Tarot – An Introduction
My introduction to the tarot presented itself in my mid-teens. A friend of mine often spoke about her Mother’s belief in psychic ability and prediction. She showed me her Mother’s tarot cards and I was immediately fascinated by the beautiful illustrations and symbols and later on, even more so by their meanings. I started to learn more about them and my friend gave me my very first pack of cards as a gift – a pack of beautiful Rider Waite tarot cards. It is a tradition to receive your first pack of tarot cards as a gift, but it’s absolutely fine to buy your own!
I found that the cards seemed to trigger my psychic ability and I was able to channel it through them. I started out by giving readings to friends and family and went on to read at psychic fairs.
When choosing your cards, go with your intuition. Choose the pack that you identify with, the pack that you are drawn to – the pack that you intuitively feel will open up a psychic connection with your higher-self.
Your first pack of cards can be very simple illustrations that you can identify with and learn from to develop your psychic gifts – yes you have gifts – we all do! Unfortunately we often loose touch with our psychic side as we mature. Often our experiences as children are dismissed as just being a result of our over-active imagination. However, we can develop psychically and be re-united with our psychic gifts through focused meditation and intent.
I have experienced quite a lot of supernatural phenomena throughout my life. One day I was watching the Kilroy Silk show on TV and I heard that Kilroy was going to host a show on that very subject. I quickly rang in and was invited along to the show.
The show was fascinating and there were certainly some very interesting and eccentric characters participating.
During the break, after the first half of the programme I started chatting to a fellow psychic and she explained that she also read tarot cards. I told her that I had been reading for many years, but that I would like to have some official training. It was then that I was recommended to Lee Van Zyl, who unknown to me at that time was a very famous psychic and is currently known as the Psychic’s psychic!
I contacted Lee, and after a thorough interview on the phone, Lee invited me to give her a face-to-face reading. Strangely enough, I wasn’t nervous at the time, though I think if I had known then who she was I would have been!
After travelling over to the other side of London, I gave Lee her reading. Lee said she was astonished by my accuracy and agreed to take me into her private circle as her student.
I studied with Lee for 2 years and have since worked with her at many psychic fairs and corporate events.
I am now an experienced tarot counsellor. I like to combine the Tarot cards with Angel cards in my readings. I trust you will enjoy your readings with me, and I would now like to give you a brief introduction to the cards.
Traditional tarot packs contain 78 cards which are usually split into two categories, 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards. Each card has its own meaning which can change if it is in a reversed position. Please don’t assume that a reversed card has a negative connotation. To the contrary, many tarot card reversals give the cards an enhanced positive message!
Unfortunately there are a few tarot cards that due to a combination of misrepresentation and misinterpretation will sometimes cause alarm to those who are new to readings. For example, the Death card may at first cause the client to think that there is going to be a death. However, the Death card’s meaning is actually transformation which can indicate that and end is coming to a chapter in your life and thus opening a door to a new one! It can signify that you should not resist sudden change and for you to accept new situations. It can symbolise that a transformation is about to occur in your life that is beneficial and positive!
Another card is the Tower, which to some, can look a little scary, but this card symbolises that a rapid change is coming into your life and symbolises release – indicating that rather than worrying or being sad about the past and clinging on to the old, it allows you to accept the process of change and prepare for new opportunities.
Below is a list of the cards you will find in most traditional tarot packs. I shall give a detailed description of a selected card in My Daily Blog which you may find useful in your psychic development. However, I cannot emphasise enough the importance of trusting your own intuitive interpretation of each card, rather than just learning the basic meanings.
The Major Arcana
The Major Arcana are symbolic of man’s spiritual journey and concern the spiritual rather than the physical aspects of our lives. When learning these cards, remember to use the interpretations as guidelines rather than memorising rigid descriptions given in books. Meditate on each card and go with what you intuitively feel. If a certain card always gives the same association for you, and you are comfortable with it, don’t go against this feeling.
0 – Fool
1 – Magician
2 – High Priestess
3 – Empress
4 – Emperor
5 – Hierophant
6 – Lovers
7 – Chariot
8 – Strength
9 – Hermit
10 – Wheel of Fortune
11 – Justice
12 – Hanged Man
13 – Death
14 – Temperance
15 – Devil
16 – Tower
17 – Star
18 – Moon
19 – Sun
20 – Judgement
21 – World
The Minor Arcana
Minor Arcana Cards contain four suits – Wands (also referred to as Sceptres, Rods, Batons or Staves), Cups, Swords and Pentacles (also referred to as coins or discs). The Minor Arcana also have associations with current day playing cards i.e. Wands – Diamonds; Cups – Hearts; Swords – Clubs and Pentacles – Spades.
Wands
Wands are associated with ambition, enterprise, business, success and distinction and also with desire, thoughts and aspirations – they help to identifying goals.
When a wand is a court card, the description of the person will be someone with fair or red hair, blue eyes and fair to light skin.
Cups
Cups are associated with feelings, emotions, love, happiness, joy, affection and spiritual experiences.
When a cup is a court card, the description of the person will usually be someone with light to medium brown hair, hazel or green eyes and medium skin.
Swords
Swords are associated with struggle, action, conflict, animosity, continual effort and endeavour, thoughts and ideas.
Although the presence of swords can indicate that there may be disputes or arguments ahead, do not always expect a negative situation to arise, as it may indicate that things will be brought out into the open, thus acting as a catalyst for change that will actually result in a positive outcome.
When a sword is a court card, it’s usually someone with dark brown/black hair, dark eyes and olive skin (although I have found on many occasions that a sword court card can represent someone with a completely opposite description – someone that has hair so fair that it’s almost white and who has piercing light blue eyes!)
Pentacles
Pentacles are associated with material wellbeing, reward for hard work, money interests, material needs and the realisation of goals.
When a pentacle is a court card it’s usually someone with white hair (eyes of any colour) and fair skin. However pentacle court cards can also represent people with very dark skins and of the dark skinned races.
Each suit contains the following cards:
Ace
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
The Court Cards
Each suit also has four Court Cards, which usually represent people. However, court cards can also represent situations. So look to the question being asked and the complete tarot spread to determine the reading.
Pages
Pages can represent a young boy or girl or child of either sex. I sometime find that Pages can also represent young women. Pages are also associated with messages, news and information – usually from a close friend or relative.
Knights
Men under forty years
Queens
Women over forty years
Kings
Men over forty years
Look out for my blogs in which I give an in-depth interpretation of each of the cards and enjoy your journey into the world of tarot.
