Silverm00n
05-22-2007, 02:28 AM
Intro to the Tarot
By: Ceci Henningsson
Copyright Ceci Henningsson 1994.
This article may be freely copied and distributed provided this copyright notice is included.
The History of the Tarot deck
The early history of the Tarot deck is shrouded in mystery. We do know that Tarot decks became popular in Italy in the Renaissance, and that they were used to play card games rather than for divination. In the eighteenth century a French occultist popularised the use of Tarot cards for divination. There are many different versions of the history of the Tarot floating about. Some of them claim that they go back to ancient Egyptians times even. These stories may be considered myths, in the sense that they are meaningful stories, which are meaningful regardless of their content of objective truth. They also serve the purpose of distinguishing the dabbler from the person who is seriously interested, as dabblers tend to be taken in by the fanciful stories and uncritically pass them on.
What is a Tarot deck?
A Tarot deck is a deck of 78 cards. It is divided into the Major Arcana with 22 cards and a Minor Arcana with 56 cards. The Major Arcana has individual cards which differ greatly from each other. They are usually numbered 0 to 21. Their names are:
The Fool
The Magician
High Priestess
Empress
Emperor
Pope
Lovers
Chariot
Justice
Hermit
Wheel of Fortune
Strength
Hanged Man
Death
Temperance
Devil
Tower
Star
Moon
Sun
Last Judgement
World
The Minor Arcana is divided into four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords and Coins. Each suit has four Court Cards, which are Page, Knight, King and Queen. The numbered cards are 2 to 10 and Ace. Some of the numbered cards have traditional names, such as 10 of Swords, which is known as Ruin.
There is a phletora of different Tarot decks. Some follow the traditional system quite closely, others have elaborated on it, or changed it, sometimes beyond recognition. The decks are often named after their designers. Often an occultist and an artist design a deck together. Designing a deck takes a lot of skill and time. Still many occultists design their own decks which are never published. Designing your own Tarot deck is a way of recording many of your insights.
Famous Tarot decks
The most common Tarot deck is the Rider-Waite deck. It follows the traditional system exactly. The Thoth deck or Crowley-Harris deck is designed by Aleister Crowley, probably the most wellknown or infamous occultist in his day. Crowley changed the Page into a Princess and renamed many of the traditionally named cards. The Motherpiece deck by Vicki Noble and Karen Vogel is a round deck with pictures of women only. The pictures aren't beautiful in the common sense of the word, but many women find that its symbolism rings true to them.
What are Tarot decks used for?
Tarot decks are used for a number of purposes. The most wellknown is divination. Other common uses are meditation and self-improvement.
How many cards you use and the pattern you lay them out in is called the spread. Spreads often have fanciful names such as the Celtic Cross or the Gareth Knight Spiral Spread. The place in a spread often denotes a time factor (past, present, future) or inner or outer factors. Of course the commonly given meaning of a card has much to do with its interpretation, but other factors are taken into account too. The place in the spread, the question asked and intuitive hunches for instance. Many Readers use reversals too. That means that if a card comes up upside down, its meaning is ill-dignified. Often a Tarot consultation develops into a conversation between the Reader and the Querent, and they arrive at a meaning together.
When a Tarot deck is used for divination, it is first shuffled, and then a certain number of cards are put on the table with the face up. The person who puts the cards on the table is often called the Reader, and the person who asks the question is often called the Querent. Some times Reader and Querent are the same person.
"You stand on a windy clifftop. There is a path here. Follow the path. You walk on a path on a windy clifftop. The clean air fills your lungs, and the gusts throw your hair back and forth. As you walk, you notice a figure coming towards you on the path."
This way you can make contact with the people portrayed in the Tarot cards, or explore the symbols used on them.
The most popular definition is probably Dion Fortune's:
"Magic is the act of changing consciousness in conformity with Will."
Many occultists surround their Tarot decks with much superstition. Some keep them in special boxes, and annoint the box with essential oils at certain times, other think that its vital that noone is allowed to see their deck, or that a deck has to be given to you as a present for it to be useful. However rational a person might seem, common courtesy demands that you at least ask before touching their Tarot deck.
By: Ceci Henningsson
Copyright Ceci Henningsson 1994.
This article may be freely copied and distributed provided this copyright notice is included.
The History of the Tarot deck
The early history of the Tarot deck is shrouded in mystery. We do know that Tarot decks became popular in Italy in the Renaissance, and that they were used to play card games rather than for divination. In the eighteenth century a French occultist popularised the use of Tarot cards for divination. There are many different versions of the history of the Tarot floating about. Some of them claim that they go back to ancient Egyptians times even. These stories may be considered myths, in the sense that they are meaningful stories, which are meaningful regardless of their content of objective truth. They also serve the purpose of distinguishing the dabbler from the person who is seriously interested, as dabblers tend to be taken in by the fanciful stories and uncritically pass them on.
What is a Tarot deck?
A Tarot deck is a deck of 78 cards. It is divided into the Major Arcana with 22 cards and a Minor Arcana with 56 cards. The Major Arcana has individual cards which differ greatly from each other. They are usually numbered 0 to 21. Their names are:
The Fool
The Magician
High Priestess
Empress
Emperor
Pope
Lovers
Chariot
Justice
Hermit
Wheel of Fortune
Strength
Hanged Man
Death
Temperance
Devil
Tower
Star
Moon
Sun
Last Judgement
World
The Minor Arcana is divided into four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords and Coins. Each suit has four Court Cards, which are Page, Knight, King and Queen. The numbered cards are 2 to 10 and Ace. Some of the numbered cards have traditional names, such as 10 of Swords, which is known as Ruin.
There is a phletora of different Tarot decks. Some follow the traditional system quite closely, others have elaborated on it, or changed it, sometimes beyond recognition. The decks are often named after their designers. Often an occultist and an artist design a deck together. Designing a deck takes a lot of skill and time. Still many occultists design their own decks which are never published. Designing your own Tarot deck is a way of recording many of your insights.
Famous Tarot decks
The most common Tarot deck is the Rider-Waite deck. It follows the traditional system exactly. The Thoth deck or Crowley-Harris deck is designed by Aleister Crowley, probably the most wellknown or infamous occultist in his day. Crowley changed the Page into a Princess and renamed many of the traditionally named cards. The Motherpiece deck by Vicki Noble and Karen Vogel is a round deck with pictures of women only. The pictures aren't beautiful in the common sense of the word, but many women find that its symbolism rings true to them.
What are Tarot decks used for?
Tarot decks are used for a number of purposes. The most wellknown is divination. Other common uses are meditation and self-improvement.
How many cards you use and the pattern you lay them out in is called the spread. Spreads often have fanciful names such as the Celtic Cross or the Gareth Knight Spiral Spread. The place in a spread often denotes a time factor (past, present, future) or inner or outer factors. Of course the commonly given meaning of a card has much to do with its interpretation, but other factors are taken into account too. The place in the spread, the question asked and intuitive hunches for instance. Many Readers use reversals too. That means that if a card comes up upside down, its meaning is ill-dignified. Often a Tarot consultation develops into a conversation between the Reader and the Querent, and they arrive at a meaning together.
When a Tarot deck is used for divination, it is first shuffled, and then a certain number of cards are put on the table with the face up. The person who puts the cards on the table is often called the Reader, and the person who asks the question is often called the Querent. Some times Reader and Querent are the same person.
"You stand on a windy clifftop. There is a path here. Follow the path. You walk on a path on a windy clifftop. The clean air fills your lungs, and the gusts throw your hair back and forth. As you walk, you notice a figure coming towards you on the path."
This way you can make contact with the people portrayed in the Tarot cards, or explore the symbols used on them.
The most popular definition is probably Dion Fortune's:
"Magic is the act of changing consciousness in conformity with Will."
Many occultists surround their Tarot decks with much superstition. Some keep them in special boxes, and annoint the box with essential oils at certain times, other think that its vital that noone is allowed to see their deck, or that a deck has to be given to you as a present for it to be useful. However rational a person might seem, common courtesy demands that you at least ask before touching their Tarot deck.