SpiritualWellnessAndHealing

About a month ago, we posted three articles about better understanding a common metaphysical topic that gets a LOT of questions: how to read Tarot cards.

Well, although it’s all here on our spiritual wellness blog and can be found by doing searches in the search box on this site, I thought I’d just write this quick post for your convenience and put all the individual parts in one place: So, if you missed the first time we published the Tarot card reading instructions, don’t sweat it, you can find it all here, in one spot:

Tarot card reading instructions (part one) – starts out answering the question: What is Tarot? As well as an overview of what you’ll typically find in a Tarot card deck.

Part two of the Tarot card reading instructions focuses on defining the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana.

The last part of the Tarot card reading instructions sorted out the 4 Suits, the Element Cards and also the Court Cards.

And of course you are always welcome to continue posting your feedback, comments and questions in the section below. We have also posted several informative video about living the metaphysical lifestyle since we ran this Tarot series, and will be adding more to the collection throughout the next few weeks and coming months.

O.k., this is our third and final post in the Enchanted Moment’s: basic Tarot Card Reading Instructions 101 series. Originally, I was going to break this up into two separate posts, so I hope this is not too much new Tarot card reading information to absorb at once.

Of course, Francine Haydon, is the brains and talent behind such Tarot know how, I’m (Rob) simply the messenger. Francine continues…

The 4 SUITS

SWORDS – East; Air; Yellow; Choice; Masculine; Intellect and Attitude.

WANDS/RODS/STAFFS – South; Fire; Red; Vision and Intuition; Ego and Willpower/ Passion and Aggression.

CUPS/CHALICES/CAULDRONS – West; Water/Rainbows; Blue (or Black); Emotion; Feminine; Feelings and Love.

PENTACLES/ROCKS/COINS/STONES – North; Earth; Green (or White); Instinct and the Body; Material and Practical World.

ELEMENT CARDS – Minor Arcana – Ace to Ten

ACE – Beginnings; a starting point; potential creative force.
2 – Relationships; duality, two choices; comparisons; ideas, development.
3 – Completion (for better or worse) of the issue; dimensional; conception.
4 – Manifestation; form.
5 – Change; restlessness; freedom; releasing.
6 – Restabilization; we are where we need to be; solutions; harmony.
7 – Initiation; cycles; possibilities, consider choices – do your research.
8 – Balance/balanced judgment; regrowth; make those choices using discrimination and discernment.
9 – Completion; integration; spiritual significance; it’s all coming together.
10 – Threshold; waiting for the next level; timing; new level – what’s next?

COURT CARDS – Page/Princess, Knight/Prince, Queen and King

PAGE/PRINCESS – The Risk Taker; Novice.
KNIGHT/PRINCE – Focused hard on goals; Driven.
QUEEN – The best of the best.
KING – Accomplished; Getting ready to move on.

Whew! And that’s just the basics of Tarot card reading instructions. My bet is there will be some follow-up questions, maybe some hands-on examples, or some visual guidance to put what you’ve learned into context. The best way to communicate such desires with us is to simply post a comment below and tell us what is on your mind. If there is something else about Tarot card reading that you want explained, although some of “are mind readers”, I am not. ;^) So, you’ll have to just tell me what’s on your mind.

We continue our tarot card reading instructions, part two, now discussing both the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. Of course, if both of those Tarot terms confuse you, you need not fret, clarifications are below. Francine Haydon, one of our (Enchanted Moments) intuitive mediums, continues to demystify Tarot card reading with two major definitions…

The MAJOR ARCANA

The Major Arcana are the Greater Mysteries or Secrets and hold much power. The 22 cards from 0, I – XXI reflect the principal events in our lives. In fact, each Major Arcana card represents a unique and very distinct step of the evolution of man and in particular, of the Fool’s journey within it.

The Fool starts out full of confidence on his journey to learn about the world, but we soon learn that he is not the most practical of people, nor the most observant, and he is often blinded by the sun. However, as he progresses, he learns life’s lessons, including compassion and empathy. He questions the ways of the world, issuing his own challenges, making his own decisions and mistakes, and then rebuilding his views so that he can in turn help others on their path.

The MINOR ARCANA

In the Minor Arcana, there are 56 cards made up of 4 suits (Swords, Wands, Cups and Pentacles, some with various names depending on the deck), each with 14 cards. There are 10 numbered cards (also called Pip cards) within each suit which indicate motive and direction and 4 court cards (Page/Princess, Knight/Prince, Queen and King) which indicate people in our lives and/or aspects of ourselves.

We still have more basic Tarot card reading instructions to follow, so keep a watchful eye for Tarot reading part 3 of this series: *Update!  all three Tarot reading posts have since been published and you can read everything, here online.

Rob

Tarot Card Reading Instructions 101: Let’s start at the beginning and define “what is Tarot?”, first. Because, learning how to read Tarot cards is quite the in depth subject…

As you may know, I’ve been asking our resident, metaphysical experts to sit down with and answer several questions. And tarot cards often come up, so I asked Francine Haydon to help me better understand how to begin. We also have a series of metaphysical lifestyle videos posting to this spiritual wellness and healing blog over the next couple weeks as well as throughout 2010 to better help you grasp definitions, meanings, real life application, etc. But for the moment…

What is TAROT?

Tarot is a visual representation of internal and external changes that are possible for an individual to experience. It is symbolic behavior or vision consciously performed.

Tarot reflects these archetypal (universal patterns that are inherent in all of us) situations and gives us insight into how to deal with them. It indicates trends; however, we all possess “free will” to make our own choices. Tarot directly addresses the unconscious through pictures instead of words and mirrors the psyche.

I asked Francine to explain Tarot in a “nutshell” – and give me the most basic overview in order to make these tarot card reading instructions make the most sense, even to the beginner, like me. This is what she said: A Tarot card reading is a visual representation of what is going on inside your subconscious as well as in the world around you as revealed to the reader through the use of pictures on cards. The cards reveal what is likely to happen in the person’s life in the next 6 months to a year IF they keep doing things exactly as they are now, this day in time. A Tarot card reading shows you your options. If you like what you see, then keep doing things the way you are. However, if you don’t like what you see in the cards, it just means that you need to make some changes. The choice is yours.

Traditional Tarot card decks are comprised of Major and Minor Arcana with four suits and a total of 78 cards. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of various Tarot decks available today. Each person should find a deck that they resonate with, that feels comfortable and whose pictures help her/him conjure images and feelings. In additional to Tarot decks, there are also many divination decks which do not have the traditional suits and/or 78 cards. The beginner should start with a traditional Tarot deck until she/he becomes familiar with the symbolism and meanings.

You should also keep your deck in a special place. Many people like to wrap the cards in a silk scarf and/or keep them in a Tarot bag or box. Be sure to cleanse your decks between clients so that you do not transfer one person’s energy to another.

Ease comes with practice, as with all things. The more you do it, the more easily the messages and their meanings will come to you! Just remember to say what you see, hear, feel or know when you look at the cards. Use all of your senses to divine the answers. Continue to our next post, where we will continue teaching you how to read Tarot cards. *Update: all three parts to this Tarot series have been published, more metaphysical videos coming soon.