Most people that you ask will probably tell you that tarot cards are used to tell the future. Of course, tarot cards can tell you the future, but they also can tell you so much more.
Tarot Cards
Tarot cards started as a parlor game, and they have been around since the 16th century. They eventually became a very useful tool for divination. Tarot and oracle cards are similar, but tarot cards have more rules than oracle cards.
There are special tarot card decks like the Raider-Waite deck that is very known and was made in 1909. These cards are popular, and they have 78 cards and they each have their own images and their own symbols. The cards contain 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards, and each card has its own meaning.
Major Arcana Cards
These are the cards that are called the trump cards. There are 21 cards that are numbered but the Fool card isn’t numbered. It is a card that teaches you a lesson along the way and it is sometimes called the Fool’s journey.
The Major Arcana cards are sometimes hard to understand, and they help you to understand your life lessons and the themes in your life.
Minor Arcana Cards
There are 56 cards in this group, and they relate to the challenges that you face in your life and the situation that you’re in. They help to represent the feelings and beliefs that you have. They have an energy that can influence your life and they are made up of four different suits including:
- Wands: These represent passions and sexuality. They are part of the fire element, and they also are about energy and creativity.
- Cups: This suit is one that shows love, feelings, and intuition. They are part of the water element.
- Swords: The sword cards are about your thoughts and actions, and they represent the air elements.
- Pentacles: This suit represents finances and your career.
Each of these suits have court cards that include a King, Queen, Page, and Knight. They can be interpreted in different ways depending on who is doing the reading.
Doing a Tarot Card Reading
Understanding the cards is very important. The cards will use your intuition to help you to understand how to read them. Here is how you can get started doing tarot card readings:
- Ask a Question
Start by asking a question that is open ended. It’s best to avoid yes or no questions. Here are some questions that you might ask:
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- What do I need to know about this situation?
- How can I understand what is happening in my life?
- Why do I feel anxious?
- What is an opportunity that I am missing?
- What do I need to focus on in my relationship?
- How can I move past this situation?
- Shuffling the Cards
After you ask the question, shuffle the tarot cards. Hold the deck in one hand and use the other hand to move the deck. You can also cut the cards into different piles and then put them back together.
Spreading the cards can be done with the cards laid out in a messy pile and swirling them around and then gathering them back together. There is no wrong or right way to shuffle the cards.
- Pick Your Cards
Once again, there is no wrong or right way to pick your cards. You can cut the deck with your dominate hand or your left or right hand and then pick up the card on top. Or you can hold the cards with your hand and then you can pick a card out of the gap.
You can also fan out the cards and then you can pick a card with your right hand that you don’t see. Pull a single card or you can pull a larger number of cards as you get the answers to your questions. Using a big spread as a beginner can be overwhelming, keep that in mind.
- Lay Out the Cards
Once you choose how to pick the cards, you have to lay them out. Turn them facing up so that you can see the images and you can look at the cards. Notice what the cards make you feel and what words or symbols come to mind.
- Interpreting the Cards
Keep your mind calm and stay connected with your intuition. Draw out a card and concentrate on it. You can look at the guide book to help you interpret the cards.
Start Easy
Start with an easy spread. There are so many spreads that it could take a lifetime to learn them all, but you can even choose a single card spread that is simple for you.
Three Card Spread
A three-card spread can help you to understand things in your life. Use your intuition and let it guide you. Here are what the cards mean:
- Card 1: Shows what you need to change in your life.
- Card 2: Gives you a direction on which way you should go.
- Card 3: Guides you towards your change.
Five Card Spread
Use this spread to have clarity and understanding. You can shuffle the cards and then pick the first five cards that you feel lead to pick. Here are what the cards mean:
- Card 1: Shows what is happening now.
- Card 2: Shows if you can deal with it easily.
- Card 3: Shows what lesson you have.
- Card 4: What is leaving you.
- Card 5: What is coming to you.
Look at the cards and think about your question. Focus on what answers you get and write them in your journal.
Self-Care Tarot Card Reading
It is important that you are mindful and that you meditate when you’re doing a tarot card reading. Use tarot cards each day or choose to do it weekly or monthly. You can do it anytime that you need it. As your intuition guides you and your spiritual self grows, you will get more wisdom when it comes to tarot reading.
Start doing tarot card readings each morning before you get ready for work and let them tell you how your day is going to go. This will help you to have more self-care and to have a better future.
Final Thoughts
Use your intuition to help you to connect with your tarot cards. This can help you to build relationships with others and to find out what path in life that you want to be on. Get the most out of each and every tarot card reading that you do.
While the practical aspects of tarot card reading are exhaustively covered, it would have been beneficial to include perspectives from psychology or other scientific viewpoints.
The article explains tarot card suits and their meanings very clearly. However, it’s essential to approach such practices with an open but critical mind.
The distinction between Major and Minor Arcana cards is well-explained. This seems to be a foundational aspect for anyone looking to understand tarot readings better.
The historical background provided in the article is quite insightful. It’s intriguing to see the evolution of tarot cards from a parlor game to a tool for divination.
The steps for performing a tarot reading are outlined in a manner that is easy to follow. This could be quite helpful for beginners.