I'm a self taught Tarot reader. Although I used the aid of a few key books, Ultimately it was meditation on each card, or cards in a spread, that helped me "memorize" my cards.
I started out with a Rider Waite deck. This is the deck most usually recommended for people just starting out. I spent 14 years reading them before finding another deck that spoke to me. I still have my very well oiled Rider Waite (mostly for money readings.) but I'm currently using The Druid Craft Tarot. I've spent a year and a half meditating on them, and am only now feeling comfortable enough with them to read for others with them.
If you are trying to learn your cards, this is the most simple way to start.
Ask yourself a question, with intentions of doing a 3 or 7 card horseshoe spread.
Use your book to read the cards, and put the message and answer to your own question together in your head. Then, pick the few main cards that really speak to your question.
Next to your bed, on a little shelf, where you can see them before you go to sleep and as you wake up, prop your cards. This gives you all night to think on them. Leave these cards there for a few days, up to a week.
To add to this, if you are good at visualizing, before you drift to sleep do a little excersize. Put yourself INTO one of the card. Talk to the King, or the animal, or any character in the card. Walk around the scene. This will help you immensely in memorizing the cards, getting them implanted into your subconsciousness.
There are other ways to help you along your way, and I'll cover these in future blogs.
Author Resource:
Lori Grace is a psychic tarot reader with 17 years professional experience guiding others. To learn more about meditation tarot guidance see Lori Grace's Spritual blog for detailed information.