Wandering Witch

Step 1 - Getting a Deck

There's this misconception going around that you need to be gifted a tarot deck for you to start doing tarot which is very false!

If you don't have a deck, you can simply purchase one.

If you're an absolute beginner at tarot, it's recommended to choose a deck that's very similar to the Original Rider Waite Tarot Deck in terms of image because it has a lot of symbolism and almost all of the meanings are already in the images.

You don't have to choose that deck though, I didn't start tarot with that deck because I didn't like the art lmao, I started tarot with the Witches Tarot - it's highly similar to the original but with better art 🤩

Step 2 - Cleansing the Deck

You must do this to get rid of all the foreign energy especially negative energy that might affect your reading!

There's many ways to cleanse and charge your deck, some of the most basic is putting it under direct sunlight or putting a crystal on top of it for a while.

For how long? For as long as you feel like it - if you feel like all the foreign energy is gone, you can stop cleansing it.

Step 3 - Before Using the Deck

You need to bond with it.

I do not recommend immediately using the deck for a reading right after getting and cleansing it, it's better to let the deck get used to your energy before using it for more accurate readings.

Just keep it near you a lot of times and sleep with it near you. Some people even sleep with the deck under their pillow! I usually let my new decks get used to my energy for 2/3 days before using them for a reading.

You can also interview your deck, it helps you to get to know it better and establish a bond with it. (You can google search for the questions)

Extra 1: Take some time to take a look at each card and think about how it makes you feel. Associate parts of yourself with the cards.

Extra 2: Also shuffle the deck! It helps transfer some of your energy into the deck.

Step 4 - Doing a Tarot Reading

Before every reading, make sure that your mind is clear and peaceful, free from all worries because if it's not, it will affect your reading and we don't want that.

Then, knock on the deck three times - I actually do this excessively on both sides.

Extra 3: You can also call in your spirit guides to help you.

Shuffle it for a while and then ask your question out loud and then shuffle it again until a card drops or peeks out of the deck.

Or you can just shuffle it for a while then lay down all the cards and pick the ones who you are most attracted to.

There's no "right" way to shuffle it, just do it how it best suits you. It takes some trial and error but you should feel comfortable shuffling the cards.

It's recommended to use your left hand to shuffle because there's a saying that your left hands connects more with spirituality than your right.

Now for the meaning, you can go ahead and read the guidebook and search up the meaning of the card on different websites. Then, use your intuition to interpret the meaning of the card, the meaning that you think the deck is trying to tell you.

As you progress, you can gradually be more intuitive. One way to practice your intuition is to look at the keywords for the cards only and make your own interpretations based on just the keywords. But since you're only a beginner, you need to know and understand the full meaning of the cards first before you do this.

Also, pay attention to the image and symbolism on the cards! For example, if I get the moon card for a future spouse reading and the card has a cat, you can say "your future spouse probably likes cats" or "you'll probably adopt a pet with your future spouse" - whatever your intuition tells you. Trust your intuition!

By the way, if you didn't lay down the cards, take a look at card at the bottom of the deck. It should be a part of your reading as well!

Extra 4: You can take notes on the cards that you got on a notebook.

Step 5 - After Doing a Tarot Reading

Get rid of all the extra energy out of the deck.

Simply knocking or shuffling the cards while saying "I release all energy that doesn't belong to me" or "the reading is done" is enough - if the reading is light.

If the reading is heavy, you have to cleanse your deck before using it again.

Extra 5: Saying thank you to your deck and spirit guides is good mannerism.