Foundations of the Tarot
A beginner's class to jumpstart your Journey learning the archetypal wisdom of the cards
Does this sound like you?
✦ “There’s so many cards to memorize and I’m totally overwhelmed.”
✦ “I’m so fascinated by the symbols in the cards, but have no idea what they mean.”
✦ “I keep getting stuck trying to understand cards in the context or a spread or question.”
✦ “I’m worried I’ll never understand deeper wisdom in the cards.”
Learning the tarot can be a challenging process. Many beginning readers are quickly overwhelmed, confused, or frustrated by their slow progress. Many even give up within the first few months.
But it doesn’t have to be so scary and intimidating. With the right foundations, mastering the cards should open up a path of inspiration, connection, wisdom, and true spiritual depth.
Learning the tarot is not about memorizing keywords. It’s about allowing the cards to guide you on your own inner journey of self-discovery, meeting the archetypes of the cards already living within you, allowing them to support you and strengthen you.
IF you're struggling, THERE'S A WAY THROUGH.
Foundations of the Tarot is a virtual 3-part class for the beginner reader initiating their psycho-spiritual journey with the cards. Here’s what makes this class special:
1. This is unique and *deep* exploration of the cards.
This is not your bland, one-size-fits-all beginner’s tarot class. This workshop approaches the tarot with an psycho-spiritual focus, meaning that we bring in concepts from depth psychology and practices such as shadow work, dreamwork, and active imagination to plumb the deeper wisdom of the cards.
2. It's not only about memorization.
Of course one of the trickiest parts of getting started with the tarot is memorizing the keywords and card meanings, but that is only a tiny piece of the puzzle. This workshop will teach you how to access the deepest meanings of the cards, how to connect to them with confidence and clarity, and how to best use them to support your inner work.
3. theory meets practice.
So often in online classes there is endless lecturing with lots of information, but for a beginner that can be overwhelming. To learn the tarot we must practice the tarot. Therefore this workshop holds space for both intellectual exploration and guided practice so that you can hone your intuitive skill and build relationships with the cards.
What's included in the workshop?
Lifetime access to Workshop materials
Stream class replays and download lecture notes at your convenience, anytime.
Ultimate Beginner's resource Guide
Continue your tarot study with resources ranging from guidebooks to podcasts to YouTube channels and more!
Archetypal Tarot Elements Ebook Add-On
Optional add-on of ebook breaking down the symbolic and archetypal elements of each of the 78 cards for quick reference
Continued Tarot Study Offer
For those who wish to deepen their tarot study, guaranteed (optional) enrollment in the next class of the Archetypal Tarot School
The Archetypal Tarot Elements ebook
An exclusive offer only for students of the Foundations of the Tarot Workshop, this ebook is the compilation of the symbols & archetypal elements of all 78 cards of the tarot. It includes a glossary of depth psychological terms, the Archetypal Tarot Spread, and lots of great resources to help develop and enrich your tarot practice.
Discounted purchase is available after registration. Want to see some samples?
The Curriculum
In this first class we’ll begin with the fundamentals of tarot and the psyche, establishing how we can use the cards to guide and support our psycho-spiritual work. Topics include:
- The occult and archetypal roots of the tarot
- Understanding the depths of the psyche & the archetypes
- How divination can support individuation
- Strengthening your intuitive clarity
- What to ask the cards and the major tarot mistakes
- The secret keys to memorizing & mastering the cards
In the second class we’ll break down the meaning of all 78 cards as well as explore the Archetypal Tarot Techniques—methods to work through any card, building your confidence and clarity in reading them. Topics include:
- The tarot suits and the cognitive functions of the psyche
- Blending archetypal numerology, the theory of the hero’s journey, and other approaches for alternate interpretations
- How to read court cards easily and learn their personality types
- The deeper wisdom of the Major Arcana and archetypes of individuation
- Practicing the Archetypal Tarot Techniques for stronger and faster interpretations
We’ll close with putting the theory to practice. We’ll move through spreads, preparation, sample readings, and the archetypal tarot techniques in community to make it all make sense. Topics include:
- The secrets to shuffling, space-setting, and pulling the right cards
- The basics of understanding how the cards communicate & connect for more revealing readings
- Building fluency and confidence in your readings
- How to see the “big picture” and the story the cards are trying to tell
- How to make any card make sense
- The best spreads for simple but *deep* readings
Meet your instructor...
Mariana Louis is a professional tarot reader, writer, and educator who has taught her unique archetypal tarot approach to hundreds of students across the globe.
She is the creator of Persephone’s Sister—a platform for spiritual education and tarot guidance, blending depth psychology, sacred feminism, and witchcraft. In addition Mariana is a faculty member at the esteemed Jung Archademy and a cohost of the emerging popular podcast Soror Mystica.
Which course is right for me?
Maybe you’ve come across The Archetypal Tarot School before, and maybe even considered signing up, but now you’re not sure if Foundations of the Tarot is a better fit. If that’s you, here’s how to see what’s right for you:
The Foundations of the Tarot Workshop is right for you if:
- You identify as a tarot beginner, just got your first deck, or haven’t fully begun your tarot journey
- You don’t know all the cards yet or rely on a guidebook
- You’re interested in depth psychology and psycho-spiritual growth but don’t know much about it yet
- When you pull a card you feel overwhelmed and don’t know how to start
Now streaming for instant access
the Archetypal Tarot School is right for you if:
- You identify as an intermediate reader and can read without relying on a guidebook
- You’re familiar with the “traditional” meanings but they don’t feel deep enough
- You have a true curiosity about depth psychology and the learning more about the archetypes
- You’re ready to commit to a deeper tarot study
Next class coming April 19, 2026
Continue your study with the Archetypal Tarot School
For those who are committed to learning the tarot, as well as their personal psycho-spiritual journey of discovery and depth, when you enroll in Foundations of the Tarot, you are automatically eligible for the Continued Tarot Study Offer.
This offer guarantees your enrollment in the next class of the Archetypal Tarot School, as well as a special continued student rate. More information is available inside the workshop.
FAQ's
Although it was a live offering in the past, currently the workshop is offered as a streaming class. Upon purchase you will get instant access to all 3 classes, plus all downloads and a link to the Archetypal Tarot Elements Ebook add-on. These classes were recorded with the most recent iteration in 2025.
While we do touch on all the cards, 3 weeks is not enough time to talk in depth about every single card (that’s what we do in The Archetypal Tarot School), and generally it’s too much for a beginner to take on. Our focus is on understand how to master the cards and understand their depth, learning them less by memorization and more by relationship.
But you can opt to get access to the Archetypal Tarot Elements Ebook, which includes an intimate breakdown of the symbols of each card, complete with traditional and archetypal keywords to support your memorization.
If you are already memorized and have a basic comfort with the cards, then The Archetypal Tarot School is definitely a better fit for you!
At this time scholarships are not currently available.
Because this is an instant access purchase, no payment plan is currently available.
This class focuses primarily with the classic Rider-Waite-Smith deck, but you do not need to have that specific deck. Any Rider-Waite-Smith based deck works!
Foundations of the Tarot is a 101 level class geared toward the true beginner. This is for those who haven’t yet familiarized themselves with the cards.
The Archetypal Tarot School, however, is for the intermediate tarotist who has been working with the cards for a while and wants to go deeper.
Still not sure which one’s for you? Click here.