Tarot Cards for Beginners
No one truly knows how old the practice of
reading tarot cards is or where they originated.
Their mystery is very old and their allure
is still great. Many say that the gypsies,
who originated from Asia, were the creators
of the Tarot while others claim that the
Ancient Egyptians read and decorated the
first deck. It may seem difficult at first
to read these beautiful cards, but, in fact
they are very simple to read. One must only
put together the symbols to be able to interpret
what their futures hold.
Tarot cards are split into two groups: The
Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. The Major
Arcana foretells big events or changes in
one's life while the Minor Arcana gives a
more detailed outlook. The Minor Arcana is
also laid out like a deck of regular playing
cards. In fact, the Tarot is where playing
cards originated from. However, the four
symbols of the Minor Arcana are the swords,
hearts, coins/pentacles/shields, and the
spears/wands. It depends on the type of deck
you acquire for certain symbols. The most
popular deck of cards, which is called the
Rider-Waite Tarot, has swords, hearts, pentacles,
and wands. Remember, coins, pentacles, and
shields always mean the same thing.
The trickiest aspect of reading Tarot Cards
is remembering their meanings. Memorization
can be easy if one uses simple steps. All
the cards in the Major Arcana are numbered
from zero to twenty-one, starting with the
Fool and ending in the World, or Universe.
The Major Arcana are, perhaps, the easiest
cards to read because their titles bespeak
their meanings. For example, the fool is
usually regarded as one who doesn't think
before they speak or are too confident for
their own good. This is the fool's meaning.
However, when first learning the Tarot, always
get a good book to help guide you to these
meanings. The Lovers, for instance, may mean
a choice one has to make instead of an affair
or new romance. When first memorizing, only
memorize the positive, or upright meaning
of these cards. The reversed meanings can
be learned at a later time.
In the Minor Arcana, the initial symbols
will speak of the nature of the card. Swords
represent problems, hearts symbolize love,
pentacles speak of money, and wands represent
your social life and your work environment.
For example, if a Two of Hearts appears in
your spread, the number two symbolizes that
this card is under the High Priestess, which
is numbered two in the Major Arcana. This
card represents knowledge, wisdom, and a
nurturing nature. The hearts, of course,
means love. So if you put these two aspects
together, the Two of Hearts means that you
have a loving and nurturing relationship
in which both people reciprocate their feelings
equally. Another example is if a Seven of
Pentacles turns up in your spread. The number
seven specifies that the card is under the
Chariot and the pentacles symbolize money.
Thus, the Seven of Pentacles means that one
is going in the direction they need to take
in order to make more money for oneself.
The Court Cards in the Minor Arcana can be
confusing at times because most of them can
either represent a person or a situation.
It depends on where the card is in a particular
spread and what cards surround it. Some readers
narrow the meanings down to just representing
people. This practice is fine, but one has
a chance of misreading them as well. One
example is the Knight of Swords. This Knight
can represent a young person, usually in
their early twenties who is rash and burdens
others with his/her problems. The situation
meaning is similar in that news won't be
received about a particular event and the
person will become frustrated with delayed
plans. The cards that only symbolizes people
are the Kings. The King of Wands, symbolizes
a man in his thirties or older, who is popular
with his peers and is not sentimental. This
man will help a person, but may not stay
to finish a project. Some Tarot Readers link
astrology with the court cards to help better
find the person who the court cards signify.
The other important aspect of reading the
cards is, of course, the way they are laid
out to be read, or the Spread. The Celtic
Cross is the most popular and is easy to
interpret. Other spreads include the 21 Card,
the Tree, and the Astrological Spread. Keep
in mind that there is no right way to lay
out a spread. Everyone has their own rules
and habits of laying out the cards. Some
readers spread the Cards face down on a surface
for the other person to choose at random
while other readers deal the cards from the
top of the deck. The decision is up to the
reader.
As one comes to be more practiced in the
art of the Tarot, the memorization of the
reversed cards can take place. Many of these
cards mean the opposite of what they are
when they fall upright. However, don't take
that for granted. Memorize each and every
one because the meanings can be very challenging.
With these very basic rules, one can begin
to study and read Tarot Cards almost immediately.
Always let your intuition and heart lead
you in these readings and, if one's cards
are very negative, always give encouragement.
Remember, the Nine of Cups is the wish card,
so make sure the one getting the reading
makes a wish! Above else, have fun and a
light-hearted attitude towards this ancient,
beautiful practice.
|
© 2006 2007 MisticHouse.com All rights reserved.
For Entertainment Purposes Only. |
| No part of this site may be copied without
consent of the owner This Website and all
its contents are protected by copyright as
a collective work and/or compilation. Any
reproduction, modification, publication,
transmission, transfers, sale, distribution,
performance, display or exploitation of any
of the Content or Service, whether in whole
or in part, without the express written permission
of MisticHouse.com is prohibited. Please read our Disclaimers. |
|
