Quick Answer
Start by familiarizing yourself with the deck's vivid stained-glass imagery, then follow the same core steps you would with any Rider-Waite-Smith-based tarot deck—but let the colors and light guide your intuition.
Why the Stained Glass Tarot Needs a Slightly Different Approach
The Stained Glass Tarot stays true to the classic Rider-Waite-Smith tradition, so the card meanings and structure are the same. What changes is how the artwork communicates. The jewel tones, glowing skies, and golden details add emotional and symbolic layers that can shift your interpretation. You might find that a card like The Sun feels even more radiant, or that The Tower carries a sharper emotional weight because of the fractured glass effect.
Because the deck uses intricate stained-glass textures, some details can be harder to spot at first glance. Take time to study each card's composition before jumping into a reading. The luminous quality of the cards can also affect how you read reversed positions—some readers find the light patterns make reversals feel more dramatic.
How to Read the Stained Glass Tarot: Step by Step
- Study Each Card's Artwork Individually: Before doing a full reading, go through the deck one card at a time. Notice how the stained-glass style affects the mood. For example, the glowing background in The Star might feel more hopeful, while the dark glass in The Moon could feel more mysterious. Compare each card to a standard Rider-Waite-Smith image to see what details are emphasized or softened. Common mistake: jumping into readings without first familiarizing yourself with the art. This can lead to confusion during a live reading.
- Choose a Simple Spread for Your First Reading: Start with a one-card or three-card spread (past-present-future or situation-action-outcome). This lets you focus on how the stained-glass imagery influences your interpretation without the complexity of a larger spread. Shuffle while focusing on your question, then lay out the cards face up. Checkpoint: if a card's glass pattern makes it hard to see the traditional symbolism, refer to the guidebook or a standard RWS reference.
- Read the Card Using Both Symbolism and Color: Interpret each card using the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith meaning as your foundation. Then layer in the emotional cues from the stained-glass colors. For instance, a predominantly blue card might emphasize calm or sadness, while gold tones might highlight abundance or spirituality. Trust your first impression of the overall glow. Common mistake: overthinking the color symbolism. Let the traditional meaning anchor your reading; use color as a modifier, not a replacement.
- Handle Reversals with Extra Attention to Light and Shadow: If you read reversals, notice how the stained-glass light patterns change when a card is upside down. A reversed card may show darker glass or a disrupted flow of light, which can strengthen the reversed meaning. Some readers find this deck makes reversals feel more intuitive because the visual shift is so apparent. Checkpoint: if you're new to reversals, practice with this deck by comparing upright and reversed versions of the same card to see how the light changes.
- Practice with Daily Draws to Build Familiarity: Pull one card each morning and journal about how the stained-glass art influenced your interpretation. Over time, you'll develop a personal vocabulary for the deck's color and light cues. This practice also helps you spot details you might miss in a full reading. Common mistake: expecting instant mastery. Give yourself at least two weeks of daily draws before using this deck for readings for others.
About This Deck
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Stained Glass Tarot 💙 Timeless symbolism. Radiant colour. Traditional tarot, illuminated.: This 78-card deck reimagines each traditional Rider-Waite-Smith scene as an intricate stained-glass artwork with rich jewel tones, glowing skies, golden details, and beautiful glass textures. The vivid colors and light effects can amplify emotional cues and help you develop a more intuitive reading style, but the familiar symbolism means you won't have to learn new card meanings.
Stained Glass Tarot 💙 Timeless symbolism. Radiant colour. Traditional tarot, illuminated.
