What is The Tarot?

The esoteric language of symbols

Sep 09, 2023

At the end of this article, I have included links to the Tarot readings I offer on my website. This article's information on the Tarot is solid and informative; hopefully, you understand that I need to mention the other work I do and love (besides writing). I appreciate your understanding.

Maybe you’re amidst a big change in your life or a relationship you doubt. Or you’re looking for insights about your potential, life, and work. Could the Tarot provide answers?

You may think Tarot is about fortunetelling. The cliche image of a gypsy lady with a glass bowl, incense, and Tarot cards is hard to shake off.

But what is the Tarot really about? In this article, I explain what it is and how it can guide you.

How do I know about it? After my out-of-body experience, aged 22, I had lucid dreams full of symbols. I felt the need to understand this language of the subconscious, so I read books about symbology and started following Tarot courses for several years. Ever since, I’ve been exploring the Tarot for myself and others.

Let’s waste no more time and dive into it!

History

The original deck is the Visconti di Modrone Deck, from 1444, Italy. It was commissioned by Filippo Maria Visconti, ruler of Milan.

There are six court cards in the Visconti deck, as is the case in traditional card decks. Tarot decks subsequently developed into having four, not six, court cards. So the cards of Lady and Maid are absent. Tarot decks do contain four Aces, as in a traditional deck.

The Rider Waite-Smith Tarot Deck

I use the Rider Waite deck; it’s straightforward and traditional. I’ve used it for over 25 years and feel comfortable with it.

William Rider and Son published the deck in 1909. Pamela Coleman Smith, ‘Pixie’, is the illustrator. Each card has her signature if you look closely.

Sir Arthur Evans Waite assembled everything: he gathered the information in the deck. He wrote books about hermetics: Western esoteric knowledge.

Let’s look at esoterics: What is it, and how is it tied to the Tarot?

What is ‘Esoteric’?

Some people feel that the Tarot is bad or goes against their beliefs. I respect that. My view? We can use spirituality and esoteric knowledge wisely, in harmony with our conscience and understanding.

Esoteric means ‘hidden’. Exoteric means known to a broader group of people. The Tarot is full of ‘hidden’ knowledge: only the initiate, versed in esoterics, will see the meaning of the cards.

The Tarot contains symbolism used in the ancient mystery schools of Europe. There is also esoteric knowledge from ancient Egypt and India present in the deck.

Tarot cards are full of symbolism: all colours, numbers, and images have a meaning. There is also astrology represented in the cards.

Symbols are the expression of the subconscious mind. You can see them as a language that is understood by our subconscious. We can become conscious of this language by practising, learning and understanding. Our subconscious mind holds the key to our greater reality.

Getting in touch with the world of symbols is like having a key that opens a door for you: you gain greater understanding of yourself, your situation and your life.

The symbols in the Tarot have nuances and layers: the Tarot reader must have a well-developed intuition, deep knowledge of the cards, and experience.

In laying the cards in patterns, also called ‘spreads’, the Tarot reader must know the different meanings of the cards and how to interpret them. For example, the card ‘Death’ can signify the actual death of a person but can also represent transformation.

The interpretation depends on the situation and the other cards. There are many patterns/spreads, of which the Celtic Cross is the most well-known.

Let’s focus now on the numbers in the Tarot:

Numerology in Tarot

Numerology plays a significant role in the Tarot: all the numbers have a meaning. The Tarot reader needs to be versed in numerology to interpret the cards correctly.

Even the structure of the Tarot is based on numerology: if you have numbers 1 to 12 and add them up, this will amount to 78. The Tarot Deck has 78 cards. This is just one example of how numerology ties in with the Tarot.

There are master numbers such as 11 and 22, and numbers 1-12 have specific meanings. For example, the number of 10 represents the number of 1 on a higher level.

Then, we can calculate, add, and interpret numbers.

The bottom line is that numerology represents one layer of meanings within the cards.

Let’s move on to the cards of the deck now:

The Major and Minor Arcana of the Tarot

The Tarot consists of the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. ‘Arcanum’ means ‘mystery’ or ‘secret’ in Latin. So, the Tarot is comprised of big and small mysteries.

A Tarot deck consists of 78 cards: 22 in the Major Arcana and 56 in the Minor Arcana.

The 22 cards of the Major Arcana are the archetypes that bear universal meanings and guide us in our journey on earth. The 22 archetypes represent the stages in our development that we humans go through.

They can teach you a lot: they show us how we deal with change and psychological processes. They shine a light on our situation. Their meaning is deep; and sometimes it takes time to grasp the meaning of an archetype.

Then there is the Minor Arcana, which has 56 cards, as we’ve seen. There are four suits, or four elements, in the Minor Arcana:

1 Pentacle
Element: earth
Meaning: material possessions

2 Cups
Element: water
Meaning: feeling, intuition, soul

3 Staves
Element: fire
Meaning: growth (leaves), wands, action, deeds, spirit

4 Swords
Element: air
Meaning: thinking, ideals, thoughts, spirit

Each element/suit consists of 14 cards:

The number 1 is the Ace.
Then you have the numbers 2 to 10.
And then the four court cards: page, knight, queen and king.

The court cards represent stages of the development within the element: they are another layer present in the cards.

Now that you know about the history and structure of the Tarot, we can look at the various patterns we can lay the cards in, the spreads:

Tarot Spreads

As mentioned above, the most well-known is the Celtic Cross, which consists of ten cards laid down in a cross and a pillar pattern. Then there are spreads such as the Tree of Life, Star Spread, etc.

Conclusion

The Tarot is worth exploring: You can start with a deck and pull a card occasionally. You can see what you feel when you draw a card, look up information in books, or browse the internet.

The Tarot can open the doors of your subconscious mind, and assist you on your journey in life.

Have a great journey!

Thank you for reading this article.

Love,
Usha

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