The best tarot books for beginners shows a tarot book and lit candles

The Best Tarot Books For Beginners

Are you interested in Tarot but don’t know where to start? Check out this list of the best Tarot books for beginners! From learning the card meanings to understanding the history of Tarot decks, these books will teach you everything you need to know so you can do Tarot readings like a pro. 

Tarot is a fun and interesting form of divination that can be used for guidance in all areas of your life. If you’re new to tarot, it can be tough to know where to start. Each Tarot book on my list will teach you how to read tarot cards, connect with your intuition, and interpret the deeper meaning of each card in a spread.

What Are The Best Books To Learn Tarot?

Simple, well-organized, and easy-to-follow books filled with illustrations are best. There is even a coloring book on the list, which I highly recommend!

Tarot practice can be an incredibly rewarding experience when you start with a good Tarot book for beginners. The list has all of my favorites, and even advanced readers will find gems in my list of books.

Two of my favorite tarot books: Tarot Handbook and Ultimate guide to Tarot

My Beginner Tarot Book Picks Are Easy To Read

I didn’t add books that overcomplicate or dive too deep into the Tarot. While seasoned readers can benefit from advanced Tarot books that are in-depth or esoteric, beginners can quickly build Tarot skills with my book recommendations.

Honorable Mentions

More complex Tarot guide books like Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack, Holistic Tarot by Benebell Wen, and Archetypal Tarot by Mary K. Greer are great intermediate Tarot books but aren’t best for beginners. While more complex, their detailed Tarot and occult histories suit a more advanced student or ambitious reader.

For a beautiful, visual history of the Tarot and deck design, I recommend two fantastic collectible books. The Library of Esoterica’s Tarot by Jessica Hundley is the perfect coffee table book for Tarot art lovers. The History of Tarot Art by Holly Adams Easley and Esther Joy Archer, hosts of the popular Wildly Tarot podcast, is a deluxe collector book and a gorgeous MUST HAVE for Tarot lovers.

The best tarot books for beginners shows a tarot book and a deck of tarot cards

11 Best Tarot Books For Beginners

1. The Ultimate Guide to Tarot: A Beginner’s Guide to the Cards, Spreads, and Revealing the Mystery of the Tarot

The Ultimate Guide to Tarot: A Beginner's Guide to the Cards, Spreads, and Revealing the Mystery of the Tarot (Volume 1) (The Ultimate Guide to..., 1)

Liz Dean dominates my list of best beginner Tarot books. The Ultimate Guide To Tarot by Liz Dean is clearly written and beautifully illustrated. The perfect start to a Tarot journey, this must-own Tarot guide pairs perfectly with the next two books by Liz on my list. Informative yet easy to understand, I love how she designed this book! Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot is featured.

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The Ultimate Guide to Tarot by Liz Dean sitting on my wood table
I use my copy for quick card reference

2. The Ultimate Guide to Tarot Spreads: Reveal the Answer to Every Question about Work, Home, Fortune, and Love

The Ultimate Guide to Tarot Spreads: Reveal the Answer to Every Question about Work, Home, Fortune, and Love (Volume 2) (The Ultimate Guide to..., 2)

The Ultimate Guide To Tarot Spreads by Liz Dean is the perfect companion to her Ultimate Tarot Guide. This volume serves up over 70 spreads that target specific topics like work, love, and health. Color-coded, easy to follow, yet robust in layout variety and card meanings. Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot is featured again. An excellent choice for beginner Tarot readers!

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3. The Tarot Companion: A Portable Guide to Reading the Cards for Yourself and Others

The Tarot Companion: A Portable Guide to Reading the Cards for Yourself and Others

The Tarot Companion by Liz Dean is a portable reference guide with the meanings for all 78 cards in the Major and Minor Arcana, both upright and reversed. This easy-to-follow little handbook puts the power of reading the Tarot right in your hands. Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot is featured again. This third book completes my set of best beginner Tarot books by Liz Dean, and makes a great Tarot “dictionary” for all classic Tarot card readers.

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4. Tarot for Beginners: A Holistic Guide to Using the Tarot for Personal Growth and Self Development

Tarot for Beginners: A Holistic Guide to Using the Tarot for Personal Growth and Self Development

Quickly learn how to use Tarot cards and do a reading with Tarot for Beginners by Meg Hayertz. Brightly illustrated ad well laid out, I love the charts and easy-to-use format. Meg presents a thorough overview of Tarot with a simple presentation. The color coded pages make finding your card easy, along with the quick-reference tables in the appendix. Highly recommended!

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5. The Ultimate Guide to Tarot Card Meanings

The Ultimate Guide to Tarot Card Meanings

The Ultimate Guide to Tarot Card Meanings by Brigit Esselmont of Biddy Tarot is a perfect encyclopedia for readings. There is a keyword quick-chart up front, then a deep dive into each card. You get upright and reversed meanings relating to work, love, health, and more. This is not a colorful guidebook, but more of a practical easy-reference guide for card meanings.

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6. The Tarot Handbook: Practical Applications of Ancient Visual Symbols

The Tarot Handbook: Practical Applications of Ancient Visual Symbols

One of the first two beginner Tarot books I read years ago was The Tarot Handbook by Angeles Arrien. I loved the Thoth Tarot deck by Aleister Crowley, and this book featured it along with lots of Jungian archetypal references without getting too overwhelming. It’s a love it or hate it book for most, and I still find it to be an empowering book that I reference often.

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Tarot Handbook by Angeles Arrien
The introduction is SO good, I read it often

7. Tarot for Life: Reading the Cards for Everyday Guidance and Growth

Tarot for Life: Reading the Cards for Everyday Guidance and Growth

If you want to gain confidence in your Tarot reading skills, I highly recommend Tarot For Life by Paul Quinn, with a foreword by Rachel Pollack. Paul touches on esoteric traditions and six underlying principles of Tarot. For psychological and spiritual revelations while studying the cards as a beginner, this book is a great entree into deeper studies of mystical Tarot. Excellent book!

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8. Guided Tarot: A Beginner’s Guide to Card Meanings, Spreads, and Intuitive Exercises for Seamless Readings

Guided Tarot: A Beginner's Guide to Card Meanings, Spreads, and Intuitive Exercises for Seamless Readings (Guided Readings)

You’ll connect with your cards after following the actionable exercises in Guided Tarot by Stefani Caponi. Numerology, astrology, and the meanings of upright and reversed cards are laid out clearly. Combine that with detailed card spread readings, you can see why this is a #1 Best Seller in both Tarot and Numerology! A must-have guide for beginners.

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9. Easy Tarot: Learn to Read the Cards Once and For All! Includes a Gilded Tarot deck

Easy Tarot: Learn to Read the Cards Once and For All!

The beautiful Gilded Tarot deck is included with Easy Tarot by Josephine Ellershaw, making this set an easy winner for the best tarot beginner books. Josephine presents an easy method to learn Tarot reading and does it in a positive and simple style. A great kit for beginning Tarot students, with a stunning deck and easy to follow directions.

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10. Tarot: A New Handbook for the Apprentice

Tarot: A New Handbook for the Apprentice, Classic Ed (Rider-Waite Tarot) (Connolly Tarot)

A classic not to be missed is Tarot: A New Handbook for the Apprentice by Eileen Connolly. The first Tarot book I read, every student of the Tarot should have a copy of this masterwork for their studies. A comprehensive, esoteric guide to the mysteries of the cards and the awakening of your intuition. A spiritual gem!

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11. The Tarot Coloring Book

The Tarot Coloring Book

The most artistic and brilliant way to learn tarot is found in The Tarot Coloring Book by Theresa Reed, with forward by Mary Greer. Color your way through this guide and learn the symbolism and meaning of the cards. If you’re creative, this book is the perfect balance of individuality, inspiration, and traditional information. A great gift for your friends; everyone I know loves this book. No matter your level, grab a copy, and don’t forget the art supplies!!

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Best Tarot Books For Beginners: Conclusion

If you’re new to Tarot or just looking for a few more resources to add to your arsenal, these are the best books for beginners. Each of these titles will teach you how to read Tarot cards, connect with your intuition, and interpret the deeper meaning of each card in a spread.

So, if you’re ready to start learning this fascinating form of divination, grab one (or all!) of these great books today! I also have great suggestions if you want to move on to more advanced Tarot books.

Don’t have a Tarot deck yet? Celestial Fortunes’ list of the Best Tarot Cards for Beginners is the perfect place to start your search. There are twenty-one amazing decks that are perfect for all Tarot lovers.

Learn the basics of How to do a Tarot Reading with our quick start, easy beginner’s guide. Dive deeper into Tarot Card meanings to enhance your spiritual journey.

Celestial Fortunes Yin Yang Symbol

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