Tarot Cards: An Introduction

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