r/AskATarotReader

Now that you know how to start, here’s a 5-minute crash course in tarot that will let you do a simple reading immediately.

A tarot deck has 78 cards:

Major Arcana (22 cards)

Big themes, life lessons, major events.

Examples:

• The Fool = new beginnings, leaps of faith
• The Magician = action, skill, manifestation
• The Lovers = relationships, choices, alignment
• Death = transformation, endings leading to beginnings
• The World = completion, fulfillment

Minor Arcana (56 cards)

Everyday situations.

Four suits:

Suit	Element	Keywords
Wands	Fire	passion, creativity, action
Cups	Water	emotions, relationships
Swords	Air	thoughts, conflict, decisions
Pentacles	Earth	money, work, practical matters

Each suit has:

Number	Theme
Ace	beginning
2	choice, balance
3	growth
4	stability
5	conflict, change
6	harmony
7	challenge
8	movement, power
9	nearing completion
10	ending, fulfillment

Example:

• Five of Cups = emotional disappointment
• Five of Pentacles = material hardship
• Five of Wands = conflict or competition

Same number, different life area.

How to read a card

Ask what is the picture trying to tell you?

Then combine:

1. Traditional meaning
2. Your immediate impression
3. The question you asked

Example:

Three of Swords

• Traditional: heartbreak, disappointment
• Your impression: storm clouds, pain
• Question: "How will this project go?"

Possible interpretation:

There may be a setback or uncomfortable truth to face.

Card	Core Keywords
Page	student, beginner, messenger, curiosity
Knight	action, pursuit, movement, mission
Queen	mastery of the inner world, nurturing, influence
King	mastery of the outer world, leadership, authority

Suit	Keywords
Wands	passion, creativity, ambition
Cups	emotions, relationships, intuition
Swords	intellect, truth, communication
Pentacles	work, money, practicality

Court cards

• Page: learning
• Knight: pursuing
• Queen: embodying
• King: mastering

Suits

• Wands: I create
• Cups: I feel
• Swords: I think
• Pentacles: I build

Examples:

• Queen of Cups = embodying feelings → empathy, intuition, compassion
• Knight of Swords = pursuing ideas → speed, directness, determination
• King of Pentacles = mastering the material world → success, stability, stewardship

This gives you a compact system for recalling all 16 court cards from first principles.

Reversed cards (optional)

When a card appears upside down, many readers interpret it as:

• blocked energy
• internal energy
• delay
• opposite tendency

Example:

• Upright: confidence
• Reversed: self-doubt

You can ignore reversals while learning.

Happy readings, y'all 🧡