Imagine picking up a tarot card, not to memorise “Five of Cups = regret” or “The Sun = happiness,” but to read it in the way, just like reading a painting, a dream, or a myth. This is the real magic of tarot, which speaks in symbols, and not sentences. Every card is a visual story layered with archetypes, elements, astrological links, colours, and emotional energy. When you stop treating tarot like a dictionary and start treating it like a living language, the cards come alive.
Tarot is not just about prediction; rather, it is communication, and imagery is its alphabet.
Why Symbols Matter More Than Keywords?
A lightning bolt splits a burning structure, people fall, the sky is dark, and no keyword list can capture the emotional punch of that scene. Yes, the card is associated with disruption, but what kind of disruption? Sudden truth? A broken illusion? A necessary collapse? The image tells you more than a keyword ever will.
A book titled ‘Tarot Deciphered’ by T. Susan Chang and M. M. Meleen reveals how each card in the Rider, Waite, Smith, or Thoth deck is not a random artwork, rather it is layered with influences from alchemy, astrology, mythology, Qabalah, and the four elements. The cards don’t point to meaning; they carry it.
How to Start Reading the Visual Language of Tarot?
Here is a simple beginner method:
1. Look before you label – What do you see? Colours? Characters? Weather? Objects?
2. Notice the element – Is it fiery energy (Wands)? Emotional water (Cups)? Mental air (Swords)? Earthly reality (Pentacles)?
3. Follow the feeling – Does the card feel tense, calm, hopeful, chaotic? That emotion is part of the message.
4. Ask the mythic question – Who does this remind you of? A god? A story? A moment in your own life?
5. Let intuition complete the sentence – Tarot is a conversation, not a quiz.
Reading the symbols does not replace the meanings, rather it deepens them.
What Books Like Tarot Deciphered & The Ultimate Guide to Tarot Offer?
These guides give structure to the symbol language:
• Keywords + symbolism (for foundation)
• Astrology, numerology, elements, mythology (for depth)
• Spreads and layouts (for context)
• Intuitive practice (for personal truth)
So, the Seven of Cups stops being just “choices” and becomes a scene about illusion, water/emotion, Venus in Scorpio energy, and the myth of temptation or fantasy. One card, but infinite entry points.
The Key Takeaway: Why This Matters for Beginners?
If you rely only on memorised meanings, tarot becomes robotic. But when you read the imagery, every reading becomes alive, personal, and intuitive. No more “textbook tarot,” you start hearing the cards speak to you. Because tarot is not just about getting the “right” answer. It’s about learning a symbolic language the soul already understands.
So, shuffle your deck. Do not rush to a guidebook. Look, Feel, and Listen to the picture. The symbols are already talking. Tarot is not a list of definitions; it is a visual conversation between the card, your intuition, and the moment you are in.
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Sources Referred-
https://www.allure.com/story/how-to-read-tarot-cards
https://www.lemon8-app.com/@ariisoctober/7298667030344417798?region=us
