Tarot can be a very powerful tool when used for the purpose of understanding ourselves and the events happening in our lives. If you’re new to tarot, learning it can seem intimidating or difficult. On the contrary, it is simple to learn and easy to jump right into doing simple tarot readings. There are just a few basics you should know.
Tarot History
The exact history of the Tarot is a bit unclear. Some claim it originated with ancient civilizations such as Egypt and Sumeria. Whether this is based in fact or not, there was definitely a surge in the Tarot’s popularity during the Renaissance. During that time, they were often used as playing cards and were not documented as divinatory tools until the 1700s. They most likely gained mainstream interest as a result of the spiritualism movement of the mid-1800s through the early 1900s. Today it is seen as a helpful way to develop a greater understanding of oneself via interpretation of the cards’ symbolism and how it applies to the reader’s life.
What Is It?
A standard tarot deck consists of 78 cards, with 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards. Each card has its own meanings which may be interpreted based on context. Cards are generally shuffled, and then drawn into one of many “spreads.” The placement of each card in a spread represents its own meaning, generally creating the context for whatever card ends up in that spot. Cards are placed face down. When the reader has finished drawing the spread, he or she may flip the cards over, and begin the reading. Different spreads may have different steps. For example, one may ask a question or draw a card with a specific intent in mind. Cards may also be read differently based on whether it was drawn upside-down or right-side-up.
Spiritual Awakening and the Tarot
Tarot may be used as a tool to experience a spiritual awakening. Such an awakening can result in a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you, a greater appreciation of nature and the way the universe works, a greater ability to live “in the present,” or the appreciation of the synchronicity in your life.
By interpreting the symbolism of tarot cards and applying it to our daily lives, we can become more intuitive. It can help us identify patterns in our behaviors or invent new solutions to our problems. While there is a learning curve involved, anyone can learn to do tarot readings.
What You Need
To utilize tarot for spiritual awakening, the most important item you will need is a tarot deck. These can be found in bookstores or New Age shops or purchased online, usually at a fairly small cost. You will also need an interpretation guide, which can also be found in book form or online.
For beginners, it is often recommended to use only the major arcana cards, and ignore the alternate meaning of a card should it face upside-down. The simplest spread, to begin with, is the single-card draw. To utilize this technique, draw one card each morning. Take a short amount of time to analyze the card and what it may mean, using your guide to perform the interpretation. Reflect on the theme itself, and keep those reflections in mind as you go about your day. You may choose to keep a written record of your thoughts and experiences while going through with this practice.
Major Arcana
In tarot, major arcana cards are essentially the heart of the deck. Major cards represent the main themes found throughout the deck, while the minor arcana cards are generally more specific and used to further define the themes of the major cards. The minor cards are not unimportant, but omitting them at first can make learning a bit easier. After the reader masters the major cards, the minor cards should be reintroduced.
Give It a Try
Tarot is one of many practices used to experience a spiritual awakening, and you may want to try a few before choosing one. Committing just a small amount of time to do a single-card reading each morning is a great way to start. Once mastered, tarot can be an extremely powerful and helpful tool to unlock the secrets of your unconscious and the world around you.
