Tarot is not about predicting the future.
It's about understanding the present — your feelings, your patterns, your choices, and the energy you're moving through right now. The cards don't tell you what will happen. They hold up a mirror and ask you to look honestly at what's already there.
If you've been curious about tarot but don't know where to start, this guide is for you.
What You Need to Get Started
The good news: you don't need much.
- A tarot deck — choose one whose artwork resonates with you. The Rider-Waite-Smith deck is the classic beginner choice because most guides (including ours) reference its imagery. But any deck you're drawn to will work.
- A quiet space — 10–20 minutes of genuine quiet makes a significant difference to the quality of a reading
- An open mind — tarot works best when you approach it with curiosity rather than scepticism or expectation
- A journal — optional but highly recommended; writing down your readings helps you track patterns over time
Setting Up Your Reading Space
A reading space doesn't need to be elaborate. It needs to be intentional.
Light a candle. Place a crystal on your reading cloth. Take three slow breaths. Put your phone away. That's it — you've created a sacred space.
Best crystals for tarot readings:
- Amethyst — deepens intuition and creates a calm, receptive state
- Clear Quartz — amplifies clarity and the energy of the reading
- Labradorite — strengthens psychic awareness and connection to deeper knowing
- Moonstone — supports intuitive, emotionally aware readings
Place your chosen crystal above your spread before you begin, or hold it while you shuffle.
How to Shuffle and Draw
There's no single correct way to shuffle tarot cards — use whatever method feels natural. Some people shuffle like playing cards, others spread them face-down and move them around, others cut the deck into piles.
What matters is your intention. As you shuffle, hold your question in mind. Not a yes/no question — tarot doesn't do yes/no well. Instead, ask an open question:
- What do I need to know about...?
- What is the energy around...?
- What am I not seeing about...?
- What does my intuition most want me to know right now?
When you feel ready — when the shuffling feels complete — stop and draw your card or cards.
Three Simple Spreads to Start With
1. The One-Card Daily Pull
The simplest and most powerful practice for beginners. Each morning, draw a single card and ask: what energy do I need to be aware of today?
Sit with the card. Look at the imagery. Notice what you feel before you look up the meaning. Then consult your guide and journal a few sentences about how it might apply to your day.
Do this daily for a month and you'll be amazed how quickly you learn the cards.
2. The Three-Card Spread — Past, Present, Future
The classic beginner spread. Lay three cards left to right:
- Card 1 (left): What has led me here / what I'm moving away from
- Card 2 (centre): Where I am now / the current energy
- Card 3 (right): What is emerging / the direction I'm moving toward
Place a Clear Quartz point between the cards to amplify the reading's clarity.
3. The Moon & Moss Reflection Spread
Designed for use at the new or full moon:
- Card 1: What energy am I carrying into this moon cycle?
- Card 2: What do I need to release?
- Card 3: What am I being called to cultivate?
- Card 4: What does my intuition most want me to know right now?
Place a Moonstone above the spread before you begin.
Reading the Cards — A Few Tips
Trust your first impression. Before you look up a card's meaning, notice what you feel when you see it. That instinctive response is often the most accurate part of the reading.
Context matters. A card's meaning shifts depending on the question asked and the position it's drawn in. The same card can mean very different things in different readings.
Reversals are optional. Reversed cards (drawn upside down) carry a different, often more challenging meaning. If you're a beginner, feel free to read all cards upright until you feel ready to incorporate reversals.
You don't need to memorise all 78 cards. Start with the Major Arcana — the 22 most powerful cards in the deck. Once you know those, the Minor Arcana will start to make sense naturally.
Caring for Your Deck
Many readers cleanse their deck regularly — especially after readings for others, or when the cards feel heavy or unclear.
- Pass the deck through incense smoke
- Place it on a Selenite charging plate overnight
- Leave it under the full moon
- Knock on the deck three times to clear the energy
Store your deck wrapped in cloth or in a wooden box, with a crystal on top — Amethyst and Clear Quartz are both popular choices.
Want to Go Deeper?
This post covers the foundations — but if you want a complete guide to all 22 Major Arcana cards, with crystal pairings and journal prompts for every single one, The Moon & Moss Tarot Guide has everything you need.
It's a beautifully designed 27-page PDF, delivered instantly to your inbox.
Get The Moon & Moss Tarot Guide — £9.99 →
Every crystal mentioned in this post is available in our shop — ethically sourced, cleansed before dispatch, and arriving gift-ready.
Shop Crystals at Moon & Moss →