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Tarot cards act as a divinational tool to help us to identify past, present and future events, changes, influences and outcomes in our own lives and other people's. Tarot cards are usually read by a fortune-teller, though in these days of New Age Enterprise, anyone can buy a deck with instructions on how to discover your real self and actualize your true potential. Tarot cards serve many purposes, and this leads to a variety of Tarot deck styles. The Major Arcana consist of 22tarot cards whilst the Minor Arcana contain the rest of the deck and are split into four suits; wands, cups, swords and pentacles. When Tarot cards are placed in groups and patterns, the complexity of their meaning is multiplied and takes on specific interpretations that can be applied to situations in life. Here you can learn about how to read the Meaning of Tarot Cards , the Meanings of Tarot Cards Spreads, take Tarot Meaning Tests and and find out what to expect from a Tarot Card Reading.
There is no doubt that the Tarot cards date back a long way, possibly as far as the 11th century. The meanings of the figures and numbers on tarot cards vary greatly among tarot readers and advocates, many of whom find connections between tarot and cabala, astrology, I Ching, ancient Egypt, and various other occult and mystical notions. As you consciously develop your relationship with the Tarot cards, you link in with the lineage of meaning passed down through the network of harmony.
The first clear reference that we have to Tarot cards is from a sermon that was collected with many others about 1500 in Italy found in the Steele Manuscript. As the earliest Tarot cards were hand-painted, the number of the produced decks is considered to have been rather small. Some believe that tarot cards were first introduced by the ancient Egyptians, although others maintain that it derives from the medieval Italian card game of tarocco.
Tarot Decks
The Tarot was originally a deck of 78 cards, divided into 4 suits of 14 cards (the standard ace-10, then page, knight, queen, and king) and 22 un-numbered 'triumphs' or 'trumps'. A 'historical' deck has simply one, two, or however many wands, cups, or whatever for the number cards. A reading consists of shuffling the deck, drawing a set number of cards at random, arranging them in a pattern or spread, and interpreting the symbols in relation to the past, present and future. Tarot readings require the Tarot reader to establish a connection with his or her deck, through which the Tarot reader can divine the meanings of the cards, as they lie in a layout for a particular question.
Although most people think only of games when they see a regular deck of playing cards, it is known that ordinary playing cards have been connected with divination from as early as 1487. As a typical deck has 78 cards, publishers will often use one of the extra cards for some sort of information or advertising, and at times leave the other blank.
As early as 1540, a book entitled The Oracles of Francesco Marcolino da Forli shows a simple method of divining from the coin suit of a regular playing card deck. An earlier form of the game had the name Trionfi or triumphs, this name developed later as general term for trick-taking (trumpfen in German, to trump in English) and disappeared in its original function as deck name. The oldest of these existing Tarot decks was perhaps painted to celebrate a mid-15th century wedding joining the ruling Visconti and Sforza families of Milan, probably painted by Bonifacio Bembo and other miniaturists of the Ferrara school. The more simply illustrated "Marseille" style decks are nevertheless used esoterically, for divination, and previously for game play.
It will probably take several decks and some years before you discover which one is right for you. If you don't have a deck, read through my comments on buying your first deck and then browse through my Tarot Deck Section. The suits consist of swords, batons, cups and coinsin a Latin-style deck, or hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs inother decks, the same as in ordinary decks of playing cards.
Tarot Readings
This introduction to the tarot is designed for people who want to do readings for themselves or others, and to effect a personal transformation from it. Tarot readings can be used by clairvoyants and psychic seers as anoracle to assist you in choosing the life path which is bestfor you at any given crossroads in your life.
Meanings
Tarot reading is all about your personal interpretation of the cards and their meanings. Each of the cards may have up to five different meanings depending on the context of what is being read, it is therefore important to be able to 'feel' which meaning is correct. The key in reading the Tarot is to remember that it is not just a set of cards with preconceived meanings you must learn. There are so many possible outcomes that tarot readers spend decades mastering the meanings of all the cards in all the different combinations.
Arcana
The Tarot deck is made up of 78 cards which is divided into the Major Arcana, which consists of 22 cards and the Minor Arcana which has 56 cards. The word 'Arcana' simply means mysteries or secrets. The 22 major arcana cards are supposed to depict a journey through one's life, which originates with the Fool card and ends with a card called The World. The Lesser ArcanaThe Lesser Arcana cards consist of 56 cards broken down into 4 different suits. The Major Arcana are of most symbolic importance and are always individually illustrated.
Rider Waite
I would strongly suggest the Rider Tarot pack designed by A E Waite. Rider Waite tarot is the archetypal tarot deck, the best known tarot deck in existence today. The Rider-Waite tarot was reissued in 1910 and many times since then. There is no "correct" deck, although the Rider-Waite deck is the most commonly seen.
Free tarot spreads
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