What is tarot?

Tarot is a set of 78 cards, split into two main parts, the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.

The Major Arcana consists of 22 cards, usually numbered from 0 to 21. Some decks have the cards numbered from 1 to 22, with cards 0 and 22 respectively being assigned to a card known as 'The Fool'.

The Minor Arcana is made up of 56 cards, grouped in four suits of fourteen cards each. The fourteen cards consist of four Court cards and ten 'number' cards. The Court cards are named Page, Knight, Queen and King, though in other decks you get variations such as Princess, Prince, Queen and Knight. The number cards again come in two different types, those that display a picture with the relevant quantity of each suit type shown on within a scene, or just the number of suit elements shown as 'pips' like traditional playing cards.

The names of the suits is traditionally Cups, Swords, Wands and Pentacles, though again there are variations such as Chalices, Spears, Batons and Coins. To be honest, it doesn't matter what the suits or Court cards are named.

What tarot also is, is a wonderful tool. This tool can be used for divination, self exploration, meditation etc. There is huge debate in some quarters as to the origins of the tarot, but this matters little to me. I am much more interested in where tarot can take us, not where it has come from.

Some people will say that tarot is a work of evil and that it is 'devil worship' to use such things. This is of course complete tosh. What we have here is an issue regarding intent. If you take a knife as an example, the knife itself is quite inert lying on a table. But if someone with evil intent were to pick it up, they could use the knife to kill or maim. However if someone with good intent were to use it, they could prepare food with it, or carve with it and use it for good. It is all about social responsibility, the person using the cards taking responsibility for their own actions.

Tarot cards are laid out in many different types of spread. These range from simple three cards spreads right through to ones that use ALL the cards. I have one spread whcih I call the 'Annual Review' which looks at the next twelve months ahead in the Client's life. This uses all the cards and takes between one and a half and two hours to read correctly. For the beginner though, you need only start with a simple three card spread of something like the past, present and future.

However, before you even get to that stage, you should learn what the cards mean to you. The easiest way to do this is to get a notebook and pen, your tarot deck, a table or other flat surface such as a floor and some peace and quiet. Look at the first card of the Major Arcana, The Fool. Here we are working with first impressions, so study the card and write at the same time. How does the card make you feel? Are you happy, sad, nervous, carefree? What colours are on the card, how do they make you feel? What about facial expressions or body language? Take those into account as well. Write down everything you can aboout the card and after two minutes, change to The Magician and repeat the process again on a new sheet of paper. I recommend using loose leaf sheets by the way, as when you have been through all 78 cards (and PLEASE don't try to do all 78 in one day), you turn them upside down and start with The Fool again going all the way back through them. What you are doing is making a very simple tarot journal which will help you so much in the weeks, months and years to come.

Enjoy your journey.

Mark