Tarot Deck Of Cards

ot deck of cards, usually 78 in number, is divided intocreator; he stands alone above the rest simply by
two separate categories, the major and the minorvirtue of his wisdom and success. The lantern he holds
arcana (arcana from the Latin meaning of closed oroffers enlightenment for those who would follow.
secret). There are 21 individual cards, referred to asFurthermore, the Wheel of Fortune reveals to us who
trumps, and the fool card in the major arcana. Thewe really are and Justice corrects the mistakes of our
minor arcana have 56 cards consisting of 10 cardspast and makes them right. Interestingly enough, the
numbered from Ace to ten in four different suits. In aHanged Man is upside down, the way that others see
traditional tarot deck of cards, the suits include batons,us in contrast to the way we really are. In the cycle of
wands, rods, or staves; cups, swords, and coins, disks,life, the tarot deck includes the Death card, for death
or pentacles. In addition, there are four court cards, ormust come to everyone. However, the meaning of
face cards, in a tarot deck, including the page or knave,Death in the tarot cards is a transformation and rebirth
queen, knight and king in each of the same four suits.of consciousness to a higher level.
One of the most interesting cards in a tarot deck isIn addition, the Temperance card depicts an angel, with
the Fool. He represents both the number 22 and zero.one foot in the water and one on the earth. Similar to
Twenty-two completes the cycle or journey of thethe High Priestess, she too balances wisdom and
major arcana, whereas zero represents the god ofintrospection with desire and doubt, further solidifying
force, a symbol of our unlimited potential. A circle,the link between the conscious and the subconscious.
therefore, has no end but continues on and on, aThe Devil card symbolizes the lies and misconceptions
symbol of God and infinity. The bright sun above thewe may encounter on our journey. Eventually,
Fool is a sign of energy that melts the snow on thehowever we will reach the Tower with its bolt of
mountains, bringing life and nourishment to those below.lightning, an indication that we have achieved true
In addition, there is more significance to the Fool card inknowledge and understanding.
the tarot deck, such as the bag representingThe major arcana also includes the Star, often
memories, the eagle for aspirations, the white rose forpresented as a woman who takes from the pool of
purity, and the dog symbolizing the eventual course ofknowledge and relays what she has learned to the
evolution.five senses of man. The Moon card represents our
The number two card, the Magician, signifies thespiritual evolution from creation to creator. The tarot
conscious mind or the ability to control from abovecards also emphasize the importance of the Sun for
what occurs below by the wand, the cup, the sword,light and energy and the Judgment needed for an
and the coins. Thoughts of passion and desire are heldunderstanding of the link between the universal
in check by the wisdom and purity of the Magician.conscious of man and humanity. A final card in the
The High Priestess, the subconscious mind, reflects amajor arcana is the World, which represents our place
balance or impartiality between the light and dark pillars,in the unending cycle of life, in relationship to an
the two opposites of male and female. Her knowledgeunchanging Universe.
and experience provide the proper and wisest courseThe four suits of the minor arcana portray the various
of action in the link between the conscious and thematerial aspects of life and the numbers, as
subconscious.interpreted through numerology, indicate the strength of
An older version of the Magician is the Emperor, thethe vibrations in each card. In the suit of wands, we
ruler who controls the system needed for effectivesee the realm of spirit, ideas, ambition, and growth in
management of thoughts and desires. The Empress inthe fire, club, and creative cards. Our desires and
a tarot deck is simply an indication of time. Itfeelings, not outwardly apparent, are reflected in the
represents the 12 signs of the zodiac, an indicator thatsuit of cups by heart, emotions, and water. In the suits
eventually all thoughts and aspirations will becomeof swords, spades, air and intellect, the cards
realties. Another interesting card in the tarot deck is thesymbolize the struggles to bring ideas into reality. The
Hierophant, the teacher or our inner self. Thefinal desired result is found in the suit of pentacles,
Hierophant makes decisions based on reason andwhere diamonds and earth represent the completion
intuition, which he has gathered in the cycle of lifeof the link between the conscious and the
through experience and wisdom.subconscious.
The Lovers card symbolizes relationships and partners,There are many types of tarot decks of cards, in a
the compatibility of male and female. In this card, thevariety of styles, shapes, and number; however, their
woman is the subconscious, the male is the consciousinterpretation is basically the same in every deck. The
mind, and the angel above them represents thereading of the tarot cards may prove fascinating to
superconscious. In time the female gains the wisdomstudy. The tarot provides great pursuit for an occultist,
and inspiration to give to the relationship, raising it to aor if you believe in the supernatural, or if you are simply
spiritual level.above the physical or materialistic world.curious about life and its ups and downs, and such
Our will is controlled through strength and driven by theaspects as love, career, and success.
Chariot. The Hermit might well be considered the