| What is the Tarot? | | | | seeking the reading to tap into their own |
| | | | subconscious knowledge. Others believe that |
| The tarot is a deck of 78 cards, featuring | | | | the cards themselves hold some kind of |
| illustrations that can be interpreted in | | | | inherent divinatory power, which may be read |
| various ways. The deck is divided into two | | | | by a skilled person. For this reason, |
| sections, called the major and minor arcana. | | | | handling another person's cards is generally |
| The major arcana features the 21 trump cards, | | | | frowned upon in occult circles, as their |
| and the minor arcana is divided into four | | | | energy could become contaminated. |
| suits (wands, pentacles, cups and swords) | | | | |
| each with cards featuring the numbers 1-10, | | | | Doing a Reading |
| an ace and four court cards (the Page, | | | | |
| Knight, Queen and King). | | | | There is no set method for performing a |
| | | | divinatory tarot reading. However there are |
| Origin of the Tarot | | | | several popular layouts or 'spreads', with |
| | | | perhaps the most well known being the Celtic |
| The oldest known tarot cards originated in | | | | cross. This is usually the first method |
| 15th century Italy. The tarot appears to have | | | | taught to beginners, although it is by no |
| started life as a card game, and was at first | | | | means the most simple. Experienced tarot |
| restricted to the wealthy upper classes, | | | | readers will often invent their own spreads, |
| although after the invention of the printing | | | | with their own means of interpretation. |
| press, the cards became more widely | | | | |
| available. Some writers have claimed (despite | | | | Once the cards are selected by the person |
| the apparent lack of evidence) that the | | | | receiving the reading, the reader lays them |
| imagery of the tarot cards suggests a more | | | | out in a spread and analyses them, taking |
| ancient origin, and have connected the tarot | | | | into account the positions relative to each |
| with such cultures and traditions as the | | | | other, the symbolism of the individual cards, |
| ancient Egyptians and the mystical Hebrew | | | | and their position (upright or reversed). |
| Kabbalah. | | | | |
| | | | Meaning of the Cards |
| Later Developments | | | | |
| | | | There is no generally agreed upon |
| It was not until the 18th century that the | | | | interpretation of the tarot cards. They all |
| cards became associated with the occult and | | | | have imagery of varying degrees of |
| mystical activities with which they are often | | | | complexity, and the wide range of decks |
| linked today. This began in 1781, when the | | | | available makes the situation even more |
| freemason Antoine Court de Gebelin made the | | | | difficult. Nevertheless there is a huge |
| claim in his work 'Le Monde Primatif' that | | | | amount of writings available on the symbology |
| tarot cards contained hidden meanings (which | | | | of the tarot, and on the most basic level, |
| he associated with the ancient Egyptians) | | | | the 22 major arcana cards are thought to |
| that could be used for divinatory purposes. | | | | represent the journey of the Fool from |
| | | | ignorance to enlightenment. |
| Since then other mystic and magical | | | | |
| traditions, such as the order of the Golden | | | | In addition, the minor arcana cards have |
| Dawn, have claimed that the tarot has ancient | | | | their own symbolism. The numbers are most |
| roots, and that is has hidden wisdom to | | | | obviously associated with numerology, and the |
| impart to those seeking enlightenment. | | | | suits are linked to the four elements |
| | | | (Swords=Air; Cups=Water; Wands=Fire; |
| The tarot's mass appeal increased with the | | | | Pentacles=Earth). The tarot has also been |
| publication of the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot in | | | | linked with other mystical and occult systems |
| 1910. Arthur Edwards Waite was a Golden | | | | such as the I Ching, astrology, and the |
| Dawn member, and in this new deck, drawn by | | | | Kabbalah. |
| the artist Pamela Colman Smith, images with | | | | |
| occult symbolism were included on the numeric | | | | Choosing a Tarot Deck |
| cards, as well as the trump cards. This deck | | | | |
| was very successful (and remains popular | | | | There is a huge range of tarot decks to |
| today), and since then, hundreds if not | | | | choose from. Two classic decks are the |
| thousands of diverse new decks have been | | | | symbolism-rich Rider-Waite deck, and |
| published, with many enthusiasts creating | | | | Crowley's Thoth deck, both of which remain |
| their own. | | | | very popular. The early Marseille deck (used |
| | | | by Gebelin to illustrate 'Le Monde Primitif') |
| Uses of the Tarot | | | | is another important deck, also. There are |
| | | | also many less conventional decks to choose |
| The tarot has several distinct uses, | | | | from, and people with just about any special |
| including: | | | | interest can find a deck to match. |
| | | | |
| 1. Games | | | | Feminists, for example, might like the |
| | | | Motherpeace Tarot with its round cards and |
| This was its original use, and it is still | | | | exclusively female imagery, whereas some of |
| used for gaming purposes in some European | | | | those interested in Paganism might enjoy the |
| countries. | | | | Witches deck or the DruidCraft tarot. Tarot |
| | | | decks can be found representing animals too, |
| 2. Psychology | | | | as well natural imagery, various sports, and |
| | | | other common activities. In fact, whatever |
| Carl jung was the first mainstream | | | | your taste, there's probably a tarot pack |
| psychologist to attach meaning to the tarot | | | | available to match, and most can be found |
| cards, when he associated them with the | | | | online as well as from bookstores, new age |
| fundamental archetypes that he believed to | | | | shops etc. |
| reside in the collective human unconscious. | | | | |
| Several therapeutic techniques involving the | | | | Where to Start? |
| tarot have developed from this insight. | | | | |
| | | | If you're interested in learning mote about |
| 3. Inspiration | | | | the tarot, I recommend checking out some of |
| | | | the numerous excellent tarot-related sites on |
| Many artists and writers have produced works | | | | the net (see the link in my resource box for |
| inspired by the tarot. | | | | some good starting points), as well as online |
| | | | and local book stores and new age stores. One |
| 4. Divination Fortune telling is perhaps the | | | | thing's for sure - there's no shortage of |
| most common use associated with the tarot. | | | | information available! |
| The images on the cards may help the person | | | | |