Struggling to Learn Tarot? Here's a beginner's guide to help you!
Does this sound like you? You’re pulling cards, eager to interpret them, but you immediately reach for the guidebook. You feel overwhelmed by the idea of memorizing 78 different meanings and wonder if you'll ever be able to read confidently.
Trust me, I’ve been there!
When I started learning tarot, I felt lost. I took endless notes, and looked up meanings constantly, but nothing seemed to stick. Until I realised: every card is drawn a certain way for a reason. No part of the imagery is random, and each element teaches you something deeper.
Here is a beginner's guide to tarot that has helped me integrate what I was learning and develop confidence in reading tarot cards.
Connect with the Imagery on the Cards
Instead of focusing on memorised meanings, engage with what you actually see on the card. This is especially important when you look up an interpretation. Take the time to see which elements on the cards confirm or deny what you're feeling about the lessons of the card.
Some cards will be more detailed than others and as a beginner, I strongly advise you to go for something with lots of imagery. Click here for tips on how to find a tarot deck.
Take the 10 of Wands as an example. Its keywords include burden, responsibility, hard work, and completion. When you look at the card, the figure appears weighed down, exhausted, and struggling to carry all the wands. He’s almost at his destination, but at what cost? This card therefore invites us to look at what's on our plate, and if we need to be carrying everything with us.
By making this visual connection, the next time you see this card, you’ll recall the imagery and its meaning more naturally.
Describe the Card Out Loud (Before Checking the Guidebook)
When you pull a card, resist the urge to look up the meaning immediately. Instead, describe what you see:
What is the character doing?
What is their body language or facial expression?
What objects, symbols, or colours stand out?
For instance, in the 4 of Cups, a man sits with his arms crossed, looking away from the cups in front of him. His body language suggests boredom or dissatisfaction. Behind him, a glowing cup is being offered, but he doesn’t see it. Without needing the guidebook, you can already sense that this card represents discontentment, missed opportunities, or needing a shift in perspective.
By practising this technique, you engage with tarot intuitively rather than relying on memorisation.
Break Down the Card’s Symbols
Every detail in tarot artwork is intentional, and the symbols provide deeper meaning.
Take Death, a card often misunderstood. It symbolises transformation and rebirth. The Robin Wood tarot deck, for example, shows Death standing in a birch forest - birch trees represent renewal. A butterfly flutters nearby, symbolising metamorphosis. The caterpillar doesn’t simply grow wings; it dissolves and rebuilds itself. This physical transformation mirrors the message of the card: letting go of the old to embrace the new.
When you study the details of a card, it strengthens your understanding and makes the meaning easier to recall.
Learn the Core Meaning of Each Suit
If you’re struggling to understand a card, return to its suit and number:
Wands (Fire) – The energy inside us that lights us up and drives us.
Cups (Water) – Our emotional world and relationships with ourselves and others
Swords (Air) – Our mind and how it has the capacity for knowledge as well as the ability to trap us in harmful narratives based on past experiences
Pentacles (Earth) – What we want to create in the material world, and lessons of hard work and perseverance
For example, the 10 of Wands belong to the Wands suit (our energetic fire) and represent an overload of responsibilities. The fire element reminds us that too much energy scattered in different directions leads to burnout.
Think of it this way: when we have too many wands to juggle, it becomes impossible to carry them all efficiently. We might try to do everything at once, but eventually, something will drop. This card reminds us to evaluate where we’re investing our energy—are we holding onto responsibilities that no longer serve us? Are we trying to push through exhaustion rather than prioritising what truly matters?
By understanding the suit’s core lesson, you can interpret cards more easily without memorisation.
Have Fun with Tarot!
Learning tarot is an exciting journey of self-discovery, not a test. Approach it with curiosity, like the Page of Swords, who is always eager to learn.
Experiment with different decks to find one that resonates.
Keep a tarot journal to track your insights, especially any repeating cards that follow you around
Practice daily by reflecting on a weekly spread, and see how it relates to your day
When you see tarot as a fun, evolving practice, you’ll build confidence and develop your intuitive reading style.
Want to Deepen Your Tarot Practice?
🌱 If you’re ready to take your tarot skills to the next level, I offer 1:1 tarot coaching (online or in Sheffield). In my 6-week course, you’ll learn how to read tarot with confidence and intuition. Click here for more information
📍 Join my next tarot workshop in Sheffield – Click here for upcoming events.
📩 Get my free email course on creating a joyful weekly tarot practice – Sign up here.
💬 What’s your biggest challenge when learning tarot? Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear from you!
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