Tarot
3 As a tool for self-discovery and connecting with energy beyond our own, the Tarot is an invaluable resource for anyone searching for spiritual understanding. 2This chapter will discuss the nature of the cards, and a basic outline of how to use them.
The Cards
3Tarot cards are well-known and you likely have a rough idea what they re all about. 4Tarot as we know it today first originated in the 15th century, so the practice is old, though cannot be described as ancient.
5The standard deck has 78 cards, divided into two sections: the Major and Minor Arcana. 6The Major Arcana has 22 cards, with each one symbolising a significant archetype, whilst the Minor Arcana has the remaining 56 cards – similar to a typical deck of playing cards (four suits of fourteen cards each). 7Though the deck is used as a whole, each section deserves further explanation on its own.
The Major Arcana
8These are also called the Trump cards, and they are the more powerful symbols in the deck. 9They are numbered as follows:
1. The Fool
2. The Magician
3. The High Priestess
4. Empress
5. Emperor
6. The Hierophant
7. The Lovers
8. The Chariot
9. Justice
10. The Hermit
11. Wheel of Fortune
12. Strength
13. The Hanged Man
14. Death
15. Temperance
16. The Devil
17. The Tower
18. The Star
19. The Moon
20. The Sun
21. Judgement
22. The World
As you can see, each of these cards embodies some fundamental aspects of our life, though some might seem a little odd at first.
11There are some traditional images found on each card that hold further symbolic meaning beyond the meaning of the card itself. 12They can be quite detailed and many little elements can have something to say. 13For the purpose of this introduction, here is a very brief description of each card:
i. Fool – New beginnings, optimism, naivety
ii. Magician – Creativity, mastery over the four base elements
iii. High Priestess – Mystery and the unknown
iv. Empress – Nurturing motherhood
v. Emperor – Authority and power
vi. Hierophant – Organised religion, social stability, traditions
vii. Lovers – Partnerships, completion, life purpose
viii. Chariot – Controlling opposing forces, a possible journey
ix. Justice – Balance, fairness and legal issues
x. Hermit – Contemplation, consideration, quiet thought
xi. Wheel of Fortune – Good luck, success
xii. Strength – Power and energy
xiii. Hanged Man – Reflection, personal sacrifice
xiv. Death – Change, transformation (not literal death)
xv. Temperance – Removal of extremes, balance
xvi. Devil – Excessive attachment to material things or addictive vices
xvii. Tower – Destruction, chaos, fundamental personal conflict
xviii. Star – Possibilities, optimism and hope
xix. Moon – Deep emotions, hidden secrets, psychic abilities
xx. Sun – Happiness and good fortune
xxi. Judgement – Breaking from past mistakes, atonement
xxii. World – Completion, fulfilment and success
14Modern decks have gone a step beyond the traditional designs and recreated the meaning of the cards with new symbolism. 15In some cases, they have held onto most of the smaller symbols but some have taken a rather blunt-nosed approach to only recreate the one central meaning of the card, thus losing the depth that the original images would have held. 16That s not to say that the original cards hold the only possible collection of symbols that could ever be used in this way. 17Many modern decks have a very refreshing and creative way of summing up these concepts and can be a great choice for additional Tarot learning.
18Another way of viewing the 22 cards of the Major Arcana is as a pathway of personal development, starting with the innocence and naivety of the Fool and ending with the enlightenment of the World. 19An entire story can be told if you move through the cards in sequence. 2OEach card also has ties to each of the 22 pathways in the Kabbalah s Tree of Life.
The Minor Arcana
21These cards are far less rich in their meaning and their imagery is usually a little more simplified as well. 22There are four suits, each with 10 numbered cards and four face cards (usually page, knight, queen and king). 23They are very similar to plain playing cards. 24The suits will vary by deck, but will be some variation of coins, swords, wands and cups.
25The court cards (Page, Knight, Queen and King) can also mean specific people rather than the meanings above. 26Pages are usually young people under the age of 18. 27Knights are men in their 20s or 30s. 28Queens are mature women and kings are mature men. 290ddly, there is no female equivalent to the knight figure.
Non-Standard Decks
30Not all Tarot decks follow the traditional format and many modern ones have a different arrangement of cards. 31Some may only differ by a few cards, and some will have a completely new set of images and meanings that you will have to learn separately from this overview. 32Those titled as oracle or fortune-telling decks will usually depart significantly from the norm. 33They can work just as well but are a little harder to learn for a novice. 34Some good beginner decks would be the Morgan Greer , the Rider Waite or even the Quick and Easy Tarot deck. 35These all follow the traditional imagery and are easier to learn from.
How to Read the Cards
36As with most metaphysical practices, everyone has their own way of doing things. 37The general idea for reading Tarot cards is that you shuffle the cards while thinking about a certain question or situation and then deal out the cards. 38There are hundreds of ways to lay out the cards, and we ll handle that in a moment. 390nce the cards are spread, you can see either an answer to your question or some other sort of insight into the issue. 40The meanings of each card are read as you see them above, but their position within the layout gives those meanings more context.
41For example, a reading with the five of cups in a position that represents your personal goals would have a different overall meaning from the same card in a position indicating a past difficulty.
42There are literally countless ways to lay out your cards, but certain patterns have been used for a very long time, so have become the most typical spreads. 43The one below is called the Celtic Cross and is a good way to illustrate how the cards work.
440nce shuffled, you lay out the cards as above; the positions in the spread have the following meanings:
1. This card represents you or some aspect of your position in the situation
2. Crossing – This card shows you your immediate obstacles or conflicts
3. Crowning – Describes the immediate situation
4. Base – A deeper influence to the situation
5. Past – Recently passed influences
6. Future – Events that are just about to manifest
7. Present – This describes your role in the situation at present
8. Opinions – What others may be thinking or doing about the situation
9. Hopes – This shows your true hopes/fears about the situation
10. Outcome – The final outcome of the issue
451t's not the simplest spread, but it shows how much more in-depth a Tarot reading can be beyond a simple yes/no format of fortune-telling. 46Another option is a three-card spread, showing a basic past, present and future scenario.
47You read each card based on both its meaning and position, which gives you an almost infinite number of possible readings, even if you stick with one spread each time. 48The answers to your questions aren t always clear and it can take some thought and further study to understand what the cards may be telling you. 49Unlike depictions in the movies, the cards can t yell out a certain person s name or anything specific. 50Expect nuances and generalities in your readings.
51As you learn to read the cards, make a lot of notes and record the spreads that you do. 52Answers and understanding may not come until later on, when you suddenly see what the cards were talking about days, weeks or even months later.
How Does it Work?
53There are two theories behind how the Tarot cards work. 54You are either tapping into your own natural intuitive skills, or you are allowing an outside energy to guide the cards. 55To some, it makes no difference either way as the final result is all that matters. 56But if you are going to use these cards as tools for further personal development and exploration, you should decide which school of thought you are going to follow. 571n either case, continued use of the cards will help build your intuition and hone your own awareness of situations around you.
Learning with the Tarot
58The Tarot is best known as a divination device, and it certainly works well as that. 59But as a tool to learn more about spirituality and possible divine energy, how would that work?
60First, you would want to take on a more detailed study of the symbolism that each card holds. 61Using a deck with detailed imagery (ideally the traditional style if you are a novice at Tarot), take one card at a time and learn the meaning behind the many images that it holds. 62To illustrate, let s take a closer look at the Fool.
63The traditional image shows a young man about to step off of a cliff, illustrating the naive viewpoint that this card represents. 64But further study can tell us more. 65The man is looking up rather than focusing on where he is heading, which not only shows the obstacle of the cliff but also that he is not aware of it because of his own foolishness. 66He carries a tote bag, representing the skills or goods to get by on his journey. 67Lastly, a small dog jumps about his feet depicting a loyal friend who is trying to warn him of impending danger.
68Exploring the symbolism will help you develop a greater understanding of each card, as well as a better feel for the archetypes and concepts that tend to be present in nearly every situation. 69The individual elements in the cards are there for a reason. 70By realising that each card holds various images in one theme, you can learn more about how emotions, events and attitudes connect to help you better handle situations in your own life.
71There are also patterns and connections between the cards, and other areas of esoteric study that can be very enlightening once you start to see them. 72The cards connect very strongly to astrology, numerology, and even mythology. 73For example, the Hanged Man card shows the image of a man hanging upside down from a tree by one leg. 74This is similar – and connects with – the story of how the Norse God, Odin, hanged from the world tree, Yggdrasil, for nine days and nights in order to gain the wisdom of the runes. 75The theme of self-sacrifice is important in both cases. 76Tarot cards also make excellent points of focus for meditation or even astral travel.
Contacting Other Realms
77As mentioned earlier, there is some debate as to whether Tarot uses your own natural abilities, or is used as a conduit for other spiritual beings to communicate through the reader. 78Regardless of which is correct, you can use the Tarot as a tool to reach farther into the astral world.
79This technique can take a bit more time to master and it may not work for everyone, but communication with spirit guides or astral beings is another use for the cards. 80Typically, the practitioner would already have learned ways to do so via meditation or astral travel, but once you have done so, you can ask your guides to help you with answers through the cards. 81Because the cards represent many different ideas, it makes a good vehicle for symbolic communication.
82However you choose to use the cards, understanding the nature of the Tarot is going to open your eyes to a wide range of universal symbolism and other esoteric arts.