Alright, down to business. Tarot reading is quite simple... you just have to remember about 78 meanings and in different terms and positions... it takes good memory, so i suggest that beginners buy the "Rider Waite" deck. It's the best deck to start with because there are drawings on all cards to help you understand the meaning of that card better. But keep in mind that some card meanings can be a bit altered to your fitting and feel of what it should really mean.
Tarot decks consist of 78 cards, usually bigger than the normal size of playing cards, and are seperated into two parts- the major and minor. The majors consist of 12 cards which are more powerful than the minor and if a person gets many of them in one reading means that something big is happening/will happen.
When you buy your deck of cards, which should be between 10-45 bucks, depending on the quality and rip-off rank of stores, heh, you should keep them in some kind of silk covering or bag. Some people put them under their pillows when they sleep so the cards absorb your energy/thoughts/dreams and whatnot.
Try to do your tarot readings in a nice familiar quiet place, (on a table of marble or with a silk cloth on it- they say). And don't let little kids like younger siblings or immature people screw around with your cards.
You can give readings to people and to yourself too, but usually i don't give myself readings... i dunno, but i find it's not as accurate and good... or maybe it's just me. Although i had a deadly pattern follow itself in time throughout three readings i gave myself... But when you give a reading to someone and a couple days later they come racing back at you asking for another reading to kow what will happen next cause what the cards had told them was true, it's a pretty cool feeling.
The mixing and choosing of the cards is very simple; you can do whatever you want. I scramble the cards on the floor/table (and hopefully you know that when mixing and choosing the cards they should be upside- down...) When choosing your cards ALWAYS use your left hand- 'Tis the unconcsious self you want to use help from.
Alright... the layouts. There are a couple of famous layouts like the yin yang and the celtic cross spread. You can make your own layout, but do that later when you get familiar with the feeling of tarot. I personally use the Celtic cross spread, <- and here's a drawing i made of how it should look and the overall meaning of the position of each card.
If you're a tarot reader and don't agree with certain things here... so sue me! I have my own way of doing things, and you got your own. Know what the cool part of this is? I don't copy and paste what i write on my site so DO KNOW that i'm not lazy but/and i DO KNOW what i'm doing =P.
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