So what IS a Tarot deck, exactly? How many cards are there? What's the difference between Major Arcana, Minor Arcana and Court Cards? In the latest episode of my Say It With Tarot Podcast, I break it down for you:
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When pagans want to learn divination, especially cartomancy (cards), they are faced with hundreds (if not thousands) of choices.
It can be overwhelming, I know! Here’s a broad overview to help get you started.
Tarot consists of 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana, 40 Minor Arcana and 16 Court Cards. It’s become a complex, esoteric system of cartomancy. The Major Arcana contains familiar images like The Fool, The Lovers, The Wheel of Fortune and The Sun. They are considered by most to be the “big picture” cards spanning universal archetypes.
The most recognized Tarot deck is the 1909 Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS). Rider refers to the publisher (Rider & Son). Occultist Arthur Edward Waite commissioned the deck that Pamela Colman Smith illustrated. The Tarot de Marseilles (TdM) style decks feature static Minor Arcana cards (i.e. 4 of Cups shows four actual cups, 10 of
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Why do Tarot cards make the perfect intention tool? Tune in to the latest episode of my Say It With Tarot podcast:
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Tarot reflects the breadth and depth of human experience--but also, apparently, Vulcan, Talaxian, Ocampan and holographic!
All iterations of the Star Trek universe yield rich archetypes that can also be found in the Tarot: The Ambassador, Warrior, Leader, Trickster, Counselor, Detective, Child, Shapeshifter, Con Man, Judge, Rebel, Storyteller, Engineer, etc.
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Happy Cinco de Mayo, which commemorates the Mexican army's unexpected victory over the French in the battle of Puebla (they were greatly outnumbered). Contrary to popular belief, this is NOT Mexico's day of independence (that's 9/16). Here's a Tarot spread I created I created for you to use (especially if you you're in a "battle" of some sort...or feel like an underdog):
If you want to get the magical community riled up, tell us how divination tools often begin their existence as toys. You’ll see how we quickly split into two factions: one which vehemently denies this, and one which asserts the truth of it (with evidence that is often ignored and bypassed by the former faction). For the former set, I’ve sensed a root assumption at work that makes accepting the mundane, unserious origins of many divination forms so difficult, and even heretical. For them, play is inherently secular and unworthy of a sacred function. Divination, and anything else related to spirit work and religion, must be solemn and sober to have value and efficacy.
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Cunning Wife, I believe you are 100% correct. Just look at the 'Chessboard' of Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio, one of the 13 Treasures of T
Pagans are often a "bootstrapping" sort of people: We do things for ourselves, sometimes because we want to, often because we have to. I'm pretty sure a lot of Pagan resources come into being because someone went looking for something, couldn't find it, and ended up creating it themselves.
That is exactly how the Minoan Tarot was born.
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ty!
