A Brief History of Tarot

Tarot has a history. There is no question about that, but, just exactly what that history is remains a subject for debate. There are many theories about the history and origins of Tarot, some of them grounded in at least a few shreds of evidence, and others the stuff of romantic notions and glib speculation.

While learning about the history of Tarot can be fun and informative, there isn't much reason to get hung up on discovering the final and definitive pedigree of the cards. It won't change their use or value to you, however, learning a little about the history of Tarot just may may offer you greater confidence in their being an established part of human history (for whatever reasons) lasting hundreds of years.

If you wish to learn more about the history of Tarot cards, please select the tarot card icon to your left.

The Major Arcana

Take a look at an average deck of cards. You will find 52 cards divided into 4 suits with 2 Jokers. If you added to this 22 images covering archetypes of Death, Justice, Judgement, The Sun, The Moon and other culturally universal concepts, you would be creating one of the lynchpins of the modern day Tarot deck.

The Major Arcana (as it is known today) is comprised of these 22 images used to evoke an intuitive understanding of human interaction through both overt imagery and symbolism.

Of course, this wasn't always known as "the Major Arcana" and it was not always comprised of 22 cards in some specific order. The evolution of Tarot to present day is fairly long and involved. If you would like to learn more about the history of Tarot, you may want to check out the information to be found in the Tarot History we have provided elsewhere on this page.

It is, however, not necessary to be a veteran scholar of Tarot and its symbolism to grasp the meaning of these images, almost everyone who views these images can tell you what they make them think or feel. Those thoughts and feelings are generally pretty close to what is commonly accepted as an interpretation of the images.

This isn't accidental. This is the fundemental essence of archetypes. That all people from all cultures share some basic human experiences and concepts and those shared concepts can be evoked through images to provide an inroad for greater insight into the many situations and circumstances that are the inevitable result of living life.

If you wish to learn more about the Major Arcana of the Tarot please select the tarot card icon to your left.

Tarot Court Cards

You can still take that ordinary deck of playing cards and you will still have 52 cards divided into 4 suits with 2 Jokers. Among these suits you will find cards known as Kings, Queens, and Jacks. If you rename the Jacks to Knights and add 4 more cards, one to each suit, and call them Pages, you will have the collection known as "the Court Cards" found in a modern day Tarot Deck.

The purpose and meaning of the Court Cards is every bit as intuitional to the casual glance as were the images found in the Major Arcana. In every society, from the largest and most complex cultures known to humankind right down to the smallest micro-unit of culture, the family, there are stations in life. The authority and willpower of the King, the nurturing and emotions of the Queen, the action and expression of the Knight, and the information and apprenticeship of the Page, are all positions that everyone adopts at one time or another in their own experience.

It is traditional to assign elemental correspondences to these cards according to the primary and secondary masculine elements of fire and air and the primary and secondary feminine elements of water and earth. This would result in correspondences of Kings with Fire, Queens with Water, Knights with Air, and Pages with Earth, however, we would encourage you to examine these particular archetypical images against their traditional purposes. What do you know about the function of a Page? Did he or she serve a purpose of bearing messages and information as much, or even perhaps more, than the purpose of learning and education? Does this mean that a Page might more appropriately correspond with air than earth?

It is also possible to associate the Court cards with astrological signs, times of the year, or people that fit the description or image on the card. All these associations (and many we haven't listed...) are valid and it is this very flexibility in association that makes working with and interpreting the Court Cards so confusing for so many readers... Fear not... whatever interpretation feels the most natural for you is probably the one that will work best for you... so... let your intuition be your guide.

We will leave the ultimate determination of the most fitting correspondence of these cards with you to make your own determination along with the assurance that there is no wrong decision, only ill-considered ones. Whatever you ultimately decide will, after careful thought and understanding on your part, be the one which best fits with your personal divinatory system

If you wish to learn more about the tarot Court Cards please select the tarot card icon to your left.

Earth Pips

Keep considering that contemporary pack of playing cards we started with. In fact, you should specifically turn your consideration to the four suits. One of them may have evolved from the ancient Tarot decks. One of them became the Earth Pips. Those would be the cards numbered from Ace to 10 in a suit usually called coins, or pentacles, or stones, or some other name that is intended to convey the attributes of the magical power of the earth. The power of fertility and growth. The power of needs and the means with which to answer them. The power of commerce and finance. The power of stability and structure. A power with feminine characteristics.

Just as the number of a particular card will give you insight as to it's meaning, (the way Ace will convey potential and possibility and 10 will convey conclusion and completion), so will that information in combination with the power of the suit flesh out the meaning to a more satisfying whole image. If an Ace means something new, an Ace of Pentacles may be a reference to something new in the area of fertility (a birth?), finance (a new source of income?), resources (a new drain on your resources?), or stability (a new home?).

So... which suit in today's deck sprang from the earth suits of old? We don't really know. There is a very good arguement that it was the suit of diamonds, because they are a stone, which is of the earth, they are a medium of currency, which is an earth characteristic, and because they are red in color, like the hearts (which are considered to be the other feminine element in the suits, representing Cups).

If you wish to learn more about the earth pip cards of the tarot please select the tarot card icon to your left.

Air Pips

Look again at that pack of playing cards we started with. This time, you may want to think about how the Air Pips may have evolved from the ancient Tarot decks. Those would be the cards numbered from Ace to 10 in a suit usually called swords, or blades, or knives, or some other name that is intended to convey the attributes of the magical power of the air. The power of thought and communication. The power of intellect and information. The power of ideas and innovation. The power of questions and answers. A power with masculine characteristics.

In the same way that the number of a particular card brings insight as to it's meaning, (the way 2 will convey duality and choice, or 9 will convey satisfaction and personal accomplishment), so does this information acting along with the power of the suit provide a much more complete interpretation. If a 2 means duality, a 2 of Swords might refer to more than one answer (a lie?), thoughts (a choice?), ideas (a meeting or conference?), or points of view (a conflict?).

So... which suit in today's deck sprang from the air suits of old? No one can say for sure. There is reason to believe though, that it was the suit of spades, because they are a are forged of iron like a sword or blade, (metalworking is considered an air quality because it is an end-product of knowlege and education) and because they are black in color, like the clubs (which are often thought to be the other masculine element in the suits, representing wands).

If you wish to learn more about the air pip cards of the tarot please select the tarot card icon to your left.

Fire Pips

OK... we're still with that same pack of playing cards. Now though, you should turn your attention to how the Fire Pips may have evolved from the ancient Tarot decks. These are the cards numbered from Ace to 10 in a suit usually called wands, or staves, or poles, or some other name that is intended to convey the attributes of the magical power of the fire. The power of ambition and drive. The power of ego and will. The power of action and ability. The power of health and vitality. A power with masculine characteristics.

You already know that the number of a particular card brings insight into it's meaning, (the way 3 will convey family or important associates, or 8 will convey stability and stagnation), and if you add this information to the power of the suit you will discover a much more complete interpretation. If a 3 means family and associations, a 3 of Wands could indicate associations that further ambitions (friends in high places?), associations that gratify your ego (false friends?), the vitality of associations (the health of a loved one?), or associations based on ability (a work promotion?).

So... which suit in today's deck sprang from the fire suits of old? It just isn't possible to say. There is good suspicion, however, that it was the suit of clubs, because they are a are grown of the earth like a wand or stave, or because they are the only suit made of flammable material (which pretty much goes along with the association to fire), and because they are black in color, like the spades (which are considered to be the other masculine element in the suits, representing swords).

If you wish to learn more about the fire pip cards of the tarot please select the tarot card icon to your left.

Water Pips

Yup... we're still looking at a pack of modern-day playing cards. This time, you are thinking about to how the Water Pips may have evolved from the ancient Tarot decks. These will be the cards numbered from Ace to 10 in a suit usually called cups, or dishes, or some other name that is intended to convey the attributes of the magical power of the water. The power of emotion and intuition. The power of dreams and visions. The power of psychic insight. The power of unseen forces. A power with feminine characteristics.

Since you already understand that the number of a particular card brings meaning, (the way 4 will mean stability or foundation, or 7 will mean luck and intuition), and the inclusion of this information to the power of the suit results in a more accurate interpretation. If a 4 means stability, a 4 of Cups may point to emotional stability or stagnation (complacency?), intuitional stability (trust your instincts?), the foundation of visions (pay attention to your dreams?), or a psychic foundation (something satisfying is yet to come?).

So... which suit in today's deck sprang from the water suits of old? (I bet this will surprise you...) we simply don't know. There is some reason to speculate, though, that it was the suit of hearts, because they are a representation of emotions, which is the association to cups, and because they are red in color, like the diamonds (which are considered to be the other feminine element in the suits, representing pentacles).

If you wish to learn more about the water pip cards of the tarot please select the tarot card icon to your left.

Tarot Spreads

Once you have learned about the history of the Tarot cards, and the meanings of the Major Arcana, The Court cards and the Pip cards, all that remains to know is how to lay them out to result in the most satisfactory reading for yourself.

We should start by saying that there are many many different layouts you can use to provide yourself with a detailed reading on any question that you can imagine. There are, in fact, far too many layouts for us to even attempt to provide for you here.

What we have provided, though, is a small selection of traditional Tarot layouts and a brief explanation of the meanings of the positions of the cards in the layouts. This is, of course, in the hopes that you feel inclined to try a couple of the layouts provided here on for size. If it should so happen that they don't quite suit you, don't worry, you can always design your own spread. It is often thought that designing your own personal spread will provide you with greater accuracy in your readings anyway, so... with that in mind, you may just want to use the Tarot spreads provided in these pages to practice until you feel comfortable enough to create your own design.

For excercises of both magical and meditational intent, we have gathered a small sampling of tarot spreads. If you wish to learn more about these different tarot spreads, please select the tarot card icon to your left.

Other Links of Topical Interest

We haven't the space available to provide all the information available for this particular topic. In fact, we're pretty sure we don't have all the information available on this topic. What we do have, however, is a real willingness to recommend some good places for you to begin your own research should anything here pique your interest. Based on our own experience we can heartily recommend the following web addresses;

The American Tarot Association

The American Tarot Association is an absolute must for any serious student of the art of cartomancy. Not only will you find many tidbits of topical interest, you will also find links to the free Tarot network where you can sign up to get or give readings to others. This is a great way to learn and we couldn't be happier to recommend it.

Lotus Tarot

Alison Day's site offers free online tarot card readings, card meanings, a learn tarot course, tarot articles and a discussion forum

Aeclectic net

Almost every card deck imaginable, as well as reviews, books, and advice on exciting new spreads and layouts to try. Stop by and check it out, we're pretty sure you'll be glad you did!

Byzant

If you are looking for a multi disciplinary site that will explore the relationships between Tarot and other areas of study,such as Astrology or the Kabbalah, this is the site for you. There's a little something for every one here.



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