In a traditional tarot deck, each of the 78 cards carries unique symbols and stories. With countless ways to interpret them, the possibilities of finding meaning through tarot and oracle cards are limitless.
Tarot was originally invented in the 15th century. In modern society, people use tarot and other forms of divination to gain personal insights and help make choices aligning with their values. Other forms of divination include palmistry, astrology and spell-making.
For those entering the world of divination, understanding the cards can be a daunting task. With the help of Christine Branco, co-owner of the crystal and art store Gaia’s Gallery in downtown San Luis Obispo, KCPR compiled this guide to offer wisdom into the mystical realm of tarot.
Starting the process
Step one: Choose the deck that speaks to you. This can be because the art resonates with you, or you feel an energetic pull toward the deck.
“I have to resonate with a certain deck and depending on my mood, or what it is that I am being guided to,” Branco said. “I will pull the deck according to that.”
You can even hold different decks and see which one “feels” the best. Choose what you are naturally gravitated to.
Step two: Get the energy flowing. You can do this by cleansing the deck with incense or crystals.
“I’ll knock on the cards two times, just to clear the energy. I might even put a crystal, like Selenite, on top of it,” Branco said. “You want to prepare your space, prepare yourself for the guidance that’s going to come through and then you want to shuffle the cards.”
Selenite is known as a cleansing and purifying crystal. Tiny Rituals says the stone “keeps light and energy flowing so that you are cracked wide open and ever ready to receive the messages that the universe has to give.”
You can also meditate with the deck, holding it in your hands while breathing deeply and envisioning your energy flowing through the cards. This can help you connect with the cards, almost as if you two are getting to know each other.
Step three: Shuffle the cards and ask the deck your question. Maybe close your eyes. Focus on your intention for the card pulling.
You can ask your deck something specific, such as the course of action you should take in a situation, or something broad, like what energy is prevalent for you on that certain day.
“Ask the question [about] whatever it is that’s on your mind, or if you just need a daily guidance,” Branco said.
One simple example she gave was, “What is my message for today?” With this question and all others, Branco will choose to ask them while she is actively shuffling the cards.
“I’m shuffling because the energy is there,” she said. “When you speak out loud, that’s energy. So you’re imbuing that energy into the cards for your question.”
Choosing the cards
Step 4: Connect with your intuition. Have you ever had a gut feeling that tells you if something is good or bad without really having a reason? That is your intuition.
Connecting to it when practicing divination can guide us to valuable information about ourselves. Meditation, grounding yourself in the present moment, can help you learn from your intuition.
One TikToker, @ashiaikande, offers guidance on how to find and listen to your intuition.
Step 5: Choose, or “pull,” the card(s) of your choosing. Once you have connected to your intuition, listen to it. What card, or cards, are you drawn to?
Branco said readers don’t always have to pull cards — sometimes they choose to show themselves.
“When you’re shuffling the cards, if a card falls out or if you just pull one at random, then the message comes through,” she said.
Interpreting the cards
Step 6: Understand the deck. Most tarot decks are based on the original Rider Waite tarot deck, which has 22 cards belonging to the major arcana and 56 to the minor arcana. Cards from the major arcana represent more significant events while cards from the minor arcana represent more mundane ones.
The minor arcana is made up of wands, swords, cups and pentacles. Each suit contains 14 cards — ace through 10 and the page, knight, queen and king.
Branco said the Rider Waite deck is one of her favorites. Collaborating with Pamela Colman Smith, Rider Waite Smith designed the deck in the early 1900s, launching society into modern tarot divination.
Step 7: Find out what the cards are telling you. Most tarot decks come with a booklet explaining the meaning of each card. Every author describes the cards differently, but each card shares a similar general message.
Simply looking up the name of a card on the internet will result in a plethora of explanations. Labyrinthos, The Tarot Guide and Tarot.com are some websites with individual card meanings and educational resources.
Overall, tarot and oracle cards are tools people can use to understand themselves more deeply and find guidance in their lives.
“Tapping into and trusting your intuition and knowing that whatever card you pull, it’s not going to be the end all be all,” Branco said. “Because it’s just for your own guidance, for clarity and learning.”
Commonly misunderstood cards
Branco said some tarot cards can be misinterpreted based on their name or image. She provided some examples of these cards and their true meanings:
Death — Major Arcana
- Misconception: means actual, physical death
- Reality: This is a card that speaks about transitions. It can mean that a version of you from the past has “died” and you have now evolved to the next stage of your life. It can mean that you are entering into a considerable new era, where a cycle has ended and a new one is beginning.
The Devil — Major Arcana
- Misconception: is a cursed card
- Reality: Ultimately, divination can only be used to guide our lives right now. We have autonomy in our lives and can do things that will change our futures. Rather than speaking to an external force, The Devil suggests attachment is holding us back, whether to a toxic thought pattern, person, material good or other.
9 of Swords — Minor Arcana
- Misconception: a situation is controlled by external challenges
- Reality: When you pull this card, it may signal that you have been experiencing mental turmoil that is negatively affecting your life. Our depressive spiral can make us believe our circumstances, or external environment, are making us feel this way, but this card suggests that it is all in our heads. Our fate is not determined solely by external factors, but rather in conjunction with our mindsets, beliefs and inner dialogues.
Oracle vs. tarot
Oracle decks differ from tarot decks in that their artists have complete control over their design. While tarot decks have an exact amount of cards and meanings associated with them, the creator of an oracle deck can decide how many cards they want, what those cards are and what those cards mean.
People may prefer an oracle deck over a tarot deck because there is more autonomy when it comes to choosing which cards are pulled. For example, people can choose an oracle deck that only has cards with positive messaging.
Branco said some of her favorite oracle card authors are Alana Fairchild and Rebecca Campbell. Rebecca Campbell’s art seems to take inspiration from crystals, expressed by its colors and ethereal visuals. Alana Fairchild focuses a lot of her art on portraying mystical women, as seen in her “Sacred Rebels Oracle” deck.
Gaia’s Gallery (750 Higuera St.), Hemp Shak (781 Higuera St.) and Barnes & Noble (894 Marsh St., Building G) are some of the local stores that sell tarot and oracle decks.
