Seventy-eight cards, a language of symbols, and centuries of tradition — tarot can look intimidating from the outside. The good news: getting started is a lot simpler than it looks, and you don’t need to memorize a single meaning before your first reading.
What Tarot Cards Actually Do
Think of tarot less as fortune-telling and more as a structured way to reflect. Each card’s imagery is designed to prompt a certain kind of thinking — the cards you draw become a mirror for what’s already on your mind, helping you see a situation from a new angle rather than predicting a fixed outcome.
Choosing Your First Deck
The Rider-Waite-Smith deck is the classic starting point — its imagery is the visual language most other decks reference, so learning it first makes every deck after it easier to pick up. That said, the “right” first deck is really whichever art style you feel drawn to; you’re far more likely to actually use a deck that feels good in your hands.
Major vs. Minor Arcana, Quickly Explained
The 22 Major Arcana cards (like The Fool, The Star, or The Tower) represent big life themes and turning points. The remaining 56 Minor Arcana cards, split into four suits, speak to everyday situations, feelings, and choices — closer in spirit to a standard deck of playing cards, just with more nuance.
How to Cleanse & Bond With a New Deck
Many readers cleanse a new deck the same way they’d cleanse a crystal — smoke, moonlight, or a simple held intention all work (see our crystal cleansing guide for methods that apply here too). From there, shuffle it often, even without a specific question in mind, so the deck starts to feel familiar in your hands.
A Simple 3-Card Spread to Try Tonight
Shuffle while thinking of a situation you’d like clarity on. Draw three cards and lay them left to right: the first represents the situation as it stands, the second represents an action or mindset to consider, and the third represents a likely outcome if you follow that path. Sit with what each card’s imagery brings up for you before reaching for a guidebook.
Learn In Person
If you’d rather learn by watching, our in-house reader offers Oracle & Tarot readings by appointment — a great way to see a real reading in action before you start reading for yourself. We also do workshops to give our freindly customers some first hand guidance. Browse tarot decks and guidebooks in-store or online.