Query submitted via Free Tarot Readings.

“Diana” inquired: “I’m basically a new reader. How should I be approaching coming to know my Tarot cards? Thank you!”

Get a journal, as plain or as fancy as you like. This is for personal notes. The thick spined ones are good for thwacking folks upside the head with. Sit down with your favorite beverage and read the LWB (Little White Book) that came with your deck, and whatever other books, pamphlets, PDFs, and websites you are conferring. Then after reading them all, down your beverage and place the cup in a safe place. Take what you can physically handle of your sources and throw them over your shoulder.

Retrieve your journal that you might have chucked with the other stuff, and your deck if that went flying too. This would be a good time for a beverage refill.

I’ll tell you a secret: All these references are only 100% good for the person that wrote them. For everyone else, they are a starting point.

Sit down with your deck and thumb through the cards. You’ll be writing down your personal insights to the cards. Did a symbol catch your eye? A repetitive color? The positioning of a figure? Write it down. Is there a card that strikes you as the opposite of what the LWB says? Write that down.

As you play with your cards, note which patterns catch your eye. Write that down. Don’t take this super saiyan serious unless that’s the approach you want to take it.

When you start reading for yourself, note where your readings turned out wrong. Why? Did you overlook something? Did you make an assumption that was invalid? Did the meaning of that card just not reflect what happened?

The cards are not infallible. What worked for one person won’t work for another. It’s a matter of finding what works for you.

The system that came with your deck just not working out and you’re not ready to slice and dice your own? Okay. There are dozens of other tarot systems that you can pick up and customize to make your own. Waite’s is only one of the most popular, that’s all.

Rule Zero: There is no One True Way to read tarot.

Everyone has their favorites, and that’s okay. Some take it as a religious exercise. Some take it as a spiritual exercise. Some take it as a secular exercise. Some take it as a parlor game. Some take it for shits and giggles. Some take it as a hobby. Some take it as a profession. And all those are okay.

So approach your tarot cards with whatever attitude makes you feel comfortable. Take notes as you go along. Remember the LWB is just a starting point, and ultimately what your cards mean is up to you and how you perceive them.

Don’t forget to enjoy yourself along the way.