An Introduction to the Tarot
Tarot cards have been used for hundreds if not thousands of years to gain insight, see patterns, give counsel and even predict the future. No one is exactly sure how the Tarot works. One theory is that all things are connected and nothing happens by chance, and that the Tarot, like the I Ching, is simply a method of revealing these workings of interconnectedness or synchronicity. All that really matters is that the Tarot does work.
There are a wide variety of Tarot decks, and no one kind is “better” than another. All Tarot decks, however, have 3 things in common:
1) All decks are illustrated with various archetypes are experiences common to most people. Either you been one of the people shown on a card or you could be. Either you’ve had an experience like one shown on a card, or you might have one.
2) All standard Tarot decks have 22 Major Arcana cards, and 56 Minor Arcana cards. Major Arcana are unique cards that predict major events in life as opposed to everyday ups and downs. If your reading contains a lot of Major Arcana cards, then events are more or less out of your control. The Minor Arcana or court cards are numbered and correspond loosely to the suits of standard playing cards. These cards can deal with more mundane occurrences.
3) All decks have 4 suits that make up the Minor Arcana. These are Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. Wands usually refer to events in their idea stage, Cups refer to the planning stage, Swords the action stage, and Pentacles the fruition stage.
No one is exactly sure of the origins of the Tarot. One theory has them firmly tied to the teachings of the Jewish Kabbalah, with the 22 cards of the Major Arcana corresponding to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Another theory would have them used by the Masons of ancient Egypt. Still another has their form influenced by the practices of Tibetan monks. In any case, the first decks weren’t seen in Europe until the 15th century when they started showing up in Italy.
Please keep in mind that the Tarot is not is “evil” or “magic” or even “psychic”. It is important to remember that the cards have no power in and of themselves. Each deck is empowered by the belief system of its user. A person might be drawn to an Egyptian, Celtic, or Native American deck, for example, depending on the myths and archetypes with which that individual most identifies. The cards can used to reveal situations and events - they cannot create them.
