1. What Is Tarot?
Tarot is a set of 78 cards that originated in 15th-century Europe. Early decks were used for card games, but tarot gradually evolved into a tool for divination and self-exploration.
The 78 cards split into two groups: 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana represent life’s major themes and spiritual growth, while the Minor Arcana reflect the practical matters of everyday life.
The structure of a deck:
The right way to learn tarot: memorize the core symbolism of the 22 Major Arcana first, then understand the 56 Minor Arcana by suit — from trunk to branches.
2. The Four Minor Arcana Suits
The four suits of the Minor Arcana each map to a different life area and element:
Wands
- • Element: fire
- • Themes: action, creativity, passion
- • Season: spring
- • Keywords: drive, adventure, growth
Cups
- • Element: water
- • Themes: emotion, intuition, relationships
- • Season: summer
- • Keywords: love, empathy, dreams
Swords
- • Element: air
- • Themes: thought, communication, conflict
- • Season: autumn
- • Keywords: reason, decisions, challenge
Pentacles
- • Element: earth
- • Themes: wealth, health, the material
- • Season: winter
- • Keywords: stability, effort, reward
3. Quick Guide to the 22 Major Arcana
The Major Arcana are the heart of the tarot; each card marks a key stage or lesson on life’s journey. Here is a quick reference:
4. The Basic Reading Process
1. Prepare
- • Find a quiet space and settle your mind
- • Take a few deep breaths and focus on your question
- • Shuffle the cards while holding the question in mind
2. Choose a spread
Beginners should start simple. The most common is the three-card spread:
Three-card spread:
The three cards represent the roots of the question, the current situation, and where it is heading.
3. Draw and interpret
- • Draw the required number of cards and place them by position
- • Turn each card over, noticing the imagery and your first instinct
- • Interpret each card by its meaning and its position
- • Note whether a card is upright or reversed (reversals often soften or block the meaning)
5. Tips & Things to Watch
✅ Practical tips:
- • Trust your first instinct; don’t over-analyze
- • Read the cards in relation to each other, not in isolation
- • Don’t re-read the same question repeatedly
- • Stay open-minded — tarot is a tool, not a fixed prophecy
⚠️ Cautions:
- • Tarot is not a substitute for medical, legal or financial advice
- • Avoid reading when highly emotional
- • Respect others’ privacy; don’t read for them without consent
- • Use tarot for reflection, not as something to depend on
6. The Advantages of AI Tarot
Prism’s AI tarot feature blends traditional tarot wisdom with modern technology to:
- ✅ Support multiple spreads: three-card, Celtic Cross and more
- ✅ Interpret upright and reversed meanings intelligently
- ✅ Analyze the overall meaning of a card combination
- ✅ Offer tailored guidance and advice
- ✅ Save your readings for later review
7. Learning Tips
- ✅ Memorize the basic meanings of the 22 Major Arcana first
- ✅ Gradually learn the four Minor Arcana suits
- ✅ Start practicing with the simple three-card spread
- ✅ Draw one card daily for meditation and insight
- ✅ Use Prism’s AI tarot feature to support your learning
- ✅ Read the classics to deepen your understanding