When you think about psychic reading, you’ll first think of crystal and tarot cards. Tarot cards have become the most recognizable and popular method for psychic readings. Why? Because there’s easy access, there’s an excitement in using it, and people are mystified about what it can really do. Though the cards themselves do not have mystic power, they aid the psychic in gathering information about the client’s question and often propose a course of concrete action as an information organization system.
History of Tarot Cards
Tarot cards emerged in the mid-fifteenth century in Europe to play games such as tarochinni. From the late seventeenth century on, these cards were adopted by mystics for divination. The first known documented Tarot cards were created between 1430 and 1450 in northern Italy when additional trump cards with allegorical illustrations were added to the common four-suit pack. Over the next couple hundred years, the Tarot became associated with esoteric principles. Antoine Court de Gebelin, a French Protestant pastor, printed an essay on the esoteric meaning of the Tarot in 1773 that became the basis for much of Tarot theory.
In 1910 the publisher William Rider & Son produced a new tarot deck where every card was rendered with mystic symbolism. The next year, A. E. Waite published A Pictorial Guide to the Tarot to go with the new deck. It became and remained the most popular deck in the English-speaking world.
With the explosion of New Age teaching in the 1970s and 1980’s many new decks were designed with different themes. New decks debut often.
How Do Tarot Cards Work?
The Tarot is a very specific system of information gathering that is based on many arcane elements. Numerology, astrology, and alchemical symbols are worked in the meanings of the cards. While it is true that the intuition of the Tarot card reader is needed to render an accurate reading, it is also true that the symbols are embedded with specific information.
A Tarot deck is two decks combined together. In the first deck, the Major Arcana, twenty-two cards representing the spirit growth of man are sequentially numbered. The Major Arcana is best at answering questions about spiritual matters. When they appear in a reading, it indicates that it is best to resolve a matter in the highest, most moral way possible.
The second deck, called the Minor Arcana, contains four suits of fourteen cards. Each suit has ten numerically sequenced cards plus four court cards. The four suits are the basis of modern playing cards though they are named differently. Each suit has a specific area of human interest. For example, cups talk about relationships, Pentacles, money matters, Wands, communication and Swords, difficulties, and trials. Each of the suits relates to one of the four alchemical elements, and each numbered card is closely aligned with the meaning assigned to numbers in numerology. The court cards, the Page, Knight, Queen, and King, often indicate people related to the question at hand, illustrating qualities of the individual, even their coloring! Based on certain cards and their position of them in different spreads, a good Tarot reader can give you the timing of a future event.
Besides knowing the meaning of each number, the suits, and the Major Arcana, a Tarot reader must be prepared to interpret a card that is upside down, as that will have a different, and not always opposite, meaning of the card right-side up. Finally, there are many different spreads, the way to position cards, which are used to facilitate different kinds of readings. A good Tarot reader will be able to offer a variety of different spreads to bring the answers to questions in sharper focus.
A Sample Tarot Card Reading
The querent was considering a move to another part of the country. She thought it was a good idea as many aspects of her current life had come or were coming to a conclusion. The advantage would be to move closer to a much-loved sister and an easier climate in which to live. However, as you can see at first glance, the cards say “not so fast.”
The Celtic Cross is a popular spread often used for everyday matters. We first notice that out of the ten cards, nine are upside down. With so many cards at cross-purposes with the question, it indicates the client does not see the situation clearly. She needs to look more closely at the situation before she can make a decision.
The center card, the four of pentacles (reversed), indicates unsettled money matters. The Temperance card tells the querent she needs to slow down and take her time. The bottom card, the Tower, is usually an omen of disruption. However, the reversed position shows that things are not as bad as she thinks. The three of hearts (reversed) in the position of influences passing show that current unhappy situations are going away. The eight of wands, in the position of influences coming into being, talk about information she has not received. The Wheel of Fortune (reversed) tells her that the current situation will be upended to a different result. The card at the bottom of the column, the Queen of Cups, may be the client herself, seeing things emotionally instead of practically. The card above nine of swords (reversed) show that other people don’t want her to move. Above that, the King of Pentacles may provide a reason not to leave. The final card, the Ace of Wands (reversed), shows delays in current plans and promises the start of new things to come in her current location.
Is a Tarot Card Reading For You?
Tarot is a very flexible and accessible form of divination. Many people are amazed at a depth of information that a good Tarot card reader can reveal. Often it can uncover information the querent does not have. If you are looking for concrete answers to current problems, a Tarot reading is a good fit for you.
The example of a Tarot card reading is quite illustrative. It showcases how different card positions and orientations can affect the interpretation. The Celtic Cross spread analysis was particularly detailed and informative.
What stands out to me is the dual nature of the Tarot deck with the Major and Minor Arcana. The detailed explanation about each suit and their significance in readings is quite enlightening. It certainly adds depth to the understanding of how Tarot readings work.
The role of the Tarot card reader’s intuition in conjunction with the symbolic meanings embedded within the cards is notable. It highlights the blend of skill and interpretative art required for accurate readings.
Exploring the origins of Tarot cards and their evolution is quite insightful. Understanding the historical and cultural context behind their adoption for divination adds a valuable layer to the appreciation of their use in contemporary times.
The historical context provided is quite comprehensive. It’s fascinating to see how Tarot cards transitioned from simple card games to tools for divination. The connection between the cards and various esoteric principles is particularly intriguing.