Cards
This indicates that the person having their cards read (or you if you’re reading for yourself) is in the midst of major life changes. They should make sure they are paying attention to signs and symbols around them.
Mostly Minor Arcana Cards
This indicates that the energy in the person’s life can be easily changed at this moment. If they do not like the direction they’re headed, they have the ability to change it right now.
An Abundance of a Particular Suit
This could give you more information regarding an overall theme of energy and even a dominant element at play right now.
Numbers Repeated
Depending on how many cards you pulled for the reading, with 78 possible cards, an abundance of the same number in different suits could also shed light on more information for you (like multiple three cards in the same reading).
Numbers of Minor Arcana also correspond to Major Arcana, so pull that card for extra information. For example, twos of each minor arcana suit related back to the overall message of the 2 card – The High Priestess Major Arcana card. The High Priestess card may have additional information for you.
What about Reversed Cards?
Whether you read a card in its reversed position is up to you. Some readers don’t even bother to read them as a “reversed” card when they come up that way, so don’t stress yourself out over this. Here are two easy ways to deal with a reversed card:
- Read it as its own meaning. Often reversed meanings are the opposite of the upright meaning.
- Read it as a blockage of upright energy. For example, if the two of cups means a harmonious relationship or partnership, the reversed two of cups would mean that there is a relationship or partnership that could be harmonious, but right now, that energy is blocked. Then, you can look at the other reversed cards in the same reading to see how to unblock the energy or see how the reversed cards relate to one another.
Relax – You’ve Got This!
One of the main keys to reading tarot cards is relaxation. Messages come from your intuition, and the cards are simply tools for interpreting the message. So ground your energy, open yourself to your divine energy source, your guides, or your higher self. Feel that energy flow, trust, and relax.
Then, flip cards and feel the energy flow through you. This open connection could be instant once you find the right deck, or it can take time to build, especially if you tend to doubt your intuition. That trust must be established for any divination sessions to be successful, no matter the tools you use!
Remember, YOU are the magick.