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Rapidly Deepen Your Tarot Knowledge with Tarot Card Profiles

By February 8, 2012 April 8th, 2018

Whether you're just starting out learning the Tarot card meanings or you're a seasoned professional, delving deeper into the individual Tarot cards and their meanings can rapidly deepen your Tarot knowledge.

In this post, I provide an easy-to-use Tarot card profile template and step-by-step instructions so you can get to know your Tarot cards on an even deeper level.

What You'll Need to Create a Tarot Card Profile

Tarot Card Profile Template – I have created an easy-to-use Tarot Card Profile template, just for you! Click the image below for your PDF copy, ready to save to your computer and print.

tarot-card-profile-template

Alternatively, you may want to eventually do a profile for each of the 78 Tarot cards, in which case I recommend purchasing a copy of my Ultimate Guide to Tarot Card Meanings Companion Workbook which includes templates for all 78 Tarot cards, as well as the ability to type and save your work on your computer.

Your Favourite Tarot Books and Resources – Select 2 or 3 Tarot books that you love and connect to. You’ll also find my online Tarot card meanings helpful, as well as any other resources you have available.

Your Tarot Cards – It goes without saying, huh?! If you don't have a deck yet, find out how to select a Tarot deck that's right for you.

5 Steps to Creating a Tarot Card Profile

Step 1: Select a Tarot Card

This is the easy bit! You might want to randomly select a Tarot card or you may want to take a more structured approach beginning with the first card of the deck (the Fool) or the first card in one of the Suits.

Step 2: Study the Tarot Card

Look at the Tarot card and study it in detail for 5 minutes.

What is your first impression of the card? How do you feel when you see the card? What thoughts or feelings immediately come to mind?

What images stand out to you? Are there people in the card and what are they doing, thinking or feeling? What symbols are represented? What colours do you notice?

Take note of your initial thoughts and observations – we’ll use them later for the Tarot Card Profile.

Step 3: Read about the Tarot Card

Look up the Tarot card in at least 2 or 3 resources (e.g. books and websites) and read about the traditional meanings of the cards.

You may notice that each resource has a slightly different angle. What meanings resonate best for you? What make the most sense?

Again, take note of what stands out to you from reading these resources.

Step 4: Complete the Tarot Card Profile

Now it’s time to prepare your Tarot Card Profile. Here are some tips on how to complete each section.

Card and Date

Write down the Tarot card you have selected and what date you are reviewing the card.

Element

Take note of the element associated with the card and what it means for that card. You can find out more about elemental associations through my online Tarot card meanings.

I haven’t covered the elemental associations for the Major Arcana as these are complex and often a point of contension between readers. If you want to read more, I recommend Raven’s Tarot website.

Numerological Association

Note the number associated with the card and what it means. Read more about Tarot and numerology.

Keywords

Tarot Card Meaning CheatsheetRecord 3-4 keywords for your selected Tarot card. Read more about how to generate your own Tarot card meaning keywords.

Key Phrases or Favourite Quotes

Exploring and reflecting upon common quotes can be a great way to bring the key messages of your Tarot cards alive.

I recommend working with your keywords and even key phrases associated with each Tarot card. Then, head on over to a quotation website such as www.brainyquote.com or www.thinkexist.com and start searching for related quotes!

Alternatively, you may choose to let the quotes come to you. As you read various books, keep a note of inspirational quotes that add meaning to your Tarot cards, and jot them down in your Tarot Card Profile over time.

Story and Description

The Tarot card description is your opportunity to explore the symbolism and imagery in a specific card. Furthermore, the Tarot card will often depict a ‘story’ that then informs the general meaning for the card. So, it is important to pay attention to these visual elements.

Study the specific Tarot card again for a few minutes. What do you notice?

Is there a person in the card? What does their expression tell you? What direction are they facing? What are they doing?

What symbols are used in the card, and what do these symbols mean?

What colours are used in the card, and what do these colours signify?

Now, look at what is happening in the card. What ‘story’ is being told?

General Tarot Card Meanings

This is really the ‘core’ of your Tarot study – understanding and interpreting the Tarot card meanings.

Begin with your own observations of the card that you noted earlier when you first looked at the card. What was your first impression of the card? How did you feel when you see the card? Which images stood out to you? What do you think these mean?

Take an even closer look. What characters, symbols, or colours have you missed? How do these change your view of the card?

Next, research the Tarot card meanings in your resources (books, eBooks, online, etc.). What card meanings stand out to you? What feels most relevant?

Consider, too, the positive side as well as the negative or ‘shadow’ side of the card. All cards have both sides to them (yes, even the Tower can be a positive card!!).

Finally, consider a personal experience, a Tarot reading or a person you know who reminds you of the card you are studying.

Jot down your initial thoughts. Then, throughout the day / week / month / year, spend some more time reflecting on how the card relates to your personal experiences over that period of time.

three_cups_rxUse your Tarot readings, too, to explore the meaning of the card. What significance does the card have in a particular reading, or a series of readings? For example, I found that the Three of Cups reversed nearly always came up in readings where there was an affair or a third party involved in a relationship. I now attribute that specific meaning to the card.

Context-Specific Meanings

Generating context-specific meanings for each card can enhance your Tarot reading skills immensely. For your specific card, write down what that card means for career, work, finances, relationships, personality types, health and well-being, spirituality and any other area that is important to you.

Career, Work and Finances:

  • What does the card mean if you are searching for work? What does it tell you about your current work situation?
  • What career paths may be associated with the card?
  • What does the card tell you about your financial situation?

Personality Types:

  • Imagine you ‘are’ the card. What does it feel like to be this card?
  • Write a 1-2 paragraph ‘bio’ of the card, or even write a letter to the character in the card
  • What would it be like to meet this person/card?
  • What are the positive and negative qualities?

Relationships and Love:

  • What does the card mean if you are searching for love? In a relationship? Trying to fix a relationship?
  • What does the card tell you about other types of relationships in your life (e.g. friends, family, colleagues, etc.)

Spirituality:

  • What is the deeper spiritual message or lesson of the card?
  • What does this card tell you about your own spiritual journey?

Wellbeing and Health:

  • What does the card tell you about your general health and well-being? What might be some specific health issues associated with the card? (Remember, though, that if you are not a health professional, do not give specific health advice, unless qualified.)

Step 5: Review

Review your card profile. Know that you can continue to come back to it to refer to it and to build on it.

Over to You!

Select up to three cards from your deck and write up a Tarot Card Profile for each. You'll be amazed at how much more deeply connected you feel with each card after such an exercise and your readings will benefit immensely.

Tarot Card Meanings WorkbookThree cards not enough? Why not use the Ultimate Guide to Tarot Card Meanings Companion Workbook to help you work through each of the 78 Tarot cards?

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