How do you read tarot card combinations? Read each card on its own first, then compare their numbers, suits, elements and positions. The combination comes from the dialogue between cards, not from a dictionary of pairs. French readers search for combinaison carte tarot, and the approach below is the one we suggest for beginners.
Why there is no dictionary of combinations
A 78-card deck contains 3,003 possible pairs (78 × 77 ÷ 2), and 231 among the 22 major arcana alone. Some sites claim thousands of them, which can be handy as a reference, but nobody memorises them and a pair changes with the question and the position. It is better to learn to reason a combination than to memorise it.
The method: five looks
- The number. Each number carries an idea in every suit: Ace is a start, 2 a choice, 3 growth, 4 stability, 5 a challenge, 6 harmony, 7 a test, 8 movement, 9 near completion, 10 accomplishment or excess. A repeated number sets the theme.
- The suit. It names the area of life: Wands (fire) for action, Cups (water) for emotions and relationships, Swords (air) for thoughts and conflict, Pentacles (earth) for work and the concrete (the 1909 attribution; older traditions swap Swords and Wands). In French the suits are Bâtons, Coupes, Épées and Pentacles, the last also called Deniers in Marseille decks.
- The element. In the reading convention we follow here, fire and air feed each other, water and earth support each other, while fire and water, or air and earth, create friction. These are guides, not laws.
- Major or minor. Many major arcana point to deep themes and turning points; many minors to everyday matters. Court cards often stand for people or attitudes.
- Position and order. Read neighbouring cards in pairs, treating the first as the noun and the second as the adjective: the Chariot followed by the Moon is "drive in the fog".
Comparing cards needs the keywords in front of you, which is why our French-language learning deck helps at the start: each card prints its name and number, a one-sentence core meaning, four upright and four reversed keywords and a question to ask yourself. A printed French guidebook is in the box, and the full beginner course in French comes with every deck through a personal link after purchase. You can use the method with any deck; ours follows the 1909 tradition, not the Marseille one.
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 deckFifteen worked examples
These are examples of reasoning that we built ourselves, not a standard list and not verdicts.
- The Fool + The Magician: a spontaneous start finds its tools.
- The Magician + The High Priestess: act and listen; a project ripens before it is shown.
- The Empress + The Emperor: creative material and the structure to hold it.
- The Lovers + The Devil: choice and attachment; is your choice free or habitual?
- The Chariot + Strength: will and gentle mastery.
- Wheel of Fortune + The Hanged Man: a turning cycle and a pause to change viewpoint.
- Death + The Sun: an ending followed by clarity.
- The Tower + The Star: a shake-up, then calm rebuilding.
- The Moon + The Hermit: doubt and withdrawal; do not decide in the fog.
- Justice + Judgement: weigh the facts, then decide.
- Two of Cups + Ten of Cups: a bond taking root.
- Eight of Pentacles + Ten of Pentacles: steady work building solid foundations.
- Five of Wands + Six of Wands: friction leading to a clear result.
- Three of Swords + Four of Swords: pain, then rest.
- Queen of Cups + King of Swords: heart and head, two people or two parts of you.
A worked three-card example
The question: "I dream of painting again but keep putting it off. What holds me back, and what can I do?" The three cards, as situation, resource and advice: Eight of Swords, The Magician, Three of Wands. The numbers (8, 1, 3) do not repeat, so we read a movement from blocked to starting to a first impulse. The suits go from Swords to Wands, air feeding fire. The Magician is the only major arcana, the pivot. In position, the Eight of Swords shows a bound, blindfolded figure in the 1909 image: the constraint can be read as largely a story you tell yourself. The Magician says the tools are already on the table, and the Three of Wands suggests looking at the horizon and preparing one visible first step. The summary: "My obstacle is mostly mental; I have what I need; I will book two painting slots this week." Same cards, different question, different reading.
For more, see our three-card spread guide, the complete guide to all 78 meanings, how to read tarot cards and common beginner mistakes.
Frequently asked questions
How many tarot card combinations are possible?
With 78 cards there are 3,003 possible pairs, not counting reversals. There is no official list, so it is more useful to learn the method than to memorise pairs.
Should I shuffle the cards?
Yes. Shuffling means you do not know the order and lets chance form the spread. Shuffle as long as you need, keeping your question in mind.
Are combinations the same in Marseille and 1909 decks?
For the major arcana the logic is very close, but numbering differs: Strength is VIII and Justice XI in 1909, the reverse in Marseille. Marseille numbered minors (2 to 10) have no scenes, so they are read mostly by number and suit.
Can I use the same method with 32 playing cards?
The logic of pairs and position is close, but the meanings are different. See our guide on reading with playing cards.
In regalo il corso completo di tarocchi in italiano
In regalo il corso completo di tarocchi in italiano
