Andrew Marcec » The Tarot

The Tarot

Jul 20, 2009 | No Comments | @andrewmarcec

cards

The future has always been a source of interest for humans. As long as we have inhabited the earth we have been looking for insight into outcomes from particular situations be it love, wealth, health, or just life in general. From ancient clerics reading animal entrails or ancient runes, to Ouija boards and automatic writing we have devised many methods that have the ability to help people achieve the knowledge they seek. The most popular form, and least dangerous of them has been the Tarot.

tarot-cards

There are many questions about the origins of the Tarot, however it is documented that they appeared in Europe in the late 14th century from somewhere around Mamluck Egypt. There was a documented ban on the cards in 1367 in Bern, Switzerland, so we can safely start tracing their roots from this point forward. The first actual Tarot deck was created in 1430 in Milan. This is where the cards were given the illustrations that they are so well known for today. Before 1430 participants would use a normal four suit deck of playing cards, associating meaning with suit and number. To differentiate between the now two different types of decks, the illustrated deck was given a name, carte de trionfi or triumph cards.

ugar00

Though there are many different types of decks they are all based around the same setup. Each deck is 72 cards and is broken into the Major and Minor Arcana. The Minor Arcana are similar to the four suits of a normal playing card deck, however instead of spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs it is comprised of wands, swords, cups, and either circles or pentacles. Each of the Minor Arcana suits are numbered 1-10, and mostly represent the minor or practical ups and downs of life.

death

The Major Arcana have no associating to the card suits. These cards represent principles, concepts, and ideals. They are numbered 1-21 with the 22nd card being The Fool. These cards are much more visual and popular cards (The Fool, Death, The Devil), and have more meaning with strong, long-term energy, or big events in life.

Tarot cards are read and interpreted by how they are laid out. These layouts are called “spreads”, and the amount of information that you receives depends on how complex your spread is. Before the spread is laid out however the deck of cards is shuffled. The shuffling allows the cards to absorb the energy of the person receiving the reading. The person receiving the reading must focus on a specific question that seek the answer to while shuffling. After the cards have been shuffled and the deck has been cut, the person giving the reading lays them out in a specific spread. The most common being the “Celtic Cross”.

Celtic Cross

The cards are interpreted by focusing on where a specific card is placed, how the card is placed (is it upside down or right side up), and how does it associate with the cards around it.

Even though there are cards titled “The Devil”, “Death”, and “The Fool”, and “The Hanging Man”, the meanings are almost always deeper than their initial image. Hollywood has taken the images behind the cards and put false meanings to them, never attempting to dive deeper than face value. When James Bond gives Solitaire the card, “The Lovers” in “Live and Let Die” it is interpreted as the obvious. It actual interpretation involved the harmonious union between male and female, and the love in all of humanity not just two people.

Another example is any horror movie that pulls up a card like “Death” or “The Devil” and puts violent and often gory plot point behind it. “Death” simply represents the end of one event and the beginning of another. That could mean the death of a person, however it is more often seen as the end of a stressful event or situation. “The Devil”, appears when you have a problem that you feel dragged down by, or even when you are feeling manipulated or enslaved by something. This card can also represent secrecy, and even a healthy sex life. Remember the devil wasn’t always evil, at one point he was God’s favorite angel Lucifer, and in the Tarot is shown as being a derivative of Pan.

The Tarot is a positive way to gain insight into your personal life, and never seeks to steer you toward evil. This is much safer than using the Ouija since only your energy is channeled and it is largely based upon interpretation, not divination. Starter decks are cheap and often come with books that will help guide you as you practice further interpretation.

Tarot Wiki

Buy your own Tarot deck

Ref: Easy Tarot Handbook by Josephine Ellershaw