“I personally journal and it’s helpful to do so that you can go back and revisit your thoughts on various cards to expand your personal understanding of them,” she says. Hathaway recommends keeping a daily record of your draws to help deepen your understanding of the cards. If you don’t like the upcoming card, you would work on your approach to the energy of the present and understanding of the past in order to influence the upcoming energies in a direction that better serves your personal goals.” The first card represents past energies, the second the present energy, and the third the upcoming energy. This is the first spread all students learn. “At first it is best to limit yourself to a three-card spread. “Do daily draws at the beginning of your day,” Hathaway suggests. Set yourself up for tarot success by following a few beginner ground rules. The reading of the spread has been described as a tool with which to get in touch with your own self-knowledge, or as Hathaway explains it, to access a higher level of consciousness that is outside of a linear time structure in order to understand your journey. Once the cards are shuffled, they are laid out in a pattern called the spread, and different spreads carry specific meanings.

In addition to these suits, tarot cards feature graphics on the card, called the major arcana, that represent bigger life events and concepts.

Wands stand for the energy of fire and the actions we take within this reality to make our future.Cups represent the emotional world, the thing that gives us the ability to love and thrive but can also confuse us.Swords symbolize the mental energy of communication, the examination of our feelings through analysis of them.Pentacles (known in some decks as Coins or Discs) represent earthly matters such as health or finance.

Tarot cards have four suits (called the minor arcana) that represent the elements in our reality which indicate the energetic impulses we have within, Hathaway explains. What To Consider Before Buying How Do I Get Started With Tarot Cards? (Hint: it’s all about what resonates for you). “What tarot does is give you information about what is to come and it is best used for understanding yourself, your emotional structure, why you make the choices you do, and how to make better ones so that all of your outcomes improve,” says Alane Hathaway, professional tarot card reader and founder of At The Rising Moon, who spoke to Bustle about what to look for when shopping for the best tarot cards for beginners. The ritual of tarot can help you become more in touch with yourself on a deeper level, but finding the right deck is key.

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