Every morning, I pull a card from my tarot deck for my daily reading. I study my card and try to figure out what the universe is trying to tell me that day. Sometimes, it’s all positive and I’m like, “Yep, that’s it.” Other days, I draw a card that gets me thinking about my flaws and the work I should do on myself. My daily reading allows me to reflect on my life at the moment and tap into my intuition to help me on my path of self-improvement. It is by no mean an instant fix, but it gives me peace of mind as I start my day.
While tarot dates back to late 1300 when the Mamluk card game originated in Egypt and spread across Europe, it has found new audiences through social media. Social media highlights the accessibility of tarot cards to any who are interested, regardless of location. If you’re curious to learn how to do tarot card readings at home, we talked to Tatianna Tarot, an intuitive tarot therapist and ritual practitioner, who offers some helpful tips on how to become attuned with your cards for self-care.
Yolanda: What’s the best way to get your deck: by buying it or receiving it as a gift?
Tatianna: It’s always a joyous feeling when you receive a deck of cards—I don’t think people want to turn down a free deck, but waiting for that to occur can be a problem. Also, not every deck of cards will suit you. Sometimes the spirits that you work with (known and unknown) may show preference in the decks that they want by influencing your taste, and this is why you typically choose what you choose. And for this reason, I feel choosing your own deck is absolutely important and encouraged.
Yolanda: What classes or books do you suggest for a beginner?
Tatianna: None. People should have a white candle and a glass of water, and ask your honorable ancestors and your guides to come through to help you with learning this craft. For classes and books, of course there are numerous excellent ones, but nothing trumps listening to your spirit team and your own voice when it comes to such a personal tool.
Yolanda: What tips do you have for people when they start using tarot as self-care?
Tatianna: Use it to connect with your spirit guides, your ancestors; and write everything you learn—along with what you divine for yourself or others—down. You’re going to want to keep records of your insights and readings because it will teach you a great deal along the way and remind you of important messages/medicines you need to ingest over time. And once you see what happened in your life and how the cards illustrated that energy, you connect deeper with the card's definition. It will have meaning and relevance for you.
Tarot is accessible to people of all kinds, as all you need is a personal deck to get started. By doing a reading at home in your sacred space, you may feel more comfortable embracing spiritual guidance to better understand your inner self. Creating a healing ritual within your home can help connect you to the energy of your space. And don’t stress: With enough practice, you’ll be able to read any card like second nature.
