Mostly book learning in the beginning, for me. At this stage (2+ years of reading), I am able to look at the cards as a whole and interpret the whole picture, and that involves more subjective interpretation and intuition. It still works best if I read for myself or someone close to me, as I have more background context to work with.

I actually started in the very beginning by using the tarot study info on Mystic Boards and the MB learn tarot software, along with Joan Bunning's book.  From there, I studied Waite's 1910 book - The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, and then researched the Major Arcana a bit further independently, looking up the various symbols on the cards with biblical and mythological references. I also incorporated trends I noticed when reading the cards. Sometimes, I will still looking up a meaning in Waite's book, if I'm unsure.

Still learning...