An Introduction to Tarot - Introduction Tarot Card Meanings
The true Tarot is symbolism. It speaks a language that arises from the collective mind of man. Deep understanding of the inner meaning of the symbols in the cards gives mystic powers and esoteric wisdom on the highest plane.
Meaning of Tarot
Various contradicting suggestions have been given to explain the original meaning of the word Tarot. They range from old Egyptian origin to a card maker from the French village Taraux who may have produced the original Tarot cards :
- Torah (Hebrew), The divine law - Law giver
- Thoth Egyptian God
- Tarosh (Egyptian), The Royal way
- Tarro (Egyptian), Royal path tar - path, ro - king
- Torah - Torus in sacred geometry
- Taurus astrology
- Rota (Latin), Wheel - Wheel of Karma - Wheels within wheels
- Taro river close to Northern Italian city of Parma
- Taru (Hindu), Cards
- Troa (Hebrew), Gate
- Tares, meaning the dot border on old cards
- Tarotee, meaning a pattern on the backs
The only thing we know for certain is that Tarot is a French word in which the last âtâ is not pronounced. Those who insist on pronouncing it anyway, want to emphasize that the first and last âtâ belong together, almost overlapping each other as if the word were written in a circle on a wheel, which is one further meaning of the word : rota (Latin) - the wheel. The true meaning still remains an enigma.
Advantages of Tarot Reading
- Character analysis
- Glimpses of the future
- Solutions to immediate dilemmas
- Helping in meditation
Tarot Decks
The typical 78 card Tarot deck is structured into two distinct parts. The first, called the Trump cards, consists of 21 cards without suits, plus a 22nd card, The Fool, which is sometimes given the value of zero.
The second consists of 56 cards divided into four suits of 14 cards each. The traditional Italian suits are Swords, Batons, Coins and Cups. In modern Tarot decks, the Batons suit is commonly called Wands, Rods or Staves, while the Coins suit is often called Pentacles or Disks.
Among those who use Tarot cards for divination purposes, the Trumps are usually called Major Arcana, while the other cards are known as the Minor Arcana.
The 14 cards in each suit consist of an Ace, nine cards numbered 2 through 10 and four court cards.
The four court cards of the Tarot deck traditionally consist of the King, the Queen, the Knight and the Page.
In the present day Anglo-American world, the Tarot is usually seen either as a means of divination, the practice of ascertaining information from supernatural or other sources or in a more modern view, as a psychological tool for accessing the unconscious. However, early references such as a sermon refer only to the use of the cards for game playing and gambling. In some European countries such as France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Germany, Tarot games are still widely played.
Introduction to Tarot Cards
