Tarot

In this material I will tell you briefly about the Tarot card system. Let's talk about what kind of mantika instrument this is. Let's also look at which deck is considered classic and who its author is.

For a more detailed study of the Tarot system, the meaning of each card and layout techniques, I advise you to purchase “Practical Tarot course for beginners”, which you can find on this website in the tab Curriculums/Available courses/Tarot for beginners.

So, let's look at what Tarot cards are and whether all fortune telling cards belong to the Tarot system. And I’ll answer you right away that not all cards belong to the Tarot system. There are classic Tarots, original Tarots, the Lenormand system, Metaphorical cards, Oracles and playing cards. All of them are quite successfully used as mantic tools for predicting the future, viewing the current situation, and also analyzing the past.

Tarot is a system of plot images that are interpreted by a practitioner (tarologist) either using the rules of fortune-telling, or using his own developments, or using them as “doors” with the help of extrasensory abilities.

What are Tarot cards made of?

Any deck of Tarot cards is divided into two large groups: the Major and Minor Arcana. It consists of 78 cards with images and scenes and two blank cards, which are a typographical addition. Thus, a box of Tarot cards usually contains 80 cards and a simple manual (instructions with description).

"Rider-Waite Tarot"

There are 22 Major Arcana in the Tarot. These are the so-called “Great Mysteries” that describe a person’s global path while gaining new experience. From the Arcana Fool to the Arcana Peace, a person goes through certain life stages of personality development and gains experience and knowledge. They always have more weight in the scenario and talk about global things.

There are 56 Minor Arcana in the Tarot. These are the so-called “Little Secrets”, which describe specific life situations, interactions with other people and the state of the person himself when in contact with other people. The Minor Arcana has four Suits: Cups, Wands, Pentacles and Swords. They also correlate with the four elements: Water, Fire, Earth and Air.

In turn, the Minor Arcana are also divided into two subgroups. The first includes numbered cards from Ace to Ten. There are 40 such cards in a deck. And the second consists of the Court Cards: Page, Knight, Queen and King. There are 16 such cards in the deck. Court cards also have Suits, like number cards.

The form kats are usually not used in readings, but sometimes each individual practitioner can assign their additional meanings and use them in fortune telling. Here everything depends on the worldview and methodology of the tarot reader himself.

Classic Tarot

The Rider-Waite Tarot is considered classic. I think many of you already know that this deck was developed by Arthur Edward Waite in 1910. The illustrations for this deck were made by artist Pamela Colman-Smith under the direction of the co-author of this Tarot. And for the first time the co-author published his deck in London, and it got its name after his name.

Interesting fact: according to various estimates, this deck has more than 100 million copies, which are distributed in more than 20 countries around the world.

This Tarot is considered one of the most popular in the world. Also, many Tarot schools and most Tarot textbooks are built specifically on the Rider-Waite Tarot and the system developed by it.

Arthur Edward Waite

The co-author of the deck, Arthur Edward Waite, was a famous writer, mystic, oculist and freemason. He was born in the USA, and spent most of his life in London. At one time he was the editor of the magazine “The Unknown World”.

In 1891, Waite joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. And in 1901 he was accepted into the Society of Freemasons and joined the Rosicrucian Society.

Waite also authored the book accompanying the deck of cards, Illustrated Keys to the Tarot.

Best regards, Margarita!