Ready to trust your intuition? Here’s a beginner’s guide to tarot reading

Tarot is a historic practice that originated in northern Italy during the late 14th and early 15th centuries, but it is having a renaissance in the digital age, as online tarot readings have become the norm. Owning a deck of cards is no longer a habit of your ‘quirky’ friend; tarot is becoming an increasingly common pastime. 

During uncertain times, having your tarot cards read can also be particularly comforting, and Lynda Harrison, an intuitive healer and professional tarot reader, believes the practice can help us better understand what is going on in our lives. “People are often drawn to tarot when they are feeling stuck and want to gain clarity on a situation, have an outside perspective, guidance or reconnect with their own intuition,” she says. “A tarot reading offers an opportunity to step back and see things with a wider lens.”

If you’re interested in using tarot as a way of reflecting on yourself and your life, Harrison has some tips on where to start, plus some advice for people who would like to start reading tarot cards themselves.

Tarot cards do not predict our future but they may help guide us through life. It is different from astrology, but the two things are related: each zodiac sign has a card that it represents and tarot readers use characteristics of the zodiac signs to help them interpret the cards. You can have personal tarot readings or you can have your reading done based on your star sign.

Why might you want to learn to read tarot? “It’s a reflective, empowering process that helps you to understand the energy around a situation and how best to respond to it,” says Harrison. “Tarot has this magical way of tuning into your energy and drawing a story around your thoughts and feelings – what you’re bringing in towards you and what you’re repelling.

“That’s because, at its heart, tarot is a tool for self-awareness. The cards themselves use universal symbols and archetypes that mirror what we already sense but might not yet have words for. That’s why the experience can feel both magical and deeply personal.”

The great news is that tarot can offer a whole range of benefits. “One of the greatest benefits of reading tarot is learning to truly connect with and trust your intuition,” says Harrison. “The more you work with the cards, the more you build a relationship with them and yourself.”

And, if Harrison can offer one tip on embracing the benefits of tarot, it’s to trust your instincts. “For me, everything shifted when I started to trust what was coming through,” she says. “Tarot teaches you to listen beyond logic, to allow insights to surface and to be brave enough to give them a voice. What might seem insignificant to you could be the most important tipping point or piece of evidence for the person you’re reading for.”

Keen to start reading tarot on your own? Harrison offers the following tips for beginners:

• Choose a deck that brings you joy. “Your deck should feel special. Choose one that you’re drawn to visually, something that feels exciting to work with and that you want to keep picking up. The aesthetics of a pack are important to me. If you love the artwork, you’ll naturally want to use it more often.”
• Spend time getting to know your cards. “Before diving into big spreads, simply sit with your cards. Shuffle, pull a single card, and notice what stands out – the colours, symbols or emotions. Ask yourself what it means to you before checking the guidebook. That personal connection is where your intuition starts to build. Feel into what the card brings up for you. Then, if you’re curious, you can check the book’s meaning too.”
• Trust yourself. “You can’t get it wrong. Everyone has intuition, and we just need to learn how to use it and trust it. Tarot is a conversation between you and your higher self. The more you trust your first impressions, the stronger that intuitive muscle becomes. I describe it as that little voice in your head that is offering you guidance, and your ego is the voice that questions it.”
• Practise and play. “Try reading for friends and family, purely for fun. The more relaxed you are, the more naturally messages flow. Tarot isn’t about perfection; it’s about trust and presence. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll become.”
• Find your own style. “There’s no single way to read tarot. Some learn every traditional meaning; others, like me, read intuitively and emotionally. Some people use oracle cards, tarot and other different styles. Some use one deck; I use different decks for different occasions, and sometimes I’ll use all my decks. Over time, your cards will start to speak your language.”

Images: Getty