Not Sure What a Card Means? Look at These Three Things FirstYes, no, or maybe. The right keyword. Then the sign and element. Here’s how I read a Major Arcana card using The 22 Keys.

One of the most common frustrations in tarot is drawing a card, looking up its meaning, and still not knowing how it answers your question.

That’s exactly why I put together The 22 Keys, a free handbook with a dedicated page for each Major Arcana card. When I read a card, I look at three things on that page, in this order.

1. Start with yes, no, or maybe

Each card has a yes, no, or maybe indicator for both its upright and reversed positions.

If you have a question that can be answered with yes or no — for example, “Is this a good week to reach out to them?” — draw one Major Arcana card and check the indicator first. It gives you an initial sense of where the answer might be heading.

The answer can change when a card appears reversed. The Star is a yes upright, but a no reversed. The Tower, on the other hand, is a no even when upright.

2. Choose the keyword that best fits your question

Each card comes with several keywords, but you don’t need to memorise them all. What matters is finding the one that speaks most directly to your question.

The Star upright, for example, can represent hope and faith, healing, wishes coming true, fame and fortune, among other things.

If you’re asking about a relationship, healing might be the keyword that matters most. If your question is about work, fame and fortune might be more relevant.

It’s the same card, but a different question can bring a different part of its meaning into focus.

3. Look at the astrological sign and element

The Star is associated with Aquarius and the element of Air. Air relates to thoughts, ideas, and communication.

So when The Star appears, it’s worth asking yourself: Could a shift in the way I see this situation be where things start to change?

Try it tonight. Think of one small, specific question, draw a Major Arcana card, and work through these three steps with the handbook.

If you haven’t got your copy yet, you can get The 22 Keys for free here:

The 22 Keys was originally created as a companion guide for my course, The Method, which is taught in Mandarin. The course takes you through all 78 cards, shows you how to read cards together and work with timing, and walks you through a complete real-life reading, step by step.