What is the Tarot? A Brief Overview of Tarot Reading

What is the Tarot?

The Tarot is a symbolic map of consciousness that encompasses our journey through life, both spiritually and practically.

Tarot reading is the practice of divining wisdom and guidance through a specific spread (or layout) of Tarot cards. However, contrary to popular belief, the cards do not simply tell your fortune, and one does not have to be a psychic to give Tarot readings. The cards are meant to provide insight into the innermost truths of your higher self. In other words, the cards provide an evolved awareness of what you already know deep within. The origin of the Tarot is unknown, but we do have documented references of Tarot card use back to fourteenth century Europe. The Tarot has been used as an oracle, in the basic form we know today, since the beginning of the seventeenth century.

The Meaning of the Tarot

There are 22 cards of the Major Arcana, which divulge greater secrets, and 56 cards of the Minor Arcana, which divulge lesser secrets and are further divided into four suits. The suits of the Minor Arcana include Wands, Swords, Cups, and Pentacles. The fourteen cards in each suit are numbered Ace through Ten, plus the Court Cards: Page (Princess), Knight (Prince), Queen, and King. Decks can vary some in naming.

The suits and the individual cards are not always called the same thing, but their core meanings are fairly universal. For example, in some decks, the Knight equates to the King and not the Prince. Most decks come with a booklet you can use to get familiar with its specifics. The Minor Arcana of the Tarot symbolize daily aspects of life, giving insight into our challenges, talents, opportunities, and experience of ups and downs. Each suit represents an element: Wands are Fire, Swords are Air, Cups are Water, and Pentacles are Earth. The suits can reflect attitude and temperament, such as a fiery person or someone who is “up in the air” or “down to earth.” Determining a card’s significance is dependent upon the question, the reader, the person receiving the reading, and the placement of other cards in the spread.

The Major Arcana are numbered 0 through 21, starting with The Fool, and ending with The World. These cards align with the milestones of life’s story or The Hero’s Journey which can be explored further with Joseph Campbell’s book “The Hero With a Thousand Faces.” In this sense, the cards of the Major Arcana represent the 22 inevitable phases or passages of every journey, which we’ll all encounter during our lives (not necessarily in this order). It’s also possible for these phases to repeat themselves, and recur multiple times throughout one’s life, creating a cyclical nature in which there is no true beginning or end.

Types of Tarot Spreads

There are many types of Tarot spreads. Perhaps the most classic is an eleven-card layout called The Celtic Cross (11 cards including the Significator). There is also a Tree of Life spread, a Planetary spread, the Tetraktys spread, and the Pentagram spread, among many, many others. Some readers like to do simpler, smaller spreads using only three cards. A three-card spread can have many interpretations in and of itself, such as Past-Present-Future, Mind-Body-Spirit, or Situation-Action-Outcome. The variation of three-card spreads is virtually endless.

Reversed Tarot Cards

Tarot card illustrations are generally a single image in an upright position, unlike common playing cards that display a dual image facing both right-side-up and upside-down. When Tarot cards are collected and shuffled or moved about, they can show up upside-down in a reading. The reversed Tarot card can be interpreted in various ways. Many believe this simply means the significance of the card is present in your life, but its powers are weakened or blocked by something. Others believe it means you’re unwilling to work with the energy the card signifies. And yet others interpret a reversed Tarot card to mean that the opposite or inverse of that card’s significance is present.

Some deck booklets (such as the classic Rider-Waite) provide you with an official “reversed” meaning along with the main divinatory significance of each card. When learning the Tarot, it’s advisable to stick with right-side-up interpretation, simply turning the card around if it falls upside-down, at least in the beginning. Many people omit the potential confusion of reversed cards by turning them all right-side-up and exploring the full spectrum of energy at play, including both shadow and light expressions.

Which is the Best Tarot Deck?

There is no “best” Tarot deck. The Rider-Waite is one of the oldest and most widely used decks, with original artwork dating back to the early 1900s. However, hundreds of decks with various themes have been created since then. You can find everything from fiction-based decks like Lord of the Rings, Alice in Wonderland, and My Little Pony, to other themes like Kamasutra, Steampunk, Hollywood, and even Gummy Bears (there’s really something for everyone). More universally relevant decks include The Crowley Thoth Tarot, The Golden Tarot, The Hermetic Tarot, The Wildwood Tarot, and many more. In choosing a deck, let your intuition guide you to whatever theme and imagery resonate with your soul and journey.

Learn More About the Tarot

Want to learn more about Tarot reading and the significance of the cards? Find my series of Tarot classes HERE.