What is Tarot
Tarot reading is a sacred practice that has existed for centuries. It has helped countless people navigate through challenging times and unlock their full potential.
Historically, diviners have used Tarot cards to tap into higher levels of consciousness and attain Spiritual wisdom from the universe. But, the story of how the Tarot deck came to be, what its uses are, and how to learn are deep and complicated matters.
But worry not–We'll break all of it down for you here.
Where do Tarot Cards come from
Tarot Cards have a vast and fascinating history. They were invented in Italy in the 15th century and were originally used in card games.
The original use of Tarot cards was not for divination or fortune telling, but they were instead used as playing cards. The four Tarot suits were used similarly to modern playing card suits to structure betting-based games. While they were originally common playing cards, they become a tool to pass down spiritual wisdom and activate the powers of intuition.
When dominant religious institutions shunned all other belief systems, Card imagery was used to pass down spiritual lessons and beliefs. This ignited the use of cards for spiritual purposes as opposed to games.
Tarot cards started being used for divination. Competent diviners used the cards to channel their intuition and unlock greater secrets from their subconscious mind, higher self, and the Universe.
There are numerous variations of Tarot decks, but by far the most widespread deck today is the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot deck.
What other types of Tarot decks are there?
There are a plethora of other types of divination decks, such as Lenormand or Oracle cards.
The best way to figure out the perfect deck for you is to explore and experiment.
What is the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot Deck
This deck was devised by the accredited academic and Spiritualist A. E. Waite. He did not illustrate his own imagery, rather was it drawn by Panama Coleman Smith. The deck was produced and published by the Rider company.
The 78 cards in the deck pull from a variety of ancient motifs, occult beliefs, and spiritual wisdom. Tarot works by having meanings associated with each card, and the RWS deck is comprehensive enough to cover all the relevant aspects of the human life experience.
Each Tarot card was carefully constructed with symbolism that conveys the artifacts of the particular state or emotion it is describing.
The deck of 78 cards is divided into Trump cards, which are the Major Arcana cards, and four suits, which are the Minor arcana cards.
What are the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana
Tarot cards work because they provide insight into the areas of life and attitudes represented by them.
The Major Arcana tells the story of the Fool's Journey. Each Major Arcana Tarot card represents a stage in the cycle of this journey. In any meaningful undertaking in our lives, we will embody the various phases and attitudes of the Fool's Journey. In a Tarot Card Reading, the Major Arcana can be helpful in identifying which part of the cycle you are in.
The Minor Arcana cards relate to aspects of daily life. Each suit has 10 numbered cards (with the first being the ace) and four court cards.
Each Minor Arcana suit represents an area of life:
Swords cards- logic, action, conflict
Cups cards - emotions, personal relationships
Wands cards- creativity, ideas
Pentacles cards - career and financial matters.
A Tarot reader will typically come to assign personal meaning to certain cards as he or she notices patterns of it always emerging in relation to something.
How Does Tarot Reading Work
A Tarot Card reading is not fortune telling, as popular culture would have you believe. Rather, its a form of divination in which messages from spirit guides, the Universe, and inner wisdom are received and interpreted through the cards.
Energy is put into the deck, and the Tarot cards that emerge
A Tarot reading generally employs a spread, which is an arrangement of Tarot cards with each position representing something. Different readers will favor different spreads depending on personal preference and context.
The most popular are generally three card spreads (which many tarot newbies have great success with) such as past present future. When the three cards are deployed, they can provide a simple breakdown of a situation in the physical world that helps the querent reach his or her ideal future.
As a reader improves their Tarot reading skills, they can move on to more advanced Tarot spreads such as the Celtic cross spread. These can deliver more nuanced messages and reveal lesser secrets that may be missed in simple three-card layouts.
Along with the positions of each card in Tarot spreads, whether a card emerges in the upright position or the reversed position affects interpretation.
What is the Value of Tarot Card Readings
The question that often follows "What is Tarot" is "what can Tarot do for me?"
No Tarot card reading can give you an exact prediction of your future. However, Tarot cards can channel incredible insight that clarifies your life situation, helps you work through challenges, and use your inner wisdom to achieve your desires.
Tarot readings are a great way to advance when you're feeling "stuck" or indecisive.
Tarot readers also tend to find it to be an incredibly fulfilling experience. You can give free Tarot readings to friends for fun or provide support, but Tarot readers who charge can make an impressive amount of money.
How to Learn to Read Tarot Cards
Learning how to read Tarot cards can be difficult if you're teaching yourself. Generally, it's recommended to take a class or course to learn.
It takes time to grow your intuition, but it's a magical journey. You will discover a lot about yourself and develop a new perspective of the world.
Tarot is a key to reaching higher levels of consciousness and becoming the greatest version of yourself. As such, it's a lifelong process. Even Tarot masters are still honing their craft and uncovering more secrets of its mysticism.
