@ambyrb The best (and worst) part about tarot is that -- it is literally whatever you want it to be.

There are different spreads for different purposes and that will determine how many cards you draw and what their purpose is.

When I first started, I used this site for spreads:

http://psychiclibrary.com/beyondBooks/tarot-card-spreads/

however now, I just pull how many ever I need until I have a full picture/understanding.