Tarot
What Are Tarot Cards?
Traditionally made up of no less than seventy-eight cards, Modern day decks of Tarot cards can be wildly different. Tarot cards come in all sizes, with all types of artwork on both the front and back. Some Tarot deck creators even make up their own additional Tarot cards. The meanings and the message of each one of those seventy-eight cards, however, usually remain the same.
Many believe that Tarot cards serve only to tell the future, but this is not true. When used traditionally, Tarot cards speak of the past and present, and are supposed to give clues and ideas about the future that you are potentially heading into.
What's In the Cards?
Tarot cards are made up of four suits much like any regular deck of cards. In fact, Tarot cards have all the same values as traditional playing cards: ace through king for each suit. Only one extra card is added to the royal family in Tarot cards, the page, their position is just under that of the knight (also known as the jack).
The suits are as follows: wands, which in general speak of esoteric issues such as spirituality or creativity; swords, which speak of conflicts and tensions; pentacles, which are about finances, money and material possesions; and cups, which deal in relationship matters and love. The other twenty-two cards of the standard Tarot deck are called the Major Arcana cards, and are all very specific. Cards such as the Devil, the Tower, and Death are in the Major Arcana.
How Could a Tarot Card Reading Actually Help Me?
When done traditionally, a Tarot card reading can put everything into perspective in a clear and understandable way. Every Tarot card reading is prefaced by a question. Oftentimes, each card will then come up in the past, present, or future position and will shed some light on the topic of your question.
Whether or not you believe in spiritual or esoteric things, or even in the art of telling the future, a Tarot card reading can help you better understand your own thoughts. You'll realize potentially dangerous patterns in your life, and get a better understanding of self. Even the question that you ask in your mind can help you understand something about yourself, and in this way a Tarot card reading can truly help you.
Can Anyone Read Tarot Cards, Or Do I Have To See Someone or Go Online?
Anyone can learn how to read Tarot cards. There are many books available, both online and physical bookstores that will tell you the meaning and message of each and every card. Every card in Tarot has a card-specific meaning, and a message or warning. The good news is, there's no secret about what these cards mean to convey, so you, too, can learn how to read the Tarot.
Once you know the meaning of the cards (and it's not something you have to memorize; it's perfectly okay to keep notes by you when you give yourself a Tarot card reading), you can read the Tarot for yourself or for others. Any book you read about the Tarot will explain the spreads to use and the way to lay the cards out to understand their meaning and placement in the scheme of your question.
How To Start Learning Tarot
Although many people go to a Tarot reader for advice on problems ranging from relationships to career to wellbeing, most people find it difficult to imagine doing the actual reading themselves. But the fact is that Tarot is available for everyone to experience and learn. Although having a Tarot practitioner analyzing the symbols of the cards drawn is certainly an enchanting experience and probably “less risky,” many of today’s Tarot lovers purchase their own decks and begin reading with the help of Tarot manuals or mentors.
Starting to learn anything new is always a daunting experience and especially when one considers learning the Tarot cards can seem a bit odd; to say the least. This is probably the case because Tarot is associated with fortune-telling and the future is the thing that excites human imagination the most. But Tarot, can in fact, take people into a better understanding of the past and the present, assisting many to decode daily problems, and issues. Living in the information age, it is actually only logical to seek more information, on any given situation, before having to make a decision on the subject of interest. But Tarot also offers tremendous potential as it relates to self-realization. That notion is probably less realized by those who wish to learn the future through Tarot, but in the end, this is where they are in fact led. Most often regarded as a method of predicting the future, Tarot is much less considered as a method used to better understand oneself. But, if you are interested in learning to read the Tarot cards, it is best if you keep in mind that you should do it primarily because it is one of the most effective methods to begin knowing yourself.
Since the Tarot cards have numerous different meanings depending on the order they are drawn and placed in relation to each other, many people quickly give up the effort of learning to read them. But experts claim that learning the meaning can be an effortless process, as well as rewarding and enjoyable. One of the simpler methods existing to learn the Tarot cards is through meditation. As practitioners reveal, you should begin by picking up a card from the pile and “studying” it for some time. You can always look up a guide for its “official” meaning, but the important thing here is to realize what the card you picked means to you. If the card suggests a positive career development, for example, it does not matter if the Tarot manual symbolizes something entirely different. As long as it means this to you, it will always mean that when it comes up. As readers put it, “the card responds to you, not the other way around.”
By picking at least one card every day, you will slowly but surely familiarize yourself with the Tarot deck in a natural, easy way. Keep notes and later read the Tarot manual to check how close your guessing was to the “original” meaning. The important thing here is to concentrate on the cards and let their images be “absorbed” by your brain. Ask questions and give answers to yourself in relation to the pictures you see and the story that the card is trying to convey. Remember that it does not matter how close to the “true” meaning you really are. What matters is how easily you will remember your original thoughts when you draw the same card later during this familiarization procedure.
In less than a month you will be able to associate the cards together and “translate” their meaning. Remember that this is nothing more than a game to learn more about yourself and how you react to a given set of variables. Once you understand this, Tarot will be a fun experience to devote some time to alone or with friends.
Understanding The Major Arcana
It is the Major Arcana that is considered the heart of the tarot deck. They are also known as the Trump Cards. There are 22 Cards that make up this part of the tarot deck. The Major Arcana is not associated with suits or court cards like the rest of the Tarot Deck.
The Major Arcana represents life and its cycles from birth to death. It symbolizes the physical, spiritual, intellectual and emotional aspects of humankind and its relationship to the universe. In the Major Arcana, the 22 cards represent different archetypes. The archetypes include a nurturing mother, a strong commanding authoritative type, a traditional religious figure, a mystic spiritual figure and so on. These archetypes represent either real or spiritual figures in one's life.
If you look at the artwork on a Major Arcana card you will see a scene that has symbolic elements. Also on many decks, the cards feature the card’s title and the number of the Major Arcana card in Roman Numerals from 0 to 22. There are some decks, however, where the major arcana only have pictures. This is the same way the earlier first decks were. The speculation is that there were no numbers or pictures on those decks because the majority of people at that time were illiterate.
If one looks closely at the pictures on the Major Arcana deck you will find that the pictures are indeed steeped with symbolism. The Major Arcana also relates to those things regarding one's higher purpose for being on the planet. It tells of one's journey in life especially in relation to their personal character development. The numbers on the card ranging from 0 to 22 depict the fool's journey from birth to death and from innocence to wisdom to hopefully enlightenment. The Major Arcana tells of the journey one has to take to reach enlightenment in their lifetime. In addition to focusing on our spiritual selves, the Major Arcana also gives us answers in relation to major life events. It addresses such things as family, social relationships, jobs and other major milestones we face in our life.
The Major Arcana represents aspects of the human experience that we all go through in our lives. It looks at our spiritual selves, our hopes, our fears, our joys and sadness. It is recommended that when one starts to read tarot cards that they familiarize themselves with the Major Arcana first. Once you get used to them they help unlock your intuition so you can interpret the rest of the cards in relation to them in a tarot spread.
The Minor Arcana
Most of the cards in the tarot deck are Minor Arcana cards. These cards fill out the deck, making it more balanced and complete. The 56 cards of the Minor Arcana are split into four suits. Each suit represents a different aspect of life. Numerology can be used in conjunction with the Minor Arcana as the cards are numbered from 1 to 10, or Ace through 10. There are four nobles cards in each suit as well, the Page, Knight, Queen and King. This makes 14 cards in each suit.
The Suits of the Minor Arcana
Wands (Staves or Spears): The first suit represents a long object, whether it be a staff or wand by name. It encompasses growth, ideas and creativity. It is associated with the element of fire and the season of spring.
Cups- This suit represents emotional desire. The filled cups are symbolic of filled emotions. It encompasses affairs of the heart, desires and the inner self. It is associated with the element of water and the season of summer.
Pentacles (Shields or Coins): This suit is a round object of some sort, ranging from shields to coins. It represents material possessions. It encompasses money, wealth, health, prosperity and property. It is associated with the element of earth and the season of autumn.
Swords (Knives or Daggers): This is the suit of all things with sharp edges. It represents the intellectual self. It encompasses ideas, thoughts, morality, and strife. It is associated with the elements of air and the season of winter.
The Noble Cards of the Minor Arcana
The Page: The Page is a bearer of messages and the harbinger of communication. This card represents youth and the beginnings of maturity.
The Knight: The Knight is a traveler, one who brings change and good
deeds into the world. This card represents new relationships, friendship, courage and stability.
The Queen: The Queen is a strong female. She has the ability to lead, listen and guide. She represents the completion of relationships, jobs and projects, also a strong emotional person who knows where they are going and what they want.
The King: The King is a strong male figure. He is the leader of the suit, the end of it and the highest mark. He represents a mature and wise person who knows what they can and cannot accomplish.
The Number of the Minor Arcana
One/Ace: Represents beginnings, action, will, new ideas, creative power, potential, first causes, primary impulses, and positive activities.
Two: Represents partnerships, relationships, polarities, balancing, duality, choices, patience, stillness, and positive and negative.
Three: Represents synthesis, growth, creativity, abundance, collaboration, friendship, artistic expression, refining plans, and preparing to take action.
Four: Represents foundations, discipline, work, order stability, solidity, tangible achievement, and practical attainment.
Five: Represents new cycles, change, progress, shifts, adjustment, fine tuning, instability, challenge, versatility, freedom, and courage.
Six: Represents balance, health, beauty, harmony, contentment, relaxation, satisfaction, equilibrium, marriage, family, and sympathy.
Seven: Represents Spirituality, wisdom, perfect order, the macrocosm, religion, luck, magic, and multiple options.
Eight: Represents victory, will, success, regeneration, rebirth, reevaluating, putting things in order, and setting priorities.
Nine: Represents compassion, integration, movement, flexibility,
fulfillment, attainment and benevolence.
Ten: Represents transition, renewal to a new cycle, completion, wholeness, mastery, excess, and overabundance.
An Intro To The Suit Of Pentacles
Pentacles are the suit in the Tarot Deck that relates to Diamonds in playing cards. Depending on the tarot deck they are also called Discs, Cash or Gold. The suit of Pentacles corresponds to the North Direction and the Earth element. It is associated with the season of Winter. Pentacles are considered a Female Yin energy. Astrologically, the Earth signs are associated with Pentacles in the Tarot. The Earth signs are Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn.
Pentacles represent the material aspects of life. This means it represents finances, possessions, accomplishments, manifestations, business, trade, land, home, our level of abundance. They also represent our bodies, level of vitality, connection to the Earth and Nature, and our genetic heredity. Pentacles are an external level of consciousness they mirror our outer situations like health, finances, work and creativity. As the suit of finances they also address manifestation, realization and proof of property.
Positive associations with the Pentacles include our status in society, our personal inner sense of self worth and our personal values. They also represent our strengths, talents, rewards for efforts well spent and social/family support networks. Negative implications include material loss, low self esteem, pessimism, materialism, compromised values, stubbornness, inflexibility, and the practical concerns that make us worry.
When we see a lot of Pentacles in a spread it signals that the person is manifesting their life's intentions. They indicate how you will execute your plans for better or worse. Pentacles represent your abundance materially and otherwise. Not just a person's bank account, but also their socioeconomic status. This includes one's lifestyle as well. They gauge how one climbs up the proverbial ladder of success.
When they are in a less than favorable position in a spread they are warning us about making sure we preserve our security, both materially and otherwise. Pentacles don't always mean money as such. They also imply the power it takes to shape our lives, also which serves as an inner richness, as well as materially. Reversed, the Pentacles warn against “keeping up with the Jones'” and Greed. Those things make poor spiritual values. They caution us that money alone does not make a person.
In general, Pentacles speak of our feelings of safety. They illuminate our ability to relax and not to worry or fret. They tell us, when they are in a good position in the spread, to create and enjoy your security and happiness. They speak of how much zest one has in their life.
An Intro To The Suit Of Swords
The suit of Swords in a tarot deck is equivalent to Spades in a regular deck of playing cards. Swords are also known as blades, daggers, or knives depending on the Tarot Deck they are associated with. The direction corresponding to the Swords is East and its element is Air. The Zodiac signs that are related to the swords are the airs signs; Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. Swords are considered Yang energy. It is the suit that represents our intellectual and rational faculties. This suit deals with our mental aspects as well as being communicative in our lives. The symbols it deals with are Eagles and Sylphs.
Swords deal with action, physical, working stages, change, force, movement, oppression, ambition, courage, trouble, and strife. Their main focus is on our mental level of consciousness, both thinking and intellectually. They represent the intangible elements of the mind. The Suit of Swords represents the mind and truth. Truth can be sharp and penetrating like a double edged sword. When we learn the truth sometimes it cuts us like the deep penetrating wound of a knife.
Positive characteristics associated with the swords are strength, authority, courage, and ambition and a desire and opportunity to travel. Negative attributes include conflict, animosity, pain, anger and aggression. Classic interpretations of Swords can signal arguments, illness, and even death, especially if they dominate a spread. Swords mirror what is going on with a person's state of mind in the present. That includes present thoughts, attitudes and beliefs. A Sword is a symbol of power; so in this case, based on a spread one can use one's intellect and power for good or for bad. Swords also show us if our spirit and feelings are in balance with our mind set.
In keeping with the duality of a double edged blade, swords also represent action whether constructive or destructive. If we look at the art on the Sword cards we see that the Suit of Swords is steeped with imagery of states of misfortune, pain, and fighting. They also represent hatred, battle, and enemies. So with that in mind, the Suit of Swords is also considered a Warrior suit. Of all the suits in the tarot deck, Swords are considered the most powerful and dangerous. This is verified when you read the meanings of each card and its attributes. Swords are equated many times with worldly power and even violence.
If one sees a lot of Swords in a spread it can indicate several things. It is a card of “thought” so it is safe to assume that the querent has a decision to make. Many times the Suit of Swords shows a decision that must be made is a painful one. It can also signal discord in a person's life. However, do not fear if you get a reading with many Swords. It's telling you to open your eyes and mind to a situation so you can deal with it. It warns where to be careful and where to strike, if need be. It gives us the ammunition to defend ourselves.
An Intro To The Suit Of Cups
The suits of Cups in a Tarot deck are correlated to suits of hearts in regular playing Cards. They are also identified as Vessels, Cauldrons, Goblets or Chalices depending on the type of tarot deck it is associated with. Like the feelings we get that correspond to our hearts; cups represent those types of emotions. They deal with love, emotions, and feelings. Cups deal with the emotional level of our consciousnesses. Cups also reflect our spontaneous responses and our habitual reactions at our emotional level.
The direction the suit of Cups is ruled by is the East. Its element is Water and its color blue. The Cups are associated with the deep mysteries of the essence of water. The water Element is a symbol associated with the subconscious mind and reason. In the artwork you will often see flowing and watery objects with the Cups suit. The Zodiac signs associated with Cups are water signs. They are Pisces, Cancer and Scorpio. The season it corresponds to is the Fall (Although there are some readers that also relate the suit of cups to Summer) Cups are Yin or feminine energy. The Cups also relate to the lunar and tidal cycles of the earth. They are the dreamlike aspect of the Minor Arcana. (The minor Arcana is that part of the Tarot Deck composed of 4 suits and Court Cards.)
In tarot readings they represent; psychic and intuitiveness, the arts, fantasy and illusion, fertility, emotions, spirituality, sacred sexuality, grace and serenity. It is a suit of love and happiness. When we see a lot of cups in a spread it is telling us the person in question is seeking solutions to emotional matters of the heart, emotional conflicts and love matters.
In terms of symbolism The Suit of Cups have been likened to the Holy Grail Chalice, the stone cup of Soma, Isis's Pomegranate Cup, The Persian Cup of Jamshid, The Bloody Mysteries, and the Christian Communion Cup. It represents the holding of deepness, the well or memory and the record of our existence. Cups are associated with anything emotional from marriage, to personal relationships to possessions and concerns that affect us emotionally. This includes anything affecting partnerships including work relationships and, of course, interpersonal relationships.
An Intro To The Suit Of Wands
The tarot deck consists of 56 suit cards called the Minor Arcana and 22 cards called The Major Arcana. The Suit of Wands in the Tarot deck is also called rods, batons, staffs, or clubs depending on the deck. The element that the Wands is represented by is Fire. Its direction is South and the seasons are Spring and sometimes Summer. The colors are primarily reds to yellow. The astrological signs that correspond to wands are fire signs. They are Aries, Leo and Sagittarius.
The wands are usually depicted with fiery objects that adorn the pictures of the tarot deck suit. In general the Suit of wands represent: virility, growth, enterprise, creativity, self development, inspiration, energy, clear perception, enlightenment, passion and desire. It is a card that mirrors what is important to one's inner self. In our daily lives these cards can represent our career path.
Like a fire burning and the fire element; wands indicate all the things you do during the course of a day to keep you busy. This suit encompasses working both outside and in the home. When we see wands in a spread it is telling us that there is ideas, growth and expansion around the situation. Wands represent our original thoughts. Thoughts start as seeds that grow and flourish if we tend to them the right ways. Many wands in a reading mean that the conditions that the querent finds themselves in are always conceived as a thought first and then developed into an idea.
Wands represent future orientated energy that is both active and inventive. When we see wands in a reading it tells us about the possibilities and movement of a situation. Of course, the Wands have both a positive and negative side to them. When in reverse or a spread that has negative implications; wands can mean the scorching side of fire. That means restlessness, anger, violence, pride, mischief, disruption and unwillingness as starters depending on the spread.
In general terms, wands represent career, enterprise, and work. They also mean the beginning of identifying and starting a new course in one's life. This can take the form of self development and accomplishment.