What Are They
Tarot
cards consist of a total of 78 cards. These cards are separated into major and
minor “arcana,” a word that in Latin means, secret. The minor arcana is very
much like a regular deck of playing cards with suits of hearts, diamonds, clubs
and spades (although they had different names in the middle ages – swords,
batons, cups and coins). While the major arcana is made up solely of picture
cards. These picture cards are the ones most people associate with tarot and
fortune telling. Here we find such cards as the magician, death, the fool and
even the devil.
Origins and Uses
The
exact origin of the first tarot cards is unknown but there is a strong argument
that they originated in Egypt and that their name is a rough derivative of the
Egyptian god Thoth.
In
Egypt, Thoth was the god who kept the universe in order and was highly skilled
in the art of magic. So it’s not a far stretch to see where cards that are
meant to magically reveal ones future in the universe could be ascribed to him.
However,
as ancient as these supposed origins of tarot are, what we know as tarot cards
today didn’t show up until the fifteenth century in Italy. These cards are said
to have been brought to Italy, and eventually the rest of Europe, by gypsies.
Originally,
gypsies used these cards to play several different card games that could be bet
and gambled on. But over time they found their niche as fortune telling cards.
In
a way, tarot became a form of therapy or self help. If a person was concerned
over the future, or plagued with a tough decision, or maybe even unhappy and
didn’t know what to do to make it better, they would seek out the help of a
gypsy fortune teller. The fortune teller would have that person shuffle the
cards while focusing on their problem. Then the fortune teller would “read” the
cards. By read, I mean that they would turn over cards and tell the fortune
seeker what they represented. Thus putting the translation of the cards into
the hands of the person with the problem rather than assigning any meaning to
the “whole” of the reading themselves.
Modern Day
Now
days, the use of tarot is very much the same. Among mystic groups it’s seen as
an invaluable tool and people still seek out the aid of the cards for making
decisions in both their personal and professional lives. But it’s no longer
necessary to have a “reader” of the cards. It is now thought that a person is
completely capable of using the cards themselves to find answers to their
questions. Some even use the cards daily as a way to place focus or meaning on
the day. For example: if one turns up the “Sun” card, they might use it as a
reminder to use their creative side when facing the day’s challenges.
That
said, most fairs and carnivals still have an old gypsy fortune telling booth that’s
steeped in mystery and dripping with the promise to each and every passerby a
clear view into their future for the mere price of a dollar.
A pack of Halloween themed tarot cards
The Devil: Represents struggle, manipulation, decisions
and potential.
The Tower: Represents Change, speed, and insight.
The Hanged Man: Represents viewpoints, hope, the
unconscious and waiting.
Comments and Questions
If
you have any comments, questions or anything to add, be sure to leave a comment
here or contact me at Aislinnmarshallwriter@gmail.com or through my website AislinnMarshall.com
