Mentor Article

How You Read Tarot

𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘵 𝘝𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘮 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥. 𝘌𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘪𝘵.

Four of Wands is the Company; Chariot is the skilled person in charge; Six of Pentacles is being paid what he is worth. Skilled men are paid well at this Company.

𝙎𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙧𝙚 – 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙩
𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡 – 𝙎𝙞𝙭 𝙤𝙛 𝙋𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙨
𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙮. – 𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨

Four of Wands is marriage and the spouse; Chariot is determined and is responsible; Six of Pentacles is treating, or being treated, right. He is determined to treat his marriage partner well.

𝙃𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 – 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙩
𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡/𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 – 𝙎𝙞𝙭 𝙤𝙛 𝙋𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙨
𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧. – 𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨

I am responsible (Chariot) for the way people (Four of Wands) treat me (Six of Pentacles).

𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 – 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙩
𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 – 𝙎𝙞𝙭 𝙤𝙛 𝙋𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙨
𝙗𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚. – 𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨

The reward for being one of those can-do people. Chariot is the can-do. Six of Pentacles is of course the reward. Four of Wands is one of those people.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 – 𝙎𝙞𝙭 𝙤𝙛 𝙋𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙨
𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 – 𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨
𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣-𝙙𝙤. – 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙩

A fair deal at a car dealership. Six of Pentacles is the fair deal of course. Chariot, as you probably are familiar with by now, is a vehicle. Since Four of Wands is an organization and a place or building, Four of Wands plus ‘car’ is a car dealership.

𝘼 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙡 – 𝙎𝙞𝙭 𝙤𝙛 𝙋𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙨
𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙧 – 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙩
𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥. – 𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨

Hospitals or other treatment centers are Four of Wands plus a card that means treatment or healing.
𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 + 𝙎𝙞𝙭 𝙤𝙛 𝙋𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙩 = 𝙃𝙤𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧.

In the same way, Chariot and Four of Wands say ‘motor home.’ Chariot is a vehicle and Four of Wands is a home.
𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙩 + 𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 = 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚.

Paramedics or ambulance personnel are Chariot plus a healer card like Hermit.
𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙩 + 𝙎𝙞𝙭 𝙤𝙛 𝙋𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙩 = 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘.

These are good to remember. And while we’re at it, income property today is Six of Pentacles as income plus Four of Wands as a house or building.
𝙎𝙞𝙭 𝙤𝙛 𝙋𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙨 + 𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 = 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙮.

The Five of Cups

How You Read Tarot

Fɪᴠᴇ ᴏꜰ Cᴜᴘꜱ

In Tarot Verbatim, the Five of Cups illustrates a figure in a black robe, head bent in sorrow as it contemplates loss symbolized by spilled cups. This scene captures the weight of regret, representing feelings of pessimism, depression, and preoccupation with the past. But even as the figure mourns, two cups remain upright, hinting at hope and opportunity yet to be seen.

In Tarot for beginners, understanding each card’s meaning — like the symbolism of the Five of Cups — is foundational to learning Tarot. When we look beyond the spilled cups and gray skies, we see a bridge over troubled water, suggesting a path forward. This single card lesson is essential in recognizing Tarot’s balance of loss and recovery.

For a deeper dive into the Five of Cups and other essential cards, explore the single card lesson on the Five of Cups here. Discover the richness in each card’s scene and start mastering two card combinations with this solid Tarot learning foundation.

Tarot for Beginners: Learn Tarot by Seeing Scenes

How You Read Tarot

Tarot decks, especially the 𝗥𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿-𝗪𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗲, depict intricate social scenes that offer profound insights. Each card scene can be applied to any question or issue you may have, making 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 a creative and intuitive process.

Our brains are structured to make quick sense of what we see, finding relevance even in complex images. Think about it: if we see a shadow in a pile of trash, our brain may see a snake. This is the same skill we use to read Tarot — recognizing symbols and drawing connections to find meaning.

When a card scene doesn’t immediately make sense, the brain automatically reaches for connections, creating meanings that can provide guidance and clarity. This is the heart of Tarot for beginners and experts alike.

To deepen your understanding of two card combinations and boost your Tarot learning, check out the Tarot Easy Pieces newsletter or become a member of Tarot Verbatim for daily insights into the way Tarot cards speak.

Adrenaline: Both anxiety and good kinds of excitement

How You Read Tarot

Adrenaline.

Physiologically the body is in the same state with both anxiety and good kinds of excitement.

When you no longer live in the simple physical plane or realm, when your focus is on the open road of ‘anything can happen and it’s raw material I will handle,’ and not on your personal current pothole predicaments and your worry about overcoming them, your vehicle isn’t a car or truck anymore, but a drone or helicopter. Because both of these are the same body state, let’s develop the knack of switching to the better one!

This outlook I describe (tongue in cheek) as ‘The fine art of not giving a shit, shared equally by great saints and criminal psychopaths’ because those places are where the attitude usually does appear.

Mentor Articles Beginner: Associating Tarot Images with Words

How You Read Tarot

Associating an image with words is one of the most effective ways to engage both the conscious and subconscious mind. This method is at the heart of learning tarot for beginners. By visualizing Tarot cards and understanding their symbolism, you develop a deeper connection that can lead to keen insight — what some might even call psychic ability.

At Tarot Verbatim and in the daily Tarot Easy Pieces newsletter, you will find two card combinations presented with phrases or sentences that reveal their meanings. This approach is perfect for anyone looking to learn Tarot or sharpen their skills with practical examples. With just a glance, you’ll see how the cards speak, and no guesswork is involved.

Want to enhance your intuition and improve your Tarot reading skills? Subscribe to Tarot Easy Pieces, where each day delivers bite-sized lessons that help you grasp the power of Tarot card combinations effortlessly. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to advance your skills, learning Tarot through real-time examples can be an eye-opening experience.

Check it out today, and you might just discover the key to unlocking Tarot reading mastery with Tarot Verbatim.

Mentor Articles Beginner: The More Meanings You Know

How You Read Tarot

Expanding your tarot vocabulary is key to unlocking more accurate readings. The more words and meanings you can associate with each card, the easier it becomes to interpret messages with clarity and precision. As a beginner in Tarot, it’s common to rely on reading one card at a time because it feels simpler and more manageable. However, this approach can limit your ability to dive deep into the nuances of a reading. When your understanding of a card is narrow, it can be challenging to connect it to the larger context of the situation or the surrounding cards, which makes your reading less accurate.

By learning more words and phrases to describe each card, you’re giving yourself more tools to work with. It’s like having a bigger vocabulary in any language — it opens doors for better understanding and communication. This can help you see connections, patterns, and energies more clearly, leading to insights that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. Tarot is a rich and layered practice, and the more time you spend expanding your knowledge of each card, the more intuitive and accurate your readings will become. Don’t be afraid to explore beyond the basic meanings — it’s what helps take your readings to the next level!

Deducing Your Tarot Spreads

How You Read Tarot

A factor in what you deduce from your spreads is 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴 in that sentence. When you have served your Tarot time long enough, it is possible to see meanings that are not on top of the pile.

𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 means internal because it often calls the phrase ‘deep down inside’ because of the way he is hugging himself for dear life. This ‘internal’ meaning therefore extends to medical subjects, and other things, in my Tarot dictionary.

Here is an example of one of those experiences I had. The question was about the repair of a vehicle, and the following was a small part of the Tarot response:

𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 – 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿
𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯
internal – Four of Pentacles
combustion – Tower

Yes, another minor meaning, to me, of Tower is explosion, since the building is struck by lightning, forcing the contents out. There ya go: That’s what happens in an internal combustion engine.

And I got it … that time.

Recycling Memories: Reading Tarot

How You Read Tarot

In the same way that we collect skills and we collect pictures of ‘the way things are’ as we serve our time on the third planet from the sun, we also collect personal scenes imbued with one emotion or the other.

These memories are strung together in our personal mental neighborhood. We stroll through, stopping here and there, pretty much randomly.

There’s one set of these emotional scenes that are useful to us if we no longer randomly stroll but stop at their addresses: The most precious and most meaningful memories, the beautiful ones.

Revisit them. Move into them. Refresh and recycle them right where you are now. Repeat them in the current minute regularly.

READING PICTURE LANGUAGE IS 5,000 YEARS OLD

How You Read Tarot

The Chinese alphabet is a shortened form of another alphabet that is more like pictures, and it, in turn, is a shortened form of an ancient alphabet that was pictures.

The Egyptian alphabet is the same situation: Its original alphabet was pictures, which has been shortened over its history. It was heavily used in divination, and children of nobility had to learn it. The children were taught in temples by priests who were magicians.

The Hebrew alphabet is the same situation: When Hebrew was first written, each letter represented both a sound and a picture. Information on this is easily searched on the internet.

All these alphabets were used in divination.

Tarot too is a picture language. My introduction to Tarot was through lectures on consistent violators of the laws of random distribution (statistics). Rider Waite Tarot was one of only five known violators. The professor had done a twenty-year study about random distribution of Tarot when members of the class who had never heard of Tarot thought of its history, proving a clear deviation from randomness.

After buying a dozen books on Tarot meanings, and watching three different good professional readers in action, I was not satisfied: I wanted to know Tarot’s meanings for Tarot: no interface, no spirits. I wanted a logical system. I knew Tarot violated the laws of random distribution, so I knew it had power behind it.
I wanted to know Tarot’s meanings for Tarot: I found it too. The principle you find in algebra of “You can’t solve an unknown with an unknown; there must be only one unknown quantity in your equation.” was my inspiration. It told me I had to learn the meanings that were unknown through something that was known. The known had to be the question itself, I deduced. That would be the way to make the Tarot Dictionary.

So I asked, since 1980, questions I knew the answers to. I wrote the meanings I discovered that way on index cards and filed them so I could look them up later. Those index cards are now an archive you can access, it’s monumental and still expanding. I was a court reporter then, so I read what Tarot said as words and phrases, which makes Tarot talk directly to you the way you speak.

The system that developed tends to report verbatim what someone (including the Querant) says, since it is language-based. The system is: YOU READ THE PICTURES. You have the question, and you apply that to the illustrations on Rider Waite Tarot. And Tarot talks to you.

A group of cards talk word for word through how their pictures relate to one another. Your subconscious minds the pictures; your conscious applies the language. The subconscious is the root of psychic insight, so you gain psychic insight as you use the Tarot this way. You build up a bridge between your daily awareness and your subconscious, the two get together so that you make connections in your daily life you never saw before, never suspected. (You are wise.)

Reading the pictures eliminates at least one-third of the work of reading. There’s no other factor to consider: It’s just the pictures and what they say. No astrology or numerology or Kabbalah, etc. Your mind is already programmed with language since you were two years old. The pictures are in front of you. Reading the pictures is logical, mechanical, and language-based. And it can be demonstrated: I demonstrate it every day.

So simple. So flexible. It delivers nuance and detail that the more complex systems cannot.

A disadvantage of reading by the pictures is … you get used to relying upon the question. The question selects what the topic of the spread is. Tarot done in a verbatim way delivers a precise and detailed answer to a question so automatically. When you get used to this, operating without a question is awkward. But it can still be done.