Reading Tarot Cards -Introduction Beginners
The history of reading tarot cards goes way back in time, to the early 1400s. These cards had pictures and each picture held a meaning with which the user predicted the future. The first tarot cards are believed to have originated in northern Italy and the designs on the cards were hand-painted. There are those who believe reading tarot cards had its beginnings in ancient Egypt, but no evidence exists to prove this. Gypsies, who were among the first groups of people reading tarot cards, were mistakenly thought to have come from Egypt. The differing story of the origination of reading tarot cards is thought to have resulted from this confusion.
When reading tarot cards, modern day tarot decks consist of 78 cards: 21 cards in what is labeled the “Major Arcana” and 56 cards in the “Minor Arcana.” The 21 cards in the Major Arcana don’t have suits. The “22nd” card in the Major Arcana, when reading tarot cards, is called The Fool and it completes the total count of 78 cards. The Fool is often attributed the value of zero. The 56 cards in the Minor Arcana are divided into four suits containing 14 cards each when reading tarot cards. Part of the 14 cards includes 10 numbered cards, and they are also referred to as “pips.” The remaining four cards, when reading tarot cards, are called “court” cards and consist of the page, knight, queen, and king in each of the tarot suits.
After shuffling the deck when reading tarot cards, as you would any normal deck of cards, the tarot cards are drawn and laid out in what is known as a “spread” of cards. The placement and arrangement of each card determines what reference the card holds for the person the cards are being spread for when reading tarot cards.
There are a great variety of tarot card decks from which to choose when reading tarot cards, all being specifically centered or engineered toward a particular specialty. Regardless of the specificity of the deck, the traditional meanings of the cards remain the same when reading tarot cards. The meanings and images used in a particular deck serve only to enhance reading tarot cards with individual importance placed on the subjects concerned.
Reversing cards is another stage in reading tarot cards. Approximately half the cards drawn are placed upside down when reading tarot cards. This reversal changes the meaning of the card to a negative or inverted connotation. The reversed cards have no justification in their own right, except to reverse what the card would have meant had it been placed upright when reading tarot cards.
Reading tarot cards can offer inspiration, insight into upcoming events, explanation of past events, or just perhaps enhance the perspective with which you view the world around you.