Showing posts with label Tarot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tarot. Show all posts

Monday, August 27, 2018

The TAROT - An Introduction

Tarot card from the Rider-Waite tarot deck, al...
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
What is the Tarot?

The tarot is a deck of 78 cards, featuring illustrations that can be interpreted in various ways. The deck is divided into two sections, called the major arcana and minor arcana.

The major arcana features the 21 trump cards, and the minor arcana is divided into four suits (wands, pentacles, cups, and swords) each with cards featuring the numbers 1-10, an ace and four court cards (the Page, Knight, Queen, and King).

Origin of the Tarot

The oldest known tarot cards originated in 15th century Italy. The tarot appears to have started life as a card game and was at first restricted to the wealthy upper classes, although after the invention of the printing press, the cards became more widely available. 

Some writers have claimed (despite the apparent lack of evidence) that the imagery of the tarot cards suggests a more ancient origin, and have connected the tarot with such cultures and traditions as the ancient Egyptians and the mystical Hebrew Kabbalah.

Later Developments

It was not until the 18th century that the cards became associated with the occult and mystical activities for which they are often known today. This began in 1781 when the freemason Antoine Court de Gebelin made the claim in his work 'Le Monde Primatif' that tarot cards contained hidden meanings (which he associated with the ancient Egyptians) that could be used for divinatory purposes.

Since then other mystic and magical traditions, such as the Order of the Golden Dawn, have claimed that the tarot has ancient roots, together with hidden wisdom to impart to those seeking enlightenment. The tarot was especially popular among such groups in the 19th century.

The tarot became more widely known with the publication of the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot in 1910. Arthur Edwards Waite was a Golden Dawn member, and in this new deck, drawn by the artist Pamela Colman Smith, images with occult symbolism were included on the numeric cards, as well as the trump cards. This deck was very successful (and remains popular today), and since then, hundreds if not thousands of diverse new decks have been published, with many enthusiasts creating their own. 

Uses of the Tarot

The tarot has several distinct uses, including:

1. Games
This was its original use, and it is still used for gaming purposes in some European countries. 

2. Psychology
Carl Jung was the first mainstream psychologist to attach meaning to the tarot cards when he associated them with the fundamental archetypes that he believed to reside in the collective human unconscious. Several therapeutic techniques involving the tarot have developed from this insight.

3. Inspiration
Many artists and writers have produced works inspired by the tarot.

4. Divination
Fortune telling is perhaps the most common use associated with the tarot. The images on the cards may help the person seeking the reading to tap into their own subconscious knowledge. Others believe that the cards themselves hold some kind of inherent divinatory power, which may be read by a skilled person. For this reason, handling another person's cards is generally frowned upon in occult circles, as their energy could become contaminated. 

Doing a Reading

There is no set method for performing a divinatory tarot reading. However, there are several popular layouts or 'spreads', with perhaps the most well known being the Celtic cross. This is usually the first method taught to beginners, although it is by no means the most simple.  Experienced tarot readers will often invent their own spreads, with their own means of interpretation.

Tarot card from the Rider-Waite tarot deck, al...
Rider-Waite-Smith deck. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Once the cards are selected by the person receiving the reading, the reader lays them out in a spread and analyses them, taking into account the positions relative to each other, the symbolism of the individual cards, and their position (upright or reversed).

Meaning of the Cards

There is no generally agreed upon interpretation of the tarot cards. They all have imagery of varying degrees of compexity, and the wide range of decks available makes the situation even more difficult.

Nevertheless, there is a huge amount of writings available on the symbology of the tarot, and on the most basic level, the 22 major arcana cards are thought to represent the journey of the Fool from ignorance to enlightenment. 

In addition, the minor arcana cards have their own symbolism. The numbers are most obviously associated with numerology, and the suits are linked to the four elements (Swords=Air; Cups=Water; Wands=Fire; Pentacles=Earth). The tarot has also been linked with other mystical and occult systems such as the I Ching, astrology, and the Kabbalah.

Choosing a Tarot Deck

There is a huge range of tarot decks to choose from. The symbolism-rich Rider-Waite deck remains extremely popular, as does Crowley's Thoth deck. The early Marseille deck (used by Gebelin to illustrate 'Le Monde Primitif') is another important deck, also. There are also many less conventional decks to choose from. 

Feminists, for example, might like the Motherpeace Tarot with its round cards and exclusively female imagery, whereas some of those interested in Paganism might enjoy the Witches deck or the DruidCraft Tarot. Tarot decks can be found representing animals too, as well as various sports, natural imagery and other common activities. In fact, there's a tarot pack available to suit every taste, and most can be bought online as well as from bookstores, new age shops etc.

Where to Start?

If you're interested in learning more about the tarot, I recommend checking out some of the numerous excellent tarot-related sites on the net, as well as online and local bookstores and new age stores. One thing's for sure - there's no shortage of information available!



Tuesday, September 26, 2017

What Is TAROT ASTROLOGY?

Tarot astrology is the system through which a reading of the cards in a tarot deck help you through troubled times by offering a reflection on your past, present, and future. Tarot is closely associated with astrology as each card relates to a planet, element, or astrological sign.

Wands01.jpg
"Wands01". Via Wikipedia.
Tarot cards are used for divination, often known as fortune telling. But, many psychologists have used them as well, feeling that the cards often make patients delve into how they feel about themselves. This is done through the subconscious. For example, let’s say you know work is not going well, but you do not allow yourself to think about it. Getting a tarot card reading that shows you need to change occupations is not really telling your future so much as it is making you face what is really going on in your life.

A tarot card deck consists of 78 cards that fall into two distinctive parts. The first part is called the Major Arcana. This part of the deck has 22 cards, 21 suitless cards referred to as trumps and one card called The Fool. It is believed that these cards represent different stages of life that we go through. Many are recognizable such as the Magician (associated with the planet Mercury), the Lovers (associated with the astrological sign Gemini), and the Death card (associated with Scorpio).

The other 56 cards are in the Minor Arcana. Arcana is taken from the Latin word “akanum,” meaning secret. The Minor Arcana is divided into four suits, just like regular playing cards. The four suits are the Cups, the Wands, the Swords, and the Pentacles. Each of these cards represents a certain element of the Earth and is associated with certain astrological signs. The Cups represent water and are associated most closely with Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. The Cups stand for emotions, spirituality, and the unconsciousness. The Wands represent fire and are associated with Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. The Wands stand for action, creativeness, and personal growth. The Swords represent air and are associated with Libra, Gemini, and Aquarius. The Swords stand for the mind, intelligence, and knowledge. The final suit, the Pentacles, represents earth itself and is associated with Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. The Pentacles stand for the physique, bodily experiences, and practicality. In addition to the four suits, there are also Court cards including the King, Queen, Prince, and Princess for each suit.

The Minor Arcana cards provide more details to the Major Arcana cards. The Major Arcana gives an individual direction and information about their personal life and emotional and mental state. The Minor Arcana cards offer additional guidance in areas such as relationships, activities, failures, and successes. The Major Arcana cards are seen as more spiritual while the Minor Arcana cards are seen as material.




Over the years, the interpretation of the cards has evolved. Modern decks of tarot cards are much more expressive that then earlier version, due in part to the pictures being more closely associated with their meaning. Tarot readers prize their cards and often will not let others touch them as they are viewed as sacred tools of their trade. Many card sets are often viewed as works of art because of the detailed pictures on each one.


Finding a psychic for a tarot reading is easy. If you are looking to visit a psychic in person, check in your local Yellow Pages under Psychic. If you live in a remote area or are leery of visiting a psychic in person, you can also get tarot card readings online. If you use your favorite Internet search engine to search on “free tarot reading,” you will find many sites appear. If you are leery that free readings might not be as accurate as paid reading, you can also find online psychics who will charge to do a reading. Some psychics will base their charges on how many questions you wish to ask about the reading while some will just charge a flat fee for so many minutes.

Whether you get a tarot card reading online or in person, there are several things you should keep in mind. The tarot card reading should not scare you, but rather give you a better understanding of yourself. They will help you with not only what your future holds, but also what is presently going on in your life. You should leave the reading with a positive attitude and feel enlightened.