What do the cards tell you?

What is the meaning of a Tarot card?

We can learn everything we need to know about the tarot right here. It consists of a 78-card deck with images that can be interpreted in various ways, each of which has its own meaning. The major and minor arcana are the two divisions of the deck.

Although the minor arcana is divided into four suits (wands, pentacles, cups, and swords), each of which contains cards bearing the numbers one through ten as well as an ace and four court cards, the major arcana is divided into twenty-one cards. The major arcana is divided into two parts: the major arcana and its trump cards, and the minor arcana (the Page, Knight, Queen, and King).

The Tarot's Historical Background

According to historical records, Tarot cards have been around since the 15th century in Italy. Following the invention of the printing press, it appears that the tarot evolved from a card game that was initially only available to the upper classes of society.

The imagery of the tarot cards has led some writers to assert that they have an even older origin, associating the cards with cultures and traditions as diverse as ancient Egypt and the mystical Hebrew Kabbalah, despite an apparent lack of evidence supporting this claim.

Developments that have occurred since

Only in the 18th century did the playing cards become associated with occult and mystical activities, as they are now frequently associated within our modern age of technology. Tarot cards were first used for divinatory purposes in 1781, when freemason Antoine Court de Gébelin claimed in his work 'Le Monde Primatif' (the primitive world) that the cards contained hidden meanings (which he associated with the ancient Egyptians) and could therefore be used for divinatory purposes. Absolutely incredible, isn't it?

Several other mystic and magical traditions, including the Order of the Golden Dawn, have claimed that the tarot has ancient origins and contains hidden wisdom for those who seek spiritual awakening. During the nineteenth century, the tarot was particularly popular amongst these individuals.

The Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot (go here to view images of all the cards in this deck) , first published in 1910, helped raise public awareness of the tarot. A member of the Golden Dawn, Arthur Edwards Waite, was the inspiration for this new deck designed by Pamela Colman Smith, who included occult symbolism on both the numeric cards and the trump cards. Hundreds, if not thousands, of new decks have been published in the years since, and many enthusiasts have created their own versions of the deck based on its popularity (which continues to grow).

The Tarot's Symbolic Meanings

This deck of cards can be used for many different things, including the following:

1. Various amusements

As a result, it was created for this purpose, and it is still in use in certain European countries for gaming purposes.

2. Psychological sciences are the second category.

According to Jung, Carl Jung was the first mainstream psychologist to connect the tarot cards and the fundamental archetypes he believed existed in the collective human unconscious. Many therapeutic techniques based on the Tarot card deck have been developed in response to this realization.

3. It is awe-inspiring.

Many artists and writers have used the tarot to inspire their work.

4. Using your intuition

The tarot is most commonly used for fortune-telling, perhaps not surprising. Using the images on the cards, the reader may gain access to their own subconscious information. Those who believe that the cards contain an inherent divinatory power that a skilled reader can access are among those who hold this belief. Consequently, handling another person's cards is generally frowned upon in occult circles due to the potential danger of contaminating their energy.

Taking a Book Reading

When it comes to performing a tarot divinatory reading, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. There are, however, several popular layouts or spreads, the most well-known of which is the Celtic cross, which is also the most widely used. Unfortunately, even though this is the method that is typically taught to newcomers, it is far from the most straightforward. As a result, Tarot readers with a lot of experience frequently develop their own spreads and methods of interpretation.

A spread is created after the reader has chosen the cards. The cards are then laid out and analyzed, considering their positions in relation to one another, the individual cards' symbolism, and their position in the spread (upright or reversed).

The Importance of the Cards

The tarot cards do not have a universally accepted interpretation, which is why they are so popular. They all have varying degrees of complexity in their imagery, and the fact that there are so many different decks available only adds to the confusion. While numerous writings exist on the symbology of the cards, one of the most fundamental interpretations is that the 22 major arcana cards represent the Fool's journey from ignorance into enlightenment. The Fool's journey is represented by the Fool's journey from ignorance to enlightenment.

In addition, each of the minor arcana cards has its own set of symbols that represent different things. For example, numerology is associated with numbers. In contrast, the suits are associated with the four elements (swords are associated with air, cups are associated with water, Wands are associated with fire, and pentacles are associated with earth). In the past centuries, Tarot cards have also been associated with other mystical and obscure systems, such as the I Ching, astrology, and the Kabbalah.

One of my personal favorite books to help with interpretation of the cards is Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom: A Tarot Journey to Self-Awareness by Rachel Pollack. I trust my intuition first and foremost. Of course numerology and basic knowledge is very important also. Rachael does a wonderful job explaining the basic elements while throwing in a little bit of her own interpretation without anything too out there. If you are interested in checking out her interpretation check it out here: Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom.

How to Select a Tarot Card Deck

There are numerous tarot decks on the market today. The Rider-Waite deck, with its plethora of symbolism, and Crowley's Thoth deck, with its abundance of symbolism, have both remained extremely popular. Another substantial deck is the early Marseille deck (as depicted in Antoine Court de Gébelin's 'Le Monde Primitif'), which dates back to the 16th century. Apart from that, there are numerous non-traditional decks available for purchase.

Some people prefer the Mother Peace Tarot over others, for example, because it has round cards and only female imagery. In contrast, those interested in Paganism may prefer the Witches or Druid Craft Tarots. Wildlife, sports, natural imagery, and other everyday activities are all depicted in tarot decks, as are various other activities and sports. To be sure, there's an appropriate deck of cards for everyone's preferences, and the vast majority of them can be purchased online or at local bookstores and new age stores.

Here's a few places online that have a great selection of tarot decks: https://goddesselite.com/tarot-cards-boxes-and-more/

https://www.tarot.com/tarot/decks

https://www.tarottotes.com/item.asp?iid=73

Where Should I Begin?

When looking for more information on the tarot, I recommend visiting some of the numerous excellent tarot-related websites available online, as well as local and online bookstores and new age shops. One thing is sure: there is no shortage of information available to the public!