How to use this guide

A Casual Guide to Tarot

This is a very casual, short guide to the meanings of the Tarot based on my personal notes. My recommended way to use this guide is to go through it with your deck in your hand. Each entry for a card contains the public domain Rider-Waite-Smith image, but it is collapsed by default so that you can focus on the meanings and connect with the image on your own deck. Once you finish looking through the card meanings, there are a few recommended spreads that you can try that I happen to like.

This is by no means a complete list of all the potential meanings and interpretations in the Tarot, and you are encouraged to examine the cards and draw your own conclusions as to what they mean for you.

Interpreting cards

When you draw a card and look at it, there’s a lot of symbolism and meaning there that can be uncovered simply by looking at the image on the card. Some of that is covered here, but in general you may want to examine:

Figures in the foreground. What or who dominates the image?
Figures in the background. What is secondary or in conflict with the foreground? Is the foreground figure alone?
Position and facial expression. What attitude are the people in the image giving? Can you see their faces, or are they hidden? What are they expressing? Have you seen this position or posture before, in another card?
Elements in the image. The presence of water, fire, earth, or air symbols. These four elemental energies play a large part in the Tarot in expressing the energy of the card and querent. Quite a few cards contain, for example, water that may be still or turbulent that can represent the surface of one’s subconscious mind.

Introductions, or Conclusions?

Each suit, as well as the Major Arcana, contains an introduction. This goes over a bit about the journey of the suit as well as the kind of energy represented there. I highly suggest skimming the intros to start, and then re-reading them after you’ve completed the meanings of the cards.

Reading Order

I’ve ordered the guide with the Minor Arcana first, but if you are so inclined, you are welcome to start with the Major Arcana and go back to the Minor after that. The Minor Arcana is ordered in Benebell Wen’s suggested order by historical treatment of suit energies: Wands (Fire), Cups (Water), Swords (Air), and Pentacles (Earth).

Names and Capitals

I have chosen to capitalize “Tarot” as well as the names of the cards (“Eight of Swords,” “The Lovers”).

I also sometimes refer to cards meaning something for “the querent” or for “you” or “us.” I was looking for subject-neutral ways to discuss the cards. When you actually read the cards, you interpret them in a spread where you are focused on a particular question, so the actual subject (whether it is the querent, you, or someone else) will depend on that spread. Substitute in the appropraite pronouns when you do you readings.