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Ready to Begin your Tarot Journey?

Welcome to the International Tarot Foundation.​​​

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Every experienced Tarot reader was once a beginner.  Whether you're curious about Tarot or dreaming of becoming a professional reader, we'll help you take your first step with confidence.

🎓 Want to Become a Professional Reader?

Discover our fully mentored Tarot Certification. Discover the Certification

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📚           Learn at Your Own Pace

Explore free articles, videos and Tarot guides. Browse Free Resources

Focus Journal Card

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Ace of Cups

Rider Waite Smith Ace of Cups

By kind permission of the US Games PLC

The Ace of Cups from the Waite Smith Tarot Deck 1971​

Minor Arcana Card

Suit of Cups

Water element

Number- One 

Corresponding Major Arcana card: The Magician​

Key Insight-Upright

  • Love 

  • Emotional beginnings

  • New feelings

  • Open heart 

  • Emotional potential 

  • Compassion 

  • Intuition 

  • Receptivity 

  • Connection

  • Joy 

  • Emotional renewal 

  • Creativity

General guidance

The Ace of Cups represents the pure potential of the Water element, bringing the opportunity for emotional growth, love, compassion, intuition and deeper connection. As the number One, the Ace is the seed from which the journey of the Cups begins; the emotion is present, but what develops from it is not yet known. It may appear when the heart is opening to a new feeling, relationship, creative experience or greater emotional awareness. Rather than promising a particular outcome, the Ace of Cups invites us to receive, feel and allow the emotional potential to unfold, reminding us that every meaningful emotional journey begins with the willingness to open the heart.

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Key Insight-Reversal

Emotional overwhelm 

Blocked feelings 

Emotional suppression 

Unrequited emotion 

Difficulty receiving love

Emotional insecurity

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To Ponder

1. Am I self caring-do I love myself enough to consider my wellbeing in every way?

2 . How can compassion transpire into other areas of my life?

Tarot: Truth or Myth

Dark brown and gold Tarot Facts or Myths

"Dispelling misconceptions. Building confidence. Inspiring understanding."

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Q. Is it true that we should never buy our first Tarot Deck and it  should be gifted?

A. Whilst it is always wonderful to be gifted a Tarot Deck it is absolutely fine for you to purchase the Tarot Deck of your choice for yourself.

No it will not be bad luck to purchase your own deck but it will be very exciting!

Q. Do I need to be psychic or gifted in some way to be able to read Tarot?

A. No, you do not need to be psychic to be able to Tarot. Many great readers have learnt to read Tarot cards who who are not psychic.

Whilst learning to read the cards you can also learn to develop your intuition although it is also not essential.

Q. Are Tarot cards evil?​

I have heard them described as the Devil's cards.

A. Tarot cards are not evil and they are not the Devil's cards either. They are just regular card and print. They are a tool of divination and the only negative aspect of them is if a reader reads without good intention.

Tarot offers guidance and on both personal and spiritual levels.

Myth: Tarot predicts a fixed future.

Truth: Tarot explores possibilities, patterns, and potential outcomes. The future is shaped by our choices, circumstances, and free will.

Myth: There is only one correct way to read Tarot

 

Truth: Truth: Different readers and traditions interpret Tarot in different ways. A strong understanding of symbolism provides a foundation while allowing your own reading style to develop.

Myth: The Death card predicts someone will die.

 

Truth: One of the most common misconceptions about tarot is that the Death card predicts physical death. In reality, it most often symbolises endings, transformation, and the natural cycle of letting go to make space for new beginnings. Like every tarot card, its meaning depends on the context of the reading rather than the image alone.

New to Tarot-Ready to Unlock Your Potential

Discover Your Destiny

Beginner tarot reader

Let's start at the beginning.......You will need:

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One Tarot Deck

Reading Cloth  (Optional)

One Journal

One pen

Acquiring your First Deck
There are various thoughts on how a new reader ideally acquires their first Tarot

Deck. Some would suggest that the ideal is to be gifted the Tarot Deck.
Some believe this is not necessary at all and to buy your own Tarot Deck is

perfectly fine.
In essence, it will not have any impact or influence on your reading development

or otherwise whether you purchase your own deck or not.
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What kind of Tarot Deck?
There are many different styles of Tarot Decks, some are more widely used than others and some are more pictorial within imagery and others are symbolic.
Whichever you choose, choose one that you feel like the look of and are drawn to. We tend to advise our students to purchase a Rider Waite Smith Tarot deck or one that is similar.


 
Where to Buy?
There are many places that sell Tarot Decks both on line shops and retail metaphysical shops. Avoid buying copies that are available, they tend to be cheap and poorly made so only purchase from reputable sources.


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Journaling
I cannot stress the value of journaling from day 1, take your Tarot Deck out from the pack and get to  know it. Write about how you feel when you look at the individual cards,  compare cards and make notes on what you see within the imagery. 



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Take a look at our FREE PDF Resource, it offers lots of interesting information for new

readers especially. Click the image to download.






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Young tarot student smiling at Tarot cards that she holds, wearing a pretty floral top with golden curly hair..
Image of a journal with a tarot reading journal entry on one page and a tarot card image on the other.
An image of a Hierophant Tarot card during a medieval period. This is content for new tarot readers.
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