First steps
How many tarot cards should a beginner learn first?
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A beginner doesn't need to know all 78 cards to start. Learning the 22 Major Arcana, one at a time, already lets you read short spreads with confidence. The Minor Arcana come later, suit by suit. The pace is personal, and reading with only a few known cards is perfectly valid.
Do I need to know all 78 cards to start?
No. Many people freeze up thinking they must master the whole deck before their first reading, and that only delays practice. You learn tarot by reading tarot, and the cards stick when they show up in real situations.
A good rule is to start with what you can hold in your head without effort. If an unfamiliar card turns up, check the guide without guilt. Even experienced readers do this often.
Where to start: Major or Minor Arcana?
Most beginners start with the 22 Major Arcana, because they are strong cards with striking images and broad themes, like choice, change, the end of a cycle and hope. They form the story from The Fool to The World, and following that sequence helps with memorization.
The Minor Arcana are left for the second phase. First learn what each suit represents: Wands relate to action, Cups to emotions, Swords to thoughts and conflicts, and Pentacles to work and material life. With the suits clear, the numbers from Ace to Ten become much easier.
What might a realistic study plan look like?
A comfortable pace is learning two to three cards per week, with no pressure. That way the Major Arcana fit in about two months, and you are already doing short readings along the way. If your week is packed, one card per week works too.
Go back over earlier cards from time to time. Reviewing an old card in the middle of a new one is what consolidates memory, more than reading the same text several times in a row.
- Weeks 1 to 8: the Major Arcana, two to three per week.
- Next: one suit of the Minor Arcana at a time, starting with the Aces.
- Last: the court cards, which take more practice.
Can I do readings while I'm still learning?
You can, and you should. A one-card or three-card spread is enough to practice, and if an unfamiliar card appears, it becomes the lesson of the day. This format is more productive than studying without ever shuffling.
Just be careful with delicate topics. While your repertoire is small, stick to light questions and avoid making important decisions based on a freshly learned reading. Tarot is reflection, not proof of anything.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I take out just the Major Arcana to read with?
- Yes. Many beginners use only the 22 Major Arcana at first, which simplifies reading. Later, you just add the other cards back in.
- How long does it take to learn tarot?
- There is no fixed timeline. You can read your first spreads with confidence in a few weeks, but learning continues for years, and that is normal.
- Which card should I study first?
- The Fool is a good starting point, because it opens the sequence of the Major Arcana and carries the theme of beginnings, which suits someone who is just starting out.
Educational content, for reflection. Tarot does not replace medical, legal or financial advice.