So you want to start to read tarot cards? Maybe you saw it in a movie, maybe you happened to pick up a deck, and felt something stir inside you. Whatever drew you to this age old divination practice, Welcome! Tarot is a great learning tool for divination, and today I’m going to tell you some of the ways that you can choose, cleanse and connect to a deck.

Let's start your tarot journey! 

When you’re looking for a tarot deck, it can be VERY overwhelming trying to narrow it down. There are so many options out there that it can be difficult to hone in on what deck is calling to you. 

One way you can narrow it down is the art style. 
First there is the Marseilles style, developed in France in the 15th century. This gives a more historical feel, with its bright colors and detailed shading.

Then we have the Ride Waite Tarot- when you think of the tarot the rider-waite deck is probably the one that first comes to mind. The rider waite is much more detailed, and thus they give you more information in your reading. There is more to be interpreted when the cards are more detailed in their art. In this example alone of the empress, the card is full of growth and abundance imagery, just with the water flowing and the thick forest and grass that grows around the empress you can see the abundance and fertility that she brings. Most tarot decks that you will find are based on the Rider Waite deck and will often use the same imagery in different art styles.

Now this card is the empress from the Wild Unknown Tarot. I have this deck and I love it, but it is not for everyone. There is little to no additional imagery for new readers to draw information from other than the main subject of the card, which is why I say that this deck is for intermediate readers who are already intuitively connected to their deck and have been reading for a while.

There are other art styles you can choose from- from realism to completely abstract to photographic realism. Choose something that really draws you in, and makes looking at the deck as pleasant as possible for you.

Recognition is important. You want to be able to glance down at the cards and know instantly what card you’re looking at. If you have to stare at it for minutes after you pull it, you might need to study more, or find a deck that speaks more clearly to you. 

The deck imagery should be clear and visually appealing. Look deep into the image on the card and see what jumps out at you during any reading you do. Is there something that stands out more this time than last? It could bring more resonation and clarity to a reading should you happen to notice a dog in the background, and the clients dog recently passed away.

Connection and being able to relate to your deck is essential in understanding what the cards are trying to tell you and relate your struggles and experiences of the characters in the cards.Do you feel connected with the characters and the symbolism of the deck? Do you relate to the characters on their journeys, or the colors that are used? If you see a certain color, do you and the deck agree on its meaning?

I want you to think about what initially drew you to the card deck that you have now, or ones that have caught your eye before; was it the art style, the colors, or something else?

Now that you’ve chosen your deck, it’s time to cleanse and connect! 

There are many different ways to cleanse your deck, but the methods I usually fall back on are knocking or smoke cleansing.

Knocking is great for in-between readings; Just shuffling your deck, then knocking on it three, six or however many times feels comfortable to you, in order to clear any bad vibes from your deck. 

Smoke cleansing is my favorite way to clear the energies of my deck before an event. First I go through my deck and turn all the cards right side up, so that if a reversed card falls out during the reading, it is more significant. Then I take palo santo, which is used for clearing unwanted energy and emphasizing the positive energy, and burn it, letting the smoke waft over the deck, asking that it release anything that is not helpful for the reading back to Mother Earth.

Now that you have found your deck, connected and cleansed, you’re ready to go out and take the next steps for becoming a tarot reader…reading!

To learn more about tarot readings and how to become a tarot reader, be sure to book some time with our tarot reader Jessica Baker!

This article was written by Jessica Baker.