major arcana
Let The Tarot Speak To You
I can remember, like it was yesterday, the first time I picked up a deck of Tarot cards and it spoke to me. As I recall, it was the Four of Swords card that was my first introduction to the deck. What it revealed to me at the time was daunting. “You don’t do this often enough…and we are going to show you how,” the card said.
I was surprised and intrigued! So, I pulled another card. This time it was one of the Major Arcana cards. Death, to be exact. This time the card said, “Changes are coming, and you must do it and not be afraid. We will get through this together, but you have to let go of the old in order to embrace the new.”
This, mind you, was all happening during my first Saturn Return around age 29. I already had ‘all hell breaking loose’ as it was. I’d left a ‘good job,’ which I hated. My mother did not understand and, since she worked for the government, even called her friends at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)…because I was thinking of leaving town. I actually did leave, but turned around and came right back, but that’s a story for another day.
So, my Saturn Return was complicated enough, and it was about to get even more so. Talking Tarot cards, indeed! But so it was that they spoke to me. And that was how I got to know each of them, along with much further reading and studying, of course. But nothing can give you the true feel for a Tarot card, but a Tarot card itself.
The cards continued to communicate with me throughout the years, and eventually they decided it was time I share what they say with others. So, here we go with three of my favorite examples of what they have to say.
Making The Tarot Work For You
The Tarot can be used to gain greater understanding, improve our intuition, and predict what may happen in our lives. But what many fans of the Tarot often do not appreciate, is that the Tarot can also be used productively in everyday life.
The Tarot is a mystical tool that will work differently for everyone. In fact, the meaning and message of the cards will be unique to every situation. For example, if you’re the type of person who typically notices patterns in nature, from images in clouds to numerical patterns, such as license plates, then Tarot will be a natural connection for you.
The Powerful Wisdom Of The Major Arcana
There are 78 cards in a traditional Tarot deck. The first 22 are called the Major Arcana. The word ‘arcana’ comes from a Latin word arcanum, which means ‘ancient secrets’ or ‘mysteries.’
The 22 Major Arcana cards, starting with The Fool and leading all the way to The World, are all archetypes that represent hidden knowledge that many centuries ago were privy to those who worked closely with spirit.
When we consult a Tarot deck, the Major Arcana cards take us on a journey into another world, accessing ancient truths and divine law. In psychic Tarot readings the Major Arcana cards can describe attributes of people and their character traits, but most often represent the spiritual lessons we go through in life. Continue reading
Language Of The Tarot
When reading Tarot, it is always important to consider each card in the context of the spread. Each card has differing meanings, based on the context of the whole.
For example, the Three of Swords represents heartache, sadness, loss, grief. However, let’s say it comes up along with the Chariot, which represents moving forward with success. Together, the context of these two cards might shift to something like moving beyond sadness. However, this meaning might shift even further, based on the rest of the cards in the spread.
Reading single cards only, would be like trying to convey a message with just one word. Instead one should think of a Tarot spread as representing a full sentence, while each card represents a word in that sentence. Continue reading
Tarot For Everyone
Even if you’re not already practicing divination, chances are you know something about the Tarot. This is one of the oldest divination tools known to man and, with its countless individual variations, presents an opportunity for anyone wanting to know more about them self to find out.
Before you start a Tarot reading always clear your thoughts and focus on your questions when shuffling your cards. If you’re wanting to read cards, or have them read for you, you’ll want to invest in a good deck. It’s important to choose one which reflects your taste and personality. If you’re just starting out, the classic Rider-Waite deck is a always a good choice.
Every Tarot deck contains 78 cards of Major Arcana consisting of 22 cards and Minor Arcana consisting of 56 cards. Study one card at a time to learn its meaning. A good book on the subject can also help. Continue reading