Tarot symbolism is taken from many sources, including Astrology, Kabbala, Runes, and even I-Ching. Each tarot card has its own unique interpretation. Each deck has a total of 78 cards of which 22 are major arcana or trumps. Some of these are The Lovers, The Fool, The Pope, and The World. The 56 cards or minor arcana, are divided into 4 suits of 14 cards each. The 4 suits are swords, cups, wands and pentacles. Each card has a positive and negative interpretation. Read upright it is positive, and reversed it could be negative. The Fool upright would mean new opportunities whereas upside down it could mean foolhardiness. The Magician upright would mean thinking well around situations; reversed it could mean trickery, deception or a warning about someone you trust. The Chariot is associated with triumph, while upside down with rage and tyranny. The Hanged Man is associated with flexibility and negatively with materialism, an inflated ego, martyrdom etc. The Transformation card is associated with change or endings, while negatively it shows loss of opportunity and friendship, or even fear of change. The Wheel of Fortune is linked to destiny, movement, vision and good luck; while on the other hand it could signify obstacles, ill luck and unpleasant surprises. Believers say that unknown powers in the tarot cards make symbols unite in order to point out what we want to know. These symbols are interpreted based on repeated results. For example, if the death card falls in a favorable position, a couple could have a long and successful relationship. There are many reasons why people read tarot cards. It could be to look into the future, as problem solving, visualization, meditation or even for the sheer pleasure of a card game! Some even collect these for their sheer beauty and uniqueness. Psychiatrists would use cards to understand a patient's inner thoughts or associations. You can get a wide choice of tarot cards and books online. Check out Amazon.com, The Tarot Garden, Alidastore, eBay and other such websites. |
