Tarot Lesson 1
An Introduction to Tarot
Cartomancy
𝑫𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: the art of divination with the usage of cards
Typical things used for cartomancy:
- Tarot cards
- Oracle cards
- Playing cards
- Lenormand Lenormand cards
Tarot cards
Oracle
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cards
Tarot vs Oracle vs Lenormand
Tarot: decks of 78 cards, split into 22 Major Arcana cards and 56 Minor Arcana cards; they
have a rigid structure, the meanings will remain the same no matter the deck, only with slight
differences in the artwork on it (but only minor) adding to the meanings of them.
Oracle: decks are far less structured; the number of cards can vary deck to deck. The
meanings of the cards in each deck will be different, and each oracle deck is unique; the
meanings are what the artist and designer wanted them to be.
Lenormand: decks of 36 cards; the meanings of these cards are incredibly literal, and
have no hidden message or smaller details and meanings.
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Playing Cards
● Black cards = No / Red cards = Yes. Mostly important to short readings
● Can use them like Minor Arcana, but do have their own meanings - some feel reading
with cards and not including the Major Arcana with them isn’t entirely right or helpful
If reading them as Minor Arcana:
● Cups - Hearts
● Pentacles - Diamonds
● Wands - Clubs
● Swords - Spades
● Important to choose system that works best for you when using playing cards
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Playing Card Meanings
Suits Pips and Faces
● Hearts - relationships and emotions; ● Numerology tends to be the same
friends, family, love, lovers, deep ● Fours - also represent stagnation, and
feelings decisions and choices
● Diamonds - money, luck, fortune, ● Sevens - also represent most
happiness, news, socialising concentrated form of the suit, along with
● Clubs - work, business, destiny, trouble an inversion
conflict, tension, debate ● Jacks - youth, children, messages, peers
● Spades - tears, woe, suffering, ● Queens - beauty, mothers, nurses,
fighting, violence, changes, teachers
warnings, doubts ● Kings - wisdom, power, age, judges
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Major vs Minor Arcana
Major Arcana Minor Arcana
● Major Arcana represent one’s journey, ● The Minor Arcana represent the issues faced
with life lessons along the way, as well as in our daily lives, and can aid you with any
key influences and themes in your life insight needed in a current situation
● The Minor Arcana represent the people around
that are aiding you on your journey
you, and challenges and lessons they can
● You as the diviner represent The Fool, the bring you throughout life and your interactions
other Major Arcana represent the journey with them
through life and the lessons you learn
along the way
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Using Tarot
● Can be used for a variety of things; advice, guidance, insight, communication with
entities (deities, spirits, spirit guides, ancestors)
● Don’t jump straight in; read and learn about tarot beforehand, can be overwhelming
● Done with spreads
○ Can be any number of cards, would recommend one to three card spreads for
beginners
■ One card can be a way to learn the meanings as well
● Common is one daily card - helps with how the day ahead will be, or message for the
day
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Suits
Cups Pentacles Wands Swords
● Ruled by the ● Ruled by the ● Ruled by the ● Ruled by the
element of water element of earth element of fire element of air
● Also known as ● Also known as ● Also known as ● Also known as
Chalices Coins or Discs Candles, Staves, Daggers
● Represents your ● Represents Batons or Rods ● Represents
emotions, material ● Represents your your thoughts,
intuition, possessions, energy, passion, reasoning,
relationships, and finances, and motivation, intellect, and
desires endurance creativity, and actions
ambition
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Court Cards
Queens Kings
Pages Knights
● Also called Mothers ● Also called Fathers
● Also called ● Also called Princes
● Key Mother ● Key male archetypes
Princesses, or Sons
archetype of the suits
Knaves or ● Represent a more
● Seen as less ● Pinnacle of
Daughters action orientated
domineering; more understanding in that
● Represent approach
subtle in their control suit
beginners in a ● Will have enough
● Traits include ● Traits include
journey experience, but
drawing energy from authoritative, being
● Traits include can jump into
within, bringing ideas decisive, bringing
messengers, situations they
to fruition, action to fruition,
childlike, cannot fully handle
receptiveness, being pinnacle of
spontaneous, ● Traits include
nurturing, subtle understanding in that
initiative, new adventurous,
influences suit and a
projects action, movement,
dominating presence
change
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Numerology
● Aces/Ones: New beginnings, opportunities, potential, inspiration
● Twos: Balance/imbalance, duality, partnerships, crossroads, choices
● Threes: Growth, goal achievement, relationships, creativity
● Fours: Stability, structure, planning, foundations
● Fives: Instability, loss, conflict, change, rebuilding
● Sixes: Communication, cooperation, harmony, problem solving, compassion
● Sevens: Reflection, knowledge, assessment, faith, wisdom, understanding
● Eights: Movement, mastery, change, action, attainment
● Nines: Achievement, completion, fulfilment, attainment
● Tens: Transformation, completion, end of a cycle, renewal
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Recommendations
Apps Books
Websites
● Labyrinthos Tarot ● The Ultimate Guide to
● Labyrinthos Reading Tarot Card Meanings -
● Biddy Tarot ● Golden Thread Tarot Brigit Esselmont
● Kawaii Tarot ● The Divination
● Tarot Card Handbook - Liz Dean
Memorizer ● The Ultimate Guide to
Tarot - Liz Dean
● The Pictorial Key to the
Tarot - A.E. Waite
Playing Cards Guide:
[Link]
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