Even if you aren’t into the art of divination or fortune telling, chances are you’ve probably heard of Tarot or have seen people handling a strange deck of cards. In its most basic form, the art of Tarot is using a special deck of cards to read someone’s future, provide insight into their past, or help steer someone toward their right path. The art of reading Tarot is often shrouded in mystery, myths, and misconceptions. This article will do its best to shed some light on the truth about Tarot card reading.
Tarot Card Basics
Each deck of Tarot consists of 78 different cards. The cards are split into two categories: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. There are 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana Cards. The Major Arcana cards represent the larger events in our lives; they provide an overall spiritual meaning. The Minor Arcana cards represent the more practical aspects of our lives and show us the things that happen in our day to day. Each individual card has its own meaning and interpretation. Although there is a structure or suggested meanings assigned to Tarot cards, ultimately the readings of the cards is up to the individual Tarot reader and their interpretation may differ from another readers.
Tarot Card History
Contrary to popular belief, Tarot cards aren’t quite as old as people think. Although they have been around for centuries, their first appearance happened sometime between 1420 and 1440 in norther Italy. This early iteration of Tarot cards was not what it has evolved into. These early cards known as “triumph” cards were used for playing card games similar to Bridge. Although there is some evidence that people used these playing cards for casual divination or predictions, the art of cartomancy (using cards for divination) didn’t rise in popularity until the 18th century.
These early triumph card decks are the basis for the Minor Arcana of today’s Tarot cards. They had the suits cups, coins, swords, and polo sticks (which would later become wands). They also had a court consisting of a king and two male underlings. As these cards evolved into Tarot, Queens, Trumps, and The Fool were added.
