Basic Tarot Card Reading.pdf

Basic Tarot Card Reading

Tarot, as we know it now, was invented sometime in the middle 15th century

in Italy. It closely mirrored the playing cards of the day. Some believe that

people had started using playing cards for divination purposes and the tarot

were just a refined version of these cards. These basics playing cards had

four suits of ten cards each. These cards were brought to Europe from the

Islamic world. It is thought that tarot originated when gypsies and

astrologers started using ordinary playing cards to tell fortunes.

During the 15th century, special cards were added to the playing cards.

Later, these became known as the major arcana cards, then called the

trumps or triumphs. The major arcana cards consist of 22 cards with titles

rather than numbers and suit. Each one has a strong symbolic meaning and

are considered to be the 'leaders' of the tarot deck. The remaining 56 cards

are refered to as the minor arcana cards. usually these cards are split into

four suits: cups, staves, swords and coins. Though there are many variations

on this.

Tarot has evolved since it's original form. Becoming more complex and rich

in symbology. The cards themselves have gained meaning over the years

from the cultures that adopted their use. Some cards have come and gone,

like The Pope, The Juggler, The Arrow etc. however, around the 17th

century, tarot evolved into the form we now know it as having. Many

famous alchemists and prophets have used tarot, including Nostradamus and

Aristotle.

Tarot cards align with the energies projected onto them. As you shuffle the

deck, you and your energies place the cards where they will be most

beneficial for you. I always shuffle the deck until the cards feel right. Some

people shuffle the cards three times then cut. it is really up to the user. Tarot

tap into the spirit realm, or the energies of the user to give their readings.

For centuries, people have been using symbols as a type of divination. Tarot

is no differnt. Each of the 78 cards has an individual meaning. Tarot is an

interactive Divination art. The cards interact with each other, giving them

new and more complex meaning.

You place the cards into various spread where the placement of each card

gives it even further meaning. Where cards fall in the spread has a lot to do

with how they interact with each other. A card representing the past will

influence a cards representing the present and the future. There are many

different spreads including the celtic cross, the three card spread, the spread

of fates, the single card reading, the circle and cross and the ancestors to

name a few.