Are Tarot Cards Named By Their Owners?

Tarot cards are a powerful tool for divination, with various styles and themes that each have its own unique energy and symbolism. These decks come in various types, including traditional, oracle, themed, and modern. The origins and evolution of Tarot cards, the structure of the deck, and their use in various contexts are explored in this comprehensive guide.

Tarot card readers and astrologers share their knowledge on the best tarot and oracle card decks, how to choose one, and the history of the practice. Understanding tarot symbolism can be daunting, but understanding the significance of these symbols can simplify your reading. Some tarot decks come pre-named, but you can design, print, publish, and sell a custom deck.

The standard modern tarot deck is based on the Venetian or Piedmontese tarot and consists of 78 cards divided into two groups: the major arcana and the minor arcana. Tarot is a pack of playing cards used since at least the mid-15th century in Europe for playing card games such as Tarocchini. When searching for a deck, consider the Tarot System, Theme, Clarity, and Style. Three tarot decks can help kickstart your tarot studies and why they should add them to your collection.

In conclusion, understanding the significance of Tarot cards is crucial for anyone interested in divination. By exploring different types of decks, understanding their meanings, and choosing the right deck, individuals can enhance their Tarot experience and personal connection with their decks.

What is the luckiest card in the tarot?

The Wheel of Fortune card, part of the Major Arcana, is a symbol of destiny, fortune, success, elevation, luck, and felicity. It is often depicted in a six- or eight-spoked wheel, often attended by an individual dressed in an Egyptian-style headdress. In some decks, such as the AG Müller, the wheel is also attended by an individual wearing a blindfold. The wheel is not always inscribed with any lettering, but the letters T-A-R-O (clockwise) or T-O-R-A (counter clockwise) can be found aligned against four of the spokes, which can also be interpreted as R-O-T-A, the Latin word meaning “wheel”.

In some decks, such as the Waite, the wheel is inscribed with additional alchemical symbols representing the four elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. These emblems can also be seen on the Magician’s table in the Magician card (Card I).

What is the No 1 Tarot card?

The Magician, also known as The Magus or The Juggler, is the first trump or Major Arcana card in traditional tarot decks, used for game playing and divination. In the occult context, the trump cards are recontextualized as the Major Arcana and given complex esoteric meaning. In this context, the Magician is interpreted as the first numbered and second total card of the Major Arcana, succeeding the Fool. In French, Le Bateleur, also known as “the mountebank” or “sleight of hand artist”, is a practitioner of stage magic.

In Italian tradition, he is called Il Bagatto or Il Bagatello. The Mantegna Tarocchi image of the Magician is labeled Artixano, the Artisan, and is the second lowest in the series. 18th-century woodcuts of the Magician reflect earlier iconic representations and can be compared to free artistic renditions in 15th-century hand-painted tarots.

Is it OK to pull tarot cards for yourself?

Tarot readings can be done by beginners, providing insight into current situations, honoring intuition, and forecasting potential outcomes. To begin, clean the energy of your space by burning herbs, ringing bells or chimes, taking a bath, or using crystals. A Selenite wand is a popular energy refresher that aids clarity.

Sit comfortably and close your eyes, focusing on the protective energy surrounding you. Take deep breaths, think about your question or needing guidance, and keep your mind and heart open to the answers that may come through the cards. Shuffle the deck, focusing on your desired query, and shuffle the cards in front of you. The pattern laid out is called a “spread”, and the meaning of each card in combinations builds up to the overall answer to your query.

Before beginning to shuffle, know which spread you will be working with. As answers come through, it’s important to draw additional cards for further clarity or start with a new question from a different perspective. Tarot readings can be a powerful tool for personal growth and understanding.

What is the oldest known Tarot deck?

The Sola Busca is the oldest complete seventy-eight card tarot deck in existence, named after the Milanese nobles who owned it for five generations. It was the first to be produced using copperplate engraving and is the earliest known tarot deck that illustrates the Major and Minor Trumps in the way that has become the standard. In 1909, Arthur Edward Waite commissioned artist Pamela Colman-Smith to illustrate his The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, drawing inspiration from the Sola Busca deck.

The Tarot’s genius lies in its multivocality, its ability to convey manifold meanings independent of the interrogator. Shorn from historical, mythological, and pictorial associations available to users in fifteenth-century Venice or Ferrara, the Sola Busca deck is limited in its use for divinatory purposes today. However, its enigmatic imagery invites decoding, and the deck still beckons twenty-first-century cartomancers into a game of high imagination. Online Tarot forums host freewheeling speculation about the Sola Busca’s sources and meanings, while scholarly interpretations continue to be tentative and provisional.

The Fatis of the Tarot, particularly this magnificent work of Renaissance art, remains “in the stars”, pulling us fatefully toward its endless riddles. The Sola Busca deck is a mystery that continues to captivate and inspire modern cartomancers and scholars alike.

Is tarot ok for Christians?

The notion that tarot cards can exert control over one’s life is a pervasive one, yet there is a paucity of empirical evidence to substantiate this claim.

Should you make your own tarot deck?

Before creating your tarot deck, it’s crucial to conduct thorough research and contemplation. Choose a consistent theme and medium, such as watercolor animals, angels, or digital fantasy landscapes, that resonates with you. This will help create a cohesive body of work. Focus on subjects that resonate with you, rather than focusing on sales potential. Creating a tarot deck is a massive undertaking, but it’s easier if you enjoy what you’re creating.

It’s likely that the theme you’re drawn to will resonate with others that align with your vision. Remember, the Hanged Man from The Forager’s Daughter Tarot, The Rider-Waite Tarot, and the Shadowscapes Tarot are examples of tarot decks that can be created with a consistent theme and medium.

Is it OK to do tarot everyday?

Tarot cards can be used as a daily guide for meditation, self-improvement, and growth. To build a routine, read one card a day for 5-10 minutes each evening, depending on your mood. You can choose from the Major Cards or use all 78 cards depending on your topic. For specific topics, use one court, such as Coins/Pentacles for money, Wands for work or social life, Cups for love, and Swords for decisions and philosophical questionings.

Follow your intuition and connect with your deck better. 2 Cards readings are ideal for answering simple questions, such as whether to continue putting effort into a relationship or if there will be positive outcomes.

What is the oldest known tarot deck?

The Colleoni-Baglioni and Francesco Sforza deck, produced around 1451, is now 74 cards, including 20 trumps, 15 face cards, and 39 pip cards. The Morgan Library and Museum in New York City has 35 cards, the Accademia Carrara has 26 cards, and the Colleoni family in Bergamo has 13 cards. Trumps and face cards have a gilt background, while pip cards are cream-colored with a flower and vine motif. The deck features figures on different suits, such as bastoni, cups, spades, and denari.

Bastoni wear silver pleated garments and carry a long staff, while cups wear gold garments with a heraldic device of sun and rays. Spades show figures dressed in full armour with a large sword. Denari wears garments decorated with blue ribbons wound around circular suns.

What is the name of the tarot deck?

Tarot cards are known as “arcana” in the occult tradition, with the Major Arcana consisting of the Fool and 21 trumps and the Minor Arcana consisting of the suit cards. The 78-card deck used by esotericists consists of the Fool, The Magician, The High Priestess, The Empress, The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Lovers, The Chariot, Strength, The Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, Justice, The Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon, The Sun, Judgement, and The World. Cards from The Magician to The World are numbered in Roman numerals.

What is the most popular tarot deck?

The Rider Waite Smith Tarot is a popular deck for tarot card reading, first published by the Rider Company in 1909. It was based on the instructions of academic and mystic A. E. Waite and illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith, both members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. The deck has been published in numerous editions and inspired a wide array of variants and imitations. Over 100 million copies circulate across 20 countries.

The images in the deck are simple but feature abundant symbolism. Some imagery remains similar to earlier decks, but overall, the Waite-Smith card designs are substantially different from their predecessors. Christian imagery was removed from some cards and added to others, such as the “Papess” becoming the “High Priestess” and the “Lovers” card resembling naked Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The Minor Arcana is illustrated with allegorical scenes by Smith, unlike earlier decks.

Symbols and imagery in the deck were influenced by 19th-century magician and occultist Eliphas Levi and the teachings of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. To accommodate astrological correspondences taught by the Golden Dawn, Waite introduced several innovations to the deck, such as changing the order of the Strength and Justice cards to correspond with Leo and Libra, and based the Lovers card on Italian tarot decks.

What religion do tarot cards come from?

This literature review examines the relationship between Tarot cards and New Age religion, emphasizing their function in the contemporary study of the New Age movement.