Tarot guide: cards, spreads and how to read them
This tarot guide covers the essentials: how the deck is organized, how to choose a spread and how to read cards through position and context.
How the tarot deck is organized
Tarot uses 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana for larger themes and transitions, and 56 Minor Arcana for everyday emotions, conflicts, actions and resources. Learning that structure is more useful than treating each card as an isolated message.
22 Major Arcana
56 Minor Arcana
How to choose a tarot spread
Match the spread to the question. One card gives focus, three cards show relationships between positions, and five cards help when a situation includes blocks, resources and more than one possible direction. More cards do not automatically create a better reading.
One card
Three cards
Five cards
How to interpret tarot cards in context
The same card changes tone according to its position, orientation and surrounding cards. Start with the job of the position, then connect the card symbol to the question you actually asked.
Position
Orientation
Context
Frequently asked questions
How many cards are in tarot?
A complete deck has 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana.
Do I need to memorize every card?
No. Understanding structures, symbols and card relationships is more useful than memorizing fixed phrases.
What spread is best for beginners?
One or three cards make it easier to practice position and context without adding too much information.
What does a reversed card mean?
A reversal can point to blockage, excess, delay or a more inward expression of the same energy.