Tarot cards are fun, entertaining and are great for helping us to find direction to solve our problems. If you want to learn how to read tarot cards, the first thing you need to do is to buy a deck. Sometimes, a used deck is good, but only if it has come from an advanced reader or from someone that you know and trust. Most people will tend to go out and buy a brand new deck, however.
When you are searching for your deck, take a close look at the cards and the illustrations on them. Quite often, a deck will magically "speak" to you, signifying that it is the deck for you. The only two other things you are going to need are a notebook for writing down questions and reading results, and a nice, handy pencil or pen.
To get started, clear out a clean space inside your home free of clutter and distractions. Have a radio by your side to play soft music in order to enhance readings and concentration. You do not always have to listen to music; however, some people prefer to perform their readings in complete silence that is fine. Just choose whatever works for you and your concentration level the best. In order to enhance concentration even more, try lighting a candle or two near you while you are doing your readings.
Here is the order of steps in which to follow once you have gotten your deck out and ready to use:
1) Once you have taken your deck out of the box, separate the Minor Arcana cards from the Major Arcana cards.
2) Some people may choose to flip one portion of the deck upside down while leaving the other right side up, although, this is optional.
3) Shuffle your deck thoroughly at least 5 times. This will allow you to touch every single card at least once and spread your energies over the cards.
4) Once you have asked your question, you may want to try the simple spread. This consists of 4 cards in a diamond shape, it is usually best for beginners, and still provides accurate answers.
5) If you are letting someone else ask the question, you may want to let them cut the deck and choose the cards, although this is also optional.
6) The Minor Arcana cards will suggest the strongest messages while the Major Arcana may seemingly represent background influences.
7) If you choose to turn some of the deck upside down, it can change the meanings. For example, say that the "soul mates" card has been chosen and it is turned upside down, this might possibly mean that your soul mate is being blocked off by some other influence.
8) Go with the flow during your readings, if a card pops up that does not make sense; try to imagine what it might possibly mean. Most of the time, your initial instinct is the right one.
Now that you know how to perform a tarot card reading, make sure that you store your deck away in a safe place after readings. You may use a soft cloth to wrap the cards up in, making sure that they do not pick up any negative energy. Keep them hidden if you live with other people, if someone else touches them that you do not allow to, they could potentially affect them and bring different energies to them. This is not good because it could affect your readings in a bad way. All together, learning to read tarot cards is easy and fun. Anyone can learn how to read tarot cards if they are willing to learn. Good luck!