Tarot cards are one of the most popular tools used for divination and fortune-telling. They can be used to answer questions such as “Will my relationship last?”, “Should I start a new business?” or “What will the future bring?” The Best way to read tarot cards were originally used by Gypsies, but now they’re found in greetings cards, cafes, and even on some university campuses. There are many different types of decks containing many different kinds of cards with varying meanings. The most commonly known deck is usually referred to as a Rider-Waite deck; this is because it was designed by Pamela Colman Smith in 1910 and published by the Rider Company in London in 1909.
Description and Basic Meaning
The Rider-Waite Tarot deck is one of the most popular tarot cards in use today. It contains 78 cards, split into two sections: 22 Major Arcana, which are used for divination and have important meanings, and 56 Minor Arcana, which are numbered and primarily associated with everyday events. The Minor Arcana cover all aspects of your life, from your hopes and dreams to your fears and anxieties. The major arcana cards can be used to predict your future or to understand yourself better. However the minor arcana cards are generally more useful for day-to-day readings.
Major Arcana
The Major Arcana consists of the 22 cards used for prediction and reflection. These cards cover everything from finding your true love to conquering death and change. The Major Arcana are numbered 0 to 21, but they do not necessarily form a circle scheme as they are not always placed in numerical order as you would expect. The card layout is frequently referred to as Pseudo-Ornate, which is an aesthetic where the figure on the card appears out of proportion with the background. This layout was chosen by Pamela Colman Smith in 1909 due to her vision impairment.
Minor Arcana
The Minor Arcana consist of 56 numbered cards that relate to everyday life. The deck consists of four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles. Each suit has a King, Queen, Knight and Page. The Page is a court card that is not used for readings as it is equivalent to the Ace card.
The court cards
The 22 Major Arcana are often referred to as trumps and the 56 Minor Arcana cards as suits. The four suits of the Minor Arcana are referred to as Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles. They correspond to the suits of a standard deck of playing cards. Each suit has a King, Queen, Knight and Page. However these court cards match the number value of their respective suit card (i.e., the Page matches aces). In divination it is common that you only use one suit; this allows you to concentrate on your question without having too many different influences involved in the reading.