Tarot basics: how the cards work
Tarot is a deck of 78 images that act as a mirror, a way to reflect on a question and see it from a fresh angle.
What the deck is
A tarot deck has 78 cards in two groups. The 22 Major Arcana (The Fool, The Sun, The Tower…) mark life's big themes and turning points. The 56 Minor Arcana cover everyday life across four suits: Wands (energy and passion), Cups (emotion and relationships), Swords (thought and conflict), and Pentacles (work, money, and the material).
Astrodites uses the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition, the most widely read deck, where every image is rich with symbolism.
Upright and reversed
A card can appear upright or reversed (upside down). Reversed doesn't mean "the opposite" or "bad", it usually softens, internalizes, or adds nuance to the upright meaning: an energy that's blocked, still forming, or turned inward.
The meaning always starts with the card itself; the orientation just shades it.
One card vs. a spread
A single card answers a focused question or sets a tone for the day. A spread lays several cards in named positions, past / present / future, or situation / action / outcome, so meaning builds across them, each card colored by where it sits.
That's why the same card can read differently in different spots: position is part of the message.
How it helps you
Tarot doesn't tell the future, it prompts reflection. Drawing a card externalizes a question and gives your intuition something concrete to respond to. Used gently, it's a tool for clarity and self-honesty, not fortune-telling.