Tarot Basics

I am writing a series of articles on tarot cards.  I have been reading tarot cards for over 25 years and believe that everyone who is interested in tarot can learn how to read tarot cards as well.  This is the first article in the series.  Let me know what you think!

There is a lot to be said for the history of tarot but it really boils down to is that is has been around for hundreds of years and no one really knows a lot about the origins of tarot.  Over the years a lot of misinformation about the origins of tarot has been promoted but it is now generally accepted that tarot originated in Italy in the 15th century and has been used as a form of divination since the 18th century.  In my mind history isn’t as important as the fact that I use it and it works!

Tarot is often used for divination.  Personally I like to think of it as a method of thoughtful healing.  We consult the tarot to get a clear idea of the forces surrounding us as well as the situation in which we find ourselves.  As we investigate these cards we can determine what is the right path for us.  Do we like how things are going and do we wish to cultivate more of this energy?  Or do you desperately want to find a way out of the current situation?  Maybe you are somewhere in between.  The tarot can advise on the situation, how it came about this way, and what, if anything, can be done about it all.

Tarot decks have two basic components:  Major and Minor Arcana.  The Major Arcana are numbered from 0 The Fool through 21 The World with a total of 22 Major Arcana Cards.  The cards from 0 to 21 is often called “The Fool’s Journey” since we start with The Fool and progress through the Major Arcana numerically.  More about the Major Arcana in future posts!

The Minor Arcana is divided into four suits traditionally known as Cups, Wands, Pentacles, and Swords.  These suits each have cards Ace through 10 plus court cards usually King, Queen, Knight, and Page.  Cups represent the water element which corresponds to our emotions and intuition.  Wand represent the fire element which corresponds to our will and motivation.  Pentacles represent the earth element which corresponds to the physical world including money and work.  Swords represent the air element which corresponds to our thoughts,  intellect and communication.

I will be writing more about tarot in the future but this is a brief overview of the basics of tarot.  I hope you enjoyed it!  If there are certain things about the tarot you are wondering don’t be afraid to ask and I will cover those questions in future installments!

Namaste!

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