Learning to Read Tarot Cards
So I have decided this week that I would start learning to read tarot cards, for fun mostly. Its really an art form that has been around much longer than any of us, yet there is still a lot of people around the world that believe strongly in the power of tarot cards. I pulled together some information in case any of you are interested in learning yourselves.
The History of Tarot Cards
According to Wikipedia:
The tarot (also known as tarocchi, tarock or similar names) is a set of cards typically featuring twenty one trump cards, the fool, and an extra face card per suit, in addition to the usual suit (face and pip) cards found in ordinary playing cards. Tarot cards are used throughout much of Europe to play Tarot card games.[1] In English-speaking countries, where the games are largely unknown, Tarot cards are utilized primarily for divinatory purposes[1][2] with the trump cards plus the Fool card comprising the twenty two major arcana cards and the pip and four face cards the fifty six minor arcana.
Evidence shows that the first Tarot playing cards entered Europe between 1410 and 1430, though Tarot readers would argue that these cards were created much earlier. These new Tarot cards were originally called carte da trionfi or triumph cards. As of current, the oldest known surviving Tarot cards are fifteen hand-painted decks, created in the mid 15th Century for the Visconti-Sforza family, which at the time were the rulers of Milan.
No documented examples exist prior to the 18th century of the tarot being used for divination. However, divination using similar cards is in evidence as early as 1540; a book entitled The Oracles of Francesco Marcolino da Forli shows a simple method of divination using the coin suit of a regular playing card deck. Manuscripts from 1735 (The Square of Sevens) and 1750 (Pratesi Cartomancer) document rudimentary divinatory meanings for the cards of the tarot, as well as a system for laying out the cards. In 1765, Giacomo Casanova wrote in his diary that his Russian mistress frequently used a deck of playing cards for divination. -Source
Learning to Read Tarot Cards
You can find plenty of great books on the subject of learning to read tarot cards at your local bookstore, but I also found the video below very helpful to understand the meaning of each card and how they each play such a significant role in a tarot card reading.
Tarot card reading guide
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