Tarot

by Hla Min

Updated : June 2025

Video Broadcast on October 2, 2020

Background

• Associated with Gypsy fortune tellers
• Some thought Tarot started in Asia
• One may study Tarot cards for fun, e.g. don’t be scared if the reading says that “your house is going to be damaged”; or be happy if the reading says that “a new family member is on the way”
• Some may study and practice Tarot cards for profit, e.g. professional reader/advisor
• There are websites & publications for Tarot
• I used to have a Tarot deck and a book. It covered a brief history, the meaning of each card, and several spreads for Tarot readings.

Tarot Deck

• It consists of 78 cards
• 22 cards belong to the Major Arcana
• 56 cards belong to the Minor Arcana
• The two Arcanas supposedly indicate long term versus short term events & whether an event is in control versus uncontrollable

Major Arcana

• 22 cards
• Include Fool, Lovers, High Priest, High Priestess, Emperor, Empress, Hermit, Sun, Moon, Stars, Tower, Chariot, Tower, Strength, Judgement …

Minor Arcana

• 4 suits
• Each suit has 14 cards : One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Page, Jack (Knight), Queen, King
• Total of 56 cards in the Minor Arcana

Styles

• The Tarot Decks come in different styles.
• The suits may be named differently in the decks, but the underlying concepts hold.

Options

• Beginners usually use the “Straight up” option (where a card may be good or bad).
• With experience, one might try “Allow Reversals” (where every card has two meanings : one for upright & another for reversed).
• One might also try “Consider Significators”.

Spreads

• After shuffling the deck, one lays our a selected number of cards in a pattern.
• One card only : Decision making for a specified problem
• Three Card Spread : used to interpret the Past, Present & Future.
• Celtic Cross places 7 cards in the form of a cross. The cards represent problem, influence (positive & negative) and likely outcome (and suggestion).
• Others
  Vary with the Practitioner

Options

• Straight up
• Reversal
• Significator

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