As human beings, strange or mysterious things always excite us as we are curious by nature. Tarot card reading is one of those and is the oldest practice of using a 78-card deck as a tool of divination, that is, the art of finding hidden knowledge or unusual insight through divine messages. Tarot card interpretation can be used to answer a multitude of questions by those who have learned and connected with their deck. Whether you’re reading for yourself or others, the symbolism and stories interlaced with the tarot deck are meant to procure a reaction from the subconscious to make connections that might not have been seen otherwise. While tarot cards do not give the reader the ability to see the future, they are a way to reflect, react, and respond accordingly.
What are Tarot Cards?
Tarot cards originated in the 15th century in Europe and Italy, that deck was called Tarocchi. The oldest surviving cards are the 15 Visconti-Sforza tarot decks commissioned by Duke Filippo Maria Visconti in 1418, which means that people have been learning how to read tarot cards for over 600 years.
Each card in a deck has its imagery, and the deck as a whole is broken into two categories: the Major and Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana consists of 22 cards, ranging from numbers 0 through 21 that tell “the fool’s journey.” In short, it’s a classic story of life. The Minor Arcana is made up of all four elements that are fire, air, water, and earth is represented by wands, swords, cups, and pentacles respectively and counts upward from expert to 10 and then through four court cards (page, knight, queen, king). The Major Arcana is said to represent big life-changing events, while the Minor Arcana usually represents people, feelings, and day-to-day occurrences.
How to read tarot?
A tarot is a tool meant to give clarity to the person being read. That could be either you reading for yourself, you reading for someone else, or someone else reading for you. To learn to read the tarot, firstly start understanding the meaning behind each archetypal card. Much as we learn words before we start stringing together sentences, knowing the meaning of the cards individually will guide you as you read them in tarot card spreads.
What are tarot card spreads?
The position of the cards that you put down on the table to be read is called a tarot spread, meaning that cards are placed down in a specific order, each placement has its meaning. Below are two of the most common tarot spreads include:
Past, Present, Future: A three-card spread in which the cards are placed with the leftmost (and first) representing the energy of the past, the middle representing what’s currently happening in the present, and the rightmost representing the energy of the future.
The Celtic Cross: A 10-card spread that starts with two cards pulled in the middle overlapping one another. These first two cards represent:
1. The central focus of the person being read for;
2. Then cards are placed clockwise around these centre two cards, starting with below, then left, above, and right. Their meanings are:
3. The subconscious (below);
4. The recent past, or events leading up to this moment (left);
5. The higher path or destiny (above);
6. What lies ahead, or shortly if you stay on your current path (right)?
Then four cards are pulled up the right side of this central area from bottom to top. They are:
7. The questioner that is, the person being read for and their energy;
8. Outside energy and influences and/or the questioner’s environment;
9. The questioner’s hopes and dreams;
10. The final result.
Which tarot cards represent which zodiac signs?
There’s been a long-standing tradition of placing astrological influence onto each tarot card. To get more accurate readings with timing and identifying the people whose energy is showing up in a reading. It’s said that each suit is associated with an element in the zodiac, so:
- Wands = fire sign energy;
- Cups = water sign energy;
- Pentacles = earth sign energy;
- Swords = air sign energy.
Each zodiac sign can also be seen in the Major Arcana cards. There’s a slight discrepancy between readers and which sign they assign to each Major Arcana card, these have I’ve seen most accurately in my years of professional readings:
- Aries: The Emperor, The Fool;
- Taurus: The Hierophant, The Empress (Venus ruled);
- Gemini: The Lovers, The High Priestess (both showing duality);
- Cancer: Temperance, The Chariot, The Moon (Planetary Ruler);
- Leo: Strength;
- Virgo: The Hermit; secondary: The Maiden in Strength;
- Libra: Justice; secondary: The Empress (Venus ruled);
- Scorpio: Death
- Sagittarius: Judgment, Temperance
- Capricorn: The Devil
- Aquarius: The Star, The Hanged Man
- Pisces: The Moon
What are the tarot card meanings?
1- The Fool
A new chapter, taking a leap of faith, new possibilities in life ahead, a new journey is about to begin. Innocence, originality, adventure, travel, foolishness, carelessness, idealism, youth, spontaneity, lack of commitment.
2- The Magician
Using all of your past experiences to create a new future, transforming your reality, and taking confident action forward.
3- The High Priestess
Intuition, gaining insight and power, secrets coming to light, spiritual insight, mystery ahead.
4- The Empress
Divine Femininity, receiving, creation, pregnancy, nurturing yourself or those around you or being nurtured, a new opportunity is about to arrive, abundance.
5- The Emperor
Divine Masculinity, stability, security, ambition, power, stepping into a position of authority yourself, promotion.
6- The Hierophant
Tradition, marriage, religion, higher education or learning, seeking guidance from well-known figures or elders to complete a task.
7- The Lovers
Temptation, commitment, balancing masculine and feminine energy, being at a crossroads and needing to make a clear choice, partnerships (romantic or business).
8- The Chariot
Moving ahead, positive forward momentum, motivation, letting go of the past to step into the future, determination, fame, tapping into confidence and feeling self-assured in your path.
9- Strength
Success over a difficult or long-standing situation, self-sufficiency, overcoming temptation or stagnation, and internal mastery.
10- The Hermit
Solitude, time alone, taking a break from others to hear own inner voice, withdrawal from society, reflection, self-awareness, soul-searching, meditation or retreat.
11- 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.
12- Justice
Fairness, legal matters, contracts being signed, responsibility, karma, law and order, balancing the chaotic situation.
13- 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 intangible space between stages of life, waiting, and sacrifice.
14- Death
The cycle of life-death-life, rising from the ashes, increased self-awareness brought on by loss or endings, grief, letting go of attachments, rebirth, intense and sudden change.
15- Temperance
Balance is restored, symbiosis, equal give and take in a situation, Divine intervention that could not have been created through your action, patience, and building a home.
16- The Devil
Obligation, pleasure, addictions, patterned thoughts and behaviours 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.
17- The Tower
Sudden destruction, breaking down old patterns and belief systems that no longer serve a positive purpose, sudden endings, danger, disaster events, renovation of your life, ripping everything apart to start over from scratch, levelling the foundation.
18- 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.
19- The Moon
Confusion, everything is not as it seems, deception, illusions, insecurity, being dishonest with oneself, following things blindly.
20- The Sun
Good fortune, positive outcomes, prosperity, happiness, abundance, success, childlike joy, enlightenment, illumination on a once confusing or mysterious situation, marriage, achievement.
21– Judgment
Resurrection, facing a situation head-on, facing the karma or past situations, renewal, life-calling, sorting out complex situations.
22– The World
Completion, successful conclusions, resting before starting a new chapter, a situation coming full circle, travel, endless possibilities.
This article not only covers the fundamental meanings of the cards but also provides practical tips on performing readings and interpreting the cards in various contexts. By fostering a deeper understanding of tarot, beginners develop their intuitive skills and gain confidence and the ability to use tarot as a tool for personal insight and guidance.
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