I have been dabbling in a pocket tarot set and I've been doing readings that turn out to be true, but I have to use my little book each time as I don't know the meanings. The book itself is fairly detailed and great, but when I was showing my dad (who before I was born would get paid to do tarot I guess) he told me I need to find a way to not rely on the book. That while my intuition may have gotten me to choose the cards, and choose how I spread them (I do weird spreads with my cards and sometimes take the cards to mean seeing the spread a different way) I can't rely on it, and need to observe. It was interesting watching my dad look at a card, see the pictures, and then understand what the card meant.

He talked about the Rider Waite tarot deck and I'm just curious how people have come to the conclusion of WHAT cards mean, and where they are getting the info from. Like what was the source? What book can I read that gives a DETAILED List of the tarot, AND their meanings? Like what was the origin?

Any and all help would be appreciate and if this isn't the sub for this, please let me know.