Learn What Tarot Is and How to Read Tarot Cards - Unlock the Secrets of the Universe
What are tarot cards?
Tarot consists of cards with images representing certain qualities or characteristics. Each card has a different meaning depending on how you interpret it. For example, the Fool card can represent the start of a journey. The High Priestess card can correlate with the subconscious mind. The Lovers card can symbolize the power of love. The death card shows an ending or a new beginning (not always physical death as most people fear). Though this can vary on personal divination practices, it’s all up to the reader. Some folks use astrology in their tarot practice too, but it’s not required.
Some cards are associated with different aspects of life such as your career, finances, and relationships. The meanings of these cards are told through the imagery on the cards and their position in the reading. Each suit is also correlated with an individual element. This is Earth, air, fire, and water.
Can you read the future with tarot?
People perceive that tarot readers have magical powers, but there's more to it. Divination gives us the opportunity to take a peek into fate verse free will. Many believe the tarot reader has the ability to see what will happen in the future simply by looking at the cards. But this is not true. The cards only represent possibilities based on the situation in the person’s life at the time that the reading takes place. The interpreter develops meanings and correlations for the cards over time and many readings.
Another misconception is that only a select few can see into the future while others can not. This is far from the truth. Tarot cards are a form of divination. Divination is an act or art of predicting the future by using spiritual means or by the use of a personal method. This can happen through prayer, dreams, meditation, crystal gazing, pendulums, or even playing cards.
The use of divination dates back to ancient times. There is evidence that people would once use crystals and astrology to make predictions of the future and one's life. Astrologers did this based on information about someone's birth time and place. These forms of divination have been passed on from generation to generation throughout the years as a form of spiritual wisdom. Tarot cards are a unique form of divination since they're so personal to the reader.
The framework of a tarot deck.
The tarot deck consists of 78 unique cards divided into 22 major arcana cards and 56 minor arcana cards. The major arcana cards represent the major events in a person’s life. The minor arcana represents smaller events or situations that are less significant but may still have an effect on the person’s life.
There are a total of four suits that correspond to each card. These suits help interpret the various meanings of the cards and how they connect to one another. These suits are the Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. Each suit corresponds to a different energy type. For example, the suit of wands correlates to elemental fire. It’s important to keep the elements in mind when interpreting tarot cards. When you learn the elements, it helps the tarot interpretation become more clear.
The cards sometimes show up in very literal ways too. The Wheel of Fortune represents the cycles of life and rebirth and the rise and fall of fortune. Justice is the representation of fairness and the balance of good and evil. The Empress represents the Earth element and fertility.
Like stated previously, the more you practice the art of reading tarot cards, the easier it is to interpret them. There’s no secret or innate gift that you must have. Anyone is able to develop and deepen their relationship with the omens that are ever present around us. Learning the 4 elements and choosing a tarot card deck that resonates with you will speed up your divination process. Just remember to take everything the cards say with a grain of salt, and to have fun with your readings when you’re just beginning.