Hi Steven here, and thanks for reading my article. If you’re looking for information on Tarot card meanings I am glad you have found this page. This article has been written to provide clear and concise information for anyone who would like information on how to read Tarot cards. I have a long standing interest in Tarot and have found there is a lack of concise information on Tarot reading.
The origins of the Tarot Cards is shrouded in mystery with influences attributed from a wide range of cultures and rumoured to contain Egyptian wisdom, Mithras religion, 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 mixture of educational purposes and the playing of card games. Different packs were designed to teach different things for example logic, Greek Mythology, Religion, Geography and even the art of carving of meat and fish. The origin of the name Tarot probably originates from the Italian word for cards ‘Tarocchi’, which comes from the valley of the Taro River in northern Italy. The modern Tarot card pack is said to descend from the French Tarot of Marseillies, which contains 78 cards with 22 trumps. The first significant record of Tarot cards being used on a more spiritual level was in 1781, when the Swiss occult writer, clergyman and freemason Antoine Court de Belin wrote of Tarot cards meanings in his book on civilization. He believed Tarot cards hid information on the structure of the world that had been hidden in a simple game by Egyptian priests to avoid the loss of their knowledge in the world of increasing religious dominance. The first known fortune-teller to have used Tarot cards is Alliette from Paris. He believed Tarot card readings showed possible future events such as travel, sadness, love and fortune.
To perform a reading, the deck is typically shuffled by the subject, and is laid out in one of a variety of patterns called “spreads”. They are then interpreted by the reader for the subject. There are many ways of setting out the cards for a reading. These are three of the most popular spreads:
Three Card Spread
Three cards are selected with the first representing the past, the second the present and the third the future.
Five Card Answer
Usually used to help the subject with one or more particular questions they have at that time in their lives. The five Tarot cards selected are used to indicate:
1. Current situation the question relates to.
2. What actually caused the problem.
3. What sort of response is needed.
4. What ill effects might result.
5. The most likely result after action is taken.
The Tarot card calendar
Twelve cards are selected which are placed in a circle in front of the subject. The subject is usually asked to turn over the card nearest the one o’clock position in the circle of cards. This card represents the general situation they will have in the next month. This process then proceeds around the circle and each card is then related to the important aspects of each subsequent month.
Set-up of the Tarot card deck
The deck is divided into 2 sections called the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. This division roughly relates to the Court cards and Spot cards in the modern deck of playing cards. There are a total of 78 Tarot cards, comprising 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards.
The Major Arcana
These cards do not have suits and are character cards whose appearance during a tarot card reading indicates something of special significance.
The Fool Strength
The Magician The Hanged Man
The High Priestess Death
The Empress Temperance
The Emperor The Devil
The High Priest The Tower
The Lovers The Star
The Chariot The Moon
Justice The Sun
The Hermit The Angel
The Wheel of Fortune The World
The Minor Arcana
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, Queen, Knight, and Page, in each of the four tarot suits. The suits are wands, cups, swords and pentacles.
Each suite is similar to normal playing cards (ace to ten), with the addition of an extra Court card, the Page.
The playing card equivalents to the Tarot suites are:
• Wands… Clubs
• Cups… Hearts
• Swords… Spades
• Pentacles.Diamonds
Each suit refers to a specific area of the subjects life, thus there are four broad arenas of life, each represented respectively above by the astrological signs of Fire, (passion), Water, (emotions), Air, (ideas), and Earth (physical).
The following table can form the basis for interpreting each of the 56 cards of the Minor Arcana:
Value Aspects Value Aspects
One – A new beginning Eight – New Experience
Two – Between two people Nine – Social
Three – Gathering Ten – Success
Four – Fulfillment Page – Thoughtful
Five – Turning Point Knight – Energy Drive
Six – Success Queen – Mature Caring
Seven – Challenge King – Unemotional Advisor
