Tarot is a specific deck of cards used to gain insight into the past, current and future situations by posing questions to the cards, i.e. cartomancy. Reading tarot is about interpretation and keeping an open mind. Sometimes the cards can take you in a different direction from what you expect, or they help you solve a problem in a way you had not considered. In this way, tarot can bring you to better understanding of self.
Tarot decks date back to the 15th century. The most well known modern deck is the Rider-Waite deck, more properly known as Waite-Smith. It was developed by the mystic, A. E. Waite, with illustrations by Pamela Colman Smith and published by the Rider Company in 1910. This popular deck is divided into two sections: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana includes the named cards of Sun, Moon, Death, the well-known Hanged Man, etc. The Majors are the historically older of the two Arcana and each card holds a deep spiritual meaning.
The Minor Arcana has 14 cards in each of 4 suits. The classic Rider-Waite-Smith deck uses the suits of Wands, Cups, Pentacles, and Swords. Each suit has Ace-10, Page, Knight, Queen, and King. The Minor Arcana is the basis for modern day playing card deck, though playing cards traditionally use the suits of Clubs, Hearts, Diamonds, and Spades, combining the Page and Knight to become Jack. The Tarot Muertos deck uses the suits of Specters, Grails, Pentacles and Swords and the cards in each suit are Ace-10, Daughter, Knight, Queen, and King.
Using the deck for 'divination' can take many forms. Each card has various meanings, both regular and inverted. The arrangements (or spreads) of the laid-out cards have many interpretations and styles of reading. Later, we will provide an introduction of some basic spreads and possible ways to read them. Cards readings can be done using just a single card, the Major Arcana, or the full 78 card set.