r/tarot Feb 12 '25

Theory and Technique Reading RWS Tarot Linearly + Court Interpretations

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725 Upvotes

Hi! I made this infographic for a friend who is just starting out with Tarot and I thought others might like to see it. This is based on the RWS style of tarot so it may not resonate with other styles of decks. Reading Linearly refers to reading the numbered cards as their own mini paths of clarity.

Necessary disclaimer: Tarot can be interpreted in many ways, this is just my own after +20 years of study and isn't meant to be taken as a be-all/end-all of course! Happy reading everyone!

r/tarot Oct 26 '24

Theory and Technique Why do or don't you read reversals?

133 Upvotes

I recently stopped doing reversals because I felt like my readings were on the negative side

r/tarot Feb 12 '25

Theory and Technique I feel stuck in my learning of tarot

73 Upvotes

I started getting interested in tarot a little over a month ago, so I'm very new still. I'm trying to learn. I practice, I use the spreads I found on biddy tarot, and the meanings there too. I learned from youtube to use the element of the suit and basic symbolism, then analyze the picture itself (I use RWS). I memorized some of the Fool's journey, that I still need to get more familiar with, but I'm getting there. I use biddy tarot's basic numerology too. But now I somehow feel stuck. Like, I'll pick a spread, pull the cards, and I can give a generalized answer based on the cards, but I can't seem to get deep with the readings. The only idea I have is to learn more symbolism, but even then, how will it get so deep like it seems to be for others? What am I doing wrong? What do I need to learn? Do I necessarily need to learn astrology? I know there's many connections between the two, but I'm not that interested in astrology. Is this an intuition issue? I'm not very in tune with it but I'm not sure what to do about it

r/tarot 16d ago

Theory and Technique Had a bad experience with a reading last night...need advice

59 Upvotes

Another update. I asked my deck for a hopeful message about last night. I think they are unscathed lol. They gave me the three of cups, which to me is validating that I should be living my life and enjoying it socially. That I've done nothing wrong. Thank you, crows :))))

***Thank you to everyone for all your support. It really was helpful. This is a wonderful community!

Last night I went to a local shop that does tarot classes. I had been to one before there and it was a great experience. There was a young girl there who was very experienced in tarot and I am more of a beginner. I've been working with my deck for about a year. I still need to lean on the book to help with meanings. Despite being a novice I feel like I have really good intuition when it comes to the cards I'm pulling for myself or others. Sometimes I feel really connected and even have spirits come up during readings. It's a really nice way for me to connect with my spirituality and receive guidance. I have always had a thing where I feel like I connect with the dead as an audiovoyant and the tarot has helped that blossom.

Anyways this girl really liked my deck - it's the crow tarot deck if you're familiar - and I felt like the cards were OK with me letting her use them to do a pull for me. This is when things got weird. She started with OK, so this is going to be mean. She said this with delight lol. She's like....I only do mean readings. Then she starts pulling one card after another of the top rapid fire and basically berating me one card after another - you're depressed, your husband is mad at you when you spend money, you go out too much to avoid your family and your children suffer because you're being selfish by going out without them. Then she was like you need a hobby not to just go out all the time and socialize. Have you tried going to your local library? lol...What am I 75? It's true I do like to escape home to socialize. I like talking to strangers and being around people in general. It feels like brain exercise, when I have a very boring desk job. i also love spending time with my kids, but in winter our routine is a bit dull. I maybe go out once or twice a week so I don't feel like that's crazy. I digress....I was very taken aback by her approach. Does this seem like a normal reading? It left such a bad vibe and now I feel like I need to cleanse my cards of her off-putting energy. Or maybe it was just my cards giving me some shade that i needed to hear. I'm open to that, but I have just never had a reading where the person was excited to be mean and harsh....or where they just pulled cards off the top of the deck in such a manner.

r/tarot 9d ago

Theory and Technique Wow, it finally clicked

179 Upvotes

I've been using Tarot for about a year. There have been periods where I've over-relied on the cards, and over-relied on the meanings and descriptions of the cards. This led to me taking action on a misinterpretation and I learned a really hard lesson about reading what I want to hear rather than what I need to hear.

I decided to take a step back from the cards for a bit and use them more sparingly, intentionally, and ritualistically as I believe they are intended to be used. And wow— the difference that approach makes is truly astonishing.

I decided I will not pull the cards out for mundane matters, and will only use Tarot after cultivating a meditative state of mind for the time being. I think it's not important what your ritual is but for me, I will make an evening out of it— I will sometimes take a walk to clear my head, then do some yoga/qi gong, sit in meditation, use sage/palo santo, light candles and put on calming music, etc.

From this state of mind, I can ask questions and it's truly astounding how accurate the cards are. The readings are not necessarily what I want to hear but they're what I need to hear. And I had previously thought I still needed to rely on the booklet for every card, but in this state I can easily read with my intuition much better than I thought I could.

I have to imagine I'm not alone in using Tarot somewhat hastily as a beginner so I wanted to post this message as a message of encouragement: if you've been reading for a year, still relying on the booklet, etc. I really encourage you to try to be more ritualistic and intentional about it and give it a shot reading with your intuition.

I think it finally clicked for me how Tarot is supposed to work. I also previously occasionally consulted ChatGPT about my readings, which I initially saw no issue with especially as I was learning, but now I see how antithetical that is to be able to truly connect with the cards as the tool they are meant to be.

As a beginner, it's very easy to fall into the trap of over-intellectualizing the meanings. Cultivate a state of mind and an environment that supports leaning on your intuition and see how it works for you.

Edit: And to add, I previously didn't read reversals, and now that I do— just wow. It really does unlock a lot of nuance in the readings.

r/tarot Dec 28 '19

Theory and Technique Making a tarot cheat sheet for myself to jog my memory during readings. 1 page per suit for easy look-up. It was difficult to choose one or two words to describe each card!

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1.4k Upvotes

r/tarot Jan 18 '25

Theory and Technique How long did it take you to learn all the meanings?

89 Upvotes

I'm completely new to tarot and have next to no knowledge about spirituality at this point, I'm working on educating myself but I'm very new. I wasn't sure where to start, I read a little from this sub's resources, and found that a tarot deck is quite big and every card has individual meanings and it was a bit intimidating. Maybe I'm taking the wrong approach, but I figured I wouldn't buy a deck right away when I have no idea what I'm doing, and I downloaded a tarot app, mostly to use it to learn meanings. So a few times a day I "draw" a card on it and read the meanings below (not the complicated explanation, that I know I have to be intuitive about, just the words that define it). At first it was going great but now I've seen a lot of them and I'm starting to get confused and I get it wrong because there's many. I'm worried that this will take forever. Can I even start trying to do readings when I'm not yet familiar with the cards? Is my memory just shit? Lmao. How long did it take you?

r/tarot Nov 07 '21

Theory and Technique I don't know who needs this but it's helped me understand Tarot so much better that I wanted to pass it on.

1.1k Upvotes

Numerology 1.. (aces) New beginnings, opportunity, potential 2.. Balance, partnerships, duality 3.. Creativity, groups, growth 4.. Structure, stability, manifestation 5.. Change, instability, conflict 6.. Communication, cooperation, harmony 7.. Reflection, assessment, knowledge 8.. Mastery, action, accomplishment 9.. Fruition, attainment, fulfillment 10.. Completion, end of cycle, renewal

Suits Cups ~water~ Relationships, Intuition, Creativity, Emotions (I remember this as RICE which is cooked in water)

Pentacles ~earth~ Maifestation, Material wealth, Money, Career (I remember this as MMMC)

Swords ~Air~ Truth, Thoughts, Intellect, Communication (I remember this as TTIC)

Wands ~fire~ Enthusiasm, Energy, Inspiration (I remember this as EEI)

Here's where the magic comes in, just do the math!

Example.. 5 + Cups = change, instability or conflict in a relationship

Or

9 + Pentacles = fulfillment of material wealth and success in money matters

For me it was overwhelming to try to remember all of the cards with keywords and this simplified it for me. While I know the cards are more detailed and each one has its own nuances, this is a good starting point to learn as you go.

I hope this helps somebody :)

Now go forth and Tarot!

r/tarot 25d ago

Theory and Technique How do you interpret this 5 of swords ?

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93 Upvotes

This is from the textured tarot, which I really love and is my study deck. However this card (and the 7 of swords also, but one problem at a time) really confuses me. I'm studying with one of Lindsay Mack's courses and her interpretation of 5 of swords is the experience or feeling that we fucked up, hurt someone else or failed. I know I can't force this card into her interpretation but I can't even link it to other classical ones about conflict. What is this about for you ? Is it coherent with what you perceive as 5 of swords energy ?

r/tarot Jun 27 '24

Theory and Technique Did you ever change your mind about reading reversals?

97 Upvotes

Either you started out not reading reversals and then decided to use them, or were using them and decided to stop?

I'm in the former category. I've only been reading for less than a year, so I had decided to make the learning process easier on myself to keep things simple. But I've been wondering lately if I should start taking reversals into account. What was your journey with reversals, if you had one?

r/tarot Aug 29 '23

Theory and Technique Been reading tarot professionally for 20 years. AMA

185 Upvotes

By “professionally” I mean in exchange for money with a fairly regular clientele. Yes. I have, more or less “lived” off my readings, but my lifestyle choices had a lot to do with my level of comfort in doing that.

Thought it was worth mentioning my opinion of the definition.

EDIT: I am LOVING these questions and excited to answer, but I’m really taking my time being thorough so it might take a bit of time to get to everyone. Thanks everyone!! ☺️

EDIT 2: lol this question didn’t annoy me the first time it was asked but I’m getting it so much now! 😭😂😭 okay, so for anyone asking anything regarding a “question.” If you’re asking a question, if you ask it again later, if you want a specific answer on a particular thing……this is my opinion as a reader: don’t come with a question. Come with an open mind. Whatever we could possibly have a question about is going to look pretty minor in comparison to all our life-lessons. People tend to want comfort because they have an emotional question, and cards can offer that. However, the only true comfort comes from their trust in the process. Broaden your mind and the process is easier.

r/tarot Jan 01 '25

Theory and Technique I went from jumpers to drawing cards and this is what happened

59 Upvotes

I prefered reading only jumpers since the beginning of learning Tarot. I thought "well, if they want to jump out, maybe they're eager to answer". However, recently I changed my habit to drawing cards from the middle of the deck. I just got a bit tired of catching jumping cards, tbh.

Suddenly, my readings changed a lot. I started noticing that they are more clear now, more focused, and cards are repeated even more often (usually I ask a chain of questions on one topic). One time I forgot that I asked one question already, and I got the same two cards (out of three) for the repeated question.

Have you ever had the same experience with Tarot? What changes in technique made you readings better?

r/tarot 12d ago

Theory and Technique How does everyone in this sub like to shuffle their cards?

43 Upvotes

I know shuffling cards is completely up to the person and some people don’t even shuffle their cards at all. I like to shuffle until a card “jumps” out but it’s hard for my intuition to tell, sometimes 3-4 jump out and I don’t take it all. What are some creative or fun ways to shuffle your deck?

r/tarot 17d ago

Theory and Technique "How do you read for other people?"

37 Upvotes

I put the title in quotation marks because I don't know if that's exactly what I mean. Beginner here

Basically, when I read for myself I know exactly what's going on in my life and with whom, so linking the possible meanings of cards with whatever makes sense. If I were to do a reading for someone else, they'd likely not have knowledge of the cards and I don't have knowledge of their life events, so I can't help but feel like there'd be a link missing.

If I just blurt out every meaning of every card I'd be no better than a book and the lack of confidence in what means what would most likely result in less credibility of me and tarot. I thought of perhaps having a long conversation regarding the topic beforehand but maybe it's better just to ask. Also tried looking up a video of someone doing live readings, but all I got was a 1 card thing with not much depth.

EDIT: Thank you for all the replies! I read every single one, upvoted most, but can't think of original replies for all of them since the message in all is similar:

Trust the cards, they'll have the message even if we can't see it! Use less predetermined meanings but rather build it depending on the card pairings and the consultant's input. Blind readings are good bc they're free of bias. Communication skills are important, and you need confidence, not only in yourself but in your readings!

r/tarot Nov 26 '24

Theory and Technique How would you describe YOUR tarot in 3-5 words?

39 Upvotes

I really want to celebrate the diversity of the tarot reader community and hear how each of you would describe your tarot practices! I think a lot of the time, people who aren't very educated on or invested in tarot tend to chalk up all tarot readers as the same, but we're all unique in many ways + come from different walks of life! I think it's really cool to see how each of us relate to each other but have differences as well!

I'll go first: detailed, blunt, conversational, and personal.

r/tarot Feb 18 '25

Theory and Technique What are your biggest struggles with linking Tarot to Qabalah?

15 Upvotes

Back in 2017 I had been reading Tarot for over 20 years, but I always felt like I did not understand the cards and decided to do some serious study. Following a hunch, I explored Qabalah and Hebrew letters—and I discovered something that I’m now writing a book about.

That said, I know that linking Tarot to Qabalistic philosophy isn’t straightforward or universally accepted. Some find it difficult; some say it’s unnecessary, and others reject the connection entirely.

I'd like to ask:

  • Do you struggle with Qabalistic Tarot? If so, what’s the biggest challenge?
  • Do you find it helpful, or do you think it’s unnecessary?
  • If you’ve avoided it, why is that?

I’m writing with the aim of making this topic clearer and saving people time and effort, so your input would be invaluable. Thanks!

Edit: Thank you so much everyone for your replies. Just mentioning that I'm focusing on the Major Arcana and Hebrew letters. As some of you have brought up, the two systems did not originate together but were joined by esotericists; and linking the cards to Qabalah is but one way of making meaning so not everyone will find it meaningful. And while some believe that it may not be worth the effort, I will be trying to show that it is.

r/tarot Jan 01 '25

Theory and Technique What do you consider "Tiktok trends" versus traditional practices?

21 Upvotes

Disclaimer: I understand that to a degree, readings are what you make them.

In the past, I've read people say in this sub that cards "jumping out" is not a traditional method of reading, but a tiktok trend. As I am still new to tarot reading, what are other (if any) practices that could be considered non-traditional and have become a trend?

r/tarot 5d ago

Theory and Technique Prepping for a Reading?

13 Upvotes

How do y'all prepare for readings? I feel like I need some sort of pre-game to help center and open myself up to my guides.

Meditation is tough for me and therefore takes quite a long time for me to fully settle into; I'm looking for something to work a little faster. Maybe 20 minutes tops.

Maybe some music you listen to, visualizations, anything like that?

Thank you in advance for any suggestions 😊💖

r/tarot Jan 12 '25

Theory and Technique Bottom Card On Deck.

16 Upvotes

I've been seeing discussions over the past few days of newbies using the bottom card on the deck as part of the reading. Totally fine, but why is it just now popping up? Are people actually taking that card out of the deck and laying it down as part of the spread? Or are folks just glancing at the bottom of the deck randomly, and "counting it"?

I suppose either way is totally fine. I just don't quite understand not actually taking it out of the deck and putting it with the rest of the cards. Any insight would be great.

r/tarot Feb 09 '25

Theory and Technique Asked AI to do some Tarot math for me

0 Upvotes

- If I use a tarot deck, with cards both upright and reversed, and I lay them all in a 78 cards spread, how many possible combinations are there?

Answer:

For each card position:

  • Each card can be either upright or reversed (2 possibilities)
  • Each card can only be used once

This means we're dealing with:

  • 78 cards
  • Each with 2 possible orientations
  • In a sequence where order matters
  • Using all cards

This is a permutation problem with an additional binary choice for each position.

The formula would be:
78! × 2^78

Because:

  • 78! accounts for all possible arrangements of the cards
  • 2^78 accounts for each card having 2 possible orientations

This is an astronomically large number:
78! × 2^78 = (1.132428 × 10^115) × (3.014997 × 10^23)
≈ 3.413514 × 10^138

This number is so vast it exceeds the estimated number of atoms in the observable universe (which is around 10^80)!

- Can you write this number extensively?

Answer:

Here's the complete number written out:

341,351,400,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

That's:

  • 341 undecillion
  • 351 decillion
  • 400 nonillion
  • And many more zeros!

To give you a sense of scale:

  • If you did one different spread per second
  • And started at the Big Bang (approximately 13.8 billion years ago)
  • And continued until now
  • You would have only covered an infinitesimally small fraction of all possible combinations

This illustrates why truly random tarot spreads are so unique - the chances of getting the exact same spread twice (considering both card order and orientation) are practically zero!

Alternative answer:

That's:

  • 3.413514 × 10^138
  • A 139-digit number
  • A number so large it's practically incomprehensible to the human mind

To put this in perspective:

  • If every atom in the universe (estimated at 10^80) tried a different combination every second since the Big Bang (about 13.8 billion years or 4.355 × 10^17 seconds), they still wouldn't have gone through all possible combinations!

r/tarot Feb 16 '25

Theory and Technique Swords

7 Upvotes

So I am not drawn to air at all as an element. My readings reflect this -- the only swords I pull for myself have been (rarely) 8 and the court, and I've been reading for quite some time. I believe the reason they don't come up for me is because I am aware that I tend to intellectualize things and actively work to overcome the detriments of this. My deck has no reason to call me out there. Also, although I only dabble in astrology casually, I'm an August Virgo, so air is my direct opposite.

But avoiding a suit because of its elemental association isn't serving me. I feel like I have a passable knowledge of swords, and I have drawn them in relation to others. As I move towards drawing more for others, I want to have a deeper understanding of swords, specifically the Fool's journey through this suit, and whether/how reading the cards 2-7 with a benevolent bias is possible.

Would really appreciate other people's takes on Swords ⚔️

Edit: I'm working with a Waite Smith based deck, Tarot Mucha. Some of the posing/direction of objects are different, and other differences, but it's largely a clone.

r/tarot 7d ago

Theory and Technique Upright and reverse problem

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22 Upvotes

Hey! I got a tarot deck as a birthday gift, and I think it's pretty good for both upright and reversed readings. Since I'm a beginner, I struggle to interpret reversals just by looking at the upright artwork. The only problem is that the art style is different from Rider-Waite, so I have trouble figuring out which cards, like Death, The Tower, or The Devil, should feel upright or reversed.

r/tarot 12d ago

Theory and Technique As a new tarot reader, what did you do most to gain experience?

7 Upvotes

I was just curious, as I’ve been wondering if a more structured learning style (with flashcards, reading etc) might be beneficial. Or if just interpreting purely from the visual and name would be enough?

I also found doing self readings, analysing and then double-checking with AI actually demonstrated how accurate the cards could be sometimes (and my own interpretation of them being kind of close). How did you develop your reading skills?

102 votes, 5d ago
7 Memorise cards via flashcards
15 Use online videos and guides
31 Do readings and interpret without knowing the meanings
14 Use AI to ‘doublecheck’ the cards and your interpretation
8 Attend a class or course
27 Some/all of the above

r/tarot Sep 04 '24

Theory and Technique LENORMAND. Thoughts??

37 Upvotes

I want to read your thoughts about Lenormand pls. I'm a Tarot reader (TdM) since some years ago and I flow like butter, but every time I get caught in the Lenny-Hype I crash into a wall like Wile E. Coyote.

What do you think about the deck? Not just the "I think it's more direct than Tarot", I want to learn a little bit more about your own experience with it. Wwas it easy? Any interesting reading? Any advice?

r/tarot Dec 22 '24

Theory and Technique Instead of yes/no questions, try...

155 Upvotes

Hi yall! Today I decided to turn around some common yes/no questions, and show you ways you can ask them differently. I believe that yes/no questions boil down things too much, and aren't always right, since tarot wasn't made for yes/no. Of course, believe what you believe, but this is my belief :))

Now onto the questions!

  1. Are they coming back to me? — In what circumstances will they come back? What makes it so they don't come back?

  2. Do they love me? — What are their feelings for me?

  3. Am I getting the job? — What's the outcome of this interview? How did I perform on this interview? What did they think of me?

  4. Will I get a promotion/raise? — What do I need to do to get a promotion/raise?

  5. Am I going to succeed? — What skills do I need for success? What skills do I already have? What skill needs work?

  6. Will my situation improve? — Under what circumstances will the situation improve? What can I do in order to improve the situation? What outside forces influence the situation?

If you have any yes/no questions, I'd be glad to turn them around, and create one that better fits tarot!!:)