Tarot Course for Beginners — 4 Printable PDF Books
You know what the cards mean. Now learn to read them for your question.
New to tarot? Parts 1 to 4 start from zero, and you can try them free first. Do you know what each card means, then go blank when three of them land on a question that matters? This course teaches the missing step: how to join the cards into one answer, with the book closed. Four PDF books, 78 cards, 11 spreads.
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Delivered instantly as a download link in your order confirmation e-mail.
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See inside: real pages from the course
It is for you if...
- you have a deck and know the meanings, but three cards on your own question leave you blank;
- you tried books, videos or apps, and each one said something different;
- you are afraid of reading it wrong and would like to know when you are on track;
- you started once and stopped. Here you begin again on a firm base, one stage at a time.
It is not for you if... you want video or live classes, a diploma to work as a professional reader, or cards that tell you what will happen. This is a PDF course. It teaches you to look at your question and choose your next step, for yourself and for friends.
What a reading looks like in the course
Question: "What do I need to understand about ending this collaboration?"
Two positions: 1. What is happening now? 2. What can I choose or do about it?
Card 1, The World, upright. Known meaning: completion. Brought to your question, without stretching it: because the question already speaks of an ending, this may be reaching its close. The card does not prove the work is finished.
Card 2, The Lovers, upright: "I still have to name which part of the ending I choose."
Both together: "This may be coming to a close, but I still choose how I take part in the ending."
Each card gets its own line. Then you join them with "and", "but" or "because". What the book asks you to avoid: letting card 1 answer for both.
What is inside: four PDF books, 1,184 pages (830+ of them unique)
- Book 1, the Study Book. Parts 1 to 14: the method from your first card to reading for others, with a full section on each of the 78 cards.
- Book 2, the Card Sheets. The card section of Book 1, split out so you can print the cards you are working on. It repeats Book 1 pages by design.
- Book 3, the Workbook. The exercises, 4 milestone tests with answer keys, 30 practice days and journal pages.
- Book 4, the Spread Mats. Printable spread mats at real card size. The largest print on several A4 sheets that you tape together.
Isn't there plenty free already?
Yes, and here too. The card meanings stay free on our site, and the first part of this course, Your First Reading (Parts 1 to 4, about 90 pages), is a free download. What the course adds is what a list of meanings cannot: an order, practice with every card, and a way to check whether you are on track.
Download Your First Reading, free (PDF, about 90 pages)
Your deck
The course works with a standard 78-card deck: 22 Major Arcana and four suits with ten numbered cards and four court cards each. If your deck names the suits or courts differently, Book 1 shows you how to match them to your deck. If your deck is a Marseille, try the free first part before you buy: the course follows the 1909 system, where Strength is VIII and Justice is XI, and in a Marseille those two swap places.
Digital download: 4 printable PDF books, 1,184 pages. Your download link arrives by email right after payment. Nothing is printed or shipped.
Learn to read tarot on your own, one step at a time
This is a complete tarot course for beginners in four printable books. It starts before the first card, with how to prepare and how to ask a clear question. Then come your first one- and two-card readings, all 78 cards, reversals and spreads. The last stage ends with a reading you do on your own, with the book closed.
Every card, with a worked example
For each of the 78 cards you get a core meaning, a worked example reading, a tempting wrong turn, and other answers that also work. Short checkpoints show what has stuck. Miss one, and it sends you back to the lesson that explains it.
Look first, write, then check
The Card Sheets give one worksheet per card: look at the card, write your own sentence, then compare it with the Reference Book. The Workbook has exercises for every part and an optional 30-day practice plan. The Spread Mats print at actual size, so you can lay real cards on them.
Which tarot deck works
You need a 78-card tarot deck with the 22 Major Arcana named, four suits running from Ace to Ten, and four court cards in each suit. Card names can differ, such as Rods for Wands or Coins for Pentacles, and the book shows you how to match them by place. An early lesson in the Reference Book walks you through checking your deck before you start.
Four books, 1,184 pages
| Book | What it does |
|---|---|
|
Reference Book 622 pages |
The lessons: 14 parts in five stages, all 78 cards, reversals and spreads |
|
Workbook 209 pages |
Exercises for every part, plus an optional 30-day practice plan |
|
Card Sheets 312 pages |
One worksheet for each of the 78 cards |
|
Spread Mats 41 pages |
Printable mats from One Card to the Horseshoe, the Ten and the Decision spread |
One purchase gives you all four books in both A4 and US Letter.
Course details
- Format: PDF, digital download
- Books: 4 (Reference Book, Workbook, Card Sheets, Spread Mats)
- Pages: 1,184 in total
- Language: English
- Paper sizes: A4 and US Letter
- Level: from your first card to reading on your own
- Deck needed: a 78-card tarot deck: 22 named Major Arcana, four suits from Ace to Ten, four court cards per suit
- Delivery: personal download link in your order confirmation email
- Use: print at home or at a print shop, or read on a tablet
Five stages, from preparing to reading alone
The Reference Book takes you through five stages: prepare and ask, first readings, read the whole deck, read spreads, and read on your own. Each stage builds on the one before, so nothing arrives before you are ready for it.
A routine you can keep
Read a lesson, do its exercise in the Workbook, fill in the card sheet, then lay a practice reading on a mat. Want a set routine? Follow the optional 30-day plan. You can also finish the course without it, at your own pace.
Is this a printed book?
No. It is a digital course of four PDF books. Nothing is posted to you: print the pages you want, or read them on a tablet.
I have never read tarot. Is it too advanced?
It starts from zero: how to prepare, how to ask a question, and a single card. Each step builds on the one before.
Which deck do I need?
A 78-card tarot deck with the 22 Major Arcana named, four suits from Ace to Ten and four court cards per suit. Card names may differ; the Reference Book shows you how to match them by place and check your deck before you start.
When do I get it?
Right after payment. Your order confirmation email carries a personal link to your download page.
Which paper size should I print?
Both A4 and US Letter are included. Print the one that fits your printer. The Spread Mats print at actual size.
A file will not open. What now?
Write to support@darkforesttarotcards.com with your order number and we will send it again or fix it.
Delivery
Right after payment, your order confirmation email carries a personal link to your download page. Nothing is printed or shipped, so there is no postage and no wait for delivery.
Returns
Delivery starts as soon as you pay. Before checkout, when you add the course to your cart, you tick a box to ask for immediate access and to confirm that your 14-day right of withdrawal ends once delivery starts. If a file is faulty or not as described, write to support@darkforesttarotcards.com and we will fix it or refund you. Full details are in our Refund Policy.