Yeah, no. It's not easy. There are 78 cards with different yet nuanced meanings. We have majors and minors. We have pips and aces and courts. We have right side up and, often, reversed. It's not easy, but it's definitely possible.
First, pick up a decent, in depth book of card meanings. Something basic and modern like Rachel Pollack's The New Tarot Handbook.
Most decks come with a small book of interpretations, a 'little white book' or LWB. Some decks come with a more detailed book that you an actually put on your book shelf. There will be a few spreads as well.
In the end, you should have at least two books to use and compare.
Pick a spread and start reading.
Don't get too hung up on what spread to use. If you are up for a real learning challenge start with the Celtic Cross. (I did, and I turned out just fine.) But otherwise a 5-card Horseshoe Spread or 7-Card Rainbow spread are perfectly good.
As you start to interpret each card using your books, write down your findings in a notebook. You should have some way of recording what you've learned about the cards individually as well as the spread or reading that you are doing.
Just as important as the knowledge you glean from your books is what you learn from your own intuition. What is the card saying to you at this moment, in its position in the spread? Write these down too. Date and cite your notes.
Your first few readings may not make any sense to you. Fear not!
As you read the cards, find more books, authors, and mentors, and let your intuition develop, your readings will begin to have meaning.
You will learn to read the Tarot.
PS. This is not the last word on learning the card!
