Tarot

Description taken from my tarot deck. U.S. Games Systems, Inc. ©1998

The tarot comes from ancient knowledge whose beginnings are lost in the shadows of time. It's roots can be traced back to ancient Egypt and India. Some say the origin was from the legendary lost island of Atlantis. In the West, the tarot first appeared in the 15th century at the noble courts of Italy and then later in France. The cards were always beautifully handpainted single decks. Because of their cost, these "mystical pages" were restricted to the rich and noble. With the invention of the printing press, this elitism changed and tarot became available to a larger audience.

Although it has sometimes been damned by churches as the work of the devil, and even forbidden by governments, the tarot has remained an important part of esoteric wisdom of the centuries. The first writings to link tarot and occultism appeared at the end of the 18th century. The tarot has grown in seclusion until modern times, and now it is blossoming into a cherished flower offering expanded awareness.

In our times, the search for transcendent meaning and self-redemption has replaced the old mystical religions of a distant God. The tarot's age-old knowledge is always quiet and reserved, yet it welcomes the seeker like an old friend. The tarot, with it's concept of constant change, offers a doctrine for the New Age and thus becomes a reliable guide in this chaotic world of shifting social values.

Structure

The deck is constructed of 78 cards in all, grouped under two headings: 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana.

The 22 cards of the Major Arcana are numbered from 0, The Fool, to XXI, The World.

The 56 cards in the Minor Arcana are divided into four elements: Wands=Fire, Cups=Water, Swords=Air, and Pentacles=Earth. Each suit is subdivided into court cards (king, queen, prince, and princess) and into numerical cards (ace though ten).

Major Arcana

Minor Arcana

The cards consist of numbers ace through 10 and also the court cards king, queen, prince and princess.

Wands Cups Swords Pentacles 

Meanings

Each card in the deck has different meanings depending on where the card is placed on the spread. Every card has a different meaning to the one who is viewing the cards. When reading tarot you will have to use your own feelings as to what each card represents. What one reader sees when looking and what another sees, may be two totally different answers. Take the time to study each card and find the meanings that you feel represent them.