Tarot: The Basics
From a fun little game to a method of reading fates, the trionfi or better known as tarot cards actually can be traced back in history to Italy in the 1400s. Although it wasn’t always used for fortune telling, the tarot card was always just that, cards. They were used as a card game that was similar to War. The higher suits would beat out the lower suits and whoever had the most won at the end of the game.
Today tarot is known for its importance in divination and fortune reading. But the actual card deck is made up of the same 4 suits; swords, pentacles, wands, and cups. Similar to the diamonds, spades, clubs, and hearts, they comprise of the numbers 1-10 and a king and queen. In tarot there is a knight instead of a jack. As well as these minor arcanas, there are major arcanas. These consist of the empress, the high priestess, the lovers, and a couple of others. The major arcanas represent pivotal aspects of being human that everyone experiences, and the minor arcanas are the unique traits of day to day living depending on the person.
How do you learn tarot? Tarot is an art form, something that takes a lot of time and effort and has different purposes and meanings depending on who is reading. Meanings and perceptions of cards have an approximate expectation however depending on who is reading, who is being read, and what the message is, the meanings of the cards are flexible. They have the same general meanings but are often interpreted slightly differently to help see clarity in a reading.
It is hard to teach someone to be able to read tarot in this small blog post, but I can definitely give you some tips on how to approach it.
When choosing a deck, choose a deck that resonates with you. A deck that is meant to be for you will find you and call for you.
Just like crystals and your other spiritual tools, no matter what deck you buy, it is important to cleanse your deck.
Similarly, try to create a connection with your deck. This can be done by sleeping with the deck under your pillow or under your covers or even carrying your tarot around with you on mundane errands.
The strong connection you have with your deck the more naturally readings and understanding the deck will me.
Death does not mean death (at least most of the time). Death can mean a rebirth or an end of a cycle. So although the card might have a scary connotation, it can actually signal the end of a toxic or sad period in one’s life.
Associate a single or a couple words to a card to make it easy to connect the cards to each other. The looser the definition is of each card, the easier they will work with each other.
Practice makes perfect. Try practicing reading on yourself and trusted family or friends. The more comfortable you are with the cards, interpreting them, and their meanings the easier it will be to have readings that resonate with the person you are reading to.
At the end of the day Tarot can be used for both serious and lighthearted reasons and everyone’s relationship with the cards differ so the entire tarot card learning process is done mainly on feel. How do you believe these cards go together, what do you feel is the message that is trying to be conveyed. So if you are interested in trying your hand at tarot, come down to Harry’s World and check out the huge selection of both beginner and expert decks.