Learn tarot
Learn tarot,
starting with one card.
Look for a moment first.
What did you notice first?
Rider-Waite tarot
The first exercise
Don't look up the answer yet.
Look at this card and find one detail you noticed. Where is the water going? What is the figure doing? Why was that the first thing you saw?
One sentence is enough. The aim isn't to guess the meaning. It's practice in telling apart what's really drawn on the card from what you associate with it.
Go on to the first exerciseIf you have a deck at hand, you can use a card you drew yourself.
Begin here
To begin,
you can practise like this.
You don't have to do it all at once. Leave a few notes each time and come back to them next time.
Describe first, then interpret
Write down separately what you see, what you think of, and what you know for sure.
Get to know the suits and numbers
Lay the four cards of the same number side by side. Look for what's similar and what's different.
Try reading three cards together
Place them as situation, action and outcome, and see how they connect.
Keep a record of the misses
Look back at why you read it that way at the time. Where it didn't fit, don't force it.
The course
If you want to learn in order, start with the course.
32 short lessons, from getting to know the cards and reading images to reading a full spread. Each lesson has one exercise. Tick it off when you're done; your progress is kept in this browser.
If you switch devices or clear your browsing data, your progress won't carry over. Keep anything you want to save in your own notes too.
Open the 32 lessonsKeep at hand
When you need it,
turn to this page.
- All 78 card meanings
- Upright, reversed and practice questions, by suit. Look up a card
- Interactive card library and notes
- Search by card name or keyword, and jot down your own thoughts. Notes are kept in this browser.
- 15 spreads
- What is each position asking? Understand that before you draw. More cards don't necessarily fit better.
- Card meaning quiz
- Ten questions a round, to see which cards you don't know well yet. For the ones you miss, go back to the card library.
Try again
Exercises you can repeat.
- What happens to a card in a different deck?
Compare different drawings of the same theme and see what each one emphasises.
- Make the question smaller
"Should I quit my job?" may hide several questions inside it.
- Don't rush to flip a reversed card
Look at the question and the cards next to it first, then try different readings.
Further reading
Read a book, or try a different deck.
The deck you have is enough to start. When you want to know more, pick a direction that interests you.