Tarot for beginners · Free course

Tarot for beginners: learn the cards in thirty days

One class a day for thirty days: a lesson on the Rider–Waite–Smith cards, an insight to think through, and a short test to check what stayed. By the end you know all 78 cards and can read a spread for someone else. The course is free and written in your language.

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days
30
cards
78
modules
8
languages
52

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How a day works

  1. 1

    A lesson

    Each class opens with a lesson on a card or a reading skill, written for the Rider–Waite–Smith deck: the imagery, the upright and reversed meanings, and how they shift with the question being asked.

  2. 2

    An insight

    A short reflection then asks what the card brought up for you. You tick what fits and can add a note in your own language. Nobody grades it, and it stays private to you.

  3. 3

    A test

    A short test closes the class. Score 80% or more and the next day's class unlocks. You can retry a test as often as you like.

The rules

To complete a class, tick what fits in each short reflection and score at least 80% on its test. Reflections are private and ungraded. Your answers are saved as you go, and you can retry a test. One new class can be completed per calendar day.

What you will be able to do

  • Recognize all 78 cards and explain their imagery and core meanings.
  • Use upright and reversed meanings in relation to a question.
  • Practice daily draws, reflective observation, and significator readings.
  • Select and read a spread with connected positions.
  • Communicate interpretations respectfully and review your own progress.

The thirty days

Eight modules, one class per day. A new class unlocks each calendar day, so the course takes thirty days whatever your pace, and every finished class stays open for rereading.

Module 1 Days 1–7

Foundations and the language of the Major Arcana

Start with the deck itself, then study the Major Arcana through images and keywords. You will establish a journal, begin guided observation, and learn a daily draw you can continue throughout the course.

  1. Day 1 Getting to know your deck
  2. Day 2 Symbolism and meditation: The Fool to The Chariot
  3. Day 3 Symbolism and meditation: Strength to Temperance
  4. Day 4 Symbolism and meditation: The Devil to The World
  5. Day 5 Keywords and phrases: The Fool to Wheel of Fortune
  6. Day 6 Keywords and phrases: Justice to The World
  7. Day 7 The card of the day

Module 2 Days 8–12

The person, the situation, and possible guidance

Use the Major Arcana to explore how a person approaches a situation and what responses may be available. The significator gives you a viewpoint; the situation and recommendation readings help you turn that viewpoint into a useful conversation.

  1. Day 8 The significator: The Fool to Wheel of Fortune
  2. Day 9 The significator: Justice to The World
  3. Day 10 Situations and recommendations: The Fool to The Chariot
  4. Day 11 Situations and recommendations: Strength to Temperance
  5. Day 12 Situations and recommendations: The Devil to The World

Module 3 Days 13–14

First readings and consultation skills

Begin with a three-card spread and learn how its positions work together. Then establish the ethical and practical habits you will use when reading for others and describing your practice publicly.

  1. Day 13 Your first three-card spreads
  2. Day 14 Consultation ethics and presenting your practice

Module 4 Days 15–17

The suit of Wands

Study initiative and effort through the fourteen Wands cards. Work in three passes: imagery, upright and reversed keywords, then situations and recommendations. Continue your daily journal and short consultation practice.

  1. Day 15 Wands: imagery
  2. Day 16 Wands: keywords
  3. Day 17 Wands: situations and recommendations

Module 5 Days 18–20

The suit of Cups

Study emotional responses and relationships through the fourteen Cups cards. Give yourself time to distinguish similar feelings and to hear how another person describes their own experience.

  1. Day 18 Cups: imagery
  2. Day 19 Cups: keywords
  3. Day 20 Cups: situations and recommendations

Module 6 Days 21–23

The suit of Swords

Study thought, communication, and decisions through the fourteen Swords cards. Some images are difficult; practice describing them calmly and grounding the interpretation in the question.

  1. Day 21 Swords: imagery
  2. Day 22 Swords: keywords
  3. Day 23 Swords: situations and recommendations

Module 7 Days 24–26

The suit of Pentacles

Study resources and everyday effort through the fourteen Pentacles cards. This completes your three-pass study of all four suits and prepares you to bring the full deck into consultation practice.

  1. Day 24 Pentacles: imagery
  2. Day 25 Pentacles: keywords
  3. Day 26 Pentacles: situations and recommendations

Module 8 Days 27–30

Full-deck readings and course completion

Bring the full deck into several layouts, compare their purposes, and complete a final reading. Finish by reviewing your journal and setting the next stage of your practice.

  1. Day 27 Full-deck practice: Four cards and Goal
  2. Day 28 The Celtic Cross
  3. Day 29 The Horseshoe and Partnership spreads
  4. Day 30 Review, final practice, and your next steps

About this course

Tarot for beginners

This is a tarot course for beginners, and it starts from nothing. If you have never held a tarot deck, day one is the right place to begin; if you already read but want a firmer grounding in the Rider–Waite–Smith cards, the daily tests will show you quickly where the gaps are. There is nothing to buy and nothing to install.

What it covers

The first two modules work through the 22 Major Arcana: their imagery, their upright and reversed meanings, and how a single card answers a question about a person or a situation. Module three turns the cards toward another person, with a first practice reading and the basics of a considered consultation. Four modules then cover the Minor Arcana suit by suit, Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles, fourteen cards each. The final module puts the whole deck on the table: the Celtic Cross, the Horseshoe and several shorter spreads, read for a volunteer, and a closing review of everything the thirty days built.

How progress works

A class is complete when you have ticked its reflections and passed its test. One new class opens each calendar day in the timezone you chose on enrolment, which is what makes the course thirty days long; you cannot rush it, and you do not lose anything by pausing. Completed classes remain open, so the course doubles as a reference you can come back to.

After the thirty days

The free course leaves you with a working knowledge of all 78 cards, a record of your own reflections, and the habit of reading a spread with care. It is also the foundation the Academy's further courses build on. If you want to confirm what you have learned, you can earn an optional Tarot Academy certificate: Level I after completing the course, Level II after passing an exam. Tarot Academy certificates explains both levels and what they cost.

Tarot Academy certificates

Tarot Academy's 30-day Tarot course is completely free. Enjoy learning, take as much knowledge from it as you can, and use it for your own good.

The Tarot Academy team put its knowledge, experience and a great deal of effort into this course to make learning Tarot accessible, clear and truly inspiring. We want to create a space where anyone can begin their path, understand themselves better, grow, and gradually discover new possibilities in Tarot.

For those whom the course inspires to go further, grow professionally, start giving readings and open their own practice, there is the option to earn a Tarot Academy Level I or Level II certificate.

Level I: Basic

The Level I certificate can be earned after successfully completing the Tarot Academy 30-day course. Throughout the course, each lesson is followed by a test and a short reflection that help check your understanding and consolidate what you have learned.

The Level I certificate confirms that the student has mastered the course's core programme, understands the meanings of the Arcana, and can work with upright and reversed positions, the card of the day, the significator and basic spreads.

Level II: Tarot Reader-Consultant

For those who want to move into professional practice. This level confirms the ability to work with a client's question, choose a spread, interpret the Arcana as a system, formulate a conclusion and recommendations, observe professional ethics and conduct independent readings to Tarot Academy standards.

To earn the Level II certificate, you must pass the corresponding exam.

The main difference between the levels is simple:

  • Level I confirms knowledge and command of the fundamentals.
  • Level II confirms readiness to apply that knowledge in professional practice.

Study under the 30-day course programme remains free.

Earning a certificate and taking further assessment are entirely your decision and depend on your goals, interests and vision for your further development in Tarot. A certificate is not a requirement for completing the free course. It is an additional opportunity for those who want to confirm the level of their knowledge and skills and continue developing within Tarot Academy.

Certificate and assessment fees

  • Level I certificate: the equivalent of USD 35 in your country's currency.
  • Level II exam and certificate: the equivalent of USD 127 in your country's currency.

Tarot Academy brings together students from many countries, so the final amount may be shown in a currency available to you. The price is calculated as the equivalent of the stated amount in US dollars.

Tarot Academy

After the free course

Three paid tiers follow the free courses. Each tier has deep-dive modules, a test after every module and a final test. Courses and prices will be listed here when the tiers open.

I Basic

Coming soon

Builds on a free course and studies one discipline in depth, module by module.

II Advanced

Coming soon

For students who already read with confidence and want more methods and harder questions. Includes six months of Pro membership.

III Professional

Coming soon

For practitioners who read for clients. Includes twelve months of Pro membership.

Frequently asked questions

Is this course for complete beginners?

Yes. It is written as tarot for beginners: no deck, no prior reading and no background knowledge are assumed. Day one introduces the deck itself, and each class builds on the one before it.

Is the course really free?

Yes. All thirty classes, the tests and the card library are free. You need a free Tarot Academy membership so that your progress and your answers can be saved. A Tarot Academy certificate afterwards is optional and paid.

Do I need my own deck?

Every card is shown on the page, so you can complete the lessons and tests without one. A physical Rider–Waite–Smith deck helps from module three onward, when you start laying out practice spreads for another person.

Which deck does the course use?

The Rider–Waite–Smith deck, first published in 1909. Most modern decks descend from it, so what you learn here carries over to the deck you end up reading with.

Can I do several classes in one day?

No. One new class unlocks per calendar day, which is why the course takes thirty days. You can reread any completed class whenever you like.

What happens if I miss a day?

Nothing is lost. Your progress stays exactly where it was, and the next class is waiting when you come back.

Is the course in my language?

The course is written in 52 languages, lessons, questions and tests included. Choose your language in the site header and the course follows.

Do I get a certificate?

You can, if you want one. After completing the course you can earn a Level I certificate, and after passing a separate exam a Level II (Tarot Reader-Consultant) certificate. Both are optional and paid, and neither is required to finish the free course. The certificates section on this page explains what each level confirms and what it costs.

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