For Moon Penny Musings — you asked, we wrote it 👇
You asked us for the good stuff: symbolism, the language of flowers hidden in the cards, and which decks are actually worth starting with. This one’s for you. 💛
Last time we grew you a tree — a living map of everything you’ve been learning, that quietly blooms when you study and dozes when you rest. Today we go back into the Spiritual world and put a real tool in your hands: how to read the pictures on your cards, starting with the flowers most people walk right past.
The cards are a picture language
Before you memorize a single “meaning,” remember what a Tarot card actually is: a small painting. In the Rider–Waite–Smith deck — the one almost every book, course and app is built on — the artist Pamela Colman Smith hid the meaning inside the details. The colors, the postures, the sky, and yes, the flowers.
The fastest way to get good at Tarot isn’t more keywords — it’s learning to describe the picture out loud before you reach for one. Name what you see, and the card starts telling you its own meaning.
A card you can see is a card you never have to memorize.
Try it once and you’ll feel the difference. “A figure in red and white, one hand up, one hand down, roses and lilies around him” gets you to the Magician’s meaning faster than any word list — because you built it yourself.
Floriography: the flowers were never decoration
Here’s the part most beginners miss. Those blooms scattered through the deck aren’t wallpaper. Smith painted in an era fluent in floriography — the Victorian “language of flowers,” where every bloom carried a message. She used it on purpose.
Learn a small handful and whole cards crack open. Here’s your starter cheat-sheet:
Red rose — the Magician, Strength → desire, passion, the life-force that keeps going.
White rose — the Fool, Death’s banner, some Aces → purity, a clean slate, innocence.
Lily — the Magician, Ace of Pentacles → clear thought, higher mind, calm intention.
Sunflower — the Sun, Queen of Wands → vitality, joy, turning toward the light.
Iris — Temperance → messages and bridges (Iris was the messenger goddess).
Water-lily / lotus — Ace of Cups and the watery pips → the heart opening, feeling in bloom.
Now look at the Magician again: red roses (desire) and white lilies (clear thought) growing together at his feet — he wants something, and he understands it. The flowers just told you the whole card.
Every card named so far, the Magician, the Fool, Death, the Sun, Temperance, is a Major Arcana card. If you want the full meaning of each one sitting beside its symbols, it is all here: Major Arcana Meanings: All 22 Tarot Cards Explained.
What actually makes a good starter deck
Not every gorgeous deck is a good teacher. When you’re learning, beauty comes second to fit. Three things matter.
It’s RWS-rooted. The pictures follow the Rider–Waite–Smith system, so every lesson in Astra Trainer, every book on your shelf, and every video you’ll ever watch lines up with the deck in your hands — no translating.
The pips are fully illustrated. All 78 cards should tell a little scene, not just show “five cups” as five painted cups. Illustrated pips are what let you read by picture instead of by rote.
You genuinely like looking at it. You’ll pull from this deck every day. If the art makes you happy, you’ll practice more — and practice is the whole game.
Two decks Moon Penny loves
When we asked the Astra family what they were reading with, Moon Penny Musings pointed us to two she adores — and they’re a lovely fit for a learner because they keep the RWS bones while feeling warm and art-first.
Wise Dog Tarot — RWS-rooted and gentle, with soft hand-drawn art that’s easy on a beginner’s eye.
Earth Woman Tarot — RWS-rooted and grounded, earthy and warm, the kind of deck you want to hold.
Because both keep the classic structure, you can read them beside every Tarot lesson in Astra Trainer and never have to think, “wait, what does this deck mean by that?”
(If you’d rather start with the original, the classic Smith-Waite deck is still one of the best learning decks ever made — for the same reason: everything is built on it.)
Your no-overwhelm starter list
You don’t need a shelf of decks and ten books. You need four things:
One RWS-rooted deck — Wise Dog, Earth Woman, or the classic Smith-Waite.
A picture-first habit — describe before you define.
A floriography cheat — the little list above; screenshot it.
Daily reps in Astra Trainer — especially the Combinations practice, where you learn how one card shifts the next.
That’s it. Everything else is just more time with the cards.
Related guides: Learn Tarot (start here) · How to Read Tarot Cards · Major Arcana Meanings · Elemental Dignities
Homework 📝
Pull one card today. Before you reach for any keyword, say three symbols you see out loud — and make at least one of them a flower.
Then open Astra Trainer and run one round of Combinations so a second card can build on your first.
Snap your pull and tag @astra_trainer on Instagram — we love seeing which cards land in front of you.
💬 Which symbol or flower on a card has surprised you most — and which one still trips you up? Tell us what felt most challenging and what felt most exciting.
💬 What deck are you reading with right now? Drop the name so the rest of the family can find their next favorite.
We’re a family now
Reading is better together. Come find your people in the app, hop into the Chat, swap pulls, and cheer each other’s streaks. Nobody learns the cards alone — and you don’t have to either.
What to expect next
Coming up we’ll stay in the Spiritual world with the reflective questions to ask each card — the ones that make a reading flow instead of stall — plus more from across the seven worlds. Keep an eye on your inbox.
Until next time — keep learning, and be kind to yourself on the days it’s hard.
— Alex
Founder, Astra Trainer 🌟
💛 P.S. from Alex — my wife keeps a little jar of whatever’s blooming by the kitchen window, and ever since I started reading the cards I catch myself naming the flowers in it like they’re a spread. She thinks it’s funny. She’s also usually the one who hits “send” on these letters, early, coffee in hand — so this one really is from both of us. Go pull a card. 🌱
Before you go 🌱
Reading about it is step one — doing it is where it clicks.
Start free in the app: pick your world and begin »
Explore all seven worlds: see what’s inside »
Not sure where to start? Email support@astratrainer.com — tell us what you want to get better at, and we’ll point you to the right world.
Our Spiritual worlds (tarot, astrology, numerology) are offered for reflection and guidance. What you get out of Astra Trainer depends on you.
