All the cards are now available as a sticker, phone case or greeting card, over at Redbubble. If you have a specific card you’d like to go to, you’ll find they are all easily organised into collections. You can follow the links below to go to a particular suit.
Now that all of the rider Waite deck are uploaded, I’ll look to focus on other expired decks and custom illustrations. Thank you all for the support so far, and i’m glad you are enjoying your time at Tarot-Explained.com
Free readings are coming back at Tarot-Explained.com. Previously only open to newsletter subscribers, they will soon be open to all. Head over the the Reading page to learn more. Be aware that last time, this got so busy that they had to be limited, so get a request in as soon as possible. These readings are real, performed by an actual person, and we can have a little discussion after if you wish.
Also of note; reversal meanings are being added to Tarot-Explained.com, starting with the Major Arcana. Take a look at them here. Reversal meanings will be added to the Minor Arcana over the coming days. I’ve also been correcting silly mistakes along the way, as well as updating the pages and making them more user friendly.
That’s all for now, I look forward to receiving your reading requests when the service is available soon!
-Kali
I’ve recently started offering tarot readings on fiverr. The experience has been uplifting, and I’ve been able to help a number of people so far. It’s very different from offering readings in person, and there are certain pros and cons of distance reading. You’re unable to discuss the reading as it’s taking place, and can only offer the final product. I quite enjoy this aspect, you can stay focused on the initial query and there is no distraction from further questions. You also perform a purer reading, untainted by unconscious hints and body language the querent offers. You can have a look at the fiverr page here.
As soon as somebody orders though the gig page on fiverr, I get an email. I reply as soon as possible to say that I have received the request, and to give a rough timeframe. Fiverr allows extras, so if the querent has selected 1-day Delivery, I will make that reading my priority. Once this reply is set, I try to find a good period of time in the day I can dedicate to the reading.
Finding time to fit readings in can be tough, but so far I have managed every reading on time. It is so much more than shuffling, dealing cards, laying them out, then typing up the reading. I like to get into a good receptive mental state before performing the reading, and I always perform readings when I am alone. Usually, the readings are simple, one or two cards, as described on the gig page. I perform my readings while sitting on the floor, though this is mainly because I do not have a table! Once the cards are dealt, I simply look at them. Intuition and knowledge of tarot cards plays it’s part here. Once the cards are dealt, an image will start to form. At this stage, I’ll start typing up the report.
Once the report is typed up, I’ll leave it for an hour or so, and then come back to it. The reading is still in my mind, even after it has been performed, and sometimes taking a step back to observe the situation can help you see things from a new angle. At this stage, I’ll edit the report and review it, as an editor would review a book. The reports I type follow a set pattern, shown below in a censored, but actual report.
First I greet the querent, and then get started with the reading. I like to jump straight in. I make it clean I know their question, and then type how each card I draw relates to it. One thing I like to add, are missing cards or suits (if many cards are drawn). At the end, I summarise the reading into actionable steps for the querent. I like to give a sense of closure to the question.
I send the typed up and formatted report as an image or PDF file. It’s as simple as that. For once, the technological part of something is the easiest! I like to be open to communication afetrwards and I’m always happy to discuss the reading afterwards.
It’s really up to you. If you have a tight schedule like I do, then it’s a very good idea. You can still practice tarotology for real people, on your own time. I’ve found it to be just as good as a face to face reading, and my feedback so far has been very positive!
This spread shows a tarot card which represents each of the zodiacal star signs for the coming year, January 2018 to December 2018. One card per star sign, they should give you the general theme of how the year is going to progress and end. To use this Zodiacal reading, scroll to your Star sign, and read what is in store. Click the card for more information. If you would like a more in-depth personal reading, or you’d like to expand on this, considering a reading from Tarot-Explained.
The Six of Wands. This will be a good year. Expect goals to be completed. Go out of your way to make good memories this year.
Eight of Cups. You might give up on a long held belief this year, but remember it is for the best. Something might go wrong this year to change you, but you will recover and grow.
The Fool. New beginnings and new starts. Come into this year with a fresh perspective; New Year, New you. You’re only at the start of your journey.
Nine of Pentacles. It’s likely that things are coming to a happy ending. All that which you’ve worked for is going to pay off in the coming year. Be sure to congratulate yourself as you ascend to a better state of being.
Ace of Swords. If you’re willing to put the effort in, this will be your best year yet. Be strong and decisive. There’s no need to rush, you’re only at the start of it.
The World. You’ll accomplish much this year. If you believe you have a life goal, then 2018 is going to be either completing it, or getting very close. If you have set new years resolutions, then you’re sure to complete them in 2018.
The Emperor. You will take charge of your life this year. If you are feeling stifled and constrained, then 2018 is the year when you will break free.
The Devil. Be sure to look out for traps and pitfalls this year. There will be many choices presented to you which are not the right thing to do. Try not to give into past weakness,
The Moon.You might be feeling lost and directionless right now, but 2018 is the year when things pick up if you make them. Stop worrying about the little things.
The Magician. Don’t lose sight of your goals. You have a lot of ambition and there are many ways to apply your skills, don’t get overwhelmed, just focus.
Ten of Pentacles. Money might be tough this year, but you will end the year in a good state. You’re going to mature and grow a lot this year in an area you weren’t aware of.
Five of Swords. This will be a tough year for you. Expect adversity. Be prepared for it, what are people going to challenge you over this year?
Welcome to the first ‘weekly card’. Each Monday, we will feature a card and how it may affect you in the coming week. A weekly card is a general reading for all and in short it means; How will this week be? A weekly card reminds us to be mindful of the particular aspect of the card and how it manifests in our lives. Can a ‘one card for all’ approach truly work? Yes, of course, as long as you interpret it in a certain way; be mindful of the ‘things to look out for’ below. If you’d like to let us know if this card had an effect on your week, please let us know!
Our first weekly tarot card is the Queen of Cups
The Queen of Cups can represent a powerful woman influential in your life, but also maturity and sensitivity. To find out more about the 13th card of the Cups Suit, check out it’s card meaning here.
Number : 13
Person : An older woman
Activity : Reconnect with someone who has helped you in the past and tell them how much you appreciate them.
Be Mindful of : Someone new that will require your help.
Other : Pay attention to your dreams this week!
For more information, check out The Queen of Cups card meaning here.
It’s time to go over the site and update, fix problems and tinker. Maintaining a website such as this requires constant updating, refreshing and fixing. Over the coming weeks we’ll be adding to each card page, updating the spreads and adding new features to make tarot-explained.com even better than before. It’s unlikely that there will be any downtime, but if there is any, it’ll only be for a very short while!
This round of updates is to make sure that the current definitions of each card and spread are as good as they can be, before new content is added.
One of the simplest spreads you can do with a set of tarot cards is a ‘Yes or No’ spread. Most cards have more positive or negative meaning, and from this you can simply determine the answer to a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ question. Some cards are a bit more ambiguous, and the answer may change depending on the question.
Let’s run through an example!
Jane wonders if she’s ever going to go on the holiday of her dreams. She consults the tarot and draws a single card; The Page of Swords. The Page of Swords is quite a positive card, so from this, Jane can determine that the answer is going to be yes. It’s as simple as that. The whole reading was over in less than a minute.
Lets have another example, where things aren’t so clear cut.
Jane wants to see if her weekend is going to be a good one or not. She draws a single card; The Moon. The Moon isn’t as positive as the Page of Swords, and the answer here is No. Jane might wonder why her weekend isn’t going to be a positive one, so she draws another card, or two cards for each day (Saturday and Sunday). The Yes and No tarot spread can open up this way, you may want to explore the initial answer by chaining your spreads together.
The Yes or No spread is best used to get a different perspective on a decision you need to make. Do you want to go to the cinema? Do you want to talk to this person? Always treat the spread as a separate person giving you an opinion. You don’t have to do what it tells you, where’s the fun in that!
Learning to interpret the 78 tarot cards might feel like a big task, and it can take time, effort and practice to get acquainted with the cards.
Here are my top ten tips that you can use and apply when you’re reading the tarot.
Have you drawn a card from the Major or Minor Arcana? This will be your starting point. Overall when interpreting the trump cards, keep in mind that these cards symbolise transformation, and growth, either in the form of a new cycle or the completion of a cycle.
The four suits on the other hand, represent events that happen in our day to day lives. For example, in a career reading, drawing the five of wands signifies healthy competition at work.
You can also provide dates for your predictions with the four suits:
Each suit relates to a universal element. Use the qualities of each element as a tool to assist you when interpreting the cards.
Use a tarot cheat sheet when you practice your readings. Cheat sheets are a great way to learn more about the cards, a cheat sheet will;
Don’t be afraid to take your time when interpreting the cards. Being patient will allow you to understand the cards with accuracy. You will be more helpful to your client when you can give a clear reading. Drawing too many cards at once can become overwhelming and will affect the quality of your reading.
Practice using your intuition. Gaze at each card and clear your mind. Eventually, you will tune into the cards and learn to trust your instincts with each answer. This method does take time, but continue with it and you will develop your own internal guidance.
Each tarot card has a number and numbers have different qualities to them. You can combine numerology in your readings to benefit you. Another way of using numbers is by dividing the cards into piles of the same number and look for similarities amongst them. For example, the number two in each suit symbolise events that are playing out behind the scenes, and the number three cards symbolise new beginnings.
Selecting the right spread will provide a structure to your reading and you will be able to recognise if the card relates to a past, present or future event. Learn by using a simpler three card spread, then progress to the four-card cross spread, and when you feel confident try out the Celtic cross spread.
It’s not unlucky to practice the tarot on yourself and it will get your skills up to speed. You can practice by asking the tarot specific questions about yourself and by matching a spread to your question. The more you do this, the more confident you will get at interpreting the cards to fit different questions.
Always interpret the cards by keeping the original question in mind. This will be more difficult in general readings because of the broad nature of the question. Stick to the question and take a break if needed to get perspective on each card.
Look at how the cards communicate with each other. Are the figures on the card facing each other? Or, does one have their back to the other? Look for patterns.
For example, the cards below are both Swords and relate to the mind and communication. The figure on the Nine of Swords has their back to the Ten of swords, indicating that this person was betrayed in the past, which is causing mental suffering and preventing them from moving forward. Communication is important here, they can resolve this internal conflict by confiding in someone, such as a therapist or counsellor.
As you can see, the tips given here will take time to learn, but by using these methods consistently you will begin to develop your tarot skills and your own internal guidance. Most importantly, play around with these techniques and have fun! Or even create your own methods for interpreting the tarot…
Biography
Sarah Buttery is a professional tarot reader and esoteric researcher and blogger.
Have you wondered what the next year might bring? A new spread has been added; a 12 month Spread. Now that it’s coming up to the end of the year, it’s a perfect time to think about what the next year will bring for you.
There are also some other exciting features for Tarot-Explained in the new year. January 1st is the celebration of our second birthday, and with this comes a review and update of the card meanings. Recently, we added a numerology section to each card, and more card meanings will be added over the next year.
Have a happy holiday season everybody.
As the art of tarot reading relies heavily on your intuition and also an interpretation of the visual element of the cards, it is important for your deck to successfully represent what your intuition is feeling. No- one likes working with a deck that doesn’t speak to them visually, and it also needs to connect to our inner vision of what the cards represent. But what happens if what your intuition feels contradicts what is represented on the cards?
In a traditional Tarot decks such as the popular Rider- Waite, swords are represented by the element of Air and Wands are Fire. The visual differences are not always obvious, however the symbology and the meanings will still represent the element.
Some readers, such as myself, prefer to use a different meaning system based on the Air and Fire elements being switched. But why is this? No doubt every reader who feels this way has their own reasons for this, but mine personally is due to my personal, psychological and spiritual connections with the elements and the items mentioned. It is important not to ignore these personal connections with the elements as they are an integral part of your intuition.
Why do some decks choose to make this switch? Let us consider the idea of the Wand (which is sometimes called a Stave or Baton in some older decks). Some pagans use this implement in spell and ritual work to create magical circles, and to do this, it relies on focus of the mind, and also the imagination. These are both associated with the element of air. Everything that the wand does is ultimately an inner spiritual effect. However, the Sword/ Dagger/ Athame, much like fire, is a rather assertive (as opposed to passive, like the wand) object. It is important however to be aware that the Athame is not used in a physical fashion and is certainly not used for harm, and is also sometimes used to cast circles, hence its popular association with Air.
The argument, ultimately, can swing both ways. So how do you find out which way is best for you? Here are a number of activities for you to try:
Wand/ Athame Meditation
Place yourself somewhere comfortable, but upright, such as a comfy chair or a pillow on the floor. You may light some incense or a candle. Ensure you will not be disturbed and that you do not have any pressing matters to attend to. Hold a wand or an athame/ dagger/ sword (or do one then the other) and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths (ten or more is good) to ensure you are fully relaxed. When you are ready, try to focus your mind on the object in your hand. Feel it’s energy- what sort does it have? Is it dark and passionate, bright and deep? Take as much time as you like thinking on the object and allowing your mind to be fully absorbed into the activity. You may find this will help you work out how you feel about the object and bring you closer to the answer.
Tarot Card Meditation
Sit in a comfortable position with a tarot deck of your choosing and pick a card from the Wand and Swords suit (or their equivalent). Place them side by side and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths until you are fully relaxed. Slowly, place your hand over one of the cards and concentrate on it. Feel the energy reverberating from the card- how does it feel? Can you sense a colour? Try this activity with the other card, then try it whilst focusing on both. Is there an obvious difference between the two?
If you are interested in the idea of using a deck with swapped elements, there are a number you can try- for instance the Art Noveau Tarot, Celtic Dragon Tarot, Fantastical Creatures and Legend: Arthurian Tarot.
This post was written by Jio Butler, who also designed the fantastic new logo for www.Tarot-Explained.com. You can view more of her work here: Deviantart Link