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| The Tarot is a tool for divination, guidance and magic. In essence, the cards of the Tarot deck portray the journey of life from birth to death, with all the adventures in between. When you lay out a spread, the unique story of a life appears before you in picture form, with its own individual patterns made up of universal experiences and emotions. This is a powerful tool for understanding and influencing a life’s pattern, and the roots of this power lie in the mysterious origins of the cards themselves. |
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The origins of the Tarot are largely unknown. The earliest documented Tarot deck has been traced back to 15th century Italy where the Visconti deck was created as a wedding gift. The happy couple's friends and family were portrayed in the deck, with the bride and groom appearing as The Lovers and the bride as The Star.
There is a popular misconception that the origins of the Tarot can be traced back to the Gypsies, and even the fact that the Romany race probably originated in India and didn’t arrive in Europe until after Tarot was established there has not dented this myth. It seems unlikely that we will ever discover any ‘definitive’ history of the Tarot, but perhaps the more significant information we do have is the evidence that the symbolism contained within the cards (particularly the Major Arcana) draws on many different traditions and cultures, and points to the likelihood of a gradually evolving system which has distilled the essential archetypes and symbols of diverse human cultures, and provides us with a universal blueprint for human experience. The two most obvious influences in the Tarot deck as we now know it are the teachings of Kabbalah (an ancient Jewish mystical system which has recently come back in vogue), and Ancient Egyptian symbolism , but strong parallels exist within the cards with systems as diverse as Greek and Roman mythology, pagan symbolism and more Christianised doctrine. The vast range of Tarot decks available today, with themes ranging from Celtic myths to Native American teachings is further proof of the Tarot’s ability to bridge cultural divides and expose the core of all life experience as essentially touching on the same universal themes.
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the cards were discovered by a number of influential scholars of the occult, who focussed on the cards as a tool for accessing these powerful universal truths, rather than as a means of divination. In the twentieth century the Tarot was incorporated into the practices of several secret societies, including the Order of the Golden Dawn. One member of the Golden Dawn, Arthur Edward Waite, transformed the traditional Tarot in 1910 to the form we now know today. Most decks published since then are loosely based on his revolutionary approach.
Choosing a deck of cards
There are traditionally 78 cards in a Tarot deck. If you buy a deck with any more or any less than this then you are not really working with the Tarot, but with another divination system. Within the 78 cards there are 56 minor Arcana cards and 22 major Arcana cards. "Arcana" is the plural of the Latin word, Arcanum, meaning ‘secret’. It is, however, important to remember that although the Tarot is steeped in mystery and tradition, a Tarot deck is still just a set of laminated cards. What gives the cards their real power is you!
It is essential that you find the right deck for you. Often people feel that they don’t connect properly with the Tarot until they have tried several decks, or find that they like one deck for reading, but another for meditation or magic (you may find you end up with quite a collection!) There is a popular myth out there that you have to be gifted your Tarot deck rather than going out and choosing it yourself. In fact it is a much better idea to go out and buy your own, you have to feel a connection to the images within the cards, they must speak to you and you must be comfortable with them. And if you really want your deck to be a gift then go out & choose it and persuade someone else to buy it for you!
We also have an extensive range of Tarot cards available in our shop to help you find the cards that appeal to you and your style of reading.
Start playing with your deck as soon as you have bought it. We would advise against rushing out and buying lots of “how to” Tarot books, instead invest in a good symbolism dictionary, or one good book on the full range of meanings within the cards, such as Rachel Pollack’s ‘78 degrees of Wisdom’. Sleep with the deck underneath your pillow, meditate on the cards, and start reading with them. Build up a connection as soon as you can. You are learning a new language, a new way of thinking. Feeling completely relaxed and connected to the cards may take time but you can really have fun working towards this point. You have just picked up a key that can open the door into a whole new world!
Learning to work with Tarot
At Tir na nOg we teach a several different Tarot classes from introductory evening & day courses through to more advanced spiritual pathwork and Tarot magic courses. The courses are designed to build your confidence in your own intuitive abilities, to increase your knowledge and understanding of the symbolism and patterns within the cards, and to help you develop the necessary skills for reading a variety of Tarot spreads in a sensitive and positive manner.
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