The Tarot cards and their meanings
Tarot has a very rich history. The cards themselves are beautifully drawn in even the most simplest of decks. Tarot reading is a wonderful art, one that takes years of practice. (I definitely need some of that practice!) I would recommend that if you buy yourself your own deck, get one that has a companion book with it. There are some beginning tarot sets out there as well that include easy to ready companion books with the meanings of the cards written down. But do not rely on the book. When you get your deck, find some time to really meditate on them. Go through the deck slowly, card by card, and meditate on the meanings. Tarot reading is more than just memorizing information from a book. To really be good at it, you have to know how the cards relate to each other in a spread and how that might affect the outcome. This will take time so you will have to be serious about wanting to learn. Just remember: Nothing is clear cut and pay attention to what your instincts are telling you when you take a reading.
But for those who want to learn, or are just curious, I have listed the cards from the traditional Rider-Waite deck below along with their standard meanings. Note that the reversed meanings are included. Some believe that the position of the cards doesn't matter. However, some believe that an upside down, or reversed, card has an altered meaning. It is up to you to decide what you believe to be true, but I have included them for those who wish to know.
Below are images of four different spreads. There are many, many more types of spreads and you can even come up with a few of your own! My personal favorite is the Celtic Cross spread, though it is a bit more complex than the other ones I have listed. If you have a favorite spread, then feel free to tell me! I would love to include it!
But for those who want to learn, or are just curious, I have listed the cards from the traditional Rider-Waite deck below along with their standard meanings. Note that the reversed meanings are included. Some believe that the position of the cards doesn't matter. However, some believe that an upside down, or reversed, card has an altered meaning. It is up to you to decide what you believe to be true, but I have included them for those who wish to know.
Below are images of four different spreads. There are many, many more types of spreads and you can even come up with a few of your own! My personal favorite is the Celtic Cross spread, though it is a bit more complex than the other ones I have listed. If you have a favorite spread, then feel free to tell me! I would love to include it!