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The Meaning of Tarot

The tarot (pronounced: tah-roh) can be explained in two ways.

Simple Definition: The tarot is a deck of 78 cards.

In-Depth Definition: The tarot is a symbolic system that combines the wisdom, philosophies, stories, morals, and life sciences of many cultures into 78 images. The unique images on the cards depict similar, archetypal personality traits and life situations through a narrative. Every spiritual lesson a person can experience in their lifetime is represented in the Tarot cards.

tarot cards

The History of Tarot Cards

The known origin of tarot cards dates back to Renaissance Italy, where they were initially used for playing a game similar to bridge. Around 1500, this game was renamed “Tarocchi,” which is where the name Tarot comes from.

The idea of using the cards for divination developed alongside their use in games, much like the use of dice for games and fortune-telling.

Today, there are three predominant tarot systems:

Marseille (~ 1440)
Rider-Waite-Smith (1909)
Thoth (1969)

I use and present the Rider-Waite-Smith system.

Its symbolism draws from various sources, including:

Numerology
Judeo-Christian symbolism
Kabbalah
Greco-Roman mythology
Egyptian mythology
Hermeticism
Western astrology
Alchemy
Neoplatonism

Don’t let all these -ologies and -isms intimidate you. You don’t need to delve deeply into them to use tarot. However, knowing a few concepts can make it much easier and quicker to grasp the system and confidently interpret the cards from the beginning.

I’ll share these tricks with you, just keep reading! 🙂

Fun Fact:

The word TAROT aims to symbolize the eternal cycle of existence with the first/last T. Paul Foster Case, an American occultist, created the phrase “ROTA TARO ORAT TORA ATOR” from this tetragrammaton, which translates to “The Wheel of Tarot speaks the Law of Ator (Athor).”

Overall, tarot is a tool.

It means something different for everyone.

You can think of it as a mirror, a map, or a picture book in pieces. It could even be seen as an ancient version of Google Translate, converting the language of “what am I missing, what do I need to know” into “okay, now I understand/see.”

It’s important to clarify that using tarot cards is NOT about predicting the future!

Tarot cannot tell you that you’ll meet your husband, named Pista, in 2028, or that you shouldn’t go to the beach next Sunday because you’ll get sunburned.

If it could predict the future, it would imply that everything is set in stone and you have no free will to make your own decisions in the present.

The drawn cards depict your current mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual conditions.

They also show what challenges, questions, or problems might arise if you continue on your current path – and what steps you can take now if you want to change direction and achieve your goals in the future.

tarot cards

Fortune-Telling with Tarot Cards? Tarot vs. Oracle Cards

Just like “all bugs are insects, but not all insects are bugs,” tarot cards can be used for “fortune-telling” — although I don’t like to emphasize this — while oracle cards are not tarot cards.

The main difference lies in the structure of the system!

The structure, composition, and the meanings of the 78 tarot cards are always the same!

The images on the cards may vary, and there may be slight differences in the names, but the underlying messages of the cards are identical.

In contrast, oracle cards are much more flexible, can have any number of cards, and can be created on various themes.

Tarot Fortune-Telling

Neither is better than the other, and they can be used separately or together.

Personally, I find the most accurate readings are those where I use multiple decks.

Each deck highlights and brings a new perspective to the interpretation, making it more detailed, elaborate, and personal as we can delve deeper into various layers of the question.

For example, you might start a reading by drawing one or two oracle cards to outline the general theme or feeling about the situation.

This can be followed by a complete reading with the tarot cards.

Additionally, you can draw oracle cards at the end of the reading to provide further advice and suggestions for the final message.

Tarot Card Reading in Reality

When a question during a reading is strongly time-specific (meaning timing is crucial), I always explain that I cannot give an exact date.

As I mentioned earlier, the future and the timing of events are not set in stone!

We have free will over the decisions we make. The cards can indicate the likelihood of an event happening, but our actions — or lack thereof — determine the timing.

Moreover, actions alone are not enough; we must prepare for them first!

Before reaching a significant milestone in our life or taking a challenging step, we always need to learn some lesson. Actions can only occur when we are ready.

For instance, if a 3-card love tarot reading indicates the appearance or deepening of a relationship, for it to happen in reality, we need to:

Go on dates and meet new people — or at least be open and active.
Be mentally and emotionally ready — let go of past fears (perhaps an ex) or limiting beliefs about why it won’t happen.

The bottom line: We can’t just wait for things to fall into our lap!

The cards help illuminate what might be necessary for the desired event to materialize and at what point on the path we currently are.

With this knowledge, we can make more effective decisions, achieving our goals in a shorter time.

Structure and Composition of the Tarot Deck

The 78 cards of a tarot deck are divided into two major parts, known as arcana (from Latin: arcanum, meaning “hidden, secret remedy”):

Major Arcana – 22 cards

Minor Arcana – 56 cards

Major Arcana

tarot major arcana

The Major Arcana cards in tarot were considered the trump cards in the deck used in card games.

In a spread, they reveal the stage of the reading, highlighting the main archetypal themes, important life lessons, and karmic influences related to the situation at hand.

If we interpret our lives as a play, the Major Arcana cards represent the main storyline and the key characteristics and roles of the protagonists.

The Major Arcana consists of 22 cards numbered from 1 to 21, with earlier decks using Roman numerals and more modern ones using Arabic numerals. The Fool card is considered unnumbered (0) — akin to the joker in card games — and can be placed at both the beginning and the end of the Major Arcana deck.

The 22 Major Arcana cards depict the story of the Fool’s journey, through which we learn about the new teachers he encounters and the life lessons he must learn. The World card (21) represents the fulfillment of his destiny, and as the cycle returns to the beginning, the Fool starts a new adventure.

At the beginning of the journey, the Fool is portrayed as a naive, innocent, and irresponsible child.

As he progresses, he encounters various roles in life — such as responsibility, care, leadership, failure, and eventual recovery — eventually returning to the start, where the journey begins anew.

Life consists of cycles (e.g., childhood, a new job, parenthood), and within each cycle, we progress through these 22 steps, leveling up before starting a new cycle.

In this sense, for example, the Death card doesn’t signify the Fool’s demise but rather represents the end of a particular life cycle and the transformation taking place. This transformation leads to a rebirth and the continuation of his journey.

The 22 Major Arcana Cards

The Fool (0) – Beginnings
Symbolizes the start of a journey, new beginnings, and potential.

The Magician (1) – Manifestation
Represents the power to create and manifest desires into reality.

The High Priestess (2) – Intuition
Embodies inner wisdom, intuition, and the mysteries of the unconscious mind.

The Empress (3) – Femininity
Symbolizes nurturing, abundance, and the essence of femininity.

The Emperor (4) – Authority
Represents structure, authority, and stability.

The Hierophant (5) – Wisdom
Signifies spiritual guidance, wisdom, and tradition.

The Lovers (6) – Choices
Reflects relationships, choices, and the concept of unity and harmony.

The Chariot (7) – Determination
Symbolizes triumph, determination, and the will to overcome obstacles.

Strength (8) – Courage
Represents inner strength, courage, and patience.

The Hermit (9) – Introspection
Reflects solitude, introspection, and inner guidance.

Wheel of Fortune (10) – Life Cycles
Represents change, cycles of life, and destiny.

Justice (11) – Fairness
Symbolizes fairness, justice, and the importance of balance.

The Hanged Man (12) – Surrender
Represents letting go, surrender, and seeing things from a different perspective.

Death (13) – Transformation
Signifies endings, transformation, and the start of new phases.

Temperance (14) – Patience
Embodies balance, moderation, and patience.

The Devil (15) – Constraints
Represents temptation, limitations, and the shadow self.

The Tower (16) – Upheaval
Symbolizes sudden change, disruption, and revelation.

The Star (17) – Hope
Reflects hope, inspiration, and renewal.

The Moon (18) – Illusion
Represents illusions, dreams, and the subconscious.

The Sun (19) – Success
Symbolizes success, joy, and clarity.

Judgement (20) – Reflection
Embodies evaluation, reflection, and the call to action.

The World (21) – Completion
Represents completion, fulfillment, and the end of a cycle.

Minor Arcanum

Structure and Meaning

The 56 cards of the Minor Arcana are divided into four suits, each associated with a different elemental aspect and aspect of human experience:

Wands: Fire Element, Spiritual Aspect
Represents inspiration, growth, and creativity. In medieval times, this suit symbolized the peasantry.

Swords: Air Element, Mental Aspect
Symbolizes thoughts, conflicts, and challenges. It was associated with the nobility.

Cups: Water Element, Emotional Aspect
Reflects emotions, relationships, and intuition. This suit was linked to the clergy or statesmen.

Pentacles: Earth Element, Material Aspect
Represents material concerns, resources, and practicalities. It corresponded to merchants and artisans.

Each suit contains:

10 Numbered Cards: From Ace to Ten
These cards reflect various situations and challenges in daily life.

4 Court Cards:

Page: Represents youthful energy, curiosity, and new beginnings.

Knight: Symbolizes action, ambition, and pursuit of goals.

Queen: Embodies nurturing qualities, wisdom, and emotional insight.

King: Represents authority, mastery, and control.

The Minor Arcana cards depict the more immediate, practical aspects of life, addressing day-to-day challenges and situations. They provide insight into temporary and practical matters, offering a different perspective compared to the broader, more significant lessons of the Major Arcana.

In the theater analogy, the numbered cards are like various scenes in the plot, representing different situations and events. The court cards are akin to actors or their roles, each bringing their unique characteristics and personalities into the story.

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Tarot Card Meanings

Beginners often make the mistake of relying solely on textbook definitions to interpret tarot readings, rather than trusting their own intuition. They might feel the need to consult a guidebook for each card’s meaning, which can detract from the personal insight that a tarot reading can offer.

Sound familiar? 🙋 I’ve definitely been there myself.

The problem with this approach is that it removes the “personal touch” from the reading, limiting and simplifying the message of the spread. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when each card can have multiple interpretations, especially when considering their upright or reversed positions.

Avoid Common Mistakes

Don’t stress about memorizing every card’s meaning! As you practice more, you’ll become increasingly familiar with the cards.

To help you interpret the 40 numbered cards of the Minor Arcana, I recommend using two systems:

Numerology/Basic Numerological Meanings

Four Suits/Elements

 

Numerology Basics:

Here’s a quick guide to the meanings and energies of the numbers 1 through 10:

1: New beginnings, inspiration, initiation, independence

2: Balance, relationships, partnerships

3: Love, creation, manifestation

4: Stability, foundation, manifestation

5: Conflict, challenge, self-examination, change

6: Harmony, growth, decision-making

7: Spirituality, knowledge, questioning

8: Action, manifestation, abundance

9: Fulfillment, acceptance

10: Completion, renewal

 

Four Suits/Elements:

Each suit represents different areas of life:

Wands: Passion, motivation, energy

Swords: Intellect, thoughts, mindset, communication

Cups: Emotions, feelings, creativity, relationships

Pentacles: Material world, finances, career, studies

 

Combining Information:

By integrating the number and suit information, you can interpret the broader meaning of a Minor Arcana card.

For example, consider the Two of Pentacles:

2: Balance, relationships, partnerships

Pentacles: Material world, finances, career, studies

Interpretation: The Two of Pentacles suggests balancing various aspects of the material world, such as finances or career responsibilities.

To further refine your interpretation, pay attention to the imagery on the card. The illustrations often provide additional context and nuances to the card’s message.

Interpreting the court cards in the Minor Arcana can be challenging due to their varied meanings. It’s essential to consider the context provided by other cards in the spread and the question being asked. Court cards can represent:

Specific individuals

Types of people or personality traits

Different aspects of your own personality and roles

Events

 

Court Cards Overview:

Page:

Description: A young, energetic, enthusiastic individual who is eager for new challenges. This card may symbolize a child, a young adult, or someone who is young at heart.

Interpretation: Represents new ideas, feelings, perspectives, or a new phase in life. It signifies the inception of an idea or the early stages of a project.

Knight:

Description: An action-oriented, experienced, yet sometimes impulsive person. Typically an adult between 20 and 35 years old.

Interpretation: Indicates movement, change, and action based on new ideas. Represents someone who is actively pursuing their goals or implementing new strategies.

Queen:

Description: An experienced, mature, nurturing, and supportive person. This can refer to a woman between 30 and 50 years old or the feminine side of a man.

Interpretation: Reflects creativity, the realization of ideas, feminine sexuality, and motherhood. This card signifies nurturing and developing an idea or project.

King:

Description: A mature, successful, stable, and authoritative individual. Typically a man over 40 or represents dominant masculine energies.

Interpretation: Represents mastery, control, and the ability to influence the world. This card indicates establishing, building, and completing significant projects or ideas.

 

Practical Insight:

For example, the Two of Pentacles might suggest that you are juggling multiple responsibilities and need to manage your time and resources effectively.

Court Cards and Personality Types:

Interestingly, court cards are sometimes linked to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality types. Each court card can reflect different personality traits corresponding to the 16 MBTI types.

 

Ready to Practice?

Before diving into the practical use of tarot cards, let’s review the essential steps and considerations to effectively integrate these insights into your readings.

Things to Do Before Using the Cards

Before diving into the tarot reading, it’s important to understand that the circumstances surrounding the tarot card reading are as crucial to the process as the cards themselves!

A confidential atmosphere, attention to each other or to oneself, creates the opportunity for the message to surface and become interpretable.

If we simply pull 3 cards in the middle of preparing and serving breakfast, we won’t be in the right state to understand what the cards are trying to convey, and we may end up more confused than before we started.

Pay attention to these 4 aspects:

Physical Space
The physical space refers to the environment where the reading takes place. It should be safe, calming, and orderly. Avoid unnecessary distractions, as they can detract from the focus of the reading. While it’s not necessary to light candles or use crystals, they can add special energies. Customize your space! Diffuse essential oils or make yourself a nice tea. You can sit in complete silence, but if soft music helps you relax, that’s fine too. Make sure you’re physically relaxed, sit comfortably, avoid crossing your arms or legs, and take a few deep breaths to relax!

Mental Space
The mental space refers to a clear and focused mind. During the tarot reading, concentrate solely on the question and not on what you need to buy at the store tomorrow or where you need to rush in half an hour. If you don’t have time for meditation or yoga beforehand (though a short session is recommended), then deep breathing exercises can help.

Emotional Space
The emotional space is crucial. Our emotions reveal our stance on a problem or question. Before the reading, release any accumulated emotions and become open to what you need to hear. Pay attention to your feelings during the reading and connect with your inner, intuitive voice, as the answer (or part of it) is already within you.

Spiritual Space
The spiritual space may be the hardest to grasp as it often intertwines with the previous 3 spaces. Let go of expectations about the reading and the outcome, and allow yourself to dedicate this time to yourself. During a tarot reading, you connect with your soul, and there is no need for forcing, only allowing.

Using Tarot Cards

I hope you’re still with me, because now we’ve reached the part that’s probably of most interest to you: the “How”.

How do you use the cards?

What should I do?

How do I find out what the message is?

I’ve compiled the process for you in 7 steps, so by the end, you’ll be able to use the tarot cards yourself.

Step 0: Obtaining and Familiarizing Yourself with the Deck

If you don’t have your own deck yet, it’s time to get one!

You might have heard various tales about how you should only read tarot if you received the cards as a gift and didn’t buy them yourself.

Why should you wait for someone else?

Unfortunately, not everyone is as lucky as I was.

If you feel open to the idea and have a strong urge to try it out, you should definitely listen to that call!

If you’re a complete beginner, I recommend starting with the original Rider-Waite-Smith deck, as all modern decks are based on it. If you can use that one, you’ll have no trouble with others.

If you’re actively researching the world of tarot, you might come across advice encouraging you to use the cards intuitively and not to pay too much attention to traditional meanings.

I partially agree with this!

However, if you’re a complete beginner and try to figure things out based on a few images, you might quickly become confused.

Before diving into anything, take some time to get familiar with the deck and the cards.

Look at the images!

Read the sections “The Structure and Composition of the Deck” and “Meanings of the Tarot Cards” if you haven’t already!

Browse through the accompanying booklet of the deck.

You’ll feel much more confident because this special world will already be familiar to you!

Step 1: Setting Up the Environment

In the section “Things to Do Before Using the Cards”, I go into detail about what this involves, so be sure to read it if you haven’t already!

Step 2: Focusing on the Essence of the Question

Whether you’re reading for yourself or for someone else, it’s always important to clearly and specifically define the purpose of the reading—i.e., what question you want to get an answer to. The two extremes that usually occur are overly specific or too general questions.

Overly Specific: When will I meet my future husband?

Too General: Tell me about my life, what do I need to know?

What’s wrong with these?

With the first one, it’s time-specific and conditional, i.e., that you will be married.

With the second one, it takes too much time to figure out what the message might be referring to. If the question is vague or general, unfortunately, the answer will be too.

Instead, try to phrase the essence of the question in terms of what you (or the person you’re reading for) need to focus on or learn in a specific area of life.

For example:

What does a healthy relationship look like for me?

How do I know if I’m ready for a relationship?

What do I need to do to be ready for a relationship?

Which area of my life am I not paying enough attention to?

What are my prospects if I stay at my current job?

How can I make the most of the situation?

Once you have a specific question, focus on it during the shuffling and drawing of the cards.

If the reading isn’t centered around a specific question but rather on personal or business goals, focus on that goal!

Step 3: Choosing a Spread

My very first spread was a 10-card Celtic Cross.

Let’s just say I had no idea what I was doing or what the message was. While the Celtic Cross is a great spread for those experienced with tarot, it can be too complex for a beginner.

Instead, I recommend starting with a 3-card spread (for example, a 3-card love tarot reading).

It’s simple, easy to use, and still provides a clear picture.

Here are some examples you can confidently try:

General:

Past – Present – Future

Situation – Action – Outcome

Situation – Obstacle – Advice

 

Relationships and Love:

You – Them – The Relationship

What You Want – What They Want – Where the Relationship Is Heading

What Brings You Together – What Stands Between You – What You Need to Focus On

 

Decision Making:

Option 1 – Option 2 – Additional Information for the Decision

Pros – Cons – Advice

Opportunity – Challenge – Outcome

 

Self-Knowledge:

Mind – Body – Spirit

You – Your Current Path – Your Potential

What to Stop – What to Start – What to Continue

Sometimes, you might feel that you’re missing some information for a complete picture.

In such cases, you can draw clarifying cards related to a specific aspect of the question, but it’s important not to overdo it.

Don’t draw cards one after another until you get the desired message!

I recommend a maximum of 3 additional cards.

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Step 4: Shuffling the Cards

There are many ways to shuffle the cards, and there are no strict rules on how to do it.

Do it the way you would with a deck of playing cards and in a way that feels comfortable to you. There’s no need to overcomplicate things.

However, it’s important to think about the question or the goal while shuffling!

If you’re a beginner, I don’t recommend using reversed cards, as they can be confusing. Once you become more familiar with the cards, you can incorporate reversed cards into your readings.

You can cut the deck before drawing, although I don’t always do this—it depends on how I feel.

Once you’ve finished shuffling, it’s time to draw the cards.

There are various rules you might read about this.

Some say it doesn’t matter which hand you use to draw—others say you should only use your left hand (if you’re right-handed).

Do this based on your intuition.

Don’t try to overthink the drawing process; trust your inner guidance. Trust yourself and let your intuition guide your hand. Lay out the cards in the order you draw them.

There are also no strict rules about what to do with cards that fall out during shuffling.

Some people include these cards in the reading, believing they fell out for a reason, while others only work with the cards drawn by hand. I leave this to your own intuition.

Step 5: Interpreting the Cards

Once the spread is complete, examine each card individually:

What is your first impression?

What feelings arise from the images?

What thoughts come up regarding the images?

What detail stands out the most to you, and what might it symbolize?

What is the color scheme of the card, and what does it remind you of?

Are there cards from the Major Arcana?

Once you’ve looked at each card, analyze how they relate to each other:

How do they connect?

Are there recurring motifs?

If there are people in the images, how do they relate to each other? Are they looking at each other or turning away?

Some cards may appear very negative at first glance.

If such a card comes up in your reading, don’t panic!

These cards are meant to draw your attention to challenges so you can face them and grow. Don’t see them as bad omens, but rather as guidance on what you need to notice or learn.

At first, interpreting the cards might be challenging. It’s okay to refer to card descriptions, but don’t rely solely on them or cling to them! Each card has many meanings—focus on what is relevant to the question at hand. Most importantly, trust your intuition!

In the long run, it can help speed up your interpretation if you remember a few key words for each card. This will develop over time as you use the cards more.

Step 6: Formulating the Answer

Imagine that the cards you’ve drawn are frames from a movie. There are two key aspects to consider:

Plot Development: What is the story? How does the narrative unfold?

Connection to Your Question: How does this story relate to your question? What does it illuminate?

It’s easy to get lost in the individual images and symbols, and sometimes we try to articulate something very profound or overcomplicate simple threads.

Don’t overcomplicate!

Avoid searching for twenty alternative explanations or unnecessary details.

Answer the question you formulated at the beginning of the reading clearly and understandably, as if you were explaining what has been happening to you recently to your best friend.

Step 7: Evaluation and Reflection

If You’re Reading for Yourself:

It’s always a good idea to record your readings!

You might even want to keep a separate tarot journal for this purpose.

Write down the following:

Date

Exact Question

Type of Spread

Drawn Cards in the Proper Order

Key Insights

Formulated Answer

A few weeks later, review your notes and see:

How the situation actually developed

What was realized from the description

How the cards manifested in your real life

What new aspects of the spread you have noticed

What new things you’ve learned about yourself or the cards’ meanings

If You’re Reading for Someone Else:

When helping others, it’s very important to allow them space to reflect on the reading at the end.

Ask them what resonates with their situation and what doesn’t, and what they can or cannot identify with.

This helps clarify the message even further.

The Essence

Tarot is useful for many things:

Provides guidance

Helps with decision-making

Connects you with your intuition

One thing is certain:

It’s one of the best tools for self-discovery!

The good news is, all you need for this is a tarot deck!

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