How do you draw tarot cards? French-speaking beginners search for comment tirer les cartes de tarot, and the answer is a simple ritual: ask an open question, shuffle, cut, draw one to three cards, lay them face down and turn them over one by one. It takes about ten minutes and works with any 78-card deck.
The seven steps, French style
- Choose your question. Write it down before you touch the cards. If you have no question, use an intention such as "What do I need to know today?"
- Settle in. A flat surface, a notebook, ten quiet minutes. A candle or a cloth is optional.
- Shuffle (in French, battre the deck). Riffle in small packets, or spread the cards face down on the table and swirl them gently. There is no official number of shuffles.
- Cut. A common tradition is to cut into two or three piles with the left hand, then gather them in any order. It is symbolic, not a rule.
- Draw. From the top of the deck, or fan the cards and choose. Start with one card.
- Lay them out. Left to right, face down, in the order drawn. Decide each position's meaning before you turn anything over.
- Read and note. Describe the image first, then the meaning, then link it to your question. Write the date, the question, the cards and two or three sentences.
How to word the question
Open questions beginning "how" or "what" work best. Instead of "Will he leave me?", ask "What should I understand about my relationship right now?" Instead of "Will I get the job?", ask "How can I best approach this interview?" Keep the question about what you can do, not what other people think. Our 100 tarot questions list gives you ready-made wording.
What if a card jumps out or lands reversed?
A card that jumps out while you shuffle is read by some readers as an extra message. In practice: look at it, set it aside, note it, and read it after the spread if it speaks to you. If a card lands reversed and you are a beginner, turn it upright and read it normally. Add reversals later with our reversed cards guide. If your hands struggle with a 78-card deck, shuffle in small handfuls. If you forget a meaning, describe the image first and look it up second: nobody learns 78 cards in a week, and a reading built on what you actually see is often more honest than one built on memory alone. Finally, close the session: put the cards back, note your reading in the journal, and leave the question until another day.
Learning while drawing
Stopping to look up each card breaks the thread of a reading. The French-language learning deck keeps the meaning in front of you: turn a card over and its one-sentence core meaning and its upright and reversed keywords are already printed on it. The full beginner course in French comes with every deck through a personal link after purchase. It uses the 1909 illustrations; the Marseille tradition works differently (no scenes on the minor arcana), and you can learn with any deck. This one simply removes the lookup step.
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 deckYour first practice: three cards
Write an open question. Shuffle, cut, draw three cards and lay them out as situation, challenge and advice. Turn them over one at a time, describe each image, then write three sentences: what you understand, what you will do, what you will observe this week. For the full method, read our three-card spread guide, the free 10-lesson course and the guide to reading for yourself.
FAQ
What does it mean to "battre" the cards?
It is the French verb for shuffling. You can riffle small packets or swirl the cards face down on the table until it feels like enough.
Why cut with the left hand?
It is a tradition tied to the side of the heart. It is symbolic and optional; a simple cut in two works just as well.
Can I draw cards with a 32-card deck?
Yes, that is cartomancy with playing cards. The opening gestures are the same, but you read suits and numbers rather than pictures. See how to read with playing cards.
