A Beginner’s Guide to Tarot: Getting Started with the SparkTarot® Deck + Guidebook
Your Pathway to Clarity, Intuition, and Creative Guidance
Are you drawn to tarot, but aren’t sure where to begin? Tarot can feel mysterious, but it’s a wonderfully intuitive tool to help guide your creativity, decisions, and inner wisdom. And while this short guide applies to any deck, the SparkTarot® Deck + Guidebook is a great choice for those who want to start working with tarot more—it’s designed to be clear, approachable, and full of insight.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the basics of using tarot, from understanding what the various suits represent, to getting started with your first reading.
1. The Structure of a Tarot Deck
A Tarot deck is made up of 78 cards, split into two main sections: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.
- Major Arcana: These 22 cards represent significant life themes, challenges, and spiritual lessons. They show up when big shifts or powerful insights are at play.
- Minor Arcana: These 56 cards represent the day-to-day experiences, decisions, and challenges we face. They reflect the more personal, immediate aspects of life.
2. The Suits of the Minor Arcana
In the Minor Arcana, there are four suits, each connected to one of the elements (Fire, Water, Air, Earth). Each suit has 14 cards, numbered from Ace to Ten, and four Court Cards (Page, Knight, Queen, and King).
Note: In the SparkTarot® Deck + Guidebook, I have changed the suit of Swords to Serpents, and the suit of Pentacles or Coins to Stones.
Here’s a breakdown:
- Wands — Fire: Representing creativity, passion, and action. Wands are about inspiration, motivation, and pursuing your goals.
- Cups — Water: Focusing on emotions, relationships, and intuition. Cups are the suit of the heart, exploring feelings, love, and connections.
- Serpents (Swords) — Air: Tied to intellect, thoughts, and communication. Serpents explore mental clarity, decisions, and sometimes represent challenges or conflict.
- Stones (Pentacles) — Earth: Representing practical and material matters, like finances, and physical reality. Stones are about stability, growth, and how you manifest things in the world.
3. Understanding Tarot Court Cards
Each suit also has four Court Cards, which can represent people, energies, or attitudes:
Note: In the SparkTarot® Deck + Guidebook, I have changed the Pages to Students, and the Knights to Warriors.
- Student (Page): The beginner, messenger, or student energy. Often signals new beginnings or fresh perspectives.
- Warrior (Knight): The seeker or adventurer, representing movement, action, and pursuit.
- Queen: The nurturer or intuitive. A more reflective and mature energy that embodies wisdom and care.
- King: The leader, the one who masters the suit’s energy and brings things to completion. (In the SparkTarot®, all the Kings are represented by animals.)
4. How to Do Your First Reading
Now that you know the basics, let’s walk through a simple 3-card spread you can use to get started.
The Three-Card Spread:
- Card 1 – The Past: What influences from the past are shaping this situation or question?
- Card 2 – The Present: What’s happening now? What energy is surrounding you in the current moment?
- Card 3 – The Future: Determine a timeframe; is the future tomorrow or next week, or next month? Decide before you read the card. What’s on the horizon? What advice or direction does the deck offer for moving forward?
Simply shuffle your deck, focus on your question or area of curiosity, and draw three cards. Ask a question that relates to you. Take your time with each card, reflecting on the image, the elements, and the suit. Let your intuition guide you in how the cards speak to you.
5. How to Interpret the Cards
Interpretation doesn’t have to be intimidating! Tarot is deeply intuitive, and each card can have multiple meanings depending on the context. Here are a few tips for interpreting your SparkTarot® cards:
- Start with the imagery: What catches your eye first? Pay attention to colors, symbols, and feelings you have when looking at the card.
- Consider the suit and number: Is it an emotional card (Cups)? A decision-making card (Swords)? Or perhaps a card representing your talents (Wands)?
- Trust your intuition: There are no wrong answers. The more you practice, the more you’ll begin to understand how each card speaks to you personally.
6. A Simple Tarot Practice for Beginners
If you’re just starting out, here’s a simple daily practice you can try:
- Pull a card in the morning: Take a moment to clear your mind, shuffle your deck, and pull a single card.
- Reflect: Journal for a few minutes about the card—how does it make you feel? What does it bring to mind? How might it apply to your day ahead?
- Let it guide you: Use the card as a touchstone throughout the day. See how its energy shows up in your thoughts, actions, and interactions.
Your Journey with SparkTarot®
Whether you’re using tarot for creative inspiration, decision-making, or simply to explore your inner landscape, the journey is all about connection—connecting with yourself, with the present moment, and with the intuitive wisdom available to you.
Tarot is a personal practice, and the more you use it, the more you’ll discover its magic. Trust yourself, trust the cards, and enjoy the process.
With clarity and magic,
Kary
✨ Want to dive deeper?
Intuitive Tarot e-course—Read Your Own Tarot Cards
Check out my Intuitive Tarot e-course to deepen your understanding of tarot and learn how to read the cards with confidence.