Tarot

The exact origin of the tarot is not known, but it is thought that they originated from somewhere around India and were brought to Europe with the Gypsies. The earliest known deck seems to have appeared around the fourteenth century.
During the Renaissance, the tarot was a part of a growing interest in the studies of the mystic arts, such as Qabbalah and alchemy. The tarot saw a revival in the nineteenth century and has been enjoying popularity ever since.

The modern day deck of playing cards is believed to have come from the tarot. The face cards of the tarot deck are the King, Queen, Knight, and Page (where in some decks, the Knight and Page are known as the Prince and Princess, respectively). As the modern day playing card deck began to evolve, the Knight was dropped and the Page became the Jack.

The suits of the tarot are related to the suits of playing cards. The suit of spades is equivalent to tha tarot suit of swords, and diamonds corresponds to pentacles. The clubs equals the tarot suit of wands or staves, and the hearts corresponds to cups in the tarot deck.

The Major Arcana

The 22 cards of the major arcana are the heart of the deck. Each of these cards symbolises some universal aspect of human experience. They represent the archetypes - consistent, directing patterns of influence that are an inherent part of human nature.
Each card in the major arcana has a name and number. Some names convey a card's meaning directly, such as Strength, Justice, and Temperance. Other cards are individuals who personify a particular approach to life, such as the Magician or the Hermit. There are also cards with astronomical names, such as the Star, Moon and Sun. They represent the elusive forces associated with these heavenly bodies.

The Cards

(click on any of the cards below and it will link to the page with descriptions of each card)

0 - The Fool
1 - The Magician
2 - The High Priestess
3 - The Empress
4 - The Emperor
5 - The Heirophant
6 - The Lovers
7 - The Chariot
8 - Strength
9 - The Hermit
10 - Wheel of Fortune
11 - Justice
12 - The Hanged Man
13 - Death
14 - Temperance
15 - The Devil
16 - The Tower
17 - The Star
18 - The Moon
19 - The Sun
20 - Judgement
21 - The World

The Minor Arcana

The Minor Arcania are split into four groups - Wands - Cups - Swords - Penticles

(Click on any one of the cards to link to details on the minor arcana)

Spreads

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