Learn What to Do with a New Tarot Deck

Everybody can read tarot despite the sometimes exclusive procedures and restrictions of the profession. Still, attempting to join the huge realm of tarot readings after purchasing your new tarot deck is intimidating. It might be overwhelming because there are 78 different cards in the tarot deck. However, we are here to tell you what to do with a new tarot deck.

In the modern era, tarot and oracle are still popular among modern mystics since they have fewer rules while offering an extensive range of meaning and substance. Continue reading this blog post to understand how you can enjoy such modern mysticism yourself.

Choosing a Tarot Deck

If you haven’t already purchased a tarot deck, let us address a few minor concerns about purchasing a new one. Some folks may be superstitious about choosing their own deck. In that case, you could ask someone to pick one out for you. 

However, this is not a mandatory step as it may not always be an option. What is essential is to choose a tarot deck that calls to you. It will help form a relationship with the cards while making you feel more connected when performing a reading. 

Here are some fun tarot deck collections to explore.

Learning about Tarot Cards

The first step after purchasing a deck is to become acquainted with the cards. It is critical to have a relationship with the cards. Each card has its own visual meaning. Tarot cards are divided into two categories: Major Arcana and Minor Arcana.

Arcana Major

Major Arcana consists of 21 numbered cards and one unnumbered card called the Fool. The Fool’s Journey is centered around this figure who traverses through each card, gaining experience along the way.

A Major Arcana card is frequently intricate and significant, and its presentation will impact the whole reading. It’s frequently used as a prod to ponder your life’s larger lessons and overarching themes. We even have a guide to help you understand the cards’ meaning.

Arcana Minor

The 56 Minor Arcana cards address more particular daily difficulties and our current position. These cards can represent our thoughts, feelings, actions, emotions, and passions. 

The are four tarot suits in this category that focus on different aspects of our lives:

1. Wands: passion, energy, inventiveness, and sexuality
2. Cups: emotions, sentiments, and intuition
3. Swords: thoughts, words, and actions
4. Pentacles: finances, professional prospects, and material things

Note that each suit can be used during your readings to interpret events, people, or personalities you may encounter in life.

Creating the Right Environment

Considering the area’s vibe is crucial because you’re opening up. You would want your surroundings to be healthy enough for you to be open. You can do readings at your apartment or at home, which is convenient since you have complete control over the setting. 

Even simply setting an intention to not accept non-loving energies might assist.

However, remember that it’s not just the physical environment that must be in order before reading. Even your mindset is important. Some folks like to meditate before doing a reading to get in the headspace. You can employ whatever strategy helps you be in a calm mindset before performing a reading.

Choosing a Reading Method

Many individuals perform a daily card draw when they start, just working by themselves when they select one card from the deck and simply ponder the card’s meaning. If you do it in the morning, you can remember it throughout the day. That’s a great method to get to know the cards better.

Traditional tarot publications and readers may advocate for a long or ritualistic procedure of starting a reading. The most crucial factor is just to do what feels right for you. You may perform whatever ritual makes the most sense for you and you believe is granting you access.

Performing a Reading

By now, you may have a grip on the need to understand your cards. However, that’s not all. What is truly powerful is utilizing cards to tap into your own intuition and deeper self, guiding you to take action towards redirecting your life journey. 

In terms of performing a reading, there is a straightforward approach:

1. Posing a Query

First, you must pose a straightforward and open-ended query to the card deck.The goal is to utilize the card reading to reveal a route forward, thus, the tarot reader should ask broad questions. If you’re new to tarot, you can explore queries about what is causing you anxiety or how you could prioritize a certain relationship.

2. Shuffling

Once you’ve decided on a question, it’s time to shuffle. There are several methods for shuffling your tarot cards:

1. Overhand shuffle: hold the deck of cards in one hand and move cards from one side of the deck to the other using the other hand.
2. Riffle shuffle: Cut the deck by separating it into different piles and then recombine them.
3. Pile shuffle:  Place each card in a pile and stack the piles together to form a new deck. 

There is no right or wrong way to accomplish it. So, feel free to try all of these methods and discover what feels best for you.

3. Pulling Your Cards

There are several ways of pulling cards:

1. Cutting the deck and pulling the card on top.
2. Holding the deck and tilting it to reveal a space to remove the top card.
3. Fanning the deck and selecting the card that calls to you. 

4. Evaluating the Cards

After selecting your card or cards, place them face down in your spread. Then, flip them over so you may look at their words, symbols, and images. Remember to pay attention to your initial thoughts as you go. 

The goal is to be as calm and concentrated as possible in order to properly connect with your intuitive powers through the cards. If you’re stumped as to how a particular card pertains to your issue, you can always consult your tarot deck’s reference book for meanings.

Basic Spreads for Beginners

You can choose to select a single card for a straightforward reading or many cards for a spread. Rather than answering a single question, tarot spreads might speak more generally to your circumstances or life path. The more cards in a spread, the more in-depth the reading, yet a large spread might be intimidating for novices.

There are three basic spreads for beginning readers: a three-card, five-card, and the Celtic Cross spread.  To begin, use simple tarot card spreads. Try to ignore the larger picture of the arrangement. In fact, it’s about the relationships between the cards. 

The significance of a card is influenced by the cards that surround it.  There are endless ways to extend your cards, but here are a few to get you started. 

Three-Card Spread

This involves drawing three cards from the deck to symbolize the individual being read’s past, present, and future or mind, body, and spirit. Pull three cards from the stack after shuffling. Consider how they relate to the following as you read through each one. 

A three-card spread can be used for grounding yourself during stressful situations. For more details on three-card spreads best suited for beginners, click here. 

Five-Card Spread

A five-card layout for brilliance and clarity. After shuffling, pick five cards that speak to you. Take a deep breath and select a card for each type of question to help you understand what is going on right now and how you can easily tread through it. You can also ask about the takeaway and what is yet to come.

Take some time to think and contemplate as you look at your cards and consider these topics. Additionally, we recommend you to keep a tarot journal to record your thoughts on each card to make the reading process extensive. 

The Celtic Cross

The Celtic Cross, while a little more complicated, is also a nice place to start. It is a traditional spread in which each card has a specific place and meaning. This 10-card spread has a lot of information and a very straightforward layout. Since it may be overwhelming to work with so many cards, remember to breathe gently at each step and follow your intuition. 

Find out more about how to read the Celtic Cross spread.

The Crux

As a beginner, you may be confused about what to do with a new tarot deck. However, do not forget that the process is flexible and beginner-friendly. It is important to know that tarot reading is an intuitive process, primarily meant for self-reflection.  Overall, the reading process revolves around you. 

There is no correct or incorrect method to draw cards, but following a few best practices will help you get the most out of each reading. It is an autonomous process. Hence, it is best not to tangle up in static rituals if they don’t connect with you.