Tarot for Beginners
By Teri Schure
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Tarot for Beginners is a helpful guide for interpreting the Rider-Waite
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Tarot for Beginners - Teri Schure
Dedication
In the late 1970s, a close friend and work colleague turned me on to Tarot cards, but it wasn’t until March 2020, during the Covid lockdown, that I bought a deck for myself.
Four years later, I feel as though I can finally read the cards reasonably well, but I still refer to my notes—this book—for guidance.
Tarot for Beginners is dedicated to my friend and hero, Leslie Jacobs, who taught me way more than Tarot and is one of the kindest, most courageous, positive, and resilient women I have ever known.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Tarot 101
The Major Arcana Cards Explained
The Major Arcana Cards
The Court Cards Explained
The Minor Arcana Cards Explained
Wands
Cups
Swords
Pentacles
SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC
Aries: March 21–April 19
Taurus: April 20–May 20
Gemini: May 21–June 20
Cancer: June 21–July 22
Leo: July 23–August 22
Virgo: August 23–September 22
Libra: September 23–October 22
Scorpio: October 23–November 21
Sagittarius: November 22–December 21
Capricorn: December 22–January 19
Aquarius: January 20–February 18
Pisces: February 19–March 20
TAROT 101
The elite played tarot cards in the 1400s as a parlor game—a divination or occult connection only became popular in the late 1500s. In England, in 1889, Arthur Edward Waite, a spiritual seeker and mystic, wrote one of the first books about how to read tarot, ultimately creating the world’s most influential deck of tarot cards: The Rider-Waite® Tarot Deck.
Waite was a member of the secret society called the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. In 1909, Waite paid Pamela Colman Smith, a fellow Golden Dawn member, a flat fee to illustrate his tarot deck. Smith was a Black woman of Jamaican descent, born in London to American parents, and studied art at the Pratt Institute in New York. Rider Publishing put their name on the deck but never gave credit to the incredibly talented Ms. Smith—nor did she or her family ever benefit financially from the Rider-Waite tarot cards.
The Rider-Waite cards have greatly helped me facilitate a free-association approach to tarot reading, primarily due to Ms. Smith’s creative genius. For this reason, I used the Rider-Waite tarot cards to write my book, so you will need to buy their deck if you want to use my interpretation of the deck’s imagery.
The easiest way to begin a tarot reading is with one card. Once you familiarize yourself with the images and stories behind each card, step up to a three-card reading. Many readers use past, present, and future, but I prefer to read the cards without placing a time frame on them. You’re the tarot reader, so you do you. Just remember, practice makes perfect. Let the cards do the talking—the pictures will guide you through the reading.
In a three-card reading, I ask the querent (the person I’m reading) to shuffle and lay out three cards face down in a row. Only the querent should touch the cards. The querent will lay the cards face down, then turn them over face up, precisely as they placed them.
The reading of the cards, upright or upside down (reversed), is from the position and perspective of the reader. Reversed tarot cards may represent the excessive energy of a card and are not necessarily the opposite of an upright card.
I also like to keep a notebook of my past readings so I can go back and review the cards, which often offers additional insight into them.
THE MAJOR ARCANA CARDS EXPLAINED
Arcana is derived from the Latin word "arcanus, which means
secret." The Major Arcana cards symbolize the karmic influences, lessons learned, and the spiritual journey that impacts your life and your soul’s path to enlightenment.
These cards are often considered the most influential and powerful cards in the deck and play a crucial role in interpreting the overall long-term aspects of a tarot reading.
The significance of the Major Arcana cards is complex and profound, creating a storyline of the querent’s triumphs, failures, struggles, regrets, self-discovery, and personal growth.
Pulling Major Arcana cards in a tarot reading signifies the need to face head-on the trials and tribulations you may be facing in your life and often serves as the anchor for the reading.
The rest of the cards in the reading will usually connect to the central message and meaning of the Major Arcana.
If the Major Arcana cards make up most of your reading, you may soon embark on a life-changing situation that could upend your life’s trajectory.
If most of the Major Arcana cards are reversed, it may indicate that you need to open your eyes to the reality of what’s happening around you before moving forward. Whenever the Major Arcana is part of a reading, it acts as the framework and helps to reinforce, guide, and connect the message and pattern of all the pulled cards.
The Major Arcana, often called Triumph or Trump Cards, total 22, from the Fool at zero to the World at 21. They are frequently referred to as 22 doors or 22 pivotal moments in human and spiritual development and are used to explore one’s psyche, consciousness, and mental state.
When you draw a Major Arcana card, take it seriously because the message may be crucial to the overall reading.
THE FOOL (0)
Keyword: Causality
The Fool bears the number zero, which signifies unlimited potential, and he is the central character in the Major Arcana cards. According to the ancient fortune tellers, he travels through all the Major Arcana cards on his quest to find himself or his purpose. His travels through each Major Arcana card provide insight into life’s meaning. His life’s journey ends with The World card (21). The Fool is a stand-in for the self as we progress down life’s many roads.
The Fool is so preoccupied with dreams, visions, wonderment, and excitement that he might not see the cliff ahead of him. At his heel is a dog, perhaps warning him to stop and think about his choices. He probably has all he needs in the small bag on his staff to do or be anything he wants. He only has to stop and unpack.
The Fool reminds us that there are ripple effects for everything we do and everything we don’t do. Ask yourself what the ripple effects of your actions are.
The Fool may also signify some sort of Fool’s Journey. Don’t be a fool or fooled by someone near and dear. Don’t just jump; think before acting, and watch your step.
You may be on your way to a new beginning, job, home, or relationship. Something new is about to happen, but tread carefully. The Fool denotes fresh beginnings, but take care that your actions don’t get you into trouble. Be careful not to overindulge, and watch your spending.
Reversed
Don’t be easily manipulated, and stay away from manipulative people. Be careful of recklessness, vanity, inconsideration, and mania. Don’t make hasty decisions.
Be wary of wicked fools and people who are careless, neglectful, or emotionally absent. Don’t accept indifference: take a stand against foolishness and foolish behavior. The Fool card, in reverse, warns of intoxication, delirium, frenzy, and betrayal.
THE MAGICIAN (1)
Keyword: Transformation
The Magician is number one—numero uno. He has everything he needs to succeed, but he is the only one who can make the magic happen. He has an infinity symbol over his head, representing limitlessness. One arm points up while the other points down, perhaps depicting the ups and downs of life. All four suits are on the table. The Magician wears a belt adorned with a serpent swallowing its tail, symbolizing the cycle of life and death.
If the querent is male, this card is about him. If the querent is female, this is not a lover, but someone else—someone neutral. The Magician is a determined, talented, and competent leader. Don’t underestimate him.
He is surrounded by the rose of Sharon, a hardy shrub that can survive many adverse conditions—poor soil, heat, humidity, drought, and air pollution—yet it still flourishes and thrives.
The lilies of the valley are above and below him, symbolizing rebirth, serenity, and a new beginning. A favorite of brides, they may represent innocence, motherhood, and purity and are believed to bring prosperity, love, and continued happiness. But they can also symbolize sadness and are often placed on graves or in funeral floral arrangements to honor a death.
The Magician wants you to tackle any illnesses head-on and