Tarot 101: About the Arcana

 Tarot 101:  About  The Arcana

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INTRODUCTION

There are many people who wish to learn how to read the tarot, but don’t know where to start. So I have taken the liberty of putting together some information that I found very helpful when I first began to study the Tarot. This article will be the first in a series to provide basic information about the Tarot, including its history, the different parts of the deck, simple spreads for beginners, and more. This first article will focus on the two parts of the Tarot, referred to as the Major and Minor Arcana. Let’s start with the first part, the Major Arcana.

The Major Arcana

The first major section of the tarot is called the Major Arcana and it consists of 22 cards numbered 0 - 21. The first card, numbered as zero, is called “The Fool” and represents the start of new beginnings and journeys. The Major Arcana tells the story of the fool’s life. Each card in this group represents important people, places, and events that helped to ship him into the person he is. Some of the notable cards in this group include numbers: 8. Strength, 13. Death,   and 16. The  Tower.

I would like to take a moment to point out a very common misconception revolving around card number 13. Death. Most tend to have a rather panicked and fearful reaction to this card when it shows up in a reading. This is completely unnecessary as the Death card does not typically foretell of literal death. This card represents the constant cycle or life, telling more of impending rebirths and/or transformations. I feel that this is perfectly presented in the Shadowscapes Tarot by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law as in this deck, the Death card is depicted by a phoenix, a creature well known to periodically burst into flames and be reborn from the ashes as part of its life cycle. 

The Minor Arcana

The Minor Arcana is set up similarly to a 52 card poker deck with four suites numbered from ace to king. Each one is even equivalent to a poker deck in their suits: Hearts = Cups, Spades = Swords, Clubs = Wands, and Diamonds = Pentacles. Each of the suites tells their own story and reflects different aspects of our daily lives.

1. Cups

The cups are tied to our hearts and reflect our emotional and spiritual well being. As you move down the line, you will notice that the cups tell the story of joys and sorrows in our lives. Starting with the Ace of Cups, which demonstrates an overflow of spiritual and/or emotional energy, to the Two and Three of Cups which depict reunions and celebrations, all the way down the line to the King of Cups who reminds up the importance of sharing our bounties, as well as our burdens to ensure that they do not consume us.

2. Swords

In my opinion, the swords reflect our communications with other people and how we allow our present situations to affect us. For example, if you examine the Three of Swords, it is almost always depicted as a heart being pierced by three swords to signify heartbreak or great betrayals. Another example would be the Eight of Swords, almost universally depicted as a woman who is bound and blindfolded, surrounded by eight swords that block her path. This card signifies severe anxiety and the inability to move forward, showing in great detail how our fears can impair our ability to escape perceived prisons and that we are unsure of where to turn next. This leads directly to the Nine of Swords, which shows nine swords hanging over someone's bed as they struggle to sleep and are haunted by their troubles. This card reminds us not to allow ourselves to be overtaken by our troubles and that we must be able to see past our current struggles if we wish to reach our future goals. It would not be uncommon to see either the Eight or Nine of Swords paired with the King of Cups when feeling the need to seek outside guidance.

3. Wands

The Wands are all about perception and philosophy. How do we interpret the things that happen to us? How do we interact with the world? They tell the story of how our mindset continues to grow and evolve, opening up to new ideas and adapting to new cultures. The wands are also commonly associated with creativity and inspiration. The Five of Wands is often a sign of coming conflicts while the Six of Wands often represents moral victory and public recognition.

4. Pentacles

As you can probably guess that pentacles are usually shown as coins, Pentacles often relate to our finances and our home lives. The pentacles typically  warn of incoming changes in our workplace and advise us about our current financial situations. Perhaps the most well known card from this group is the Two of Pentacles. This card is most commonly depicted as a man struggling to balance two objects  (often the pentacles themselves), indicating a struggle to find balance in our lives. It would not be surprising to see this card paired up with The Hanging Man. This combination tells you to slow down and think before you act. Sort out all your options before running head first into a new direction before you throw yourself even further out of balance.

Conclusion

The Tarot has many different variations and traditions from different parts of the world, yet the cards are almost always the same. Same names, same images, same meanings, same two parts of the deck. So let’s wrap things up for today. This post will be the first in a series that will be titled “Tarot 101” and each post will provide information on different aspects of the Tarot ranging from the cards themselves to the history and development of the deck. The next article will be focusing on different spreads that are commonly used by active readers. Thank you guys so much for reading. On a crediting note, the decks pictured are the Shadowscapes Tarot Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore ( Published by Llewellyn Publications ) and The Celtic Dragon Tarot By  D.J. Conway and Lisa Hunt (Published by Llewellyn Worldwide).