How many cards should you draw in a tarot reading? A beginner should draw one to three cards. After that, the number depends on the question: one card for the day, three for a situation, ten for an overview. A point often made in French tarot teaching: the more cards you lay down, the more delicate the reading becomes, so start small.
How many cards are in a tarot deck?
A divinatory tarot deck has 78 cards: 22 major arcana and 56 minor arcana in four suits of 14. The Marseille tradition has the same number, drawn differently. Ordinary 32-card or 52-card decks belong to cartomancy, a different system.
The simple rule: the question sets the number
Do not pick a spread because it looks impressive. Pick it because it fits the question. One card suits a simple question or a daily theme; two to five cards suit a situation seen from several angles; seven or more suit an overview, once you can read without opening the book at every card.
There is a very practical reason to start small. Every card you add creates new links to read against the others: three cards make 3 pairs, five make 10, seven make 21 and ten make 45. A beginner reads three cards well and gets lost at ten. That is arithmetic, not a lack of talent.
The French way, spread by spread
These are the positions most often taught in French sources. They vary from author to author, so a different version is a variant, not a mistake.
- One card: the card of the day. See our 30-day card-of-the-day method.
- Two cards: two poles to compare, such as shadow and light, weak points and strong points, dream and reality.
- Three cards: past, present, future, laid from left to right. Our guide to the three-card spread goes further.
- Four or five cards, the cross: past, present, future and advice in the four-card version. See the French cross spread.
- Six cards, the pyramid (our suggested order): the person as they live the question; the past and assets; advice and challenges; helps or obstacles; the answer and short-term development; the outcome if the person follows the advice.
- Seven cards, the week (our suggestion): one card per day from Monday to Sunday, each read with the card before and after it.
- Ten cards, the Celtic Cross (in one of its common versions): a full overview. See our Celtic Cross guide.
- Twelve cards, the astrological wheel: one card for each of the twelve houses, from identity in the first house to secrets and the end of cycles in the twelfth.
Where should a beginner start?
Move up a notch when you can read without the book. Draw a single card every day for a month, then move to three cards, then to the cross. Keep the Celtic Cross for later: a ten-card reading with every meaning looked up in a book loses its thread before the fourth card.
This is where printed meanings help. Our French-language learning deck has the meaning printed on every card, so your eyes stay on the layout. A printed French booklet comes in the box, and the full French course follows by personal link after purchase. Any deck can teach you; this one just removes the "look it up each time" step. Marseille is a different tradition, with no scenes on the minor arcana.
French-language learning tarot deck, 1909 art
Meanings printed on every card in French, a French guidebook in the box and the full course in French after purchase. Ships to the EU, UK, Switzerland and Iceland.
See the French deckIf you are starting from scratch, our guide to learning tarot on your own sets out a full route, and our shuffling guide covers the gesture before every draw.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards do I need for a reading?
It depends on the question: one card for a daily theme, three for a situation, ten for an overview. Beginners read best with one to three.
How many cards are in the Marseille tarot?
78, like other divinatory decks: 22 major and 56 minor arcana. The difference is in the drawing, since Marseille minor arcana carry no scenes.
Can I draw extra cards if I am not satisfied?
It is better not to. Drawing until you hear what you wanted teaches nothing and muddies the reading. Note the card that bothers you and ask yourself why; if the reading is unclear, reword the question and try again later.
Is there a day I should not draw cards?
Some readers avoid certain days, but these taboos are passed from reader to reader and nothing in tarot requires them. Draw when you have calm time.
In regalo il corso completo di tarocchi in italiano
In regalo il corso completo di tarocchi in italiano
