🔮 How to Play Divinatory Tarot Cards

📜 1. The History of Divinatory Tarot

The divinatory tarot deck appeared in Europe in the 15th century, in the form of a court card game. It was used for playing, for the entertainment of nobles, without any mystical dimension at the time.

It was only in the 18th century that some occult thinkers, such as Antoine Court de Gébelin, proposed that tarot concealed an ancient wisdom, Egyptian, Kabbalistic — giving rise to the divinatory practice of tarot.

Over time, occultists like Éliphas Lévi, A. E. Waite, Aleister Crowley, and others enriched the symbolism (Kabbalah, astrology, alchemy) and popularized tarot as a tool for inner revelation.

Among the most famous derivatives are the Wirth Tarot, published in 1889 by Stanislas de Guaita and Oswald Wirth, and the Waite-Smith Tarot, published in 1909 by Arthur Edward Waite and Pamela Colman-Smith.

🃏 2. Understanding the Structure of the Tarot Deck

A Tarot deck refers to a set of 78 cards (or cards) divided into two categories: 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana. The word "Arcana" comes from the Latin Arcanum, which means mystery.

🌟 The 22 Major Arcana

The 22 Major Arcana are the "flagship" cards of the tarot. They speak of major life movements, psychological or spiritual transformations.

The Fool (or The Jester), numbered 0, precedes the other Major Cards. Innocent, he sets out to discover himself in what is called the "Fool's Journey". On this quest, he meets the various figures of the Tarot, each teaching him an essential lesson for his path.

Complete list of the 22 Major Arcana

🔢 The 56 Minor Arcana

The minor arcana add detail to the major arcana. They indicate whether the subject is work, money, emotions, studies, or relationships.

They are very organized: four suits of fourteen cards, numbered from ace to ten, plus four court cards, thanks to the four suits:

🎯 3. Choosing Your First Tarot Deck

To start cartomancy well, it is essential to choose the right deck. There are many different divinatory card decks. They fall into two main categories: oracles and tarots.

Tarot vs. Oracle: what's the difference?

Recommended decks for beginners

• 🏛️ The Marseille Tarot — One of the oldest and most beloved tarot decks. Rich in traditional symbolism. Discover our Tarot France Pipspeak, perfect for beginners.
• 🎨 The Rider-Waite-Smith — The Anglo-Saxon standard, richly illustrated and intuitive. Ideal for beginners.
• 📖 Oswald Wirth's Tarot — A classic of the French esoteric tradition.

Each tarot card contains many symbols that can be deciphered. To find the tarot deck that suits you best, trust your intuition and choose a deck that pleases and attracts you.

🧘 4. Prepare Your Reading

Before drawing the cards, it’s essential to create the right conditions. The atmosphere and your mindset directly influence the quality of your connection with the deck.

✅ Checklist before the reading

• 1 🧹 Cleanse your deck — Some use sage, palo santo, or place their cards under moonlight.
• 2 🧘 Center yourself — Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and calm your mind.
• 3 ❓ Ask a clear question — Avoid yes/no questions. Prefer: “What should I understand about…?” or “What message is there for my situation with…?”
• 4 🕯️ Create an atmosphere — Don’t overlook the mood before and during the reading to encourage mental and physical relaxation.

🔮 5. The Main Reading Methods

There are many methods for reading divination cards. Here are the most popular, from simplest to most advanced.

🃏 1-Card Spread — The Daily Draw

It’s better to draw one card a day for a month than to do a big spread once every six months. Consistency creates flow. An oracle like the Messages from the Universe Deck is perfect for this daily ritual.

How to do it:

• Shuffle the cards while thinking about your day.
• Draw a single card.
• Observe it and note your impressions.

🃏🃏🃏 3-Card Spread — Past / Present / Future

The 3-card spread simply allows you to see where the querent stands. One card for the past, one for the present, and the last for the future. The Revelation of Time Deck is particularly suited for this type of temporal spread.

┌───────────┐     ┌───────────┐     ┌───────────┐
│           │     │           │     │           │
│  CARD 1  │     │  CARD 2  │     │  CARD 3  │
│   PAST   │     │  PRESENT  │     │   FUTURE   │
│           │     │           │     │           │
└───────────┘     └───────────┘     └───────────┘

✝️ Cross Spread — The classic (4 or 5 cards)

The cross spread, or the Thoth’s answer, is usually done with the major arcana. It includes 4 cards arranged in a cross (+ 1 optional summary card) that weigh the pros and cons and provide a clear answer.

                  ┌───────────┐
                  │  CARD 3  │
                  │ Problem  │
                  └───────────┘

┌───────────┐     ┌───────────┐     ┌───────────┐
│  CARD 1  │     │  CARD 5  │     │  CARD 2  │
│Querent  │     │ Summary  │     │ Obstacles │
└───────────┘     └───────────┘     └───────────┘

                  ┌───────────┐
                  │  CARD 4  │
                  │ Outcome  │
                  └───────────┘

This spread is traditionally the most used to answer a specific question. The Tarot Oracle of the Triad is excellent for this type of structured spread.

🔟 Celtic Cross Spread — For advanced users (10 cards)

The Celtic Cross method is an ancient technique combining symbols and divinatory figures to answer a question or assess a situation. This spread uses 10 cards arranged in a specific layout, each card representing a different aspect of your inquiry.

                  ┌─────┐
                  │  C3 │  Conscious
                  └─────┘
     ┌─────┐     ┌─────┐     ┌─────┐            ┌─────┐  C10 - Final outcome
     │  C4 │     │C1/C2│     │  C6 │            │ C10 │
     Past       └─────┘     Future              ├─────┤
     └─────┘   Situation +   └─────┘            │  C9 │  Hopes / Fears
                  Obstacle                      ├─────┤
                  ┌─────┐                        │  C8 │  External influences
                  │  C5 │  Unconscious          ├─────┤
                  └─────┘                        │  C7 │  Yourself
                                                 └─────┘

📖 6. How to Interpret the Cards

🧠 Trust your intuition

Each card is only a pretext to see which feelings are ready to surface within you. So there is no “correct” interpretation. Tarot is a wonderful tool to resolve dilemmas, reconnect with yourself, and develop your intuition. The Tarot Intuition du Corbeau is specifically designed to cultivate this intuitive connection.

📝 The 4 steps for a good interpretation

• 1 👀 Observe — Look at the colors, characters, objects, and directions of the gaze.
• 2 💜 Feel — What emotion does the card spontaneously inspire in you?
• 3 🔗 Connect — Link the image to your initial question.
• 4 🧩 Combine — The cards interact with each other to give a nuanced overview of the situation.

📓 Keep a tarot journal

Always note the cards drawn, your first impressions, your interpretations, and your feedback a few days later. Study the symbols: colors, numbers, shapes, and astrological correspondences. This journal will become your best ally for progress.

🛡️ 7. The Ethics of Tarot

Starting tarot also means setting an ethical framework. You should not read cards without someone's consent. You do not have to answer questions that make you uncomfortable. Tarot can accompany, support, and illuminate, without playing at spectacular fortune-telling.

💡 8. Tips to Progress

📚 9. Resources and Useful Links

🛍️ Our Tarot & Oracle Cards