|
Tarot is a system of cartomancy? popular in Western cultures. It takes the form of a fixed deck of 78 cards with symbolic meanings, and divination is performed by laying out the cards into a predetermined formation with its own positional meanings. Tarot cards are also used as a philosophical structure, as an aid to meditation, and as a card game. It is likely that the origins of the Tarot deck are in the card game Tarocchi?, a 14th century game originally from Italy. |
|
Tarot is a system of symbolism? and philosophy popular in Western cultures; it is most often practiced as a form of cartomancy?. It consists of a fixed set of 78 images, rich with symbolic meaning. The images are most often embodied in a deck of cards, though the study of Tarot (Tarotism, practiced by tarotists) focuses on the images (and their meanings) as distinct from any particular instance. In addition to its philosophical and divinatory uses, Tarot is also used as an aid to meditation and as a card game. It is likely that the Tarot deck has its origins in the card game Tarocchi? (alternately Taroc, Tarock), a 14th century game originally from Italy. As reported by Joseph Campbell, the earliest known deck did not come about until 1392. |
|
The 78-card deck is structured into two distinct sets, called the Minor Arcana and Major Arcana (arcana is the plural of the Latin word arcanum?, meaning "hidden truth" or "secret knowledge"). Alternate names are the Minor Trumps and Major Trumps, or simply the Minors and Trumps. |
|
The 78-card deck is structured into two distinct sets, called the Minor Arcana and Major Arcana (arcana is the plural of the Latin word arcanum?, meaning "hidden truth" or "secret knowledge"). Alternate names are the Minor Trumps and Major Trumps, or simply the Minors and the Trumps. |
|
The Minor Arcana consists of 56 cards, which are strongly related to the 52-card deck used in most modern card games. It is comprised of four suits, being Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles, though there is a wide variety of different names used in different decks. |
|
The Minor Arcana consists of 56 cards, which are closely related to the deck of 52 playing cards used in most modern card games. It is comprised of four suits, most commonly named Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles, though there is a wide variety of different names and suit symbols used in different decks. |
|
Modern decks will often have a symbolic scene depicted on the Minors, though this was never the case before the early 20th century when the Rider-Waite-Smith deck was published. Before this, the numbered cards of the Minors showed merely a geometric arrangement of the appropriate number of suit symbols. |
|
Modern decks will often have a symbolic scene depicted on the numbered Minors, though this was never the case before the early 20th century when the Rider-Waite-Smith deck was published. Before this, the numbered cards of the Minors showed merely a geometric arrangement of the appropriate number of suit symbols. |
|
The Major Arcana consists of 22 cards. Each bears a picture laden with symbolism, and each has a number (usually in Roman numerals) and a name, though not all decks have both, and some have only the picture. The earliest decks bore pictures only on the Majors (probably because a great many of the people using them were illiterate), and the order of cards is not standardised. However, one of the most common set of names and numbers is as follows: |
|
The Major Arcana consists of 22 cards. Each depicts a scene, mostly featuring a person or several people, with many symbolic elements. In many decks, each has a number (usually in Roman numerals) and a name, though not all decks have both, and some have only a picture. The earliest decks bore unnamed and unnumbered pictures on the Majors (probably because a great many of the people using them at the time were illiterate), and the order of cards is not standardised. However, one of the most common set of names and numbers is as follows: |
Layouts ===The Great Cross ("Celtic Cross") Layout ==== |
Tarocchi ===Egyptology === New Age |
|
Out of print, but worth tracking down, The Game of Tarot by Michael Dummett ISBN 0715610147 (amazon.com, search) is a history of the Tarot, and a compilation of Tarot card games. |
![[Home]](wikipedia.png)