What Is Tarot?
Tarot is a type of fun, profound tool that can be used to help you better understand and explore the events or situations in your life. It is not a form of fortune telling, and rather, is a tool that you can use to better understand yourself and uncover hidden possibilities in your life. Tarot cards are composed of pictures, symbols and numbers, each with its own individual meaning, so when you lay out a spread, the story being told by the cards can be interpreted based on their positioning and the individual, unique messages they hold.
How Can Tarot Help You?
Tarot can be very helpful for those seeking insight and clarity into a specific situation or problem. By taking a look at the cards, you can access your subconscious and be exposed to unknown possibilities, helping you make informed decisions based on the messages the cards communicate.
Getting Started With Your First Deck
If you’ve decided to get a Tarot deck for yourself, here’s how to get started.
Choosing a Deck
The first step is to choose a Tarot deck that speaks to you. There are so many different types and styles – art deco, Victorian, classic, contemporary – and you don’t have to limit yourself to any single one. Take some time to visit a bookshop, spiritual supply store, or an online Tarot shop and browse to your heart’s content. Get acquainted with the different decks available and pick the one that resonates the most with you.
Find the Perfect Spot
Once you’ve got your deck, decide on a special place to store your cards. Depending on your personal preference, many people like to store their Tarot decks in sacred places like an altar, specific shelf or jewelry box. Feel free to create a special spot that speaks to you. Having the cards stored in a safe, special spot means that you will be able to refer to them when needed and that it will always be easy for you to find them.
Cleanse and Connect with Your Deck
Cleansing and connecting with your deck is a good way to get started. There are many techniques to cleanse and energize your Tarot cards, including sage smudging, moonlight, and the practice of visualization. Having your deck cleansed and connected to your energy helps you to start fresh and use the cards with precise accuracy.
Familiarize Yourself with the Cards
Take some time to familiarize yourself with the Tarot cards and their meanings. Getting to know the different symbols, figures and images on each card, as well as their individual meanings, is essential in order to understand the messages the cards are trying to communicate. When studying the cards, take your time, take it slow and make sure to look at more than one deck and how their interpretations can sometimes differ.
Lay Out the Cards for Your First Read
Once you’ve got a hang of the individual cards and their meanings, it’s time to start your first Tarot spread.It’s important to begin with a simple layout so that you can understand the message behind each card and the spread as a whole. Popular go-to spreads for beginners include the five card spread, which can be used to interpret a situation, the relationship spread to get insight into another person, and the three card past/present/future spread to look at the trajectory of your life.
Once you’ve chosen a spread, start to lay out the cards on the table and interpret them one by one. When looking at the cards and reading them as a whole, focus on the emotions that pull from within the spread. Make note of the colours, symbols, symbols and messages the cards are trying to communicate.
Record Your Readings
It’s always a good idea to record your readings, because it can help to refer back to them when needed. Writing down the cards that have been drawn and their interpretations can provide a powerful reference that can sometimes be quite helpful.
Understanding the Tarot cards can take some time, and each person can interpret the cards differently, depending on their personal understanding and the story they’re trying to tell. Tarot is a powerful way to gain insight into your situations and ultimately, lead a more fulfilling life.
What tarot decks are best for beginners?
The Rider-Waite, Universal Waite, and Celtic Druid Tarot are all great decks for beginning tarot card readers. The Golden Dawn Tarot, Gilded Tarot, and Mythic Tarot are also popular options. Whichever deck you decide on, ensure that it comes with a guidebook to help you get started.
What is the difference between a tarot deck and an oracle deck?
Tarot decks are traditional decks that are based on the Major Arcana, which consists of 22 cards, and the Minor Arcana, which consists of 56 cards. Oracle decks, on the other hand, usually have fewer cards, usually between 10-45. Oracle decks tend to be more open to interpretation and contain cards that are more open-ended whereas tarot decks usually have set meanings for their cards.
What type of cards does a tarot deck contain?
A tarot deck typically contains 78 cards divided into two sections; the Major Arcana (22 cards) and the Minor Arcana (56 cards). The Major Arcana includes cards that represent major life events and experiences such as The World, The Sun, The Hermit and The Fool. The Minor Arcana consists of four suits—Swords, Wands, Pentacles and Cups—with cards numbered from Ace to 10, plus the court cards—Page, Knight, Queen and King.
How many cards are in a tarot deck?
A traditional tarot deck consists of 78 cards. The deck is divided into the Major Arcana (22 cards) and the Minor Arcana (56 cards). Each card has a specific meaning, depending on the suit and its numerical value.
How many suits are in a tarot deck?
A standard tarot deck consists of 78 cards divided into two groups–the Major Arcana (22 cards) and the Minor Arcana (56 cards). The Minor Arcana are further divided into four suits of 14 cards each—Swords, Wands, Cups, and Pentacles.
How many cards are in a tarot deck?
A tarot deck typically consists of 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana cards, and 56 Minor Arcana cards. The Major Arcana cards stand for major influences and big changes; the Minor Arcana cards are divided into 4 suits, representing the different aspects of life experience.
How many suits are in a tarot deck?
There are four suits in a tarot deck: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. Each suit has 14 cards, numbered from Ace to ten, plus a Page, Knight, Queen, and King. The Minor Arcana cards are meant to represent the everyday aspects of life, while the Major Arcana cards represent major changes and influences.
What are the four suits in a tarot deck?
The four suits in a tarot deck are: Wands, Pentacles, Cups and Swords. Wands represent creativity, energy and ambition. Pentacles represent material wealth and physical work. Cups reflect emotion, intuition and imagination. Swords stand for logic, courage and strength. Each suit has 14 cards, numbered from Ace to ten plus Pages, Knights, Queens and Kings.
What is the meaning of the four suits in a tarot deck?
The four suits in a tarot deck are known as the Minor Arcana and represent the four fundamental elements of life: water, earth, air and fire. Each suit is associated with a certain type of energy and can offer insights into areas of your life such as relationships, goals, emotions, and career.
The four tarot suits include Wands (often representing passion, energy, ambition and action), Cups (often representing emotions, relationships, and the inner self), Swords (often representing truth, power, and decision-making) and Pentacles (often representing material possessions, money, and the physical world). Together, these suits represent the entirety of life’s experiences, from the everyday mundane to the major changes and influences.
What do the tarot suits represent?
The four tarot suits represent the four elements: Wands (Fire), Cups (Water), Swords (Air), and Pentacles (Earth). Each suit symbolizes a different aspect of life, with Wands representing creativity, Cups representing emotions, Swords representing intellect, and Pentacles representing material abundance and practical matters.
What is the difference between tarot suits and playing card suits?
Tarot suits and playing card suits are similar in that they both deal with four suit categories. In a deck of cards, the categories are Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs; while in a tarot deck they are Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles/Coins. Both decks are also ranked similarly, with Hearts and Cups being the lowest and Spades and Swords the highest, usually. However, Tarot cards are used for divination and fortune telling, while playing cards are used for more recreational activities like card games. Tarot suits have an additional layer of meanings and interpretations, such as “Wands” representing creativity and “Cups” representing emotions. In contrast, there is no set meaning associated with playing card suits.
What are the tarot card suit names?
The tarot card suit names are: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. Each suit corresponds to one of the four elements: Wands representing Fire, Cups representing Water, Swords representing Air, and Pentacles representing Earth. Each suit is associated with a certain type of energy and offers insight into different areas of life, such as relationships, goals, emotions, and career.
What are the four tarot card suits?
The four tarot card suits are Swords, Wands, Pentacles, and Cups. Each suit is connected to different aspects of life, with Swords representing action and thought, Wands representing creativity and intuition, Pentacles representing the physical world and money, and Cups representing emotions and relationships. These four suits together form the complete tarot deck, allowing card readers to gain insight into the past, present, and future.
What is the meaning of the four tarot card suits?
The four suits of the tarot deck are Cups, Swords, Wands, and Pentacles. Each suit has a distinct meaning and provides important spiritual or psychological insights into our lives.
Cups represent the element of water and symbolize our emotions, reflect our creativity, and describe our relationships with others.
Swords represent the element of air and symbolize beliefs, thoughts, and mental energy.
Wands represent the element of fire and point to our passions, enthusiasm, and creative drive.
Pentacles represent the element of earth and reveal our material existence, highlighting the physical world we live in.
What is the significance of the four elements in tarot cards?
The four elements—earth, air, fire, and water—are symbolic of the four essential energies that are essential to life, and they are often seen in tarot card decks. Each element is associated with different aspects of the human experience—earth symbolizes physical experiences, air symbolizes the mind, fire symbolizes energy, and water symbolizes emotion. Combining these four elements in various ways can provide insights into the past, present, and future, as well as our own personal journey.
What are the specific meanings of the four elements in tarot cards?
1. The Cups: In tarot, the suit of Cups represents the element of Water and is associated with emotions, intuition, relationships, spirituality, and creativity.
2. The Wands: In tarot, the suit of Wands represents the element of Fire and is associated with passion, energy, adventure, action, and ambition.
3. The Swords: In tarot, the suit of Swords represents the element of Air and is associated with rational thought, communication, knowledge, and truth.
4. The Pentacles: In tarot, the suit of Pentacles represents the element of Earth and is associated with abundance, material possessions, physical resources, and practical realities.
What do the four elements mean in tarot cards?
The four elements in tarot cards are Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, and they each represent different aspects of an individual’s life and identity. Earth corresponds to the material world, encompassing physical and financial security. Air is associated with intellectual and communicative pursuits, like having a sharp mind and lively talk. Fire represents the passion, energy, and creativity. Water typically correlates with emotions, intuition, and spirituality.
What arcana correspond to the four elements in tarot cards?
The four elements in tarot cards are associated with the following tarot arcana:
Fire – The Tower
Water – The Moon
Air – The Chariot
Earth – The World
What are the court arcana in a tarot deck?
The court arcana—also known as court cards—are found in the Minor Arcana of a tarot deck and represent the people in our lives. The court arcana consist of the King, Queen, Knight, and Page/Jack of each suit. They are often likened to people in high positions: Kings and Queens are powerful individuals, Knights are courageous and ambitious, and Pages/Jacks are messenger figures possessing high levels of intuition.
What does each court card in the tarot deck mean?
Each card of the Tarot deck has a different meaning associated with it when it is drawn.
The Major Arcana cards represent the archetypal energies of the Tarot; their meanings are deeply spiritual and psychological. The Major Arcana cards represent the soul’s journey to enlightenment.
The Court Cards are associated with personalities; in each suit, there are four characters: the Page, the Knight, the Queen, and the King. The Court Cards represent the different characteristics and behaviors of people.
Major Arcana Cards:
The Fool: Beginnings, taking chances, optimism
The Magician: Creative power, manifesting dreams, transformation
The High Priestess: Intuition, inner wisdom, inner knowledge
The Empress: Fertility, nurturing, abundance
The Emperor: Authority, logic, structure
The Hierophant: Tradition, conformity, conformity to spiritual principals
The Lovers: Relationship, duality, choosing between opposites
The Chariot: Control, victory, ambition
Strength: Courage, self-control, inner strength
The Hermit: Solitude, introspection, inner knowledge
Wheel of Fortune: Change, luck, fate
Justice: Balance, karma, fairness
The Hanged Man: Sacrifice, letting go, paradox
Death: Transition, endings, renewal
Temperance: Patience, moderation, balance
The Devil: Bondage, temptation, materialism
The Tower: Destruction, collapse, chaos
The Star: Hope, faith, guidance
The Moon: Illusion, ambiguity, dark subconscious
The Sun: Success, vitality, joy
Judgment: Awakening, rebirth, inner calling
The World: Completion, wholeness, celebration
Court Cards:
Pages: Curiosity, innocence, beginnings
Knights: Activity, adventure, movement
Queens: Nurturing, emotional, creative
Kings: Command, authority, leadership
What is the symbolism of each tarot card?
The symbolism of each tarot card varies depending on the specific card and deck. Generally, the symbolism in tarot cards revolves around various topics such as love, wealth, career, spirituality, and life-planning. However, the symbolism can be more specific, depending on the particular card and deck, with interpretations ranging from the philosophical to the very literal. Some decks even feature symbolism related to the major arcana cards, representing archetypal characters or scenes.
What is the meaning of each tarot card?
The meaning of each Tarot card depends upon the particular Tarot deck being used, as each one will have its own interpretations and symbols. However, some of the more common interpretations include the following:
The Fool: A symbol of new beginnings, the Fool is often interpreted as suggesting the need to take a chance or risk in life.
The Magician: The Magician is a symbol of power and potential. It can suggest a need to use available resources or recognize one’s own inner strength in order to move forward in life.
The High Priestess: Signifying wisdom and mysteries, The High Priestess suggests the need to explore deeper, hidden truth.
The Empress: The Empress is a symbol of abundance and creativity. It can suggest trusting the flow of life and being open to all forms of abundance.
The Emperor: The Emperor is a symbol of authority, control and structure. It can suggest the need to take responsibility and create boundaries in order to manifest your goals.
What symbols are associated with tarot cards?
1. The Fool: a wandering figure representing new beginnings, optimism, innocence, trust in the journey, and the unknown.
2. The Magician: a figure representing the power to create, the divine and the connection to the universe.
3. The High Priestess: a figure representing spiritual wisdom, inner knowledge, intuition and hidden depths.
4. The Empress: a figure representing abundance, fertility, wealth, creativity and femininity.
5. The Emperor: a figure representing authority, stability, control and masculine power.
6. The Hierophant: a figure representing wisdom, tradition, structure and guidance.
7. The Lovers: a figure representing relationships, the search for harmony and the union of opposites.
8. The Chariot: a figure representing willpower, determination, strength and movement.
9. Strength: a figure representing courage, compassion, confidence and self-control.
10. The Hermit: a figure representing inner journeys, spiritual guidance and seeking truth.
11. The Wheel of Fortune: a figure representing change, luck, fate and cycles of life.
12. Justice: a figure representing balance, truth, fairness and morality.
13. The Hanged Man: a figure representing sacrifice, surrender, reflection and waiting.
14. Death: a figure representing transitions, endings and new beginnings.
15. Temperance: a figure representing moderation, harmony, balance and nourishment.
16. The Devil: a figure representing negative influence, fear, lust and temptation.
17. The Tower: a figure representing sudden change, chaos, destruction and upheavals.
18. The Star: a figure representing hope, inspiration, spiritual guidance and possibility.
19. The Moon: a figure representing intuition, dreams, shadows and the unknown.
20. The Sun: a figure representing optimism, success, joy and vitality.
21. Judgement: a figure representing awakening, transformation and renewal.
22. The World: a figure representing accomplishments, completion, integration and wholeness.
What does the symbol of the Hanged Man in Tarot mean?
The symbol of the Hanged Man in Tarot typically represents sacrifice, letting go of the ego, and becoming more aware of the spiritual realm. It is seen as a symbol of transition, letting the old self die and being reborn with a new perspective. It is also a reminder to remain in a state of surrender and acceptance, as this is necessary for personal growth.
What is the spiritual meaning of the Hanged Man tarot card?
The spiritual meaning of the Hanged Man tarot card is one of surrender, spiritual growth, and letting go of the ego. It symbolizes a willingness to accept life’s challenges, to embrace change, and to look beyond the surface of any challenge. It also symbolizes living in the moment, being open to learning and understanding, and ultimately discovering the true meaning of life.
What is the significance of the Hanged Man tarot card in a reading?
The Hanged Man tarot card is often associated with a forceful stagnation, whether it be in life or within a spiritual journey. It suggests the need for a pause and the willingness to sacrifice short-term gratification for long-term rewards. This card also symbolizes surrender to a higher power and teaches understanding and acceptance of a difficult situation. As a result, the Hanged Man tarot card is a reminder to trust in a divine plan.
What symbolism is associated with the Hanged Man tarot card?
The Hanged Man tarot card typically symbolizes letting go of old ideas, habits, and perspectives and looking at the world differently. It often signifies a willingness to learn from difficult experiences, to be open to change, and to trust in divine guidance. Other symbols associated with this card include a sense of sacrifice, oppression, acceptance, and inner peace.
What does the Hanged Man tarot card mean?
The Hanged Man tarot card is a symbol of sacrifice and letting go of the past in order to move forward. It represents a period of waiting and contemplation before taking the next steps. It can represent a need for a particular change of perspective and suggests an ability to choose a higher path. On a more immediate level, it could indicate a need for patience when faced with a difficult situation.
What position does the Hanged Man tarot card represent?
The Hanged Man tarot card is associated with surrender and offers the opportunity to let go of expectations and preconceived notions to gain a different perspective. It often symbolizes sacrifice, standing still, and surrendering to the moment. The card can represent a moment of waiting, contemplation, and self-reflection in order to assess the best way to move forward.
What does the Hanged Man tarot card mean?
The Hanged Man tarot card is often interpreted as a representation of a person who is at a crossroads or is experiencing an important transition in life. It can signify a period of letting go and acceptance. It can also suggest the need to surrender to a situation and to go with the flow. The card encourages inner reflection, a pause from decision-making, and the wisdom gained from being able to look at a situation from a different perspective.
Q: What is the symbolism of the Hanged Man tarot card?
The Hanged Man tarot card typically symbolizes a period or stage of life that involves voluntary sacrifice or surrender in order to gain a better understanding of the self or of life in general. It typically indicates a period of limbo, introspection, and finding a way to move forward in life. The image of a man suspended upside down from a tree limb can be interpreted as a form of meditation, surrender, and release from the burdens of the everyday. It can also be interpreted as surrendering to a higher power or to fate, giving up control in order to gain clarity and understanding that could not be achieved through rational thought.
Q: Why is the Hanged Man card important in tarot readings?
The Hanged Man card is one of the most important cards in a tarot reading because it symbolizes change, personal growth, and sacrifice. This card can also indicate inner transformation and spiritual growth as it encourages us to move beyond our current restriction and grasp new opportunities. It can warn that changes are necessary, whether they involve a job, relationship, or course of action. The resolution that this card speaks of is the peace which comes from the surrendering of personal will and understanding divine purpose.