Tarot Cards

A standard deck of 78 cards used to predict future events and personal tendencies. Professional and amateur fortune tellers have utilized Tarot cards for many years.

The cards are broken up into two groups, the minor and major arcana.

The 56 cards in the minor arcana are broken up into 4 equal groups or suits. The 4 suits are Cups, Pentacles, Swords, and Wands. Each suit has 14 cards. The cards in each suit are numbered Ace to 10, Page, Knight, Queen, and King.

The major arcana contains the remaining 22 cards. Each card in the major arcana has a unique name, and 21 of the 22 cards have a number. The major arcana are: The Magician (I), The High Priestess (II), The Empress (III), The Emperor (IV), The Hierophant (V), The Lovers (VI), The Chariot (VII), Strength (VIII), The Hermit (IX), The Wheel of Fortune (X), Justice (XI), The Hanged Man (XII), Death (XIII), Temperance (XIV), The Devil (XV), The Tower (XVI), The Star (XVII), The Moon (XVIII), The Sun (XIX), Judgement (XX), The World (XXI), and The Fool.

Every card in a Tarot deck has a unique meaning. The cards in the minor arcana tend to have similar meanings by suit. The Cups generally represent love and happiness. The Pentacles generally represent wealth. The Swords are generally unlucky. The Wands are generally lucky. The cards in the major arcana have more diverse meanings.

The person who is reading the cards is called "the Reader". The person who is having their fortune told is called "the Querent". In general, the Querent will ask a question and cut, touch, or shuffle the cards. The reader will then deal the cards into one of many set patterns or "spreads". Each position in each spread has a unique connotation. Combined this with the fact that each Tarot card has it's own unique connotation, and there are an almost infinite number of readings possible.