Tarot is a form of divination that has been used for centuries. Traditionally, a tarot deck is comprised of 78 cards, each with its own meaning. The cards are shuffled and then laid out in a specific pattern, called a spread. There are many different types of spreads, chosen by the reader, each one for different purposes. The reader then interprets the meaning of the cards based on their position in the spread.
There are many different ways to read tarot cards, but one of the most popular is to use them as a tool for self-reflection. By looking at the cards, you can gain insight into your own thoughts and feelings. Tarot can also be used to explore different options and possible outcomes. Some people use tarot as a form of divination and believe that it predicts the future, while others simply view it as a fun way to gain insights into themselves and their lives. Either way, tarot can be an enjoyable and enlightening experience.
The History of Tarot and Its Use In Divination
The history of tarot cards is a long and mysterious one, spanning centuries and transcending cultures. The tarot is an ancient tool used to gain insight into a variety of topics, including love, career, and general life advice. Some believe tarot was created in Italy in either the 14th or 15th century, while others claim its origin was in China or Egypt. The oldest surviving set of tarot cards dates back to 15th century France and includes a 78-card deck featuring four suits with coins, cups, swords, and batons. It’s unclear how these decks made their way to other parts of Europe, but by the end of the 16th century they had become popular enough that numerous decks were being produced in Italy. From there they spread throughout Europe and beyond. By this time, tarot was being used for divinatory purposes rather than playing games.
In 1781, Antoine Court de Gebelin published his theories on tarot in which he claimed that it was derived from Egypt, where ancient Egyptian priests used it to predict events in both their spiritual and temporal lives. This theory is still widely accepted today although there is no real evidence to prove it. The most common belief is that it evolved out of various European card games such as trionfi and ombre.
At the beginning of the 19th century there were two main groups using tarot for divination – occultists in France who believed it had mystical properties, and fortune tellers elsewhere who used it as a tool for reading fortunes. It wasn’t until 1909 when English occultist A.E Waite published ‘The Pictorial Key To The Tarot’ that its use took off throughout Europe and North America as an important tool for modern psychics and magicians alike. Since then the popularity of tarot cards has only increased with many different kinds now available including Rider-Waite-Smith decks, Thoth Tarots, Druid craft decks, Harlequin Tarots among others.
Despite the mystery surrounding tarot's beginnings, tarot readings have been used successfully for centuries. Those wishing to seek tarot guidance should remember that tarot is not a direct line to the future or meant as instruction; instead, tarot readings offer guidance and provide potential paths forward based on one's current actions. A tarot reading can be a helpful supplement to self-reflection as it can offer clarification when needed.
Tarot readings offer a unique and mysterious way to gain insight into the future. There are various formats for conducting tarot sessions, from in person encounters to online ones, so you can choose whichever one works best for your situation. Whether it's an activity of self-reflection or something done with someone else - why not take a risk and explore what tarot cards could reveal? You never know how much knowledge they might open up.
Types of Tarot Decks and Readings
Tarot decks are composed of 78 cards that represent a wide range of symbols and meanings. There are many different types of tarot decks available today, such as traditional Rider-Waite, Marseille, Osho Zen, Witches Tarot and Deviant Moon. Each type of tarot deck has its own distinct symbolism and is used for various readings.
Rider-Waite is the most widely known tarot deck in the Western world. It was developed by Arthur E Waite and illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith in 1909. This tarot deck uses bright colors, intricate images and archetypal symbolism to tell stories about life. The Rider-Waite tarot is often used for spiritual guidance, advice or self-discovery purposes.
The Marseille tarot is a French card game created in the 18th century. This deck features more muted colors and simple illustrations compared to the Rider-Waite deck. The Marseille tarot can be used for readings related to fortune telling, astrology, meditation or intuition development practices.
The Osho Zen tarot was created by Osho Rajneesh in 1975 as part of his teachings on Zen Buddhism. This deck uses abstract imagery to depict everyday situations that can help with problem solving or creative exploration processes. Readings with this type of tarot deck focus on finding inner peace and reflection through self-awareness techniques.
Witches Tarot was created by Ellen Dugan. This deck follows traditional tarot conventions while infusing them with modern-day witchy energy. Each card captures the energy of its associated suit or arcana, perfectly capturing the essence and power of witchcraft. Ellen has also included additional elements such as keywords and elemental correspondences on the card faces to help readers deepen their understanding of the symbolism and make more meaningful connections to their readings.
Finally, the Deviant Moon Tarot was designed by Patrick Valenza in 2000 as an alternative version of traditional Rider-Waite style decks. This modern take on divination features dark artwork filled with gothic elements associated with mesmerizing dreamscapes and psychological insight analysis tools for personal growth seekers around the world.
There are many different types of tarot decks, and each one can be used for a different type of reading. Each card in the deck has a different meaning, and the reader will use these meanings to interpret the querent's question. There are also tarot decks that are specifically designed for love readings, career readings, or financial readings. And then there are those rare decks that can be used for other purposes, such as performing magical rituals or spells, or for at very least adding a bit of drama to your magical practice. But whatever the deck, tarot readings can be an insightful way to learn more about yourself and your future.
Tarot Spreads
Tarot readings involve interpreting the symbols from a particular type of card spread based on the specific questions asked by a querent (the person who consults the cards). These card spreads are cards laid out on a flat surface in a particular pattern, often with a specific question in mind, and can be used for divination or interpreting the energies of a situation. There are many different types of tarot spreads, each with its own purpose and interpretation.
The Celtic Cross Spread is one of the most popular, consisting of 10 cards laid out in a cross shape. This spread is useful for uncovering hidden influences in a situation and understanding the overall energy at play. It provides insight into the past, present, and future; how an issue affects other aspects of someone’s life; what challenges may arise; and what positive or negative outcomes could potentially come about.
A Three-Card Spread is another popular option for divining information from the tarot. While it provides less detail than some other spreads, it can still provide enough insight to make decisions or find guidance in difficult times. The three cards represent the past, present, and future or focus on body/mind/spirit or emotions/thoughts/actions for further understanding.
The Horoscope spread is an excellent choice for getting an overview of your current astrological chart as well as looking into the potential influence of planets throughout your life. This spread consists of twelve cards laid out around a central card that represents you—the querent—and gives insight into how different planets interact with each other while also providing an understanding of how they affect you personally.
Other tarot spreads include the Star Spread (for gaining perspective on emotional issues), Tree of Life Spread (for exploring deeper emotional connections), Chakra Spread (for uncovering spiritual wisdom) Horseshoe Spread (for discovering underlying factors behind a problem), Astrological Year Ahead Spread (for looking ahead at upcoming events related to your astrological chart), and more! Regardless of which spread you use though, all tarot readings should be interpreted carefully and not taken as hard facts—they should be seen more as guides to help point you towards greater understanding rather than absolute truths.
Depending on which type of spread is chosen (with three cards being a popular option), some readers prefer using Celtic Cross spreads while others may opt for more detailed ones such as Astrological Spreads or Elemental Spreads which utilize all 78 cards from any given type of Tarot Deck set up into their respective positions across the spreader’s mat. This all depends on what kind of response they want out of it at any given time and context. Whether it be general answers to life’s questions, or more complex illustrations regarding karma/fate ties between individuals or objects as they relate to various situations within one’s environment over an extended period of time. This makes for an incredibly powerful tool utilized today.
How To Read The Cards and Interpret Their Meanings
The traditional tarot deck is divided into two sections, the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana, and within each group, each card has its own individual meaning. There are 22 Major Arcana Cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards. Occultists have long used tarot cards as a tool for divination, and while the practice may seem mysterious, it's actually quite simple. The Major Arcana represent major life events or transitions, while the Minor Arcana represent the day-to-day ups and downs of life.
There are four suits in the Minor Arcana, which have even deeper meanings related to their corresponding element. Swords represent air, while wands equate to fire, cups to water and pentacles representing, Earth. All of these elements have a different set of meanings and learning the four basic element properties can help you to remember the individual Minor Arcana.
Each card in a Tarot deck has its own meaning, but they also take on different meanings depending on their position in the spread. For example, the Death card can represent an ending or a new beginning, while the Tower card can represent chaos or upheaval. To get an accurate reading, it's important to consider the individual meanings of the cards as well as how they interact with each other. With a little practice, you'll be able to give readings that offer insight and guidance on any issue.
Reading Tarot cards is a great way for anyone to gain insight into their life and the situations they may be facing. To read tarot cards, you must first become familiar with the various suits and individual cards, as well as their meanings.
An Example Tarot Reading
To begin your reading, start by shuffling and cutting the deck, then draw seven cards. Place the first card in the center of your layout. This is known as the Significator card and usually represents the person whose questions you are answering or the situation at hand. In this particular spread, this Significator card will be followed by six other cards, arranged in a triangle shape around it. Each position in the triangle has its own distinct purpose. Starting at the triangle point farthest away from you and moving clockwise, the second card in line will represent an issue within the querent's life that needs attention. The third card will address any challenges or obstacles related to this issue. The fourth card will offer advice on how to deal with these issues or obstacles, while the fifth card will provide insight into what feelings arise during this process. Finally, the sixth and seventh cards represent possible outcomes regarding this particular question or situation.
Once all seven cards have been drawn, you can interpret their individual meanings to gain a greater understanding of what lies ahead for your querents. It's important to remember that tarot readings should never be taken as absolute facts; rather they provide guidance and wisdom that can aid people in making decisions about how best to proceed with certain aspects of their lives. Tarot readings also often reveal underlying energy patterns connected to certain events or scenarios; therefore they provide valuable insight into one's spiritual evolution over time as well as potential paths for growth through difficult times.
How To Use Tarot For Guidance and Self-Discovery
Though often associated with the occult or supernatural, tarot is simply a form of divination, or fortune-telling. It has been used for centuries as a way to gain guidance and insight, and can be a helpful tool for self-discovery. If you want to, let's say, use tarot for a simple divination for past, present and future, you first need to choose a question to focus on.
In order to use tarot as a means of self-discovery and gain insight, it is important to have an understanding of the individual cards in the deck. It is helpful to read books or take courses on tarot specifically so you can learn more about the meanings behind each card. Additionally, it can be helpful to set an intention before you begin your reading so that you are better able to focus on what questions you hope to answer through your reading.
In addition to taking into account the symbolisms of the cards themselves, the suits, the numbers and numerology of the cards, your own interpretations and those in books, looking at how certain colors are used among multiple cards can also provide insight as well. For example, if many reds appear this could signify strong emotions or passion in one’s life whereas blues could indicate more reflective thinking or contemplation taking place at this time.
Once familiarized with the symbols and stories behind each card, it is time for the tarot reading itself. Using tarot for guidance and self-discovery can be a powerful process allowing us to tune into our intuition more deeply while also stimulating our creativity as we explore new ways of seeing our lives through these ancient stories depicted on each tarot card. Through regular practice we become more familiarized with our personal interpretations around these symbols while also learning how these archetypal forces manifest themselves within our everyday lives. This will open up new possibilities where we make choices that align with our highest good.
The Benefits of Tarot Reading and How They Can Help You Reach Your Goals
Tarot readings provide many benefits that can help individuals reach their goals. Tarot readings use a deck of cards with symbols and images to assess the energy around an individual or situation, providing insight into what may need to be released or transformed in order for one to reach their goal. By uncovering patterns and connecting them to the greater whole, tarot readings provide a roadmap which can help guide a witch or pagan on their journey.
Tarot readings can also be helpful for those who are looking to achieve a specific goal(s). By gaining insight into your past, present, and future, you can develop a better understanding of what steps you need to take to achieve your desired outcome. With the help of a skilled tarot reader, you may just find that the answers you've been seeking are right in front of you. Even better if that skilled reader is you! Remember, you already have all the answers you need inside of you, and Tarot can be an invaluable tool to help you gain insight into those answers and take a look at your life from a unique perspective.
In addition to providing clarity and direction on specific areas of one's life path, tarot readings can also be used as a powerful tool for divination - meaning that readers are able to channel higher messages from Spirit which offer guidance on our journey back toward our highest self. Divinatory readings focus less on predicting outcomes than on providing important insights about how we can better align ourselves with our true destiny - whether it is taking steps towards career goals or finding inner healing from past traumas. By tapping into these deeper levels of understanding, readers are able to gain clear perspectives about how they can move forward in any given situation with confidence and grace.
Finally, tarot readings provide an opportunity for self-reflection by encouraging introspection and contemplation. Through thoughtful consideration of the cards' meanings and imagery, readers are encouraged to take stock of where they are at in life while thinking through how their choices have led them there - allowing for deeper self-awareness which can lead to profound growth. With honest reflection comes greater awareness of both our obstacles and our potentials; thus enabling us to work through any issues we may be facing while creating space for manifesting our dreams into reality.
The most important part of doing any tarot reading is interpreting the cards in a way that resonates with YOU. No matter what deck or spread you choose! Tarot readings can be incredibly helpful when it comes to gaining clarity and achieving one’s goals.
If you're interested in exploring tarot further, we recommend checking out some of our favorite decks below. Do you have a favorite Tarot Deck? Let us know down in the comments!
Some of Our Favorite Tarot Decks
For Beginners & Advanced Practitioners
For Intermediate & Advanced Left Hand Path & Dual-Path Practitioners
For Everyone
-
...and of course Our Official Occultify Tarot, which you can now download now & print at home.