Hi Steven, and thanks for reading my article. If you are looking for information on Tarot card meanings, I am glad you found this page. This article has been written to provide clear and concise information for anyone who wants information on how to read Tarot cards. I have a long-standing interest in Tarot and have discovered that there is a lack of concise information about Tarot reading.
The origins of the Tarot Cards are shrouded in mystery with influences attributed to a wide range of cultures and are rumored to contain Egyptian wisdom, the religion of Mithras, medieval heretic, and pagan Celtic beliefs. Their first recorded use is in southern Europe in the 14th century, where they were originally used for a combination of educational purposes and card games. Different packages were designed to teach different things, for example logic, Greek mythology, religion, geography and even the art of carving meat and fish. The origin of the name Tarot probably originates from the Italian word for the cards ‘Tarocchi’, which comes from the Taro river valley in northern Italy. The modern Tarot card pack is said to be descended from the French Marseille Tarot, containing 78 cards with 22 trumps. The first significant record of Tarot cards being used on a more spiritual level was in 1781, when the occult writer, clergyman, and Swiss Freemason Antoine Court de Belin wrote about the meanings of Tarot cards in his book on Civilization. He believed that the Tarot cards concealed information about the structure of the world that the Egyptian priests had concealed in a simple game to prevent the loss of their knowledge in the world of increasing religious dominance. The first known fortune teller to use Tarot cards is Alliette from Paris. He believed that the Tarot card readings showed possible future events such as travel, sadness, love, and fortune.
To take a reading, the subject usually shuffles the deck and is presented in one of a variety of patterns called “extensions.” They are then interpreted by the reader for the topic. There are many ways to arrange the cards for a reading. These are three of the most popular spreads:
Three card spread
Three cards are selected, the first represents the past, the second the present and the third the future.
Five letter answer
It is usually used to help the subject with one or more particular questions that they have at that time in their lives. The five selected Tarot cards are used to indicate:
1. Current situation to which the question refers.
2. What actually caused the problem.
3. What kind of response is needed.
4. What harmful effects may occur.
5. The most likely outcome after taking action.
The Tarot card calendar
Twelve cards are selected and placed in a circle in front of the subject. Typically, the subject is asked to turn over the card closest to the one o’clock position on the circle of cards. This card represents the general situation they will have in the next month. This process continues around the circle and each card relates to the important aspects of each subsequent month.
Tarot card deck setup
The deck is divided into 2 sections called Major Arcana and Minor Arcana. This division is roughly related to the court cards and the spot cards in the modern deck of cards. There are a total of 78 Tarot cards, comprising 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards.
The Major Arcana
These cards have no suits and are character cards whose appearance during a tarot card reading indicates something of special importance.
The fool force
The Magician The Hanged Man
The death of the high priestess
The Empress Temperance
The emperor the devil
The High Priest The Tower
Lovers the star
The Chariot The Moon
Justice the sun
The hermit the angel
The Wheel of Fortune The World
The Minor Arcana
It consists of fifty-six cards, divided into four suits of fourteen cards each; ten numbered cards and four court cards. The court cards are the King, the Queen, the Knight and the Page, in each of the four suits of the tarot. The suits are wands, cups, swords, and pentacles.
Each suite is similar to the normal playing cards (ace through ten), with the addition of an additional court card, the Page.
The playing card equivalents to the Tarot suites are:
• Wands … sticks
• Cups … Hearts
• Swords … swords
• Golds.Diamonds
Each suit refers to a specific area of the subjects’ life, so there are four broad areas of life, each represented respectively above by the astrological signs of Fire, (passion), Water, (emotions), Air, (ideas), and Earth (physics).
The following table can form the basis for interpreting each of the 56 cards of the Minor Arcana:
Aspects of value Aspects of value
One – A new beginning Eight – New experience
Two – Between two people Nine – Social
Three – Gathering Ten – Success
Four – Compliance Page – Reflective
Five – Turning Point Knight – Energy Drive
Six – queen of success – mature care
Seven – King of Defiance – Emotionless Counselor