Tarot cards are one of the most accessible and preferred methods of fortune-telling. Besides predicting the future, Tarot cards can offer much more. They are an ancient tool, and their use has become an art that anyone can master if they wish. To learn how to use Tarot cards, the first thing you’ll need is a deck.
Today, there are hundreds of types of Tarot cards on the market. You can find both classic and eccentric decks, with prices varying. Many cards come with a booklet, but it’s not necessarily required. Sometimes the booklet can even be confusing, as it contains too much unnecessary information that might overwhelm beginners.
Choosing the first deck is a difficult decision. We advise you to select a popular deck for which you can easily find information. Examples include the Rider-Waite Tarot, the Albrecht Dürer Tarot, Madame Lenormand’s cards, or Crowley’s Tarot. Many people begin their journey into the world of Tarot by using only the Major Arcana.
The Traditional Tarot Cards
The traditional Tarot deck consists of 78 cards, divided into two groups – the Minor Arcana and the Major Arcana. The word “arcana” literally means “secret.” In simple terms, the Major Arcana provides information about significant events, emotions, and thoughts, while the Minor Arcana represents smaller, but not insignificant, elements of life’s alchemy.
The Major Arcana usually have specific names, such as The Empress, The Lovers, The Fool, etc. They are also numbered from 0 to 21, which often complements the symbolism. Many Tarot practitioners use Kabbalah, numerology, and astrology as part of their card analysis. The Minor Arcana most often consists of 56 cards. Traditionally, they are divided into four suits (similar to traditional playing cards). The suits in Tarot are:
- Swords (Air);
- Cups (Water);
- Wands (Fire);
- Pentacles (Earth).
Each of these four suits contains cards from Ace to Ten, as well as four court cards (Page, Knight, King, and Queen).
There are hundreds of rituals for the actual reading.
Many people believe that the cards should be laid on a special cloth, preferably dark, and that lit candles are part of the ritual. Semi-precious stones or crystals are also often used. The most commonly used stone is moonstone. The choice of a stone is often based on the nature of the question being asked.
Spreads of The Tarot Cards
Various spreads are used in practice. One of the most popular is called the “Celtic Cross.”
In most reading methods, you should first set aside the card representing the querent. Some determine it based on the person’s profession, others by hair or eye color. The safest method is to choose based on zodiac signs because this avoids exceptions like “blonde hair and brown eyes” or “a trained agronomist working in the army.” Fire signs are wands, water signs are cups, air signs are swords, and earth signs are coins. People you consider to have reached social or age maturity (have children, a career, or just many birthdays behind them) are classified as kings or queens. Younger individuals are knights (princes in more modern decks) for men and pages (princesses) for women.
How to Shuffle The Tarot Cards
The cards are shuffled first by the reader, ensuring both “upright” and “reversed” cards are mixed. Then the querent shuffles them as they see fit while focusing on their problem. Finally, they place the cards on the table and cut them three times with their left hand to the left. (If the right hand symbolizes reason, the left hand is left for the subconscious.) The reader collects the three piles into one – also with their left hand – says a prayer or spell silently and begins the layout.
The querent doesn’t need to be present. You can read the cards for someone at a distance, behind their back, or even for situations where the querent can’t physically cut the cards – such as for the political or economic situation of a country. In such cases, the reader performs the actions of the querent. Alternatively, a friend interested in the same questions might participate in the reading.
Reading for a Specific Occasion?
Reading for a specific occasion is simpler. The questions are of two types – those for a “yes” or “no” answer, like “Will I go on the specialization?”, and those requiring a detailed explanation, like “What does my colleague Ivan think of me?” or “What will happen with the inheritance?” Some readers prefer to hear the question to know how to interpret the cards. Personally, I prefer not to know it so that I let the cards speak for themselves. I am not sure they would benefit if I expanded on a pre-written topic. The best approach is to state what the cards have shown, and the querent can make the connections themselves. After all, the goal of Tarot is to hear the unknown.
It is important that the question is formulated concisely and doesn’t drift into two sub-questions, such as “Does she love me, and will she divorce her husband?” It should also not float in a sea of uncertainty, such as “Will my dreams come true?” if you’re not sure what your dreams are. The cards will still find answers to these inquiries, but they might look like the frame of a missing picture.
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