Deepening your understanding of the tarot is the key to becoming a better reader. Not only that, it is beneficial to many areas of your own life. Humans have such a rich heritage of symbolism and signs to draw on that it would be a shame to simply limit your tarot study to the basic book meanings.

Some may think that in-depth study of the tarot will inhibit their intuition but I have found this isn’t true at all. In fact, the opposite is the case. The more you learn, the more your imagination and intuition are sparked. After all, you wouldn’t say that your intuition is dampened by life experience. The more you live, the more you understand other people’s situations.

Here are five basic areas of study that will enhance your knowledge of the tarot cards.

Tarot Symbolism

Symbols are representations of other things. Visual metaphors, if you like. They are extremely powerful as one single symbol can conjure up many things: memories, associations, situations, people and even movies. All these can enrich your readings.

Let’s take a look at one card as an example: The Fool. This card is rich in symbolism. Every visual element is a symbol. I’ll pick out just a few – perhaps you can continue where I leave off?

The white sun represents the beginning of the universe. White also stands for purity.
The yellow sky represents the super-conscious – our spiritual connection to the infinite.
The Fool walks to the left intimating that he has a touch of feminine intuition.
The red lining to his sleeves represents passion and courage.
The mountains are our connection to divine intelligence.

You might consider: the rose in the Fool’s hand, his satchel, wand and laurel wreath. How about the pattern on his tunic – little 8-spoke wheels and leaves? His white under-tunic? The happy little dog at his feet? The cliff itself? The fact that the Fool looks up, instead of down? The symbolism of zero? So much information to be garnered from one card. Multiply that by 77 and you’ll see there are so many insights to be gained.

Tarot Symbolism by Robert Place

Tarot Court Card Families

I have to be honest, I love the Court cards. I love their strong family connections. The things that are different about them and the things they have in common. I also love that sometimes their suit clashes with their associations with other suits. For example, Pages are linked with earth, so how might that affect the Page of Cups? Queens are connected to water, how might that make a difference to the Queen of Wands? There is so much to learn about these sixteen tarot personalities. They have become real friends to me.

Understanding the Tarot Court by Mary Greer

Astrological Signs and Symbols in Tarot

Confession time. I am no astrologist. I have a general interest in the signs as they relate to personality but beyond that, I haven’t much of a clue. It’s why I avoid spreads and questions connected to astrology. This is an area that I’d like to spend more time on.

The Golden Dawn, a British Esoteric movement, began in the 19th century. The Golden Dawn was particularly hot on astrology, but not the kind that we are familiar with today. Instead they developed a comprehensive system that linked the tarot elements of fire, water, air and earth to seven ‘sacred planets’ (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn). Then they linked these up with the twelve signs of the Zodiac. This gives a total of 23.. er… things. These were then assigned to a Major Arcana card (the World makes two appearances).

The GD then did the same with the Minor Arcana.

Out of this system came four important tarot decks: Waite-Smith, Thoth, The Golden Dawn Tarot and the BOTA Tarot.

Worth taking a look at this system, yes?

Numerology and Tarot

Numerology and the tarot are unequivocally entwined. You can’t have tarot without numerology. Knowing that zero encompasses infinite possibilities and that 10 signifies the end of an ending and the beginning of a beginning, is so important. The numbers of the suit indicate progression and can give you many clues as to why a certain card has appeared in a reading.

Information about numerology is freely available online. Make it your next tarot journal project.

Colors in Tarot

Colours (Brit-spelling) are a delicious added layer in tarot. You could choose to ignore them, or you could allow them to enhance your readings in the same way that wearing your lovely cerise top enhances your feeling of happiness. I mentioned the bright red lining of the Fool’s tunic sleeves earlier but how about the green veil of the Queen of Pentacles or the pale, pale sky of the Five of Cups? Why is the Hanged Man’s tunic blue and his leggings red? Why does the Magician wear red and white? Why is the sky background yellow? (Clue, you already know that one).

So, there you go, my top five suggestions to increase your tarot knowledge. What are you waiting for? Oh, you want more? Here are five exercises to go with the ideas above. It’s best if you use a Rider-Waite deck or variation for these.

Tarot study exercise one: Take one card and list every tiny detail in the image. Then go find the meaning/s connected to that symbol and add them next to your items. You’ll be amazed at how long your list becomes. And that’s just one card.

Tarot study exercise two: Choose a Court Card family and make up a little scene about them. Take in to account their personalities, their main suit and also their secondary suit.

Pages – Earth
Knights – Air
Queens – Water
Kings – Fire.

The Knight of Swords could be charging around creating havoc while his father (King) retires for some quiet thinking time. Mother is standing aside, giving the Page some grief over some misdemeanor. That sort of thing, but make yours more detailed.

Tarot study exercise three: Research which sacred planets, elements and zodiac signs are linked to each of the Major Arcana. Make a list and then take one or two Majors and go a little deeper into how those connections manifest in the meaning of the card.

Tarot study exercise four: do a reading of, say three to five cards, using only the meaning of the numbers. Disregard the standard meanings for now.

Tarot study exercise five: pick the main colours from the Rider-Waite deck and list the meanings next to each colour. Then have a go at a two card reading, using only the colours and numbers.

Have fun!