You’ve likely heard about tarot cards, but do you know what they are? We can help. Read on as we explore the meaning of tarot cards.
- Kevin
- February 12, 2022
- Common Questions
You’ve likely heard about tarot cards, but do you know what they are? We can help. Read on as we explore the meaning of tarot cards.
With the rise of all things spiritual, mystical, and witchy over the years, you’ve likely come across tarot cards — but what are they?
One of the most popular divination practices, tarot cards are often believed to tell the future or reveal someone’s fortune. However, this is far from the truth.
In this post, we are exploring tarot cards to uncover what they are, how they are used, and more. So if you’ve ever wondered about the meaning behind tarot, keep reading!
The noun tarot refers to a set of playing cards often used for mystical divination. Each card features its own imagery, symbolism, and story.
For some folks, tarot readings are nothing more than a handy party trick. For others, however, the Tarot deck is sacred, as it is a powerful tool with which to direct one’s life.
The standard deck of tarot cards consists of 78 cards that are divided into two groups: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.
The Major Arcana cards are the trumps, which are unsuited.
Numbered cards marked one through 21 with the 22nd card (the “Fool”) marked as zero, this group of cards represents a “fool’s journey.” These are the life lessons, karmic influences, and the big archetypal themes that are influencing your life as well as your soul’s journey to enlightenment.
The 22 cards that make up the Major Arcana tarot cards are as follows:
The 56 tarot cards that make up the Minor Arcana cards are divided into four suits:
Each suit contains 14 cards: ten cards in numeric order from the Ace (one) to ten, followed by the courts; Page, Knight, Queen, and King of each suit.
Unlike the Major Arcana, which represents major turning points in life, Minor Arcana tarot cards deal with the day-to-day events of life. The different suits and numbers pertain to different things that may happen.
The term tarot comes from tarocchi — an Italian word whose root, “taroch,” translates to “foolishness.” The use of the word taroch dates back to the 15th century when a card game called trionfi emerged, inspired by the theatrical festivals popular during the Italian Renaissance known as trionfo.
Trionfi cards typically featured hand-painted illustrations of personified and allegorical motifs. “The fool” joined the pack in the 16th century, and the game later became known as tarocho in Italy and taraux — a term that eventually evolved into tarot — in France.
If you’re new to tarot, you’ll likely come across new terminology that may leave you a bit confused. Not to worry, though, as we’ve put together a list of definitions associated with tarot to help widen your knowledge of the term below:
While many folks think tarot will reveal the future, the truth is that making predictions is not what tarot cards are really all about.
You see, tarot is essentially the storybook of our life, the mirror to our soul, and the key to our inner wisdom. It is perfect for self-development, making choices, manifesting goals, coaching others, meditating — you name it.
Designed to help you navigate through the circumstances of your life, tarot is a powerful tool for self-discovery and manifestation.
The term tarot cards refers to a set of 78 special cards used as a divination tool. Each tarot card is wonderfully unique, with its individual image, the stories it tells, and the symbolism embodied in them.
Now that you know what Tarot means, we invite you to grab a deck of tarot cards, tap into your intuition, and manifest your goals to create the future of your dreams!