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

by Stefanie Caponi

Your essential guide to reading tarot cards seamlessly--with confidence and ease

Each of us holds gifts deep within and, with tarot, we have the power to unlock those gifts and make transformative discoveries. For beginner tarot readers, learning the cards--all 78 of them--and understanding how to use spreads may seem daunting. Tarot expert Stefanie Caponi explains that interpreting the cards is a blend of knowing the card meanings, listening to your heart, and trusting your intuition. In her fully-illustrated book, Guided Tarot, she offers easy exercises to nurture and grow your intuition, not only to understand the cards' universal meanings, but to channel your own meanings. This comprehensive guide also shows you how to attune your energy to the deck for more accurate readings. Soon you'll be confident in doing readings for yourself and even your friends.

Guided Tarot

- Guided exercises to strengthen your intuition and tarot interpretation skills.
- Illustrated tarot card profiles with astrological, numerological, and elemental meanings, guidance for career, love, and spiritual life, and reverse card interpretations.
- Beginner's tools offering step-by-step advice to prepare for and perform readings along with a variety of introductory spreads to try
- The Celtic Cross explained and deconstructed to help beginners master this popular spread with ease.
- Quick reference chart with card images and key upright and reversed meanings.

With Guided Tarot as the companion to your deck, you'll learn more about yourself, get divine guidance with life decisions, and overcome obstacles in your relationships--all while celebrating your unique gifts and honoring your higher self.

Genres: Tarot, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Witchcraft, Occult, Reference, Divination

182 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 27, 2020

About the author

Stefanie Caponi (she/her) is an intuitive writer and illustrator. She has been reading tarot for over twenty years, and established her business as a professional tarot reader after creating her first tarot deck, The Moon Void Tarot. Her work is centered around exploring shadow work, healing, and creativity using tarot as a vehicle to access the hidden realms of the self. In addition to her work with tarot, she also writes monthly horoscopes for Swell by Dame products. Stefanie resides in Brooklyn with her partner and their two cats.

Reviews

[a.d. nox · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS AWESOME!! as an astro-psychic and white witch, this book - 10/10 i recommend it to baby witches looking to learn more about tarot! tarot is extremely intimidating! this book helps with everything - i wish i had it when i started tarot! this book goes over cleansing, use, suit meanings, specific meanings, numerology, and spreads!!! its wonderful - all the deeper meanings are discussed in the book - it’s not about witchcraft or predicting the future; this is about mindfulness :) so again if you are starting your journey or just want to learn more - buy yourself this book and a journal!! the journey has just begun!

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meanings for all 78 cards, uses rider waite Smith deck, detailed but not overwhelming. 2 pages per card, including images. About conversation with self more than fortune telling. Covers imagery on cards, meanings, subcategories of readings. Basic layouts, FAQs, and a chest sheet in the back. Great beginning book to read.

[Tammy Sorg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect book for a beginner, as a refresher or as a textbook. I am so happy I picked this up. I am teaching my teens how to read tarot and wanted something written in plain language. This is the perfect book to pair with a deck and start reading Tarot. It had enough details to provide the confidence to begin. It provides enough symbolism to intuitively read the cards but not so much that it is cryptic and intimidating. If you want to learn to read the cards, this is the very first book you should buy.

[Gary Butler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was hoping for more detail and history. Good general knowledge. 3/5

[Gabriela Della Corna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this guide book. I feel like I’m learning a whole new language (as Caroline told me) and this has given me so many new tools to understand and employ that language.

I annotated the hell out of this and look forward to this book being a constant companion/guide/reference as I grow in this tarot reading journey.

Stefanie Caponi truly did such a good job with this! The perfect amount of instruction without making you feel like “this is the only way.” Extremely well organized and laid out. Well done.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book at a 'Five Below' and after a quick skim, it seemed promising! I miss doing tarot and I know the book that came with my cards isn't the best (though I still hold a lot of love for it), so I was eager to see what this new book would be like.

And I love it! Everything was worded very welcomingly and open-mindedly. I loved the explanations and the multitude of spreads. I appreciated the exercises at the start to get yourself familiar (or in my case, refamiliarize) with your deck and the cards. I tried to really take my time with this book. The card descriptions are quite detailed, even broken down into various subjects (general, romance, career, spiritual, reversed), and I found this book paired nicely with the one I already own, so I felt I could go more in-depth than I could before. I also love the little extra questions the author included on every card at the bottom, just a nice little touch to get you thinking about how the card relates to you and your life.

I've tried doing mindfulness readings in the past, but none have felt so satisfying or given me more insights than when using this book. It makes me eager to continue in the future, and hopefully give my deck more use/love than I have previously x'D

I agree with another reviewer that I would've liked more information on the numerology aspect, but as it is, this is a fantastic beginner book, which is great for someone like me.

The layout and design of the book is simple yet beautiful. It's basically perfect from start to finish, and even includes the author's recommendations for further reading/exploring in the back. Really wish I had something like this when I got my deck years ago.

I personally use tarot strictly as mindfulness exercises, so the spirituality aspects of the book weren't necessary for me, but they are there for those that need/want them. (And it's always interesting regardless, since I get to still learn about other aspects of Witchcraft.)

If this author ever writes books expanding on or relating to this, I'd definitely be interested. If you're wanting to take the dive into tarot and need help with starting, this book really lays it out simple and easy for you. I definitely recommend it. :)

[Alicia Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well organized both visually and textually. Succinct. Easy to read and understand and easier still to look up specific cards. Clear layout options for those wanting more structure, while still encouraging the freedom to experiment and explore in one’s own practice. Provides clear and concise questions throughout (really helpful). I’ve had my share of Tarot books over the years, and none of them have been nearly as helpful as this one. Highly recommend.

[Jess B-N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking my “I’m not a hippie, but…” persona a few steps further by diving into this simple yet descriptive intro to tarot. Loved the easy exercises to get more knowledgeable about the cards so I can, eventually, start doing readings as my party trick 😉

[Mary Laffey · Rating 4 out of 5]

super helpful cause i had tarot cards for like 2 years and no idea how to use them lol

[Mariah Hutchi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good and informative. Used it for base knowledge and reference it all the time!

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read introductory book. I liked the format of going over the traditional Rider-Waite imagery and symbolism of each card before some easy to understand interpretations on general guidance, career, relationships, and spirituality.
However, the explanations often lack depth. the word choices are very sanitized, gentle and neutral, even for cards that represent darker themes or difficult situations. The reflection questions are also very soft and cautious. I felt that the author is trying very hard to not offend the reader by providing a positive twist to everything. Ok 10 of Swords says you are defeated, but
"let's honor the experience that shaped this journey" and "continue on your healing journey"?
I don't want my book to talk to me as if I am a fragile patient dying with self-pity. I also think this did a disservice to what the Tarot is mean to do which is to reflect the full spectrum of human psyche and experience. If we are already doing a Tarot reading I think there has to be courage to face the real and the ugly.
#guidedtarotforseamlessreadings #stefaniecaponi

[Shari Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Guided Tarot for Seamless Readings” by Stefanie Caponi is a helpful tool for tarot readers or people wanting to learn about tarot.

Stefanie has filled the “Guided Tarot for Seamless Readings” with a lot of accessible information.
This book summarizes how tarot works, including picking and connecting with a deck, and various spreads. From there, each card in the major arcana and minor arcana is discussed. A breakdown for each includes: upright and reversed meanings, numerology, a description of the card, and card meanings for general, love, career, and spirituality in a reading. There are also reflective questions. The book organizes information into easy-to-navigate chapters.

The interior of the book is visually appealing with coloured text, good use of white-space, and images of the classic tarot cards. The section discussing spreads uses diagrams as part of the explanation, making it easy for people new to tarot or a particular spread. Stefanie provides a reference guide for each card in the back of the book and additional resources for decks and books on tarot.

“Guided Tarot for Seamless Readings” is an informative text on tarot.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book as a bundle with a tarot deck for my birthday and have been working my way through the book and doing simple readings for myself over the past few weeks. This book made it super easy to get started and I learned a lot about the history of tarot and the difference between major and minor arcanas. Every card of the deck has it's own full page spread about meaning and how to interpret with different examples for different aspects of life. I'm really enjoying starting this journey and will use this book as a reference to continue my learning for sure.

[Ares Aguilar Sotos · Rating 5 out of 5]

El mejor libro sobre tarot para principiantes. Significados claros y sencillos, muy didáctico y con las ilustraciones del Tarot Rider-Waite-Smith que hacen más fácil seguirlo sin necesitar tener la baraja al lado.

[Amanda Marie]

This is great. Very useful and set up well for a beginner like myself.

[Jennifer Fischetto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent guide on tarot. It's easy to read, big pages for each card, not just the major arcana, reversed meanings, and the meaning are broken down in categories as well as the main meaning, like romance, career & finance and more. I will use this book continuously as I continue to learn tarot and will reference it back later down the road.

[Madeleine]

AMAZING. everything i couldve asked for! so helpful, so fun, and SO well organized! perfect in every way!

[Susan Nicolai · Rating 5 out of 5]

SusieThewesReviews
Stefanie Caponi has delivered an excellent guide to the Tarot in this book. It is extremely well organized and friendly for the beginner, and that’s me!

The size and layout of the book was very effective for presenting images of the cards in color. Each section begins with a view of all the cards in that category, that is very helpful! The highlights of the individual cards meaning is in a colored column beneath the card’s image, and the explanations are broken into General Reading, Love/Romance, Career/Money, Personal/Spiritual and Reversed. In addition, there is a quick reference guide in the back for each and every card with its page index, name, thumbnail and upright and reversed meanings. What more could you want in terms of making this guide easy to use?

One of the exercises Caponi offered was to “interview” your deck. So, I took her up on that and pulled a card to answer the first suggested inquiry, “What is the work we are to do together?” I further focused that in on my desire for Susie Thewes Reviews. I am using the Light Seers Tarot, a wonderfully illustrated deck by Chris Anne. I pulled the Queen of Wands, and immediately felt the power of her. Flipping to the chart in the back of the book, I saw this card related to creativity, ambition, and in its inverse, the feeling of being unworthy with blocked ambition. This card summed up my “Drawer of Unrealized Dreams” story that I had been telling myself for decades.

Caponi’s description of the card:
Feminine energy of intuitive creativity an emotional intelligence combined with passion and heart-centered action are held within the Queen of Wands.

There is even more to like about this guide, including the Introduction that includes the author’s story and connection to the Tarot, followed by her words of wisdom about how Tarot works. She presents Tarot as a communication device for self-discovery and deepening spiritual knowledge. Caponi also encourages the reader to use their own intuition and provides questions to prompt reflection as part of her guide. She includes ways to Choose Your Tarot Deck, Purify Your Deck, and, as mentioned above, Interview Your Deck. If you are going to be a reader, you want to get very personal with your cards, in much the same way that a medium develops their own symbols to communicate with the other side.

As a novice, I was glad that Caponi walks through some common questions about Tarot, some focused reading options and a number of spreads. I felt like I could, in a short time, begin to do readings for my friends and family.

This book delivers much information in a way that was very easy for me to apply as a total beginner. Because of that I give it FIVE STARS.

SusieThewesReviews

[Lacemaking Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't have much to say about this book, it was detailed and well thought out. It was a handy and informative read that dived in a bit deeper on the basics. I especially liked the reflection questions for each card. I just wish the book had a bit more emphasis on card associations. The numerology page is so helpful that I transcribed the associations to my tarot binder for quick reference, but for others who don't like doing stuff like that, there's still plenty of room to add in more associations, if you're into writing inside of books.

[Sylvia Moore · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stefanie Caponi’s Guided Tarot promises to be a comprehensive guide for beginners, but it ends up feeling more like a surface-level overview that leaves out the depth and complexity that even newcomers deserve. Caponi’s explanations of the cards are basic to the point of being oversimplified, often relying on generic meanings that don’t capture the nuance or symbolism of the Tarot. If you’re looking for a book that dives into the richness of the cards’ imagery or explores different interpretative layers, this isn’t it.

The exercises meant to develop intuition feel uninspired and repetitive, offering little beyond the standard “trust your gut” advice that lacks any real method for cultivating deeper insight. For a book that positions itself as a beginner’s guide, it fails to adequately teach readers how to move beyond rote memorization into building a more personal, intuitive relationship with the cards. Instead, it often circles back to the same basic points without adding anything new.

The book’s focus on “seamless” readings might sound appealing, but it’s ultimately misleading. Caponi’s approach feels more like checking boxes than genuinely engaging with the cards’ meanings. While it’s understandable that beginner guides should be accessible, Guided Tarot misses the mark by sacrificing depth for ease, leaving out the layers that could help a reader evolve beyond the basics. If you want a guide that truly nurtures your understanding of Tarot, this one will likely disappoint.

[Isabelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very intimated by how many beginner tarot books there are but decided to try this one out first, and I'm so glad I did! This is very straightforward without feeling like the content is being dumbed down. I enjoy the suggested exercises to get comfortable with reading. I think the author does a good job of explaining HOW to read intuitively, rather than just telling you to do it or giving you all her personal meanings as Gospel.

The in-depth pages on traditional meanings give the perfect amount of information. I like that they point out key symbols in the artwork. I have been practicing studying the images on the cards and then reading her explanation of the artwork and comparing the things I noticed and interpreted vs. what she has written.

Overall, a very good beginner book and I will be using it for reference often. I am looking forward to reading the recommended books at the end of the text in order to get a more in-depth look at the cards once I feel more comfortable.

[Fachrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very informative and easy to understand beginner's guide to Tarot. Caponi's approach is more intuitive, but she also provides traditional meanings of the cards, whether for general readings or for more specific areas of inquiries (relationship, career, personal). I found that the most illuminating part is the reflective questions given for each card - they really helped me connect the cards with and see how they apply in my personal life.

The book also uses an inclusive approach, which I'm all for! But here I think it becomes too inclusive to its detriment. Tarot heavily features symbolism from the Judaeo-Christian traditions, and I feel like some deeper explanation for certain symbols/imagery would be more useful.

The edition that I bought came with an RWS deck. The quality is excellent - it's easy to shuffle and feels very nice to touch.

[ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This guide delivers on what it promises: a beginner's guide that has in-depth card meanings, spreads, and assists those newer to tarot to start thinking about intuition and productive questions to ask while doing readings.

The book layout is clear and easy to follow with very nice sub-sections of information to help a beginner begin. The design is also very appealing and welcoming by making the tarot approachable and non-intimidating. The use of colors and fonts is easy on the eye and inviting.

I feel that this book's layout and design helps to de-mystify tarot and any hesitation one may have to approach it. This guide will be a constant review book for me and a companion to other tarot books that I read.

[Alexander King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for reference and for beginners alike

This book definitely should be on your bookshelf if you are someone who utilizes tarot in their life. A great quick reference for experienced readers as the book has a complete card breakdown including niche meanings for love, money and spiritual matters.

For the beginner, this is a good starting point if all you have is the little white booklet and are looking for more information. The book details all the basics from preparing a new deck to clearing, storage and basic reading guidelines.

If you are looking for a guided journey with tarot, or deep analysis of cards, or cards in combination analysis, this is not the book for you.

[Ani Seville · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is my go-to for interpreting and learning the cards! I love Caponi's writing style along with her inclusion of keywords, numerology, reversed, upright, and categorized meanings for each and every card. She gives insight into how each card could relate to love, career, spirituality, general life, etc. and it is so clear and helpful! While I am usually a fan of intuitive reading and using the books that come with specific tarot decks, this book is excellent and I often find myself coming back to it when my resources aren't in-depth enough for what I am asking the cards, or if I just want a refresher on some spreads!

[Natalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

una excelente forma de aprender a leer el tarot siendo principiante :) stefanie se asegura de cubrir lo básico de la historia, cómo cuidar tu deck, spreads del tarot para luego explicar con detalle los diferentes ámbitos en que se puede enfocar la lectura de cada una de las 78 cartas del tarot, mientras brinda preguntas de self reflection. me encantó aprender del tarot con este libro y aunque los primeros meses estuve estancada con los primeros capítulos introductorios, pude terminar la lectura de las cartas en sí relativamente rápido 🤍

[kay ✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful for learning Tarot. Not only does it contain very detailed meanings for each card (including numerology, keywords, and interpretations for typically asked questions/situations,) it also contains spreads from 2-10+ cards, and lots of tips on how to prepare for your session.

However, my favorite part were the work book pages. These were interactive exercises that asked you to do specific practices with your cards and keep track of it in a journal.

Will be incredibly helpful to continuously refer to while learning to read tarot!

[Montana Clay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it all in one day, doing most of the exercises, experimenting some of the spreads, and learning how to connect with my tarot deck. I feel like I’ve tapped into something I was meant to and having the author guide me through that awakening has been very good company. Doing readings for myself has made me feel the reassurance I believe I was looking for. I will be using this book as a bigger guidebook throughout memorizing the cards messages/meanings

[Jammin Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book as a gift at Christmas and I really enjoyed how the author laid out all the different types of spreads, and when each one is best read. I also liked the guidance she gave on how to be more intuitive in reading cards for yourself and for others. The descriptions of each of the major and minor cards and suits was also very well written and easy to understand. I will be using this book as a resource in my continuing pursuit of tarot card readings.

[Amy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This. Is. Such. An. Amazing. Guide. 🤩🤩 I’m brand new to tarot and was a little (ok, a lot) overwhelmed when I got my cards and realized I had to learn the meanings of 78 cards. 😳 But this book is extremely helpful in everything from explaining exactly what you should do when unwrapping your first deck, giving a step-by-guide on how to do a reading, and huge 2-page spread explanations on each and every card (including the Minor Arcana). Love, love, triple love!