There may be many reasons why you first get interested in Tarot cards. For my part I was drawn to a deck that was for sale in a shop in London (UK) in 1973 and the rest is history. Having spent more than 30 years reading via the Tarot I have learned a lot about how the cards interact with each other regardless of the meaning each one has in its own right. 

There are many schools of thought on how the learn to read the Tarot too. How do you learn the meaning of 78 cards and then learn how to spread them out and then how they interact with each other? A daunting task I am sure you will agree. What I will attempt to do over the next few pages is give definitive steps to breaking down any mystery that surrounds the cards and then suggestions for getting started with simple spreads. You will each adapt to your own way of reading soon enough so please do not think that my way is right. Each to their own in my book!

I first used a deck called the Swiss IJJ deck. These were quite hard to get to grips with as they were pretty much an extended deck of playing cards albeit beautifully painted. I stuck with them for a number of years before moving to the Rider Waite deck. This deck is extremely popular amongst novices and experts alike as its beautiful pictures are far more user friendly and as such, will inspire confidence more quickly to the novice reader. I used this deck for many years before finding my perfect match in a deck I came across in the USA on a work trip. I have always had a passion for Arthurian legend and had read considerable amounts on it from various sources. I was wandering a book shop in a mall in central Florida and was "pulled" towards a deck on the bottom shelf of the New Age section. Without any thought or looking I picked up the deck, paid for it and left the shop. Yes, it was an Arthurian Tarot deck written and illustrated by Anna-Marie Ferguson and since that purchase in 1996 the synergy I have with the deck has been an awesome experience. Check out how beautifully illustrated these cards are with some examples on my Arthurian Deck page.

To start things off I will give explanations for the 2 core groups that make up the Tarot. They are the Minor and Major Arcana cards but in this instance are based on my personal knowledge and working with the Arthurian Tarot deck as well as the core meanings that are widely accepted.

Below are general descriptions for the Minor Arcana cards based on the Arthurian Tarot deck.

Card