Understanding Tarot Cards: Beginner's Handbook
What are tarot cards?
Tarot cards are a deck of cards, each with its own pictures. The deck is divided into two parts: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.
The Major Arcana has 22 cards with numbers from 0 to 21. These cards tell a story about life. The Minor Arcana has cards representing four elements: fire, air, water, and earth. They are shown as wands, swords, cups, and pentacles. The Minor Arcana goes from ace to 10 and also has four court cards: page, knight, queen, and king. The Major Arcana is for big life events, while the Minor Arcana is for everyday things like people and feelings.
What is the history of tarot?
Tarot cards started in Europe in the 15th century, particularly in Italy. They were called Tarocchi at first. When the French took over Milan and Piedmont in 1499, tarot cards became popular in other European countries. Wealthy families, like the Visconti family in Milan, had special tarot decks made for them. The oldest surviving decks, called the Visconti-Sforza tarot decks, were made between 1418 and 1425. People have been learning to read tarot cards for over 600 years.
What was the original purpose of tarot?
We’re not entirely sure why tarot cards were first made. They might have been family heirlooms, used for fun games, or something else. But over time, they became tools for divination, helping people with spiritual guidance and self-reflection.
What are tarot card spreads?
Tarot spreads are arrangements of cards on a table for reading, each position holding its own meaning. Two common spreads are:
1. Past, Present, Future: This three-card spread places cards from left to right, with the left card representing the past, the middle the present, and the right the future.
2. Celtic Cross: This ten-card spread starts with two cards in the center, representing the focus and what’s helping or hindering. Then, cards are placed clockwise around these, each representing different aspects like subconscious, recent past, higher path, and what lies ahead.
Now, which tarot cards represent which zodiac signs?
While tarot and astrology aren’t directly connected, many link each tarot suit to a zodiac element:
– Wands = fire signs
– Cups = water signs
– Pentacles = earth signs
– Swords = air signs
Also, each zodiac sign can be associated with certain Major Arcana cards. Here are some commonly agreed upon associations:
– Aries: The Emperor, The Fool
– Taurus: The Hierophant, The Empress
– Gemini: The Lovers, The High Priestess
– Cancer: Temperance, The Chariot, The Moon
– Leo: Strength
– Virgo: The Hermit
– Libra: Justice
– Scorpio: Death
– Sagittarius: Judgment, Temperance
– Capricorn: The Devil
– Aquarius: The Star, The Hanged Man
– Pisces: The Moon
Lastly, what is the most powerful tarot card?
While each card has its significance, some stand out:
– The Fool: Represents infinite possibilities and new beginnings.
– Strength: Signifies inner power and overcoming obstacles.
– The Sun: Symbolizes happiness and positivity.
– Death: Marks endings leading to new beginnings.
– The World: Indicates achievement and fulfillment, marking the end of a cycle.
All tarot cards hold importance and can provide valuable insights.
Here’s a breakdown of the meanings of all 78 tarot cards, categorized into Major Arcana and Minor Arcana:
0) The Fool: New beginnings, taking a leap of faith, new possibilities lie ahead, a new journey is about to begin.
1) The Magician: Using all of your past experiences to create a new future, alchemizing your reality, taking confident action forward.
2) The High Priestess: Intuition, gaining insight and power, secrets coming to light, spiritual insight, mystery ahead.
3) The Empress: Divine Femininity, receiving, creation, pregnancy, nurturing yourself or those around you or being nurtured and cared for, a new opportunity is afoot, abundance.
4) The Emperor: Divine Masculinity, stability, security, ambition, power, authority figure or stepping into a position of authority yourself, promotion.
5) The Hierophant: Tradition, marriage, religion, higher education or learning, seeking guidance from wise figures or elders in order to complete a task.
6) The Lovers: Temptation, commitment, balancing masculine and feminine energy, being at a crossroads and needing to make a clear choice, partnerships (romantic or business).
7) The Chariot: Moving ahead, positive forward momentum, motivation, letting go of the past in order to step into the future, determination, fame, tapping into confidence and feeling self-assured in your path.
8) Strength: Triumph over a difficult or long-standing situation, self-sufficiency, overcoming temptation or stagnation, internal mastery.
9) The Hermit: Solitude, time alone, taking a break from others in order to clearly hear your own inner voice, withdrawal from society, reflection, self-awareness, soul-searching, meditation or retreat.
10) Wheel of Fortune: Drastic change, destiny, fate, good luck coming your way, things taking a 180-degree turn from what you are currently experiencing (or have experienced in the past), aligning with your higher purpose.
11) Justice: Fairness, legal matters, contracts being signed, responsibility, karma, law and order, restoring equilibrium to a chaotic situation.
12) The Hanged Man: Change of perspective, an ultimate test of surrender, breaking old patterns, seeing things from a new perspective, letting go, a waiting period (suspension), the liminal space between stages of life, waiting, sacrifice.
13) Death: The cycle of life-death-life, phoenix rising from the ashes, increased self-awareness that is brought on by loss or endings, grief, letting go of attachments, rebirth, intense and sudden change.
14) Temperance: Balance being restored, symbiosis, equal give and take in a situation, Divine intervention that could not have been created through your own action, patience, building a home.
15) The Devil: Obligation, hedonism, addictions, patterned thoughts and behaviors that need to be controlled, living in a state of fear, feeling trapped, needing to deal with the parts of your subconscious that are ruling your life negatively.
16) The Tower: Sudden destruction, breaking down old patterns and belief systems that no longer serve a positive purpose, sudden endings, danger, catastrophic events, renovation of your life, ripping everything apart to be able to start over from scratch, leveling the foundation.
17) The Star: Keeping the faith, holding on to hope, new fertile ground, inspiration, believing in a better future, feeling blessed by the universe, fulfilled dreams.
18) The Moon: Confusion, everything is not as it seems, deception, illusions, insecurity, being dishonest with oneself, following things blindly.
19) The Sun: Good fortune, positive outcomes, prosperity, happy outcomes, abundance, success, childlike joy, enlightenment, illumination on a once confusing or mysterious situation, marriage, achievement.
20) Judgment: Resurrection, facing a situation head on, dealing with karma or past situations, renewal, life-calling, sorting out complex situations.
21) The World: Completion, end of a cycle, successful conclusions, resting before starting a new chapter, a situation coming full circle, travel, endless possibilities.
**Minor Arcana (Cups):**
Ace through King of Cups: Emotional aspects, love, relationships, intuition, creativity.
**Minor Arcana (Wands):**
Ace through King of Wands: Inspiration, passion, energy, action, ambition.
**Minor Arcana (Pentacles/Coins):**
Ace through King of Pentacles: Material aspects, wealth, security, stability, manifestation.
**Minor Arcana (Swords):**
Ace through King of Swords: Mental aspects, intellect, communication, truth, conflict.
Each card carries its unique energy and symbolism, offering insights into various aspects of life and the human experience. These meanings provide a foundation for beginners to start exploring the world of tarot.