How to Do Intuitive Tarot and Oracle Card Readings (For Beginners & Beyond)

Written by Anne-Marie McCormack, award-winning author, psychic medium and creator of the 6th Sense Connection Oracle Cards, with more than 40 years of experience providing intuitive Oracle and Tarot card readings.

Have you ever looked at a Tarot or Oracle card and immediately thought of someone, somewhere or something from your own life?

Perhaps a person in the picture reminded you of somebody you know. Maybe a color brought back a memory, or one small symbol suddenly caught your attention.

That first impression may be more important than you realise.

This is how I work with the cards. I do not simply look up a meaning and repeat it. I study the image, notice what I feel and allow my intuition to show me how the message connects with the person or situation in front of me.

You can try this too.

You do not need to memorize card meanings. The cards provide the images and symbols, while your intuition helps you understand how the message may apply to your life.

Have you ever felt a quiet nudge from Spirit while holding a deck of cards—that inner whisper saying, “This message is for you”?

That is intuition, and it is at the heart of meaningful card reading.

What Are Intuitive Oracle and Tarot Card Readings?

An intuitive reading combines the traditional meaning of a card with your own thoughts, feelings, memories and impressions.

Rather than relying only on memorised definitions, you pay attention to what the card makes you notice. It may bring forward:

• A word or phrase
• A physical sensation
• A strong emotion
• A memory
• A person
• A situation
• A quiet sense of recognition

Tarot usually follows a structured system of suits, numbers, symbols and archetypes. Oracle cards are more flexible, with each deck having its own artwork, themes and style.

You can use either type of deck on its own or combine Tarot and Oracle cards in the same reading.

The cards do not make decisions for you or remove your free will. They can help you reflect, recognise patterns and consider your next step with greater clarity.

The Guidebook Gives You a Starting Point

The author of any Tarot or Oracle deck has written meanings to help you understand the cards. These meanings are especially useful when you are learning a new deck.

However, the more time you spend working with Tarot and Oracle cards, the more you will develop your own personal associations.

Choose a card and look at it carefully. Does it remind you of somebody you know, a situation you have experienced or something you have been through?

Sometimes a card will suddenly bring someone or something to mind. That is often your intuition guiding you.

For example, the Free Spirit card from my 6th Sense Connection Oracle Cards always reminds me of my spiritual daughter, Teketa. She loves crystals, reads Tarot intuitively, leads an authentic life, and she’s always being true to her nature.

My Hermit card reminds me of my psychic-medium sis-star, Trish. She meditates deeply, spends time in quiet reflection and always understands the importance of going within.

Those personal connections are not written in the guidebook, but they are part of how I understand the cards.

The guidebook gives you the foundation. Your intuition, memories and life experiences help bring each card to life.

How to Do an Intuitive Card Reading

1. Choose a quiet moment

Find somewhere comfortable where you can focus without too many interruptions. Take a few slow breaths and allow your mind to settle.

You do not need an elaborate ritual. I usually set the intention that the reading should provide helpful, honest and grounded guidance.

You are not trying to force an answer. You are simply creating enough quiet to notice what comes naturally.

2. Ask an open question

Open questions usually provide more helpful guidance than questions that can only be answered with yes or no.

Instead of asking:

Will I get the job?

Try asking:

What do I need to understand about my career at this time?

Other useful questions include:

• What should I know about this situation?
• What is influencing this relationship?
• What may help me move forward?
• What lesson is this experience showing me?
• Where should I focus my attention now?

The clearer your question, the easier it may be to understand the message.

3. Choose one card

Shuffle your deck while thinking about your question. When you feel ready, choose one card.

You can take the top card, spread the cards across the table or choose the card that naturally draws your attention. There is no single correct way to select a card.

Before opening the guidebook, study the image.

Ask yourself:

• What do I notice first?
• Which colour or symbol catches my attention?
• What emotion does the card create?
• Does it remind me of someone?
• Does it connect with something happening in my life?
• What words immediately come into my mind?

Write down your first impressions before reading the traditional meaning.

4. Compare your impressions with the guidebook

Once you have recorded your thoughts, read the meaning provided by the deck’s author.

Ask yourself how the traditional meaning connects with what you noticed.

Sometimes your personal interpretation will be different from the guidebook. That does not automatically mean you are wrong. The card may be speaking to your present circumstances, the question you asked or the feeling it created in you.

A card can have a traditional meaning and a personal meaning at the same time.

5. Identify one practical next step

A useful reading should leave you with something to think about or act upon.

Write down:

• The card you chose
• Your first impressions
• The traditional meaning
• The message you received
• One practical next step

For example:

This card reminds me to stop second-guessing myself. My next step is to have the conversation I have been avoiding.

This turns a card reading into practical guidance rather than simply a prediction about the future.

The Cards as Mirrors of Your Inner World

When you read intuitively, you’re not memorising—you’re remembering.

Each image, symbol, or colour reflects something already moving within your subconscious. A single card might bring up a forgotten memory, a sudden realisation, or a feeling you hadn’t yet named. That response is the message.

Emotion, Memory, and Spontaneous Insight

Intuition often arrives quietly. It might show up as:

• A word or phrase that won’t leave your mind
• A physical sensation
• An emotional reaction to an image
• A thought that feels relevant but unexpected

These responses aren’t distractions—they’re guidance. Intuitive oracle and tarot card readings allow space for these signals to lead the interpretation.

A One-Card Reading You Can Try Today

Hold your Tarot or Oracle deck and take three slow breaths.

Ask:

What do I most need to know today?

Choose one card and study the image for at least one minute. Write down three words, feelings or impressions before checking the guidebook.

Then ask:

How can I use this message in my life today?

This simple exercise can help you become more comfortable with the images and notice how your intuition communicates.

You can also practise with our free daily Tarot readings.

How Tarot and Oracle Cards Work Together

Tarot offers a structured system of imagery, symbols and archetypes. Oracle cards are usually more flexible and may offer a direct message, emotional theme or spiritual prompt.

You might use Tarot to explore:

• The situation
• Influences around you
• Possible choices
• Patterns from the past
• The direction you may be moving towards

You might use Oracle cards for:

• Encouragement
• Emotional understanding
• Spiritual guidance
• A reminder of your inner strength
• A practical theme to consider

For example, you could draw one Tarot card to explore what is happening and one Oracle card to ask what may help you respond.

Read each card separately first. Then consider how their messages connect.

Do not force the cards to agree. Sometimes the difference between them is the most useful part of the reading.

If you are unsure which type of deck to choose, you may find this guide helpful: What Are Oracle Cards and How Do They Work?

Why the Rider-Waite Tarot Is Helpful for Intuitive Reading

The Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot is often helpful for intuitive readers because its images contain many recognisable scenes, symbols and details.

Take the Ace of Wands, for example. Its traditional meanings include new energy, inspiration and fresh beginnings.

However, your personal response may be more specific. You may see it as encouragement to:

• Begin a creative project
• Speak up about an idea
• Take action instead of waiting
• Follow an opportunity
• Reconnect with something that excites you

The traditional meaning provides the starting point. Your intuition helps you understand how the card applies to the situation in front of you.

A Four-Card Intuitive Reading

This simple spread can help you explore a situation and identify a practical next step.

Card One: Your present situation

Ask:

What do I need to understand about where I am right now?

Look at the picture before checking the guidebook. What do you notice first? Does the card reflect your current emotions?

Card Two: What is influencing you?

Ask:

What is affecting my thoughts, feelings or choices?

This may reveal an outside influence, an old belief, a fear, a hope or a repeating pattern.

Card Three: What do you need to know?

Ask:

What message would be helpful for me to hear at this time?

Write down any words, memories or feelings that arise before checking the traditional meaning.

Card Four: Your helpful next step

Ask:

What can I do to move forward with greater clarity?

Your answer may involve:

• Having an honest conversation
• Setting a healthy boundary
• Taking time to rest
• Asking for support
• Beginning something you have delayed
• Letting go of an outdated belief
• Trusting your own judgement

When you have looked at all four cards, consider the spread as a whole.

Ask yourself:

• Is there a repeated color or symbol?
• Is the same emotion appearing more than once?
• Does one card explain another?
• Are the cards encouraging patience, action, honesty or release?
• What is the clearest practical message?

Now write a short summary in your own words.

I am feeling uncertain because I am trying to please everyone. The cards are reminding me to listen to my own needs, communicate honestly and take one practical step instead of trying to solve everything at once.

That summary is the heart of your reading.

Buliding Trust Through Intuitive Practice

When you practise intuitive readings regularly, you begin to recognise the subtle ways your intuition communicates with you.

You may become more aware of:

• Feelings that arise before you understand why
• Repeating patterns in your life
• The difference between fear and inner knowing
• Messages within images, colours and symbols
• Choices that feel more aligned with who you are

Do not expect yourself to become confident immediately. Learning to read Tarot or Oracle cards intuitively takes time and practice.

Keeping a card journal can help. Record:

• The date
• Your question
• The card you selected
• Your first impressions
• The traditional meaning
• Any personal associations
• The practical message

Return to your notes later. You may notice that certain cards appear repeatedly during particular periods of your life, or that your understanding of a card changes depending on the question you ask.

This is how you develop your own relationship with the cards. Over time, you may rely less on outside reassurance and become more confident in your own judgement.

The cards do not dictate your future. They help you become more conscious of your thoughts, choices and possible next steps.

I often describe intuitive readings as a spiritual GPS rather than a fixed roadmap. They may show you where you are, what is influencing you and which direction may be helpful, but you still decide where you go.

If you are new to card reading, you can also explore our free pick-a-card readings or learn more about the 6th Sense Connection Oracle Cards.

For step-by-step support, Divination 101: How to Intuitively Read Oracle and Tarot Cards explains how to move beyond memorised meanings and develop confidence in your own intuitive abilities.

A Note About Free Will and Responsibility

Tarot and Oracle cards can offer insight, reflection and spiritual guidance, but they should not remove your personal power.

A reading may highlight a pattern, suggest a possibility or encourage you to consider another perspective. It cannot guarantee a particular outcome.

Your choices, actions and circumstances remain important.

Readings should also be approached with care, compassion and respect. They should not replace qualified medical, legal, financial or mental-health advice.

Our Free Resources for Practicing Intuitive Readings

Many beginners find it helpful to practise intuitive readings using a guided tool. Our free Tarot Reader Teacher offers modern, easy-to-understand meanings and a wide range of spreads for love, career, guidance, and more—making it easier to build confidence without pressure.

Designed to be fun and approachable, this online Tarot tool allows you to explore intuitive readings at your own pace, wherever you are.

Take The Next Step With Your intuitive Card Readings

Whether you’re brand new to card reading or ready to deepen your intuitive gifts, The Oracle Mastery Bundle was made for you. If you’re already reading cards the 6th Sense Connection Oracle Cards would make a great addition to your practice.

The 6th Sense Connection Oracle Cards have been recognized for their innovative design and powerful divinatory ability, even winning a gold award for Best New Divination Product at the COVR awards and again in 2026 as an inconic Product. Their purpose is to complement your journey into intuitive readings by providing insights that range from practical to transcendental.

Still discovering your intuitive style?
Take our free quiz to find out how your intuition speaks to you—and which reading style is your spiritual superpower. It’s fun, fast, and surprisingly accurate!

Click here to take the quiz now

Frequently Asked Questions About Intuitive Oracle and Tarot Card Readings