How To Use Rider Waite Tarot Cards

The Major and Minor Arcana cards work together to form a complete graphic language. It’s crucial to keep in mind that the deck itself contains all the solutions we seek, with each card representing a certain individual, situation, or possible course of action. Tarot cards don’t have any secret codes or unspoken goals, thus deciphering their significance depends on your own narrative interpretation.

Make sure to shuffle (or “clean” the deck”) it before beginning any reading. This purposeful action ought to be turned into a meditation. As you visualize your inquiry, feel the physicality of the cards in your palm. If you’re reading for someone else, take use of this opportunity to reflect on their circumstances and come up with particular questions for them. Take as much time as necessary. Tarot card reading must start with clearing the deck because it creates a doorway to higher spiritual planes. Cut the cards into three pieces when you’re prepared, then reposition them face down in the pile. Get ready to select cards for your tarot “spread” on your favorite piece of cloth while being careful not to damage your tarot deck.

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How should a beginner use a tarot deck?

Tarot readings typically proceed in the following manner after that:

You must first pose a query to the card deck. It ought to be unambiguous and open-ended.
It’s time to shuffle once you have the question in your head.
Draw a card (s).
Lay your chosen card or cards in your spread face down after making your selection.

How are Tarot cards activated?

What to Do First:

Get out your tarot deck.
The cards are in your hand.
“Knock or tap the pile of cards numerous times while holding them in your palm to disseminate your energy throughout the deck.
Shuffle the cards completely.
The cards are divided into three heaps, which are subsequently reassembled into one pile.

Is the Rider Tarot a decent choice for novices?

When Rachel True was eight years old, she came into contact with a deck of tarot cards for the first time. This is a language, and I can learn to speak it, she recalled thinking. So started the actress’s lifetime study of tarot, which culminated in the 2020 release of her own stunning deck, True Heart Intuitive Tarot (her face is on the Empress card, if you look closely).

Before purchasing a deck, psychic medium and tarot reader Sarah Potter advises looking at the artwork on websites like Aeclectic Tarot since it communicates the meaning of the cards. “It’s crucial to be able to relate to the imagery. Choose a deck that gives the appropriate mirror for you “she claims.

Tarot reader and astrologer Lexi Ferguson advises purchasing multiple decks if you’re undecided. “Eliminate any uncertainty. Choose one deck at a time from three, four, or five and observe your behavior “says Ferguson. “You don’t need to reflect about your life. It will feel like your deck at some point along the journey because you keep reaching for it.” Added trick? Tarot reader Michelle Tea advises considering a deck carefully before making a purchase. You’ll keep thinking about it, she explains, and that’s how you’ll know you really want it.

The stunning, top-rated tarot card decks that experts suggest for beginners are included below after we surveyed a variety of experts.

How are tarot cards prepared for a reading?

7 suggestions for maximizing the results of your upcoming tarot card reading

Each reader is unique.
Bring an open-ended inquiry with you.
Unhappy with what you heard?
Answering questions about time might be challenging.
Death and the Devil are not necessarily bad omens.
Tarot frequently provides confirmation of what you already know.

How should my tarot deck be cleaned?

While rearranging the cards in the tarot deck is a good approach to purify and clear their energy, there are some circumstances in which you might wish to perform a more specialized ritual. If you’re just getting started with tarot, cleaning your deck can be an excellent place to start.

You might want to clean your tarot deck for a variety of reasons, including:

beginning with a fresh deck
readings for other people
You think you need to recharge.
Your card readings seem a touch “odd” or “disconnected”
Your deck hasn’t been used recently.
Your deck has been handled by others
You think you’ve been utilizing your deck a lot. A LOT, especially for books with strong emotional content

Why should you cleanse or clear your tarot deck?

Tarot deck cleansing helps keep the energy flowing between you and your deck. Consider it as a little spiritual hygiene to maintain a strong and clear connection. It’s not necessary, but if you have any of the aforementioned symptoms, try a few of the energetic cleansing techniques listed below and note which ones seem to work the best for you.

How often should you cleanse your tarot deck?

This is another way of stating USE YOUR INTUITION: there are no hard and fast laws. Don’t stress if you don’t believe it is necessary for your deck. Alternately, if you like to cleanse them once per week or once per month, that’s great. If it feels appropriate to you, you can even place your favorite crystal on the balcony each night.

If you frequently place crystals on your deck and store it on an altar while not in use, you might not feel the need to cleanse it frequently because this quick ritual will likely be sufficient to keep your deck feeling nice.

There are numerous ways to cleanse your cards, just as there are numerous reasons why you might desire to do so.

Different ways to cleanse your tarot deck

Use holy smoke. Light a dried rosemary, lavender, cedar, sage, or palo santo cleansing wand until it begins to smoke. Hold the smoke a safe distance below the deck while holding the burning herbs in one hand and the deck in the other so that the smoke drifts upward onto the cards. Turn the deck so that the smoke covers it from all angles. Next, safely put your deck to the ground and put out the fire.

On the deck, set a selenite stone (or a black tourmaline or a transparent quartz). It works well to leave it like way for an hour, but I prefer to leave it overnight.

Set them on display during a new moon. The New Moon is energy of a blank slate; you can purify the deck by setting it on a window sill on a new moon night. At this moment, you can also make a brand-new intention for your deck.

Place the cards in a salty dish. A strong and stabilizing cleaner is salt. My preferred choice for a thorough cleansing is this. Allow it to sit anywhere from one to eight hours in a dry area.

Unorderly shuffle. Spread the cards out on the ground, then shuffle them around like a child playing in dirt. This method’s freedom and randomization serve as an excellent reset.

the shuffle and sort. Set up the deck in rows of seven cards across, commencing with the Major Arcana numbers 0 to 22. (see photo above). Next, arrange the cards, Ace through King, one for each suit, as follows: Swords, Pentacles, Cups, and Wands. View the deck in this configuration, then mix everything up (like the chaotic!) and shuffle it thoroughly.

Utilize holy smoke. Until it starts smoking, light a smoke cleansing wand consisting of dried rosemary, lavender, cedar, sage, or palo santo. Hold the smoke a safe distance below the deck while holding the deck and burning herbs in the opposite hands. The smoke should then drift upward onto the cards. Turn the deck so that the smoke fills the entire space. After that, safely put your deck down and put out the fire.

A selenite stone (or a black tourmaline or a transparent quartz) should be placed on the deck. Although an hour would suffice, I prefer to let it rest like this for the entire night.

Put them out there during the new moon. By setting the deck on a window sill on a new moon night, you can cleanse the energy of the deck that is under the new moon. This is also the moment to create a new intention for your deck.

Put the playing cards in a basin of salt. Cleansing with salt is effective and calming. This is the one I prefer for a thorough cleansing. Let it sit for 1 to 8 hours in a dry area (beware of humidity with this one!).

erratic shuffle As though you were a child playing in mud, spread the cards out on the floor and mix them up. This approach is a wonderful reset because of its freedom and randomness.

the grouping and mixing. Set up the Major Arcana in rows of seven cards across, starting with the numbers 0 to 22. (see photo above). Place the cards Ace through King for each suit on the table in the following order: Pentacles, swords, cups, and wands. View the deck as so, then mash it all together (like the chaotic!) and shuffle it thoroughly.

How can I tell if I’m not meant to work with a deck or I just need to reconnect?

The connection you have with the deck has to be strengthened, or it might not be the best fit for you at this time, if you’re having trouble getting a good reading from it or feel off with it.

It’s possible that you and your tarot deck aren’t intended to be in a serious long-term relationship if you don’t feel like you connect with it or if you don’t appear to speak the same language. There is a deck available for you if you want to learn, therefore this does not imply that you are not destined to be a reader.

However, there’s also a strong chance that you can establish the connection with a little time and effort. especially if you were initially drawn to your deck.

You can utilize some decks for specific purposes and not others. The majority of your magic will probably be performed with one main deck, although you may occasionally use other decks for fun, support, or clarity. Since decks are exquisite works of art, I love collecting them. And I adore using them when I want to switch things up or am performing a certain style of reading, but I only use my original ride or die deck for all of my professional readings and lectures.

All of this is to indicate that testing out a variety of decks is a wonderful idea. For your first deck, conduct some study, examine the imagery, and choose the one that sparks your interest.

Here are some methods for getting back on your deck. I’ve listed them in the sequence I’d perform them, but you should feel free to customize this exercise according to your own preferences.

How to connect with your tarot cards

You can accomplish this in a number of ways, including by shuffling, using crystals, moonlight, salt, or sacred incense. Click here to learn more about cleaning your deck.

Hold your cards firmly in your palms while taking a few deep breaths. After that, think about the intention you want to have for your practice with them. It could be a word, a sentence, or an emotion. You can use this time to ask any guides or spirits you enjoy working with for assistance or to help you open your channel to divine advice that is in your highest and best interests.

Cleaning the energy in the deck through shuffling. Additionally, it creates the random system that allows us to access the advice we need from the deck. We can gain a completely new viewpoint from the cards because of the randomness that shuffling creates; by doing so, we are deviating from logic and embracing the unknowable. Check out this article on card shuffling.

To get to know one another, gain some fresh perspectives, and, yes, bond, spend some time completing a tarot spread that is tailored to your deck.

What details about you do you want me to know?
Your restrictions?
What type of partnership are we capable of having?
What task are we supposed to complete jointly?
Which card can currently be my teacher?
How can I use this card to explore deeper?

Make putting your deck away a ceremony. You might keep it in a box, cover it in a special scarf, place a crystal on top of it, or place it on an altar while not in use. Choosing to follow this quick procedure at the conclusion of each session or day is a way to show your deck some love, gratitude, and appreciation.

Bonus Tarot bonding exercises:

the whole picture The Major Arcana numbers 0 to 22 should be arranged in lines of seven cards across. Next, arrange the Ace through King cards for each suit in the following order: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. Take a good look at the deck in this format. Then thoroughly jumble everything together.

Select a map. To serve as your anchor and guide for connecting with your deck and intuition, choose a card based on its look and/or its meaning. Write down all the thoughts, emotions, and queries this card triggers for you in a journal. Use it to meditate. Keep track of how it manifests in your daily life and tarot practice (and keep a notebook of your observations!). When not using your deck, place this card on your altar. You can carry out this for a week or a lunar cycle before selecting another.

Put your deck beneath your pillow while you sleep. You can connect with the cards in your unconscious time if you can make it comfy.

Also keep in mind that it takes time to establish a connection and relationship with your deck. Like any relationship, it evolves as you develop and gain new knowledge.

Do tarot cards need to be purified?

That’s correct

Magdaleno really suggests cleaning your deck before each reading to achieve the most accurate results. She advises starting with a cleansing to make the cards clear for your reading, whether it’s for yourself or someone else.

Questions you don’t really want answered

Even though it might seem apparent, it’s advisable to refrain from asking the tarot cards questions that you aren’t prepared to hear the answers to. That’s because answers to these questions can reveal information you’re just not quite ready to hear.

“Tarot can definitely come off as offensive if you’re not willing to hear the truth or consider an opposing opinion. Tarot reading Nicole Fortunaso

According to tarot reader and life coach Nicole Fortunaso, “tarot may truly come out as offensive if you are not willing to hear the truth of the problem or look at an alternate viewpoint.” She advises analyzing why you’re reacting the way you are in order to reflect on how to effectively address the underlying problem if you ask the question and aren’t satisfied with the response.

Which Tarot deck should I use as a beginner?

It stands to reason that the Rider Waite Tarot Deck is a classic. You can’t go wrong here either, even though it’s not as attractive as the newest decks. It’s reasonably priced and ideal for beginners.

After a breakup

Draw one card for each of the following inquiries if you’ve recently broken up with someone and want to know more about the reason or determine whether you’ll get back together:

How energetic is the partnership right now?
What caused the divide in the first place?
What do they really think of me right now?
What do they intend for me right now?
What kind of relationship will this be in the future?
Which action is ideal for me to take right now?

When job searching

You can use this spread to explore what kind of career guidance the tarot can offer if you’re feeling uncertain about your career path or thinking about a new employment. Draw one card once more for each query.

How active am I in my career right now?
What challenge must I overcome?
What is my calling in life?
How can I follow this calling more closely?
What should I do to prepare for the upcoming month?

When deciding between two options

This spread can highlight the benefits and drawbacks of each option, guiding you toward the best decision if you’re using tarot to pick between two possibilities (two job offers, two apartments, perhaps a love triangle???). Getting the deal Per card, ask one question.

What is the fundamental cause of this fork in the road?
What is the likely result of choosing option A?
What is the most likely result for option B?
What more should I take into account that was overlooked?
What’s the best thing I can do right now?

When something is off with a friend

If you’re concerned about the state of a friendship or feel like something is wrong but are unable to pinpoint the cause, you might be interested in seeing what conclusions and solutions this spread offers. Ask one question per card, once more, I repeat.

What makes this friendship so crucial?
What led to this sudden change in tone, and why?
What has changed, in my friend’s opinion?
What can I do to make this matter more urgent?
What is the future of this friendship?
What should I do at this moment?