The Tarot Cards

The actual origin of the Tarot is obscure and, although many people think that the cards originated in Egypt, there is some reason to suspect that they came from China. Paper was manufactured in both ancient Egypt and later in ancient China (using different processes), but each civilization had its own tradition of using illustrations to depict ideas and events.

Whatever the original source, the cards travelled westwards into southern Europe during the 14th century with travelling peoples, some of whom came via Egypt, which may be why such people became known as "gypsies."  Thus the images that have been handed down to modern Tarot card readers are those of life in the courts and the rural communities of those in medieval European cultures.

The influence of the original Tarot images spread far and wide, so that even today the figurative designs of chess pieces and playing cards derive from the traditional Tarot deck.

Each card embodies a story and many of them refer back to symbolic medieval figures or ideas but, when reading the cards today, we have to consider the relevance that they have, to life as we know it now. In fact, part of the challenge of the Tarot is to make people think creatively about their lives and situations. By imaginatively interpreting the old stories embodied in the cards ro teflect current realities, you can find new ways of looking at the events and personalities which surround you in your daily life.

The 78 - card Tarot deck is divided into two catagories, known as the Major and Minor Arcana. The character of a Tarot reading is influenced by the combinations in which these two catagories appear as the cards are dealt. The 22 Major Arcana cards each embody powerful symbols and, when  a proportionately greater number of these turn up in a reading, fateful changes loom in the future. The 56 Minor Arcana cards relate more to daily life, and, if a reading is dominated by them, the questioner is unlikely to be facing radical changes. However, even one or two Major Arcana cards standing out in a spread must be taken seriously.

The Minor Arcana is divided into four suits called Wands, Cups, Pentacles and Swords, and each of these suits has a character of its own. The court cards - the King, Queen, Knight and Page - represent characters which may affect one's life, but they can also illustrate an atmosphere or an environment. For example, a number of Cup court cards in a spread suggests an aura of love, companionship and support.

You can choose to keep your cards in the upright position (where all the cards appear the right way up to you) at all times, giving the positive aspects of each card. Or you may prefer to use both the upright and reversed positions (where the cards appear upside-down to you), which combine positive and negative aspects. The stories you make can be simple or complex. The choice of reading style is yours.

©Tarot by Sasha Fenton