There are a lot of tarot cards, and memorizing the meaning of each is not the easiest way to learn tarot reading. Instead of memorizing each picture, you should instead understand the two divisions of the tarot deck: the major arcana and minor arcana. This should get you on your way to reading tarot cards more effectively.

The 22 major arcana cards represent things that are out of your control. These cards include the fool, magician, high priestess, empress, emperor, hierophant, lovers, chariot, strength, hermit, wheel, justice, hanged man, death, temperance, devil, tower, star, moon, sun, judgment, and world.

If you are serious about tarot reading, be ready to face endless interpretation levels in the major arcana. Major arcana cards should be taken with more weight.

The 22 major arcana cards, on the other hand, are the representation of the simpler things of everyday life. The four suits - the Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles - each symbolize a particular approach to life. The Wand is associated with the element fire, which represents masculinity. The Cups represent the female psyche, in which emotions and spiritual experience are entities with water as the element. Swords symbolize intellect, thought and reason. The Pentacles represent the earth, which represents material things or the services of the physical world. The 16 minor arcana cards are the suits, aces, twos, threes, fours, fives, sixes, sevens, eights, nines, tens, court cards, pages, knights, queens, and kings.

Learning the real essence of the two parts of a tarot deck, which are mentioned above, is a good start in getting full tarot knowledge. In any case, it won't get you a meaningful and articulate reading if all you have done is memorize each card without learning the secrets of their true nature.