We all know the importance of “intuition” in reading tarot, yet it remains a rather mysterious, illusive concept. It’s difficult to define. Essentially, intuition is a bit like inspiration or insight. A thought suddenly comes to mind and we know it’s exactly the right inerpretation for a card, or the right overall message from a reading.

At least, that’s how it should be. Sometimes, though, we’re so unsure of ourselves that we start second-guessing these insights. Is it really “intuition”, we ask ourselves? Our are we just making things up? Are we merely seeing what we want to see?

Let’s look a bit more closely today at intuition in tarot. Where does it come from?

Intuition in tarot begins when we look at the first card of a spread and note the details. What draws our attention first can serve as an “intuitive spark”. We can then follow that spark through other cards, allowing our intuition to suggest additional ideas and concepts that relate. It sounds simple, and in reality, it is. But all too often we complicate the process with doubts and questions.

One reason we’re sometimes hesitant to accept these intuitive ideas is because we’re expecting something more. “Intuition” should be dramatic or magickal! We should hear voices in our head; we should have images flashing through our brain. That’s what we so often think.

In truth, intuition is simply awareness, and as often as not it’s rooted in our physical vision. We see something and our emotions react. It’s this sudden “coming together” that produces intuitive insights.

Take a look at this familiar tarot card.

You know this card well. It’s STRENGTH from the popular Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot. Because you are so familiar with the card, you may not take in the different details. You simply think “STRENGTH” and move on. Intuitive reading asks you to pause for a moment and think about what you see. What single part of this card image stands out?

Your answer will change from one reading to another. Sometimes you might first notice the lion, or even see how his tail and mane resemble flames. Other times, the infinity symbol about the woman’s head may draw your attention. Maybe it’s the bright yellow color of the sky you first notice; maybe it’s the distant mountain. In an illustrated deck like this, every card — no matter which deck you’re using — contains visual cues. Pay close attention to what you see first.

This “first point” is a bit like an anchor. Your mind grasps hold of it, and then your thoughts and feelings can “kick in” to deliver insights that are relevant to the reading you’re doing.

If the lion caught your attention first, your thoughts may center around power and actual strength. Seeing the “flames” may give you a feeling of combustion or energy. Focusing on the infinity loop could bring thoughts of endless cycles; the distant mounains may call you to step away from a current situation while the bright yellow sky might evoke a feeling of joy and confidence.

Long before you learned to read words and sentences, you looked at storybooks, creating your own narrative from the pictures you saw. Tarot draws upon this same creative ability. When we’re children looking at books, no one speaks to us about intuition, but it’s the same process. We’re processing information from visual cues and turning it into actual thoughts and feelings.

Another key point to keep in mind is that what we see isn’t “right” or “wrong”. It’s simply what we see. Even in a difficult card, we may see positive signs and symbols. Guided by these intuitive thoughts, we can understand the lessons of the card and the message that it’s bringing us. This is one reason why trying to “memorize” definitions for cards leads to discouragement. The true meaning of the card doesn’t come from a guidebook; it comes from what each reader sess and feels.

Strengthening intuition is largely a matter of trusting yourself; it’s giving yourself permission to explore ideas as they come to mind. Intuitive tarot reading means moving away from standard “textbook” interpretations and discovering your own card meanings.

So when you do your next “daily draw” or lay out your next spread, focus on the first card and pay close attention to what YOU are seeing. Close the guidebooks. Forget searching websites for “deeper meanings”. Those meanings are already there within you. You access them by acknowledging your first impression of a card, adding in your thoughts and feelings, and trusting that your intuition will guide you.

This is why different readers can look at the same card and each come up with a different interpretation. A tarot card isn’t meant to have a “one size fits all” definition, and this is the beauty of the art. Every card invites us to step into its world, to see what is meaningful for us, and to follow that intuitive spark as we explore other cards.