A great Tarot reading predicts events.

No, it doesn’t just predict them. It predicts when they’re going to happen.

This tutorial will show you how to do just that.

I will be using the Golden Dawn framework throughout.

There are several different frameworks that can be used to predict events with astrological associations. I’ve chosen to use the Golden Dawn method because it’s the one I use for my work. If you don’t like the Golden Dawn framework there are several others that you can explore before deciding which one is right for you.

Normally, I approach an article by:

1. Explaining why stuff works — or why a framework is structured the way it is.
2. Provide information.
3. Finally, suggest ways to practice it.

This tutorial series, in order to be practical, will have to break from that structure. This is how I’m going to write this series of articles:

1. Suggest ways to practice it.
2. Provide information.
3. Explain why this framework is structured the way it is.

This way, you will be able to start timing and predicting events with astrology immediately. The only downside, as far as I can see, is that you won’t immediately know why the Golden Dawn attributed the astrological associations the way they did.

Let’s get started.

How to practice

The Golden Dawn system is made easier depending on the deck you use. Certain Tarot decks will show the astrological associations on each card. This removes the need for memorisation.

Start immediately

1. Deal out your favourite Tarot spread.
2. Make the usual predictions.
3. Pick some cards that seem to indicate future events.
4. Consult the list of attributions below to see when that event will occur.
5. Record your results.
6. Repeat the process. Keep repeating and testing the system. See if it’s for you. If you think it is, then the next series of posts will explain why the cards are attributed the way they are.

Another good way to practice is to make notes on what the zodiacal and planetary signs mean in Astrology. There are several ways to do this. I started by noting the seasons that each zodiacal sign was associated with. This gave me a vague, but useful understanding of their structure.

Be intuitive

Don’t make the mistake of assuming that the outcome card is the card that predicts when events will happen. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t. It changes with each spread.

If you don’t feel that the outcome card is predicting when the event will happen, look for a cluster of cards to help you.

For example, if there are three or four Tarot cards that relate to Aries — I would be comfortable in predicting that March will be the Month the event happens. Or, if there are several cards relating to Virgo, I would predict that September will be the Month the event happens.

Bottom line: look for patterns rather than relying on an individual card to give you the timing.

The information

Below is a list of the astrological attributions associated with each Tarot card. I’ve split them into distinct sections to make it easier for you to find stuff.

The Minor Arcana

These are the attributions, plus dates, for the Minor Arcana.

The Major Arcana

The 22 Major Arcana are associated with Zodiacal, Elemental and Planetary attributes.

The Zodiacal Trumps cover the time period associated with their zodiac sign. The Planetary Trumps correspond to the days of the week or the orbit of the planet, and the Elemental associations don’t cover a time period at all.

There are three primary elements associated with the 22 Trumps. The Golden Dawn attributed these three Trump cards — The Fool, The Hanged Man, and the Aeon, with the three Mother letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

The Court Cards

Below are the attributes for the Court Cards. The Kings are called Knights and the Knights are called Princes in the Golden Dawn system.

The Aces and the Princesses

They don’t represent astrological signs of the Zodiac. What they do represent are locations.

In some decks they are called Pages; in others, Princesses. There are important reasons, albeit philosophical ones, for why this is so. I will discuss that in a future post.

What is of more practical importance is how the Aces and the Princesses are linked together. The Aces being the root element of their suit and the Princesses the vehicle in which they manifest. In many ways the Aces and the Princesses have a special relationship.

Use the following information to predict locations.

Conclusion

The purpose of this post is to get you practicing this system straight away. Only through experimentation and practice will you know if you want to use it.

(Theoretically) Related Posts:

• Three Ways To Accurately Predict When Events Will Happen
• An Introduction To The Elemental Dignities Compendium
• Study Guide To The Beginners Tutorial To Reading Tarot Cards
• How To Communicate With The Client
• The Celtic Cross Spread

This is the final post on the Beginner’s Tutorial To Reading Tarot Cards. At some point I may write some tutorials that look at expanding and adding to the techniques we have already learned. However, I want to use this time to reflect on a few of the key concepts and techniques we have learned.

The Difference Between Work And Play

I have talked a lot about practicing the techniques that I have laid out in this Tutorial Series, but it’s really a double edged sword because there is a point where practicing too much can actually take you further from the goal of delivering a great Tarot reading.

In the Western culture there is a heavy focus on hard work; hard work that eventually, through sacrifice, brings success. This focus does not translate well to Tarot readings. Naturally, you do have to practice the techniques, but as I said in my previous post, there is a point in a reading where the focus on the cards will naturally reduce; this is the point where intuition comes in.

When I think of hard work I think of ‘no fun’. I do not associate hard work with fun. It’s really important that you have fun learning Tarot. The more fun you have the more likely the intuition will just start to flow. In fact, if you work too hard at reading Tarot cards, you will most likely forget to enjoy yourself and the intuitive quality that you can bring to a reading becomes further and further removed from your ability to apply it.

I have tried to show that you only need a few techniques to deliver an outstanding reading; the less you know the more you will be able to offer. What are you offering? You are offering your intuition.

I would suggest practicing all the techniques in this Tutorial Series up until the point you don’t need to think about them anymore. Then, to put it simply, forget about them.

When practicing, it is vital not to read for yourself or others. Instead, view the practice as nothing more than telling a story; which is all a Tarot reading is anyway, only the story you tell does not involve you or anyone you know. That way you will be completely free to experiment with any one of the techniques you want to focus on.

Giving A Reading For Someone Else

There will come a point when you will want to read for someone else. When that point comes do your best to relax, and to relax the person you’re giving a reading for. When the reading starts, don’t worry if you don’t remember anything. In fact, that is a good sign. Allow your ‘story telling’ abilities to come through; another way of saying this is to allow your intuition to shine.

How to study the techniques

1. Deal out a card, name it and two keywords
2. Name the Element associated with the card
3. Name some key concepts associated with that Element
4. Repeat until it starts to feel like hard work

I’d then move onto the second stage of the practice session.

1. Deal out two cards
2. Use the Elements and the Keywords to tell a story
3. Repeat until it starts to feel like hard work

I’d then move onto the third stage of the practice session.

1. Deal out three cards
2. Use the Elements and the Key words to tell a story
3. Repeat until it starts to feel like hard work

I’d then move onto the fourth stage of the practice session.

1. Deal out the Celtic Cross
2. Use the Celtic Cross, Elements and key words to tell a story
3. Use the time to work on your communication skills. Imagine you are telling the story to someone else
4. Repeat until it starts to feel like hard word

I’d then move onto the final stage of the practice session.

1. Do a reading for someone else
2. Forget all the techniques that have been learned
3. Help create a relaxed atmosphere
4. Go crazy with the intuition
5. Repeat until it starts to feel like hard work

It is not necessary to use the structure that I have just outlined. I’ve mentioned it to give you some ideas on how to approach your study. It is also not necessary to complete all the stages outlined above. Simply decide what area you would like to work on and practice. In fact, just practice whatever technique takes your fancy. Once it becomes unconscious (the ‘forgetting’ part) move onto another technique.

The Main Technique I Use

Three card readings seem to work best for me. They are short enough and yet complicated enough to allow me to practice everything I want to work on.

I often deal out three cards from the top of my deck followed by another three cards and another and another, until I have run out of cards. It doesn’t take long. Remember, when it feels like work, stop. It’s much more important to allow your intuition to develop that it is to ‘put the hours in’.

Conclusion

When all is said and done, more is said and done – Lou Holtz.

I hope you have enjoyed this Tutorial Series and I wish you all good luck on your journey. If you have any problems or anything that you would like to discuss with me concerning this tutorial, then please feel free to either leave a comment at the end of this post, or contact me via the Contact page and I’ll do my best to help you in any way I can.

This post is part of the Beginner’s Tutorial To Reading Tarot Cards

(Theoretically) Related Posts:

• How To Communicate With The Client
• Eon Quiz and Robust approaches to Tarot Readings
• Why Reading Tarot Cards Like A Book Doesn’t Work
• A Simple Method for Interpreting Two Court Cards
• How to Create Client Profiles and Turbo Charge Your Tarot Study!

The most important skill to learn (or perhaps it’s more a process of unlearning) is how to settle into a Tarot reading. Every Tarot reading is different because every client is different. They have different expectations as to what a Tarot reading can offer them. Before the reading has even begun this can be a potential conflict. If your understanding of what a Tarot reading ‘achieves’ differs from that of your client, then an unsatisfactory experience for both parties will occur. Usually, I like to spend a few minutes discussing exactly what they want from the reading. I feel this is only fair, both to them and me. There is nothing worse than doing a reading that neither of you are enjoying.

When someone visits a doctor there is a natural level of trust that already exists; when someone visits a Tarot reader there is a natural level of distrust that exists. By attempting to create a relaxed atmosphere with the client and discussing ‘expectations’ with them, you will have done as much as is possible ‘pre-reading’.

During the reading, if you remember that listening and communicating make up 90% of a successful reading then you will be well on your way to delivering engaging as well as competent readings.

A relaxing atmosphere before a Tarot reading

The first task that you will face, in terms of communicating with the client, is to find out what their expectations are. If their expectations differ from yours then it’s important to discuss those differences. If a point of agreement can be reached then continue with the reading.

At this stage of the communication process (Paul Hughes-Barlow taught me this trick) I like to develop an atmosphere of relaxation. Usually this is achieved while discussing ‘expectations’ but it can also be continued into the ritual of selecting a question, shuffling the cards, cutting the deck and so on.

I will describe how I approach this section of the Tarot reading so that you can adapt, dismiss or change my approach into something that is much more suited to you. I hope that by sharing with you what I do, it will allow you to be creative and develop your own style.

The first thing I do is ask the client if they want a general reading. I ask the question this way to develop trust. Although I have spent time discussing ‘expectations’ with them, it is still important to see this stage of the reading as separate. This stage goes a long way towards developing trust and I don’t force them to ask a question. Usually, if they have a specific question they will ask it. However, I think that by not appearing to focus too strongly on that, the client themselves relaxes more and subsequently engages more with the reading. Once we have settled on a question, a general reading or otherwise, I ask the client to shuffle the cards. Again, this helps to relax them and, in a strange way, involves them in the reading right from the start. Finally, I’ll ask them to cut the deck. I use the Opening of the Key which demands a specific method for cutting the deck which I guide the client through. This is also useful because, not only does it continue to create a relaxed atmosphere and involve them in the process, but it also signals the start of a relationship in the sense that every relationship requires activities to build trust and bonds.

After I’ve dealt the cards out I begin the reading proper. This is a critical stage, although we have done our best to discuss expectations and create an atmosphere of relaxation, this moment is usually characterised by an increase in tension. As Tarot readers, we have about 3 minutes to ‘win’ their confidence. If we don’t achieve this then it is best to abandon the reading.

I’ve written an article called How To Approach A Tarot Reading that you may find useful to read as well. This article compliments this post very well.

How to win the confidence of the client within the first 3 minutes of a Tarot reading

The truth is there is no right way to go about this. Be yourself is probably the best approach you can take. We only have a few minutes to win their trust so it’s important to feel confident with your abilities. By using the techniques that I have outlined in this tutorial you will achieve this confidence in two ways. The first way is the techniques themselves. These are the most practical and robust methods that I know; I use them with every Tarot reading I do. The second way is actually all to do with the lack of demands these techniques will place upon you. They do not ask you to learn vast amounts of information.

Why is this important?

It’s important because you will not remember complicated techniques at the start of a reading. It’s a strange an unusual phenomena but you will quickly find that the importance normally placed upon the ‘cards’ themselves, in the sense of them being critical to the Tarot reading, does not translate well into a real life reading. In fact, the client is the most important aspect of a reading and the cards become secondary in this process. With complicated techniques you will spend far too long trying to remember them, and then apply them. Those techniques are not robust. As you build experience then you will certainly want to bring new techniques into your reading, but the ones I have provided will most likely be the foundation for all further learning.

The focus being on the client and not the cards

Certainly, the most important point I want you to remember is that communicating with the client, engaging with them and talking with them, will naturally be taking up the majority of your concentration. What is left of your concentration will be applied to the cards. To have this natural division of attention balanced in the cards favour, in the sense that the cards take up more of your attention than the clients, would be detrimental to the reading itself.

By allowing the client to be the focus of your attention, you will notice something strange starts to happen. The intuition that will begin to guide your use of the cards will, in most cases, be completely different from both the techniques that you practice and the information that can be gathered from those techniques. This is a great sign that the foundations you have been laying with your practice are taking hold. The less importance you place on the cards and the more you place on the client then the more likely intuition will play a role in your Tarot readings.

A standard question that you will be asked

A standard question that people ask me is, “will my partner come back”?

That is all the client wants to know. Once you have answered that to their satisfaction, they will probably want to discuss where things went wrong in their relationship and what the cards indicate, if at all, are the motives behind their partners actions and so on.

I wanted to share with you a standard question that I get asked to give you a sense of what client’s think a Tarot reading can achieve. Not only do they expect the question to be answered but also all the other knock on questions that will occur, depending on the answer you give. That’s why it’s important to have thought out before hand what you think a Tarot reading can achieve, so you can communicated that effectively to a client. This will keep you enjoying the Tarot for much longer.

I think it’s really important to just be yourself and let your own style flow naturally. I think this simple (but hard to do) approach is actually what builds the trust more than anything. Naturally, the client wants the answer to their question but how you answer that is down to you.

Asking the client questions

This is a dangerous exercise. If you have not won their trust or confidence in the reading then they will be unlikely to answer any questions you ask. This is a great technique to make sure you have won their confidence. If they answer your questions and engage and participate in the reading then you know you have succeeded, but if they don’t do this then it’s a good bet that you have not succeed at this point to win their confidence.

It’s important to ask questions that involve them in the reading. In some senses it’s very disempowering for anyone to be told what will happen, and when. I think it’s good practice to try and involve them in the reading as much as is possible (every client is different) so that they can empower themselves to make decisions.

Conclusion

I’ve tried to write this post in such a way as to equip you with enough knowledge to begin thinking about how you would like to conduct your Tarot readings. In some sense this is a customer service driven business and as such it does require the Tarot reader to take control of the reading in a positive, client driven way.

However, there are really no right or wrong ways to go about communicating with the client. Whatever works for you is the best way.

Tomorrow will be the final post in this Tutorial Series. I will be bringing together everything that we have learned into one comprehensive whole. There will be plenty of practice exercises so you can see how everything fits together in a practical way.

This post is part of the Beginners Tutorial Series.

(Theoretically) Related Posts:

• How to Create Client Profiles and Turbo Charge Your Tarot Study!
• Warning: Do You Recognise The 7 Early Warning Signs Of Tarot Reader Burnout?
• Study Guide To The Beginners Tutorial To Reading Tarot Cards
• Improve your Tarot Readings Activley with the Rule of 2 — Guaranteed
• Eon Quiz I – Health Question

We are almost at the end of this Tutorial Series, and we have come a long way. There are no more techniques that you need to know at this stage in your learning in order to read with Tarot cards. Everything that we have already covered in this Tutorial Series will now form the foundations needed to read, not only the Celtic Cross Spread, but any spread you choose to study. At this stage of your learning, I would highly recommend you pick a spread you like and stick with it for a couple of months. Resist the temptation to read with other spreads. Why do I say this? If you can really build your confidence with one spread then it is very easy to apply that confidence and experience to any spread, but not so the other way around.

The Celtic Cross spread has become one of those Tarot spreads that is so well known and almost every popular book or resource has written on it. I have included the Celtic Cross as part of this Beginners Tutorial Series for two reasons. The first reason is that you will have inevitably read or will read about this spread, so I wanted to use this opportunity to show you the best way to read with this spread. The second reason is to help build your confidence in the techniques we have already covered. I think you will really see the benefit of doing all that practice when it comes to using the Celtic Cross.

The spread itself is not hard to learn. It’s positional based, and therefore it forms a logical structure for reading the cards. I personally don’t think there is anything logical whatsoever with doing Tarot readings, so I tend to avoid any positional based spread. I prefer to tap into the irrationality of Tarot as completely as I can; I tend to use non-positional based spreads. Regardless, choosing a Tarot spread is matter of preference and experience and we all, at some point, learn the Celtic Cross.

As I mentioned earlier, I do feel that with the techniques we have already learned, you will begin to see how the Tarot itself provides the structure, and the need to use artificially imposed limits and rules will seem unnecessary.

There are ten cards used in the Celtic Cross spread. The cross itself indicates time and the column of four cards on the right hand side of the cross represent influences.

The Cross

1. The present
2. The present
3. The card above will provide clues to the distant future
4. The card below will provide clues to the distant past
5. The card to the left will provide clues on the recent past
6. The card to the right will provide clues to the immediate future

When you practice reading the Celtic Cross, look to this section first for your ‘narrative’ and only use the column of cards to support or add strength to your interpretations of the cross.

The Column provides us with information on the influences:

• The bottom card provides clues to the client’s influence
• The next card provides clues to the environmental influences (that means anything outside of the client’s control)
• The next card can be read as a potential outcome card and provides clues as to the influence of change
• The last card is traditionally seen as the outcome card. This card should be used as a way to validate your ‘narrative’ or story. Think of it like any historical event; there is never a complete outcome. There are always consequences

To summarise, the cross answers questions and the column informs the cross; the cross makes predictions and the column adds some extra detail.

Let’s check out an example of the Celtic Cross spread in action, and see some of the techniques we have learned come together.

Example Celtic Cross Spread:

The following reading is published with permission of the client. I wanted to show the approach I take to reading a very simple 10 card Celtic Cross spread.

A list of the cards used in the above example

1. The present: 8 of Wands reversed
2. The present: 10 of Disks
3. The card above will provide clues to the distant future: Wheel of Fortune
4. The card below will provide clues to the distant past: The Magician reversed
5. The card to the left will provide clues on the recent past: The High Priestess reversed
6. The card to the right will provide clues to the immediate future: The Fool reversed
7. The bottom card provides clues to the client’s influence: Temperance
8. The next card provides clues to the environmental influences (that means anything outside of the client’s control): Ace of Wands reversed
9. The next card can be read as a potential outcome card and provides clues as to the influence of change: Queen of Disks reversed
10. The last card is traditionally seen as the outcome card. This card should be used as a way to validate your ‘narrative’ or story. Think of it like any historical event; there is never a complete outcome. There are always consequences: 9 of Cups reversed

The client did not wish to ask a question.

General Impressions:

3 upright cards, 7 reversed cards. 4 Fire, 2 Water, 2 Air (or Spirit?), 2 Earth. This suggests activity that goes nowhere.

Reversed Tarot Cards

It’s also helpful to look at the reversals as one group and the uprights as another. The reversals (High Priestess in the past position being the initial start of this cycle) are what’s happening in her life, whereas the uprights are what’s causing tension. Her influence to change her life is limited.

The Ratio Between Elements, Picture, Court And Pip Cards

Apart from the Ace, the numbers start at 8, 9 and 10, suggesting the culmination of past efforts (the Minors often indicating individual effort).

5 Major Cards and 1 Court Card.

The abundance of Major’s in the spread tells me that the client’s ability to make dramatic changes is subject to powerful forces outside of her control. The lack of other characters tells me that this is about her against the world. A maverick perhaps.

The Air cards (Fool and Magus) suggest the Element Spirit. This tells me there is no real conflict; perhaps continuing down this path is the one of least resistant for her.

The Story Or Narrative

The Priestess in the past position suggests a strong focus on the physical (money, sex and so on). This links to the 9 of Cups. Enjoyable but empty. Empty because (Art) she’s unfulfilled.

It’s clear that her plans are going nowhere (8 of Wands, Fool, Ace of Wands, Magus). The feeling is likened to hard work, inspiration and yet the money doesn’t reflect. What does she have within her environment that is the supportive element (10 of Disks)? Although, traditionally we’d be looking at the 9 of Disks (a gain in money and finances) to suggest support, the 10 explores the concept of inheritance and family. The question (only within our own minds at this point) must be, what does she have that she can rely upon…that also causes a degree of discomfort (the cross position)?

It’s probably her family (10 of Disks association with family). Also her plans have to do with career development, possibly self-employment (Magus).

The majority of Majors tells me that her circumstances play a large role in dictating what opportunities are available. The Art card tells me that her approach is balanced; her optimism is what gets her through, possibly even an inspiration to others. Does travel play on her mind?

I think that because her circumstances change (Fortune Card), people (her family- 10 of Disks) and career related opportunities, that this approach is a good one.

However, her influence is small.

The Fool and Ace (opportunities, probably unexpected) are what’s hoped for. Looks like they’ve never really happened for her, and are unlikely to in the near future. I get the impression that she works hard (8 of Wands), but nothing changes. The overall effect though (9 of Cups) is that a certain inner satisfaction is what counts for her.

The Magus (usually associated with self-employment) suggests that she is looking to build her own business.

The combination of the Fortune Card and the 10 of Disks might also suggest that people within her immediate family have:- some left, some new additions. This would probably play out (10’s being associated with family but the disk is focusing in on the financial element of the family) as a financial drain. One leaves but one gained.

To summarise so far:

A woman, self employed who works hard isn’t enjoying the expected financial rewards that her enterprise should bring. Her plans (8 of Wands) don’t seem to arrive at that expected place and the financial support (10 of Disks) allows her to continue. This support will cause a degree of tension.

Her approach is balanced (no advice needed on a change of attitude) and the inner satisfaction of the work is a reward in itself.

The opportunities that her business should be providing have not happened, and although things will continue to change (Fortune) the overall effect for the client is: no change.

The Fool also suggests the need for more adventure and surprises in her life. I suspect that she believes that career success will bring this.

Conclusion

Overall, (Fool, Ace, Fortune) the potential for things to change is implied, but unlikely in the next 6 months. With her balanced approach to life, when circumstances change, then success. This isn’t guaranteed unfortunately. Potential is simply potential. With her environment exercising so much control over her options, if this changed then success.

Feedback from the client:

My family although supportive are also a cause for concern and Douglas was so right about the changing dynamics – my son recently joined the Army and I also gained a teenage lodger! Although I didn’t ask a question, Douglas picked up on the factors in my life that are the most dominating. My business, though not dying, isn’t doing so well and I am struggling to maintain the balance. I have also been looking at some other options but have been undecided about what to do. I can see now that I must reassess my whole situation. I can continue on this current path and hope that things will change, or I can stop sitting on the fence and make a decision one way or another. After my reading with Douglas I know that I do have many options, it’s down to me to step outside my comfort zone.

Practice The Celtic Cross

The way I think you’ll get the most out of your practice sessions is to spend the majority of time dealing out the Three Card spread we looked at in the last post. This will provide you with the firm foundations to tackle the Celtic Cross spread with ease. I would still practice the Celtic Cross spread but at this stage it is important to be comfortable with all the techniques we have covered in this Tutorial Series. The Three Card spread will help bring all these different methods together.

There is also a new tutorial series that has just started at Tarot Elements – How To Read The Celtic Cross Spread. This series is designed to teach you how to read the Celtic Cross like a pro.

The next post will look at the most important aspect of giving a reading.

This post is part of the Beginners Tutorial Series

(Theoretically) Related Posts:

• Reversed Tarot Cards Explained
• Timing and Predicting when Events will Happen with Astrological associations
• Three Techniques For Reading Health Questions
• Beyond The Celtic Cross: Secret techniques for taking Tarot to an exciting new level
• October Contest Winners Are Announced

Today we will combine all the techniques we have learned into reading a three card Tarot spread. The techniques we will be using are:

1. The divinatory meanings of all three cards
2. The ED’s or Elemental associations
3. Reversed Tarot cards

Understanding Three Card Dynamics

Before we go further, it’s important to discuss a few concepts concerning the dynamics that exist between three Tarot cards. The most important point I’d like you to remember is that the Elements number four, yet we are only using three. In this sense we have already created an imbalance. We are missing an Element.

In the last post I wrote on the Elements, as part of this Beginners Tutorial to reading Tarot cards, discussed the tension that exists between the Elements. They always seek a perfect harmony, yet this state of perfection can never be reached; the three card Tarot spread we will be discussing further exploits this phenomena, by allowing us to read the point of change.

The second point I’d like you to keep in mind involves the nature of the three card Tarot spread itself. In this Tarot spread, we will not be using positions to indicate the past, the present, the future, or any other combination commonly seen. How then do we go about giving the reading a structure? If we are not using positions to provide the structure, what then shall we use?

The answer lies in the middle card of the three card spread. We will use that as the focus point for our reading. Imagine that the two cards that flank or provide the border to the middle card, in some sense, create the middle card. Their interactions transform into the middle card. In other words, the middle card is the outcome card.

A note of caution: I rarely view things in that way, however, it’s important that we start somewhere so that your confidence in using spreads that don’t depend upon positions starts to grow. The less you see the cards as positional indicators, the more you’ll start to open up to the energy flow that the cards themselves provide.

This process of becoming less dependent on positional based Tarot spreads will really open you up to seeing how the Tarot itself provides the structure to base your readings on. This process does take time and the foundations that we have laid with this Tutorial Series will go along way to help you achieve a greater understanding of this ‘structure’.

Questions To Ask Ourselves When We First Deal Out The Three Tarot Cards

1. What Elements are present?
2. What Element is missing?
3. Is there an excess of either the Elements, the Picture cards, the Court cards or the Pip cards?
4. Is there a complete absence of either the Elements, the Picture cards, the Court cards or the Pip cards?
5. How many, if any, are reversed

Try and ask those questions in the order I have provided above. Think of it as a checklist. By answering those questions we will already have built up a strong impression of what the reading suggests.

Example Three Card Reading:

1. Elements present: Air or Spirit, Fire and Earth
2. Element missing: Water
3. Excess of Picture cards
4. Missing the Court cards
5. One reversed card
6. This is the point we add the DM’s

Let’s start by looking at the Elements present. Apart from Earth, they are all active Elements. We know things are changing, and the Earth of the Universe card will give that ‘change’ a solid base in which to develop. In other words, these changes have the potential to last. I am viewing the Magus card as Spirit and as such, is supported by the Earth Element of the Universe card. However, we could say that the Magus, which, when seen as the Element Air is an Enemy of the Earth Element provided by the Universe card. This would certainly change the interpretation; it would indicate obstacles.

The excess of Picture cards indicates life changing events and the lack of the Element Water indicates that the client will be ignoring their health, other peoples feelings and their own. We can speculate that they have already put a lot of work into making this plan happen and are now at the point where circumstances have gathered enough energy to take the clients plan forward.

The reversed Universe card, in this context, seems to indicate delays. Why do I say this? Looking at the three cards I ultimately see the client’s plans working out for them, however, I see the Universe as indicating a resistance. It looks to me like this resistance is a product of circumstance rather than some inner subjective, or psychological resistance, that belongs to the client. In plain English, the Universe card reversed indicates that it may take longer to finalise certain key things; longer than the client may have anticipated. No doubt, the client will be feeling slightly frustrated while waiting for events to catch up or materialise. I would suspect these delays involve bureaucracy.

The Six of Wands is the middle Tarot card, and that is, in this version of the three card spread, the outcome card. The influences, or perhaps more specifically, the union (I’m often reminded of Yoga) of the Magus and the Universe have created a separate, individual Tarot card; a unique set of circumstances. Elementally, the Six of Wands is strong, it is well support by the other cards. Now is a good time to bring in the DM’s of the three Tarot cards, to assist our ‘narrative’.

The DM’s of the Magus, Six of Wands and the Universe card are as follows: Self-employment or self promotion; Victory and recognition; Success and Foreign countries.

Overall, this reading is telling me that the client will successfully expand their business into their foreign country of choice. They have worked hard to get to this point; they have ignored both their health and the feelings of others in the pursuit of this goal. There will be delays before the business is fully operationally; it looks bureaucratic in nature. The Six of Wands indicates initial success with recognition being given by their peers.

The Elements are looking to rebalance though; the missing Element of Water will need to be expressed soon. I would expect, at some point, that this area of the client’s life will require attention.

The missing Court cards indicates that the client may feel like they don’t need anyone to succeed in life. This fiercely independent aspect of their nature will inevitably catch up with them when the Elements seek to rebalance.

As you can see, from this simple three card Tarot spread, we were able to gather a lot of information on the client’s circumstances and possible future experiences. I would like you to continue practicing this spread as much as possible and remember, it is important to resist the temptation to read for others at this time. It’s much more important that you learn how to ‘open yourself’ up to imagination and allow different types of ‘narratives’ or stories to flow. This will not only give you the confidence to read for others, but will lay very solid foundations for your continued Tarot journey. It is my belief that by practicing the techniques that I have outlined in this Tutorial Series, you will avoid many of the pitfalls that can trap so many beginner students of Tarot.

For further research into reading three cards I would recommend the lessons on Supertarot’s Elemental Dignities and Reading Three Tarot Card Groups. You might also like to check out an awesome series of articles, by Tarot Elements – Elemental Dignities Mini-Series that introduce techniques for using Elemental Dignities within a three card reading.

This post is part of the Beginners Tutorial To Reading Tarot Cards.

(Theoretically) Related Posts:

• Timing and Predicting when Events will Happen with Astrological associations
• An Introduction To The Elemental Dignities Compendium
• Three Ways To Accurately Predict When Events Will Happen
• Study Guide To The Beginners Tutorial To Reading Tarot Cards
• How To Communicate With The Client

There are a lot of different opinions on how to read reversed Tarot cards. I think it’s one of those ambiguous areas of Tarot that only personal experience will make you feel comfortable with. Some of the different approaches to reading reversed Tarot cards are unhelpful; principally because they are not practical. Avoid the practice of interpreting a reversed card as somehow reversing the upright meaning, and try instead to see it as just another way to group the cards.

I have been asked before if I think it’s necessary to use reversed cards in a Tarot reading and my honest answer is no. I’m unconvinced that using reversed cards, for people that are concerned with memorising vast amounts of keywords or DMs, is the best practice for them. It tends to provide an unnecessary amount of stress that is counterproductive to the aim; giving a Tarot reading.

The method that I am about to outline here is the one I use in my professional practice. I know this method works, and it really is simple to use, however, I must insist that you avoid the temptation of adding any more DMs to your repertoire. In my opinion, the use of reversed cards is not to provide the reader with additional DMs, but rather to allow the Tarot reader to structure the ‘narrative’ or story he tells the client.

The Method For Reading Reversed Tarot Cards

I use the reversed Tarot cards to structure a Tarot reading. It’s difficult to explain exactly what I mean by this. I do not mean that I change the DMs of the cards just because they are reversed, or that I assign any special privileges to either the upright or reversed cards. In fact, whether they are reversed or not does not matter much to me. The only thing that concerns me when I see reversed cards is what story they are telling me.

Like any good book or movie there is the main plot, but contained within this structure are ‘sub-plots’ of the main story. I see reversed cards as indicating the sub-plot of the main story within the client’s life. As a result, I group all the reversed cards together to help me determine what this sub-plot is.

For example, if it’s a relationship reading, I’ll first look at the main plot of the reading before checking out the reversed cards. If it just so happens that the client’s partner is reversed then I will apply all reversed cards to him. This allows me to tell the client what their partner feels about them, the issues that surround them and in some instances their motive for acting the way they do. In this way, I group the reversed cards together in order to help complete the Tarot reading.

Additionally, I’ll use reversed cards as a way to explore blocks or resistance to the client’s plan or goal. In fact, I’ll usually interpret the same reversed Tarot cards more than once in order to add greater depth to my readings. The process of reinterpretation is possibly a little too involved at this stage of our learning, but it is worth while recognising that nothing is absolute in a Tarot reading. Every card can be reinterpreted by using different criteria, depending on the information you are looking for, as often as you like.

Example Two Card Tarot Readings Using Reversed Cards

The purpose of this exercise is two-fold. Firstly, to get you comfortable with viewing reversed cards, not as a reversal of the DMS but rather, as a method for structuring a reading. Secondly, to illustrate that there is no real mystery behind using reversed cards. In a two card reading, the ‘narrative’ you tell will be much the same as if they were both upright.

In fact the technique I use to read reversed Tarot cards would see two reversed cards identically (if it was only a 2 card Tarot reading) as if they were upright. You might see reversed Tarot cards differently, that’s fine, the important point is not to get ‘hung-up’ on the thought of learning extra DMS when really, it’s not necessary.

Here we have the 3 of Swords reversed next to the 7 of Disks. We know Elementally that Air and Earth are enemies and weaken each other. We also know that one is Active and the other is Passive which results in a neutralising influence. Therefore, this situation is unlikely to change. When both cards were upright we saw them as meaning profound debt. Now that one of them is reversed, how does this change the story? Not a whole lot to be honest. The main change is that the person experiencing the debt is bound to feel worse about things and also, if we imagine the 3 of Swords as somehow indicative of other people, being cut off from any outside help. On a positive note, we could also imagine that the client has the determination to succeed as indicated by the 7 of Disks; it just appeals to my imagination as being stronger.

Here we have the 4 of Wands reversed. When both cards were upright I felt it indicated marriage; now, with one of them reversed, we will have to reinterpret the cards again.

I still see this as an excellent combination of cards. I can’t see the 4 of Wands reversed as indicating a great obstacle to the client’s life. At worse, all I could say would be that the client could take more time to enjoy what’s happening around her.

If we completely reinterpret these cards we could say that the professional advice offered by the Hierophant will certainly help the client with their property; perhaps the client has experienced delays in terms of moving home?

Both these cards are reversed. I will use the same interpretation we used when both these cards were upright: The Fool indicates something new and when combined with the Universe card I would be inclined to say that this person will be moving abroad.

I used the same interpretation as before as I don’t use reversed cards to reverse the DMs. Instead, I use reversed cards to help create a structure within a Tarot reading; to help me explore the ‘sub-plots’ within a reading and to provide a way of analysing the blockages or resistance that life, or the client, might create.

I would like you to continue using reversed cards within your practice readings and next week we will be combining all these different lessons into a powerful three card spread.

This post is part of the Beginners Tutorial To Reading Tarot Cards.

(Theoretically) Related Posts:

• An Introduction To The Elemental Dignities Compendium
• The Celtic Cross Spread
• Learn How To Confidently Do A Two Card Reading.
• Timing and Predicting when Events will Happen with Astrological associations
• How to Troubleshoot a Tarot Reading when it makes no Sense

Yesterday we introduced the four Elements. I asked you to practice two main techniques. The first one was to simply recognise what Element applied to what Tarot card. The second technique was to add a keyword to that Element, and to work on reducing the time it took for you to deal a card, name the card and two keywords or DMs associated with that card; and also the Element along with a keyword for that Element.

In this post we will add one or two new concepts to the Elements and then apply that to a two card Tarot reading.

Do you remember when I mentioned that the four Elements were like the glue that holds the Tarot together? I want to take a moment to expand on that point before I introduce some new concepts on the Elements.

The four Elements bind the Tarot together and provide it with its structure. Philosophically, they actually provide the whole Universe with its structure and the Tarot simply symbolises this. However, if it was possible for the four Elements to completely bind together, then nothing in the whole Universe would be able to move, or change for that matter. This is a very important point that I would like you to think about over the next couple of days.

There are two really important dynamics that the Elements bring to a Tarot reading. First, they are constantly trying to achieve a perfect balance and like I mentioned before, should they succeed, everything would cease. The second important dynamic is that they cannot achieve perfect balance because some of the Elements are not compatible with each other. This constant tension or flux helps to ensure a slight separation between them and also allows things to change, progress, go ‘backwards’ and so on.

Check out the relationship the Elements have with each other:

1. Fire and Water are enemies; they weaken each others influence
2. Air and Earth are enemies; they weaken each others influence
3. All other possible combination’s are friendly to each other
4. Fire and Air are active, dynamic influences
5. Water and Earth are passive influences

When you read the words, “…are enemies of each other”, you might come to the conclusion that this sounds like an unnatural dynamic. On the contrary, as I mentioned above, this very dynamic is what allows change to be brought into your life; for surprises to be brought into your life. This dynamic is what prevents the four Elements from ever achieving perfect harmony or balance.

What I want you to recognise most of all is the tension or flux that exists between the Elements; that this tension, in some senses is what drives the Whole Universe, it provides the force to overcome that which cannot be overcome. They are constantly seeking a perfect harmony and are never able to achieve this. It is a paradox and a tension that exists within every moment of our lives and within every Tarot reading you will ever do.

In a Tarot reading, we will always look at the Elemental make-up of the cards first, before ever looking at the DMs. We will do this for two reasons: Firstly, we want to know how the Elements are trying to achieve a perfect harmony within the client’s life. We want to know this because we want to see were the Elements are having problems compensating from a lack or excess of a particular Element. This will provide us with valuable information on how to ‘predict’ future trends.

For example, imagine a 10 card Celtic Cross spread (I will be explaining how to use a Celtic Cross spread near the end of this tutorial series) that has only 2 Fire cards and 1 Air card. We know then, that the other 7 cards are passive influences. We can see at a glance that the passive influence within the spread is excessive and we know the Elements will be trying to compensate for this lack of balance through the influence of the 2 Fire and 1 Air cards. Without even looking at the DMs of the cards, we know that within the clients life change is needed; we know that the situation has probably been like that for a while and that things are unlikely to change in the short term. We might also suspect a negative mental attitude or a type of depression at work.

The second reason we look at the influence of the four Elements within a Tarot reading is to see where the point of change occurs. The reason we can find that point of change is because this is the point of Elemental tension and flux I talked about earlier (this technique really comes into its own with the Opening of the Key spread). We simply have to find the point in which we think the Client will start to visibly notice change brought about through this tension.

Remember, although the Elements can never achieve a perfect harmony, they can come very close. Naturally, because the relationships between the Elements don’t allow things to remain still for any length of time, these situations are relatively short lived; the only constant in the Universe is change.

Let’s look at the same set of cards we dealt out when we first practiced doing a two card Tarot reading, and see how the influences of the Elements can change the ‘story’ we tell the client.

Example Two Card Readings Using The Four Elements

Last time, I said these two cards represented profound debt. Let’s take a step back and look at what influences the Elements are having and what information we can gather from that alone. Firstly, we know that Air and Earth are enemies of each other. We know that they weaken each others influence and provide a neutralising effect. This means that no action, because the combined Elements are now neither Active nor Passive, will be taken by the client. Essentially this combination of Elements represents nothing changing. Also, we can use our imaginations and say that Air is being trapped by Earth; it wants to break free but can’t – the landscape won’t allow it.

How are the four Elements trying to achieve a perfect harmony?

The missing Elements are Fire and Water; Fire brings change and Water brings enjoyment and life to a situation. The lack of these two Elements suggests that this is how they will try and re-balance themselves. The lack of Fire, in other words, the lack of anything changing, will place the client under enormous strain to change their circumstances; it could also imply that things outside of the clients control will also be subject to this influence. This could be the ‘outside’ help that will assist the client. The lack of Water, in other words, the lack of enjoyment or (water is what allows life to exist) the lack of ‘life’ the client will have suggests an unbearable, and depressing situation. Notice how the Elements are placing the client under enormous strain, how enjoyment of life has been removed. This is the pressure point that the Elements are using to try and achieve a perfect balance.

Last time, when I combined these two cards I said, marriage!

Elementally, this is a good combination. The Elements are friendly to each other and the influence of Earth (Hierophant) provides a grounding and supportive platform for the changes the Fire Element wants to bring. Interestingly, we have an active Element and a passive Element. This suggests that nothing major will change or happen. However, when we combine the DMs with the cards we could imagine a situation where this is the culmination of past efforts. Also, with the Earth providing that supportive and stabilizing influence, we could imagine a situation that will be very enjoyable for some time – nothing major is changing at this point.

Last time, I said that this person will be moving abroad.

Again we have two Elements that have a neutralising influence on each other. However, this is one of those times when the Fool can represent the influence of Spirit as opposed to Air. In this sense, this combination of Elements will breathe new life into the clients future.

Last time I said I would be inclined to say we cannot trust this man in matters of love.

Elementally, we have a neutralising influence again. This is an interesting combination because it involves a Court card. I usually attribute the cards next to a Court card as defining that person to some extent. In this sense we can see that Air defines his Watery nature. This implies somebody who either needs to use their minds to think through how they feel or how they feel influences how they think. The very nature of this combination implies mixed signals. They are mixed because Elementally, this person is still working them out. When we combine that with the DMs of the cards we can see that this person is using the Seven of Swords to help him think things through. This card is deceitful, combined with the Elements we have a person who relies on deceitful methods to get what he wants from a relationship.

Last time, I said this combination might indicate a new found independence.

Here we have two Active cards. This implies change and unpredictability (change is often unpredictable). The Air could be guiding the actions of Fire; it will also be providing it with the oxygen to keep the flames burning bright. However, notice the lack of Earth as fuel. This implies that this action will burn itself out eventually. When we add in the DMs to the picture we get the sense that this person will achieve what they are looking for before the fuel is gone. A good set of cards but the lack of Water suggests that the person will be ignoring how they feel, and perhaps the feelings of others as they achieve what they need to.

Last time, I mentioned risk taking behaviour and betrayal. The Water and Air Elements produce a neutralising influence where no changes will occur at this time. Air and Water often lend themselves to viewing the cards as representing an ‘inner psychology’ of the client, or the people around the client. In this case, we see Air thinking about how they feel (Water). Certainly, this would indicate negative thought processes and reckless actions. The lack of change I mentioned above is related to the fact that this ‘set of behaviours and thought process’ will continue for some time. The overall feeling will be unhappiness, and an inability to feel settled.

Last time, I said “The Four of Swords indicates somebody who has retreated from the world and the Eight of Wands indicates rapid events. Perhaps we are seeing somebody who is being forced from their isolation.”

The Air and Fire combination is a very active and changeable influence. Things will not stay the same and when ever we see this combination we must expect changes, both in terms of how the person sees things and in terms of their circumstances.

I know this is a lot to take in but if you can try and take a step back and just use the few keywords and associations that we have learned, these techniques will begin to provide strong foundations for your future career as a Tarot reader.

Tomorrow we look at reversed cards in a Tarot reading and over the next couple of posts we will be building up our understanding of the Elements and seeing how they influence our client’s life.

In the meantime, I’d like you to continue the practice sessions we have already put in place but, if you feel ready, start interpreting the influence of the Elements first, before you look at the influence of the DMs.

This post is part of the Beginners Tutorial To Reading Tarot Cards.

(Theoretically) Related Posts:

• Timing and Predicting when Events will Happen with Astrological associations
• An Introduction To The Elemental Dignities Compendium
• Three Ways To Accurately Predict When Events Will Happen
• Study Guide To The Beginners Tutorial To Reading Tarot Cards
• How To Communicate With The Client

The four Elements provide your Tarot deck with a structure, a kind of glue that keeps all the separate and different components represented within the 78 Tarot cards together and working as a whole. By being aware of Elemental Dignities within your Tarot readings, you will be able to see the whole picture represented by your Tarot spread and symbolising the clients life.

I want to keep this tutorial as practical as possible but there a few things that need to be mentioned. Firstly, using the Elements within a Tarot reading is as much art as it is technique and secondly, don’t be too concerned with trying to work out the effects the Elements are having; much like learning the 78 Tarot cards, keep things simple.

When we learned the 78 Tarot cards, we first learned how to recognise the cards before we looked at applying two keywords. I will be following the same principles with this post. Stage one involves learning to recognise the Elements and stage two involves building upon that with one or two key concepts. With all that said, let’s look at stage one.

Stage One

In the interest of keeping things simple, all I want you to recognise when you see a card is the Element itself. Here’s how to do that:

• The suit of Wands is Fire
• The suit of Cups is Water
• The suit of Swords is Air
• The suit of Disks is Earth

All 78 Tarot cards are associated with an Element, even the 22 picture cards. In case you are unsure what Element to apply to the picture cards I have provided a list below which should help.

1. The Fool is the Element Air (or Spirit)
2. The Magus is the Element Air (or Spirit)
3. The Priestess is the Element Water
4. The Empress is the Element Earth
5. The Emperor is the Element Fire
6. The Hierophant is the Element Earth
7. The Lovers is the Element Air
8. The Chariot is the Element Water
9. Justice is the Element Air
10. The Hermit is the Element Earth
11. Fortune is the Element Fire
12. Strength is the Element Fire
13. The Hanged Man is the Element Water
14. Death is the Element Water
15. Temperance is the Element Fire
16. The Devil is the Element Earth
17. The Tower is the Element Fire
18. The Star is the Element Air
19. The Moon is the Element Water
20. The Sun is the Element Fire
21. Judgement is the Element Fire
22. The World is the Element Earth

That’s all you need to practice for Stage One.

Stage Two

In this stage we will be applying a key concept to each of the Elements. Again, I am only going to mention one or two key concepts for the reasons I stated when we learned the 78 Tarot cards. I want you to avoid learning hundreds of keywords and concepts per card which will ultimately undermine your ability to do a successful and competent reading.

For the Element Fire, apply this concept:

Things are moving and things are changing. Fire represents change.

For the Element Water, apply this concept:

Things are not moving. Things are staying the same.

For the Element Air, apply this concept:

There are problems.

For the Element Earth, apply this concept:

Things are grounded. Things are stable.

Now, when you practice dealing out the cards, follow this structure:

1. Start your practice session dealing out one card and instantly naming it and the two keywords you learned in a previous post
2. Now, look at the card and try and fix into your mind what the Element associated with it would be
3. Repeat this process until you can comfortably name the Elements that are associated with all 78 Tarot cards
4. Deal out two cards and name their Elemental associations
5. Finally, do a two card reading
   • I will be covering how to use the Elements with two cards tomorrow but for the moment I’d like you to try and apply this technique to your two card readings by yourself

Tomorrow, we will look at different ways the Elements can help us read two cards together. We will also be adding to the key concepts that I have suggested for each of the Elements. If you have any questions or suggestions please leave a comment; are the posts too long or two short? Have I explained things clearly enough? I’d love to hear how you guys are getting on with this tutorial.

If you would like some additional information on how to use the four Elements within a Tarot reading then check out the following articles:

1. A series of articles that explains how to read the Tarot using the four elements – Pick A Card, Any Card…
2. Elemental Dignity Rules.
3. Also, you might like to check out a few articles that I have already written on EDs: The Elements.

This post is part of the Beginners Tutorial To Reading Tarot Cards.

(Theoretically) Related Posts:

• An Introduction To The Elemental Dignities Compendium
• Timing and Predicting when Events will Happen with Astrological associations
• The Complete Guide To Using Elemental Dignities In A Tarot Reading!
• The Hierarchy of the Court Cards: Why Rank Really Does Matter
• The Element Air – How It Can Inform A Tarot Reading

In the previous two posts we covered choosing a Tarot deck and how to learn all 78 Tarot card meanings. In this post, we are going to take our growing recognition of the different Tarot cards and combine them into two card readings.

In the last post, I tried to encourage you not to go beyond learning more than two keywords per card. I think it’s appropriate for me, at this time, to explain why. A strange phenomena occurs when people try and memorise lots of different information on a single Tarot card; their minds lock when it comes to combining them into a Tarot reading. I don’t really know why this is but I have witnessed it enough to know that less is more.

If I was to speculate, I would say that their mind goes into a type of ‘rational’ overdrive; sifting through hundreds of different possibilities for each card, resulting in a kind of freezing effect where it becomes very difficult to allow their minds to flow. Fortunately, if this is the beginning of your Tarot journey, you are doing yourself a massive favour by avoiding the information out there that encourages excessive study of one card.

This is where the benefits of not trying to memorise hundreds of different keywords and symbols will really start to pay off; your mind will be freed from all that information and you will be able to interpret and combine the cards in a free flowing style. I would even speculate that this will allow you to have confidence in combining the cards in non-traditional ways. This is a very good thing because in a Tarot reading we are trying to go beyond the cards to help the client; both in terms of ‘seeing’ what’s going to happen but also in terms of ‘seeing’ different possible futures. This can, on occasion, although certainly not all the time, empower the client.

One final point before we launch into looking at some examples: try and avoid doing readings for yourself or other people you know, at least in the beginning. The reason I mention this is because I want you be as creative as possible. Not only will this help your connection with Tarot but also allow confidence to develop within yourself as a Tarot reader.

When I was first learning I did readings for both myself and friends. The problem with this, on reflection, was that I knew my friends! I knew that the Emperor did not indicate an employer because they were not employed and I knew that the Universe (World) card didn’t indicate an emigration to another country. In other words, because I knew my friends, I automatically learned not to be intuitive with the cards.

This caused two major problems for me when I started doing Tarot readings professionally. The first problem that I experienced were the expectations of the clients, in the sense of what the clients hoped the future would bring, being different from my friends. In other words I reduced everybody’s experience of life into what my friends experienced. The second problem is actually a continuation of the first; I had to unlearn these bad practices. That is why I want you to start off the right way, by only learning a few keywords per card and to avoid the temptation to do ‘actual’ Tarot readings as a replacement for spending time going through these exercises.

What I’d prefer you to do would be to practice both learning the divinatory meanings of the Tarot cards and combining them into two card readings as a study exercise. Spend time each day doing as many of these exercises as you can. The key is to do it so often that it slowly becomes an unconscious process. Try and challenge yourself by imagining all the different expectations people can have and let that guide your learning process.

With all that said let’s look at some examples:

We know that the Three of Swords represents a separation of some kind which usually accompanies a feeling of great stress. We know that Disks are usually associated with Money and the seven often indicates a period of time before things start to improve. When I combine these two cards I would say: profound debt!

We know the Four of Wands indicates a celebration and the Hierophant on some decks is represented as a Pope. When I combine these two cards I would say: Marriage!

The Fool indicates something new and when combined with the Universe card I would be inclined to say that this person will be moving abroad.

The Prince of Cups indicates an approaching lover and the Seven of Swords indicates deception. When we combine these two cards I would be inclined to say we cannot trust this man in matters of love.

The Eight of Swords indicates limitation and the Six of Wands indicates a success. When combined this might indicate new found independence; possibly this also indicates that other people recognise that they were ‘wrong’ in relation to the newly independent person.

The Four of Cups indicates boredom and the Five of Swords indicates a betrayal. Maybe the person in question doesn’t appreciate what they have; we are looking at (destructive risk taking behaviour) somebody who will betray the ones closest to them.

The Four of Swords indicates somebody who has retreated from the world and the Eight of Wands indicates rapid events. Perhaps we are seeing somebody who is being forced from their isolation.

These are just a few examples to help you with your practice.

To conclude, this is how I would recommend you practice:

1. Continue to practice the speed in which you can recognise a Tarot card
2. Continue to practice the speed in which you can state two keywords for that Tarot card
3. Practice dealing out two Tarot cards and
   • name the two cards
   • state two divinatory meanings for the two Tarot cards
4. Do a two card reading
5. Try and practice regularly
6. Keep an eye out for any dreams at this time

Although I have called this exercise a two card Tarot reading, it is much more than that. It is the foundation upon which all Tarot readings are built. In many ways these exercises are the hardest in the whole tutorial series because there are only two cards; it is much easier to validate the ‘meaning’ with more cards present. Tomorrow we will look at Elemental Dignities and this lesson, along with that one, will lay very strong foundations for you to grow as a confident and competent Tarot reader.

This post is part of the Beginners Tutorial To Reading Tarot Cards.

(Theoretically) Related Posts:

• An Introduction To The Elemental Dignities Compendium
• Reversed Tarot Cards Explained
• Timing and Predicting when Events will Happen with Astrological associations
• How to Troubleshoot a Tarot Reading when it makes no Sense
• Tarot Surgery! How Come I Can See Things In The Cards Quickly and Other Times I Can’t?

This post will provide good, practical methods that you can use to learn the divinatory meanings of all 78 Tarot cards. At this stage of the learning process it’s important that we get things into perspective. It is completely unnecessary, within the context of learning how to read Tarot cards for others, to attempt to understand each card in depth. That means that at this stage, and to be honest, at any stage, the study of Astrology, the Qabbalah, Numerology or Alchemy, is not required to become a great Tarot reader. To illustrate this, let’s take a step back for a moment and look at what a Tarot reading is attempting to do.

The most obvious thing a Tarot reading is trying to do is highlight the influences of the past, understand the circumstances of the present and predict the most likely future. A note of caution when we talk about predicting the future: a Tarot reading will predict future events; however, it provides no fixed outcome to those events. This is a very important point, in that a Tarot reading is a narrative, a story that you tell to the client and is not a definitive outcome; what story ever has a definitive outcome, or more importantly, what can we conclusively state as being an outcome to anything? Certainly, scientists don’t talk in terms of absolutes – that would be unscientific. It’s unscientific because life itself has no conclusive absolutes. Even the most self-evident absolutes, such as death, are not conclusive because we have no idea, in terms of ‘absolutes’ what happens before birth or after death. We’re not at a stage to understand these events so institutions and people, from religions, scientists, mystics and philosophers, tell narratives or stories about these ‘events’, but not one of them (although some may try) can state that their version of the story is complete.

As Tarot readers we find ourselves in a similar situation. We are predicting the future and providing a narrative but caution should be used in ever stating it is absolute.

I would like you to take a moment to reflect on my reasons for stating that we don’t have to get ‘in-depth’ with each individual card in order to provide good Tarot readings.

In fact, a good way to start this reflection would be this: life itself does not require us to have a knowledge of every force of Nature, every event or every possible phenomenon in order to simply enjoy and understand life. Rather, most people have a very vague or general idea about certain phenomena and yet, this vague or simple understanding can actually lead to great overall insight and wisdom (relative to actually trying to gain a knowledge of every possible component).

It is useful to consider the differences between understanding and knowledge. I would like you all to think about these important points as we continue on our journey in learning how to do Tarot readings.

Stage One

The first thing to do then is memorise the names of all 78 Tarot cards. The best way to begin this process is to take a Tarot card from the deck and look at it. Try and fix its image and name in your mind so that you can comfortably and instantly name all 78 Tarot cards. For example, I’ve just pulled a card from my deck called the Six of Cups. I’m going to try and fix the image and name (the Six of Cups) firmly in my mind so that the next time I see that card I can instantly say that this is the Six of Cups.

Repeat this process for all 78 cards. I want you to get to a stage where you can easily, without any effort whatsoever, identify the names of each Tarot card. Try and build this up slowly so that there is no time delay between seeing the card and shouting out its name. This really simple technique is actually doing something very powerful and very subtle; it is slowly creating a link between you and the Tarot cards. At some point during this process you will most likely experience powerful dreams where you will find yourself engaging with the characters and events pictured within your cards. This is an excellent indicator that you are building up a living relationship with your deck.

Stage Two

The second stage builds gently upon the first. This time, when you pick a card, try and associate that card with no more than two divinatory meanings. It is important that you aim for two and only two. We will get into the reasons for this later on in this Tutorial Series, but for the moment aim to remember only two keywords per card.

For example, I’ve just picked the Five of Cups. The keywords that I use are, ‘feeling like you have been let down by somebody or something’, and ‘a loss’.

Repeat this process for all 78 cards. Again, you will find that this process will build up a living relationship between you and your Tarot deck. Try and get to a stage where there is no time delay between picking the card, naming the card and stating two keywords.

Click here if you would like to see a list of Tarot card keywords and divinatory definitions that I use with the Tarot cards. There is also a brilliant resource on Paul’s Supertarot website that gives Tarot card meanings that you may like to study.

Overall then the process that I would like you to use in learning the meaning of all 78 Tarot cards is:

1. Pick a random card and lock the image into your mind and name it
2. Build up the speed in which you can state the card name when you see the image
3. Attempt to get to the point where there is no delay at all between seeing the Tarot card and being able to name it
4. I would also suggest that you record your dreams during this learning process
5. Once you are comfortable with the above points try and associate each card with no more than two keywords
6. Again, try and get to a stage where there is no time delay between seeing the card, naming the card and stating two key words

To conclude, at this point in your learning it’s important to realise that more keywords or an in-depth knowledge of the Qabbalah, Astrology or Numerology will not make you a better reader. This is one of those cases where less is actually more.

When I was learning the Tarot, I used this article on Tarot Lessons, Elemental Dignities And Card Counting and both my career as a Tarot reader as well as the content of this post have very much been influenced by it.

This post is part of the Beginners Tutorial To Reading Tarot Cards.

(Theoretically) Related Posts:

• Timing and Predicting when Events will Happen with Astrological associations
• Why using Rationality to Access Intuition Works
• Which Tarot Deck is the right Deck to learn with?
• Three Techniques For Reading Health Questions
• Killing The Tarot Spread: How and Why I Ditched Positional Layouts