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Tarot cards are a tool for personal discovery and self-care.

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They highlight where youve been, validate where youre at in the moment, and hint at whats possible.

Its a glimpse into the energetic landscape that supports you in making the best decisions for yourself moving forward.

Tarot doesnt do propheciesit offers agency.

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In uncertain times, gaining a stronger sense of personal agency is especially appealingand healthy.

One need only to scroll social media briefly to experience the surge ofdivinatoryandpersonal growthcontent in peak-effect.

I dont think thats as necessary now; I think anyone can read tarot.

Just keep Dyans most important advice in mind: Your best resource for learning tarot is your intuition.

How to Read Tarot Cards

First things first: you must procure a deck.

Dont worry about memorizing each card; focus on learning the story its telling you.

But what if no one buys you a deck?

Then you never get to learn how to read.

My feeling is, I bought my deck and I can read!

After youve purchased your deck, the next thing to do is to familiarize yourself with the cards.

I think establishing a relationship with the cards is important.

It can be so intimidating because its a deck of 78 cards and theyre all different, Howe says.

Thats a nice way to get to know the cards on a deeper level.

Then, pull a card or two and see what kind of insight they offer, Dyan says.

Tarot is really a tool to facilitate talking about things.

I think its important to think about the energy of the space because youre opening up, Howe says.

Burning sage, burning palo santo, lighting candles, and having an intention helps.

But its not just the physical space that needs to be balanced before a reading.

Even your headspace matters, Howe says.

For beginner readers, Howe recommends two basic spreads, a three-card pull and the Celtic Cross.

The Celtic Cross, though slightly more complicated, is also a traditional starting point.

Its 10 cards, so its a lot of information and its a very clear spread, Howe says.

Its really about the connections between the cards, Howe says.

Depending what cards are around a certain card, it will influence the meaning.

Theyre all being influenced by each other, sometimes theyre really amplified by each other.

Remember, tarot is not predictive; it wont foretell misfortune.

Dont believe everything you see in the movies about tarot, says Dyan.

But if you do get a seemingly scary card like the Death card, dont panic.

The Death card isnt about physical death of any kind, Dyan explains.

Its about transformational change that is positive and necessary.

How you deal with change is what determines if its positive or negative for you.

I really love the Death card, Howe says.

Its more about our fear of death and our fear of change.

Change is really positive.

Death is just the necessary component to transformationyou cant become something else without the loss of something.

When it comes to tarotand life, for that matter, intention really makes all the difference.

There are no bad cards, only bad tarot card readers.

Tarot cards cant hurt you; they inform you.