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(Updated January 2, 2023)
How does Tarot work?
Well, that is a great, big question altogether. To keep it short, I honestly don’t entirely know. I’m not sure I ever will, nor do I feel that pressed to figure it out. But I’ve done enough readings to know it works and to trust — and embrace — the magic of it.
Instead, let’s get practical as a first step and take a look at how the deck is structured and what this means for how we read tarot.
The Structure of a Tarot Deck
The entire deck itself is made up of 78 cards, each with their own unique meanings . The meaning of each card is a combination of things:
Common, standard meanings you will find across guidebooks and resources;
Their position: Are they upright, or reversed?;
Your own interpretations -- what you as the reader see, perceive, or intuit from the cards;
How the cards interact with each other and what the entire spread is showing you.
Like painting, the colour of what's before us might be affected by how it blends with or contrasts the other colours around it. Likewise, the sum of the picture and the meanings of its parts can be influenced in the same way.
These 78 cards are divided into the Major Arcana, and the Minor Arcana. Each section share wisdom of their own, but on different scales.
The Majors speak to us about the “big picture” moments that are intensely human, and explore everything from our faith, to decision making, will power, ownership, mindset, hope, renewal, and beyond. You can think about these as a season in life.
The Minors are more temporal, reflecting the day-to-day or more immediate moments in life. Divided into four different suits (Pentacles, Cups, Wands, and Swords) representing different areas of life, the Minors explore specific situations, our actions, perspectives, or dynamics that are at play.
While Pentacles reflect the materials aspects of life, Cups talk to us about our emotional selves. Wands represent the fire of creativity and passion, and Swords, the precision of sharp intellect, decision making, and of course, conflict.
Bringing the Two Together
Combined, the Major and Minor Arcana cards can give us a full picture of an issue or question at hand. The Majors show us the big moments that are afoot and the context of where we're at -- and what we may need to focus on -- at the moment. The Minors can help to refine our approach, showing us dynamics that might be at play as well as the actors who may be part of our "scene".
There are countless ways in which the cards themselves are read. While some readers focus on divination, others look more to the archetypes at play, and still others may weave in elements of astrology, the tree of life, colour, or numerology. So much of this comes down to the individual reader, their style and what speaks to them most.
A good reader will able to both analyse individual card meanings, as well as synthesise the interplay, other correspondences, and intuitive downloads they may get during the reading. Not every reading goes according to plan, but ideally, a strong reading will not only reflect the "current state" but also affirm, support, and highlight options and actions available.
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