| The complete 78 card tarot deck is divided into two sections. 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana cards. The 22 Major Arcana cards, also known as Trumps, comprise 21 allegorical cards, numbered from I to XXI plus an unnumbered card known as The Fool. The Major Arcana cards represent the physical and spiritual forces of life, illness, death, storms, strength, power, love and religion. The remaining 56 cards are broken into suits, Swords, Rods, Cups & Disks. The Minor Arcana cards generally represent occupations, social position and status. Today's ordinary deck of playing cards is a direct descendant from the fifteenth century tarot deck. As card playing increased in popularity, the Major Acrana cards with the exception of The Fool, which became The Joker, were dropped, and the Knight and the Page were combined into today's jack, thus giving us the standard deck of 52 card plus joker. The suits were renamed as Swords (Spades), Rods (Clubs), Cups (Hearts), and Disks (Diamonds) The exact history of the tarot remains shrouded in mystery. Some believe that there was a version used in ancient Egypt and that the cards are based on Egyptian culture and mythology. There is also a belief that the cards were at some point passed onto a band of gypsies, knowing that gypsies were nomads and would more than likely keep the cards moving and therefore avoid destruction from the religious culture of the time. This is more than likely how they made their way to Italy and were restructured into a version of the deck we know today. We do know that these cards were used to play a card game called Trumps in 15th Century Italy, mainly played by the nobles of the time. It was said to be a game similar to today's Bridge. Sometime during this period the cards were found to have a more mystical ability. In the hands of a gifted seer or psychic, they could foretell the future, or help guide a seeker to an answer to a question. In essence, the cards are used as a tool to help turn on that illusive "switch" that opens the psychic perception. Contrary to popular belief, the tarot readings I do have little to do with the future. More often, my readings focus on my clients present situation, emotions or personality. The cards can identify people, evens and happenings in the clients life now, and with all things considered, what the most probable outcome will be. I feel my job is to help guide my client to see other ways of looking at their current situation, or struggle. Maybe help them see it with new eyes. Nothing angers me more than to hear people refer to the tarot as the devils cards. This is not so. The cards are pieces of paper, cardboard...and the messages I receive are from my Higher Power and my guides. If your feeling a pull or have an interest in using the tarot for your own use or to help others, let me advise you....the tarot demand a great amount of study and dedication to use them effectively. They are not like a Ouiji Board that you can use right out of the box. The tarot require months, if not years of training, self examination, spiritual growth, and development. Be prepared to learn all aspects of the cards before you can make a career out of them. You must learn proper protection, to listen to your guides and your Higher Power, as well as learning how to interpret all the multiple meanings of each card. With all the 1-800-dial-a-psychic numbers out there, the tarot has become very popular with the public. My concern is that today's client not be fooled by a fake or fraud. If your looking for a reader, do your homework. Find out what others say about this reader. Ask for referrals or testimonials. Ask how long they have been studying the tarot and how long they have been reading. Above all, keep a healthy level of skepticism when dealing with someone who claims to be a psychic reader. But at the same time, keep an open mind and allow the process to flow if you think you've found a good one. All in all, just go with your gut, and fallow where your natural intuition guides you. Love and light to you. |
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| Tarot Facts |