The Tarot is a method of divination or fortune telling that dates back to about 600-1000 years. Each source I've come across gives a different amount of years, and if you want the Wiki version you can go here. I don't really want to get into dates and all the historic minutiae of the Tarot. Really what I would like to do is give a basic idea and structure of the Tarot and what it is.
The Tarot is a deck of cards, a visual medium using symbols, numbers, colors, words, archetypes, that help reflect/mirror the reality of what is truly happening in the past, present and future of our lives. It is a deck of 78 cards divided into two groups. The Major Arcana, consists of 22 cards that depict the archetypal development journey that we all take through life, and the 56 Minor Arcana cards or pip cards that depict every day elements and personalities of daily life. There are a few other types of groupings with regards to the cards that will be covered in later posts.
For me the best way to explain it is that each card is a mirror to what is going on in a given situation or in a persons life. It reflects what lies beyond our projections, expectations and whatever assumptions we may have that are driven by our emotional states. The cards are a way for our deeper knowing and that part of us that is part of the collective unconscious to break through the clutter of our illusions and show us what is really going on.
With intention and focus on the querents questions, the cards are shuffled and laid out in specific spreads designed to reveal the story. And the reader interprets the story and in some cases pulls through any intuitive "hits" or information that might also come up regarding the querents situation. For me personally, this has nothing to do with any specific religion, as much as its an acknowledgment of the energetic/spiritual web that we are all a part of.
It is important to note that there is a huge variety of decks out there, and not all of them are Tarot cards. Some are inspiration, meditation and other form of divination or oracle cards designed to help pull through guiding themes, images or divine truths. I think they are all potently effective. The Tarot is just a specific language unto itself.
There is an entire universe of layers involved in Tarot. I suppose that is because it reflects the complex universe within each of us as well as outside of us. I find myself challenged by how to create individual small posts regarding something so vast. Bare with me as I experiment with short blasts of information, and other times lengthy explorations. Over time I will figure out what works best!
