by n0cturbulous
A Must Read – The Meaning of Tarot Cards
The first meaning of tarot cards is lost in the shadows of the ages together with the initial figurative representations that were used for the history secrets camouflage. The rest of the cards applications we are familiar with today have developed over the years so that at present the most common meaning of tarot cards touches upon divination. Another tendency is to use the tarot decks instead of regular playing cards and even for gambling; last but not least some even believe that tarot has a role to play in casting spells. The style and the format of the traditional Rider Waite Tarot have not remained singular, and there are lots of patterns available nowadays.
The main meaning of tarot cards focus on the Major Arcana; the very word arcana, a plural for the Latin word arcanum means secret or closed. This only indicates the very occult character of the mechanism behind tarot interpretations, and one often may wonder where all the energies present in the divination spheres come from. To get back to the Major Arcana, the cards in this part of the deck have been the first ones invented; the remaining fifty six cards of a modern deck belong to the Minor Arcana.
The meaning of tarot cards results from symbols; however, symbolism can be represented and understood at two different levels. First there appears the individual significance of the card, and then there come the collective associations that accompany the symbolic meaning of one card related to the context in which it appears. In the reading of any spread, the valuable part is the collective meaning or the answer to the quest, dilemma or issue under debate. Hence, allegory is the one to suggest the line between fictional representation and real life events.
1 2