An Introduction to Tarot

How can 78 picture cards tell me anything?

When you picture a Tarot Reader, are there visions of dimly lit rooms, draped curtains, burning incense and a ‘wise old woman’ sat hunched over a crystal ball with strangely marked cards next to her, like someone straight out of a Disney film?

Today’s Tarot Readers are represented by a myriad of personalities who read full-time or part-time.

The industry abounds with those of us who have professional careers and run other ‘regular’ businesses or careers – my day job is running a construction business with my husband.

There are doctors, solicitors, teachers, full-time mums and many more who turn to Tarot seeking answers to many of life’s enquiries, for themselves and others.

The history of the Tarot

Tarot’s story dates back to early 15th Century Italy, where it was used as a parlour game to amuse royalty and the nobility.

As early as the 16th Century, it was used by poets and writers who recognised personality archetypes within these elaborate picture cards, and in the early 1700s, the practice of using the Tarot for divination and describing one’s fate became popularised.

There is evidence that other playing cards had been used for this purpose much earlier, so it is fair to assume that this divination may have included Tarot.

Early Renaissance Italy saw the rise of many intellectual and artistic pursuits including renewed interests in Astrology, philosophy and religious beliefs and theories.

All of these influenced and left their mark on the Tarot that we recognise today.

The most popular version of the Tarot deck which continues to influence many new deck creators to this day, and the one that many people readily recognise, is the Rider Waite-Smith Tarot.

Created in 1909, the Rider Waite-Smith Tarot deck is a relative newcomer in Tarot’s history.

A E Waite was a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and this popular deck owes much of its symbolism to that group.

The artist, Pamela Colman Smith, contributed her vision, especially in the evocative fully-illustrated scenes of the Minor Arcana.

For many years, the Waite-Smith deck was the only one readily available and became familiar to generations of Tarot Readers.

Comprising 78 highly detailed, symbol-rich cards, this Tarot deck along with many of its successors, are now widely regarded as a wonderfully useful resource for providing guidance, support and advice by traditional readers as well as many with a background in psychology and other health professions.

What do the 78 Tarot cards tell us?

So, back to the original question: how can these 78 picture cards tell us anything?

Each Tarot card contains its own imagery and symbolism with 22 Major Arcana representing life’s spiritual lessons and 56 Minor Arcana reflecting more day-to-day situations and personality archetypes.

Tarot offers a vivid visual resource for self-reflection; tapping into our subconscious and inner wisdom bringing forward deeper thoughts and feelings enabling us to find the solutions and guidance that lie within us all.

Tarot is great for meditating, helping with creativity, self-development, planning and so much more as the symbolism opens us up to our inspiration, imagination, and psyche.

As an Intuitive Tarot Advisor, I don’t consider myself to be psychic or a medium, which means I don’t channel any particular spirit guides, although I do accept that other Tarot Readers use these methods.

I do, however, believe in collective or universal wisdom; a wisdom that we all have access to which is passed down through generations often without words but with a sense of knowing.

I also believe in Divine wisdom; something greater than we know or understand but which can guide us when we respect it and ask for help.

Having studied many aspects of psychology, I am well aware of personality archetypes and their use within mental health practices.

Carl Jung, the prominent and respected psychologist, was a well-known proponent of both Tarot and Astrology – believing strongly in the power of understanding archetypes and patterns of human behaviour as a means to revealing the unconscious.

Using intuition rather than prediction for my Readings also means that I believe, whole-heartedly, in free will.

Destiny, for me, in this context, means a pre-disposition rather than one’s fate being sealed.

We have choices at every step along our life journey, sometimes it may simply be a choice of controlling our attitude rather than being able to influence a specific outcome, but there will always be a choice.

A Tarot Reading helps us access our intuition and, when working with a Trusted Tarot Advisor and their knowledge of the symbolism within the cards, tap into collective, universal wisdom.  

This can lead to some profoundly deep insights as we discover how to make more conscious decisions to find positive outcomes and solutions.

Finding the answers and, knowing they have come from our Highest Self, is empowering.

If you choose to have a Tarot Reading with me at Stars & Signs, there won’t be a dimly lit room or a crystal ball, and I have no intention of telling you you’ll meet a tall, dark stranger.

What you will experience in my Tarot Readings is more akin to a coaching session.

We will work together to ascertain the most useful question/s for you to ask to ensure that any insights are meaningful.

Our session is designed to bring forward answers that make sense to you.

I guarantee you’ll leave feeling more empowered, feeling seen and heard.

If we do see a ‘tall, dark stranger’ in the cards, we can work out together whether that’s a specific person or an aspect of your personality that needs to be dealt with.