HOW IS A TAROT READING DONE?
Tarot cards are used to make predictions of potential future outcomes for a person who is the recipient of a reading. A tarot reader utilizes a deck of cards with images and descriptors that have special meaning in the art of divination. Divination through the use of tarot cards is known as taromancy, and the use of the cards as a tool of divination is known as cartomancy.
Tarot cards date back to the Renaissance era, as well as their use for divination. While the absolute origin of tarot cards and their use is unknown, some of the earliest examples of such cards appeared in the late 1300s in Europe. However, it wasn’t until the 18th century that tarot cards were used for divination.
The tarot deck
A deck of tarot cards typically consists of 78 individual cards, each with its own divination meaning. The tarot deck is composed of two separate and distinct parts – the cards that contain “greater secrets” and those that contain “lesser secrets”.
In a tarot deck, 22 cards of the major arcana those (those that contain the “greater secrets”) are also known as trump cards, and come with specific titles or names such as The Magician, The Star, The Lovers, Strength, Temperance, and so forth.
The remaining 56 cards (the “lesser secrets”) of the deck are known as the minor arcana, and are divided into four suits, each of which contains 14 cards numbered one through 10 and includes a king, queen, a knight, and a jack (or page).
What is the meaning of the tarot card?
The major arcana cards represent aspects or forces of life. For example, if, during a reading the practitioner was to turn over a Temperance card, he or she might advise that patience is required of the individual seeking the reading. This is because the tarot Temperance card implies ‘moderation in all things’ is persistent, or more simply, that patience is required as time passes.
The Sun card personifies ability and ultimate triumph, or in other words, that while you may have the capability or resources to succeed at something, constraint is also required because too much of anything is not always a good thing.
The Star card implies distance, much as the stars are from the Earth’s surface. In some ways the stars can be defined as unreachable, so in a Tarot reading, the Star card may indicate that someone is to pause, to think, and to take the time to realize what’s most important in their life, as well as what isn’t.
The minor arcana cards are divided into four suits, much like a regular deck of cards. The images in those suits hold a specific object, such as a sword, a coin, a cup, a wand, or other item. Each suit within the minor arcana has its own meaning, so each card of that suit will also offer a unique message in a tarot reading. Minor arcana cards may differ slightly depending on country of origin.
Each of the suits in the minor arcana represent a unique perspective on life, as indicated by the symbol on the card suit, such as a sword or a cup. In more modern usage and tarot readings, the common symbols found on the suits include:
- Wands – associated with materialism or earthly matters
- Pentacles – (often denoted as flat circles or discs) typically relates to money
- Cups – commonly revolve around emotions
- Swords – defining intention or actions
It is believed by many tarot readers that each of the suits also equates to the Greek elements of earth (wands), air (pentacles), water (cups), and fire (swords).
How are predictions made through tarot?
During a tarot reading, the tarot cards are laid out in arrangements known as a spread, and each card in that spread is interpreted based on its position and its value. Two of the most common arrangements of cards are the Celtic Cross and The Three Fates. The Celtic Cross spread contains 10 cards while The Three Fates arrangement is a spread of three cards, where the first one indicates the past, the second represents the present, and the third a potential representation of the future.
Varieties of common arrangements or spreads can cover a variety of questions to be answered involving topics such as obstacles, advice, what can change, what can’t, and so forth. Others can indicate past and future influences on an individual, as well as answering questions regarding hopes or questions regarding the future.
Tarot is one source of knowledge
Tarot is used as a tool or medium that helps a tarot reader get a sense of a person’s issues or situation and helps them to understand it in greater depth. A deeper understanding of one’s universal sense of consciousness and influence can often contribute to greater consideration of self as well as reaching manifestation of goals.