How to Learn Tarot Using Avatar: The Last Airbender (Beginner's Guide)
Reading tarot isn't some esoteric superpower meant to tap into the unknown secrets of the universe. I mean it can be, but for the everyday person, tarot is meant to take people out of their own way to understand their goals and experiences, and even explore new perspectives. It's a powerful tool for self-discovery that so many people, unfortunately, find intimidating.
Trust me, it's not that serious. You can learn to read tarot by watching Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Understanding the Tarot Deck Structure
Let me preface this by saying, there are two parts to the classic 78-card Rider-Waite system by Pamela Coleman Smith: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.
The Major Arcana consists of 22 cards that follow the journey of The Fool as they explore a series of life-changing events and transformative experiences until they find peace in their world. (Sounds a bit like Aang's destiny to bring harmony among the four nations, right?)
The four elements—water, earth, fire, and air—correspond to the four suits in the Minor Arcana: cups, pentacles, wands, and swords. Yeah, take a second, this is mind-blowing stuff.
Of course, life isn't always linear and obstacles aren't always followed by solutions. In the tarot and in ATLA, there are optimistic plot points when outlooks look bright and darker plot points where we have to dig deep to get through. Using Team Avatar's story, I'll give you a quick rundown on how this beloved TV show can give you a solid foundation for understanding the tarot.
The Major Arcana: The Avatar's Journey
The Major Arcana follows The Fool's journey as they explore different aspects of the human condition, spirituality, and the psyche. Like The Fool, The Avatar must travel the world to master all four elements and become the bridge to the spirit world. They are constantly reincarnated to give guidance and bring wisdom to the four nations.
But remember when Aang tried to run away from his destiny, then the Fire Nation attacked, wiping out the Air Nomads, and the world went into turmoil? Yeah, sometimes when we don't listen to our truths or live authentically, we can impact those around us and even hurt ourselves—maybe even get ourselves frozen for 100 years.
In tarot readings: The Major Arcana cards represent big life themes and transformative moments. When you pull these cards, pay attention—they're asking you to look at the bigger picture of your journey.
Cups Suit: The Water Tribe and Emotional Intelligence
When reading cards in the Cups suit, we begin to associate meanings related to our emotions and how to adapt to changing situations. Katara and The Water Tribe are great examples of this.
Katara's bending was always strongest when she needed to protect Team Avatar. She even had powerful healing capabilities and helped others when they doubted themselves. Katara and other Water Benders are great examples of adapting to new environments like Foggy Swamp Benders or overcoming difficult situations like Hama, the Blood Bender.
Not being flexible or ignoring our feelings can cause us to tread some choppy waters (pun intended). In the series, Katara often bottled up her emotions and ended up unleashing her frustrations, affecting those around her. How many times did Sokka get soaked before she was able to master her bending?
In tarot readings: Cups cards ask you to look at your emotional landscape. Are you flowing with your feelings or damming them up until they overflow?
Pentacles Suit: The Earth Kingdom and Material Reality
Pentacles deal with the physical world and materialism. The symbolism in this suit asks readers to discriminate between satisfying immediate physical needs versus making mindful decisions for long-term gain. Sometimes this could mean working too hard or holding onto things that don't serve us.
Toph arguably was the most grounded and centered character in the series. She was connected to the earth and made calculated attacks by listening to the earth. Even though Toph was decisive, she could be extremely stubborn and sometimes acted impatiently out of boredom—like when she tried to scam the Fire Nation.
In tarot readings: Pentacles cards show up when you need to look at your relationship with work, money, health, or anything tangible in your life. Are you building something sustainable or just spinning your wheels?
Wands Suit: The Fire Nation and Creative Energy
My favorite episode in the series is when Zuko and Aang went on a quest to learn about the original Fire Benders from the Sun Warriors. They learned that fire can be destructive, but it can also give life. The Wands suit teaches us about passion and energy.
At the beginning of the show, Zuko had trouble controlling his anger, causing him to become obsessed with capturing the Avatar. By the end of the series, Zuko channels his energy to help Aang restore balance to the world.
In tarot readings: Wands cards represent your drive, creativity, and passion. Are you channeling your fire constructively or letting it consume you?
Swords Suit: Air Nomads and Mental Liberation
In the suit of Swords, tarot readers can explore the depths of their minds to find freedom from tough decisions. The Air Nomads valued detachment from worldliness and practiced pacifism, embodying the idea of liberation.
One of Aang's biggest obstacles was feeling like he couldn't defeat the Fire Lord. He worked himself into such a frenzy that he couldn't sleep for days until Katara reassured him that he was prepared. In this suit, we learn that sometimes suffering comes from attaching ourselves to oppressive thought patterns.
In tarot readings: Swords cards cut through confusion but can also represent overthinking and anxiety. Are your thoughts helping you find clarity or keeping you stuck?
Ready to Start Reading Tarot?
See, reading tarot is not so scary! Once you understand the framework—Major Arcana for big life themes, and the four suits reflecting different aspects of your experience—you can start seeing how the cards mirror what's already happening in your life.
The cards don't predict your future. They help you see your present more clearly.
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