There are many misconceptions about the Tarot which I think turns a lot of people off to getting a reading. Is it a fortune telling? Is it a game? Is it real?

I think a lot of people in todays world associate the Tarot with a magic trick, or some kind of scam.

While there are a lot of people who are probably using the Tarot in those ways, there are those of us who use it as a spiritual tool and believe very much in it's powers and uses in our daily lives.

The Tarot is comprised of 78 cards that are split into 2 different sections. The first section is called the Major Arcana and is comprised of 22 cards. The 2nd section is the Minor Arcana and is comprised of the remaining 56 cards. It is not a magic trick in the illusion way of looking at magic, it is more so energetic Magick. Which is not the same is the Magic we see Las Vegas performers using.

The Major Arcana tells a story. The story of life and the various things each of us learn while on this journey. The cards represent energies and lessons that move in and out of our lives.

The Minor Arcana represents the subtle energies that get divided into more specific situations and fill in the pieces between the Major Arcana. Each card has an Astrological aspect as well and a Numerical aspect.

Although you can learn the cards without learning Numerology or Astrology, your understanding of how and why the energies are at play may be limited.

Since I began reading the Tarot, I have noticed the transits of the Sun, Moon, and other Planets in our Solar System in my readings on a daily basis which plays a huge role in how I interpret the reading for myself, as well as others.

I will write other blog posts about that.

This one I want to focus on how you can begin to read the Tarot and understand it for yourself.

As I have entered this world I have been asked many questions, and also heard many different theories about how one is "allowed" or able to read the Tarot.

One of the theories I have heard repeatedly is that people who read Tarot must have their deck passed down to them from a family member, or fellow Tarot reader.

While I understand why this rule is something that could have been in place for a long time for valuable reasons, I also believe that it is limiting the person from discovering their own power.

Not everyone is meant to be a Tarot reader, but with that said, I think everyone has the ability to use the Tarot in some way to benefit them in their lives.

The Tarot allows us to unplug and expand ourselves spiritually in a way that not a lot of other spiritual practices give us.

If we treat Tarot like only a few select people have the right to use it, we are creating a separation of consciousness that does not benefit the whole.

It would be more beneficial to encourage everyone to learn the Tarot, or to receive Tarot readings regularly from a qualified individual, so that we can have a better language of communicating our life journeys to each other and ourselves.

Since I have started reading the Tarot I have already seen it help many people discover better ways of working through conflict between friends or family members, as well as deciphering what energy will best serve them at this moment on their life path whether it be related to career, love life, living situations, money, family, etc..

Regardless of your beliefs, the cards tell a story to everyone that can be beneficial.

The problem with getting a reading from someone who does not understand the Tarot is that you may get some advice from someone who does not really understand what the cards are actually saying, or the amount of layers hidden behind the basic meaning of the card.

A lot of people go into Tarot having fear around it. Thinking that they can only do a reading every once in a while or it won't be as accurate the next day, or in an hour.

I have tested this theory by doing multiple readings a day and there is always a reading that feels somewhat relevant to my life.

You can do as many readings for as long as you want about whatever you want and there will always be something relevant and insightful to get from it.

In fact if you want to learn the Tarot, doing daily readings will be the best way to see how the energies are actively unfolding in your life. I became a fast believer of the Tarot when I started testing this in my own life.

So moving on, my advice to you if you want to learn the Tarot:

Go into a metaphysical shop or book store and look at all of the Tarot decks and pick the one that you feel the most drawn to.

Do the same thing when picking out a Tarot book.

My favorite Deck is the Mother Peace Deck with the Mother Peace book and Mother Peace Playbook by Vicki Noble and Karen Vogel. This deck with these two books will not only teach you the Tarot, but also how Astrology and Numerology influences the energies around the cards as well as meditations that you can do during these exercises that are beneficial to your own spiritual growth.

I also think everyone needs the classic Rider-Waite Smith deck. My favorite classic Tarot book for the Rider-Waite Smith deck is called "Learning the Tarot" by Joan Bunning. Joan Bunning has a way of breaking everything down in a very linear and straight forward way along with many exercises that will help you learn the cards thoroughly.

These 2 decks with these books have helped me understand the Tarot in a very well rounded way.

It takes a lot of time and dedication to learning this art form but it is very fun and insightful every step of the way.

Another book that will help deepen your insight on the history and meaning of the cards is "78 degrees of Wisdom" by Rachel Pollack.

I also would recommend just looking through the cards and writing down how each one makes you feel as you get started before trying to memorize each meaning.

Part of reading the Tarot is allowing your intuition to guide you.

There is a never ending amount of ways the cards can be interpreted and it is important to allow yourself to be open and play with the energies that present themselves to you.

A couple websites that I love to use when wanting to expand my knowledge on cards is psychic-revelations.com and biddytarot.com.

Start small, with 1-3 card readings and then build up from there. Everybody learns things differently and at different paces so don't worry too much on whether you are "doing it right." The main thing with the Tarot is to trust your intuition and learn in the way that works best for you.

If you have a friend who knows the cards well, have them help you interpret, or do readings together. Having buddies to learn this with helps a lot in the process of gaining different insights. Reading the cards for each other also helps you learn how to interpret the many ways they can work in not only your life but someone else's. Allowing each person to be right about what they feel in the cards is good too.

Although each card does have a specific meaning, there is not right or wrong way to feel the cards for you. Reading for someone else however, forces you to allow that person to feel the cards. You are there to help guide them, but it is really up to them to see how that energy is applying to their life.

Because there are so many cards, I recommend giving yourself 30 minutes each day to do a reading to help you learn the cards and how they play into your life.

Like anything, learning how to read the Tarot takes a lot of study and practice.

I see this art being harder for people who have a hard time trusting their intuition. A large part of reading the Tarot is knowing how to see beyond the cards into how they are relevant to life.

Sometimes the cards will not always make sense we are placed and it can challenge your way of reading the cards, but if you follow your heart and gut feeling the answer is typically within you and will end up making sense.

You can read Tarot for almost anything you have questions about in your life, but it is important to bring common s