The Tarot: An Overview
Tarot Cards are a divination tool consisting of 78 cards. There are 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana card. The Minor Arcana are split into four suites.
History
Tarot Cards have been used as a divination tool for centuries. It is believed that a version of the tarot, a series of cards with archetypes and meanings, were used as early as part of the Ancient Egyptian Mysteries. While a number of scholars believe that there were tarot decks throughout history, it wasn’t until the 15th century that any were reference as Tarot Card. Then it was referenced in a sermon preaching against games of chance.
Antoine Court de Gébelin believed that they were based in the Ancient Egyptian Mysteries and were inspired by Thoth. He also thought that the meanings of the cards were lost. The first known use of tarot cards as a divination tool was in the late 1700’s by Jean-Baptiste Alliette, though there were only 32 cards in the deck.
There is no proof that the cards were used in Ancient Egyptian. Some scholars think that they were brought to Europe by the Romany people. Others think that there is correlation between the Tarot and the Kabbalah, making them originated from Israel. Actually, no one knows where they really came from, but it is interesting how the Tarot Cards cross languages, cultural, geography and time.
The Major Arcana
The Major Arcana consists of 22 cards. They are:
The Fool
The Magician
The High Priestess
The Empress
The Emperor
The Hierophant
The Lovers
The Chariot
Strength
The Hermit
The Wheel of Fortune
Justice
The Hanged Man
Death
Temperance
The Devil
The Tower
The Star
The Moon
The Sun
Judgment
The World
The Minor Arcana
The Minor Arcana are split into four suites. Those four suites are titled depending on the type of Tarot Cards you are using. For the Animal Wise Tarot by Ted Andrews, they are The Winged Ones, The Four-Legged, The Ancients and The Shapeshifters. For the Steampunk Tarot by Barbara Moore, they are The Swords, The Wands, The Pentacles and The Cups, which are the more traditional titles.There are 14 cards in each suite. They are:
Ace: Swords, Wands, Pentacles, Cups
Two: Swords, Wands, Pentacles, Cups
Three: Swords, Wands, Pentacles, Cups
Four: Swords, Wands, Pentacles, Cups
Five: Swords, Wands, Pentacles, Cups
Six: Swords, Wands, Pentacles, Cups
Seven: Swords, Wands, Pentacles, Cups
Eight: Swords, Wands, Pentacles, Cups
Nine: Swords, Wands, Pentacles, Cups
Ten: Swords, Wands, Pentacles, Cups
Page: Swords, Wands, Pentacles, Cups
Knight: Swords, Wands, Pentacles, Cups
Queen: Swords, Wands, Pentacles, Cups
King: Swords, Wands, Pentacles, Cups
Notes:
Most of my information on The Tarot comes from either Ted Andrews’ Animal Wise Tarot (Amazon Associate Link) or Barbara Moore’s Steampunk Tarot (Amazon Associate Link) as those are the two decks that I use. Sometimes I incorporate information that I find on the internet. My favorite sites are listed towards the bottom of the page.
