Overview

The tarot, the forerunner of our modern-day playing cards, is a deck of 78 cards. Each is lavishly illustrated with images and symbols that incorporate a wide range of western thought and tradition, including mythology, astrology, numerology, the Jewish Kabbalah, and the Biblical Old Testament.

Twenty-two cards make up the Major Arcana, which means "Greater Secrets." The Major Arcana cards are an allegorical description of your journey through life, and they depict powerful archetypes that you'll recognize immediately -- images like Justice, the Lovers, and the Wheel of Fortune.

The remaining fifty-six cards, the Minor Arcana or "Lesser Secrets," are divided into four suits: wands, cups, swords, and coins. Each suit represents a separate aspect of your daily life: spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and physical.

History

The tarot originated in northern Italy early in the 15th century (1420-1440). There is no evidence for it originating in any other time or place. The earliest extant cards are lavish hand-painted decks from the courts of the nobility.

The earliest names for the tarot are all Italian. Originally the cards were called carte da trionfi (cards of the triumphs). Around 1530 (about 100 years after the origin of the cards), the word tarocchi (singular tarocco) begins to be used to distinguish them from a new game of triumphs or trumps then being played with ordinary playing cards. The etymology of this new word is not known. The German form is tarock, the French form is tarot. Even if the etymology were known, it would probably not tell us much about the idea behind the cards, since it only came into use 100 years after they first appeared.

The symbolism of the trumps is drawn from the culture of Medieval and Renaissance Europe. Most tarot subjects are distinctive to European Christendom. Illustrations virtually identical to each of the tarot subjects can be found in European art, and such precise analogs are not found in other cultures.

Benefit

You can have a tarot reading about practically any subject you'd like, including your career, your love life, and your relationships with friends and family. No matter what type of reading you choose, you'll discover new ways to build on your strengths and overcome your weaknesses. You'll gain new insight into any situation, and you'll leave feeling invigorated and more in control of your life.

Studying the tarot can help you develop a wide range of skills that will enhance your everyday life:

• Become a healthier, happier person
• Develop your intuition and psychic ability
• Enhance your creativity
• Connect to the deeply rooted archetypes of the tarot
• Learn to manifest the things you want most
• Become a clearer, more effective speaker and communicator
• Open yourself to more loving relationships with family and friends
• Channel your emotions and your energy into actions that are protective, productive, and helpful - not tiring or ineffective
• Find new sources of energy and inspiration for daily life
  

Procedure

During a tarot reading, you may be asked to mix or shuffle the deck thoroughly. That's to imbue the cards with your thoughts, emotions, and most immediate concerns. Then the cards will be spread in a specialised layout designed to answer specific questions or describe a general situation. Each position in the layout reflects a separate facet of the reading and affects the meaning of each card. Most readings last thirty minutes to an hour.

Most people are happy getting a reading every six months to a year. If you're at a turning point or if you're facing major life decisions, you might want to schedule an extra reading or two, or even learn how to read tarot cards for yourself.


Source of Information: Corrine Kenner - Certified Tarot Master | The Hermitage - A Tarot History website