Here are some salient and short notes to help you understand the basics of The Tarot House Deck
There are 78 cards in all: 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana
Both Major and Minor Arcana: Journey from naivety to wisdom. Different phases or projects will appear for people at different times eg new relationships, new job, starting a business, a difficult situation to navigate etc.
Major Arcana: Show significant impact.
Minor Arcana: Show day to Day impact/interactions/details of situation.
Major: Starts with The Fool (naivety/innocence), and each card after represents different learning experiences/attitudes/approaches/hurdles/successes through each phase till we reach the last card, The World, which represents achievement in any phase or project, and the begetting of wisdom and life skills.
Minor: Four Suits, again depicting a journey from inexperience (Ace) to completion of the phase in question (10).
SWORDS:
Swords – mental aptitude, attitude and conduct. The Swords reveal the Subject’s ability to understand how they are dealing with conflict in their lives and what that could subsequently lead to and how to handle it. Element: Air. Communication, logic, thought process, intelligence, conflict.
CUPS:
Cups – this suit refers to self-love, love of others, emotions and relationships of all kinds including business partnerships and friendships. They show the Subject’s emotional state and the effect it is having on their relationships. Element: Water. Emotion, love, nurture, relationships, lack of logic, sensitivity.
WANDS:
Wands – Wands represent aspirations and ambitions – the passion, enthusiasm and motivation generated within people that’s associated with adventures and endeavours. The Wands are full of potential and energy so the passion ignited can compel someone to move forward in a new, different direction or even to become entirely different. This is the suit of opportunity, journeys and travels. Element: Fire. Energy, motivation, effort, drive, determination, movement (physically, as in house move or in terms of attitude/ability).
PENTACLES:
Pentacles – This suit is the most grounded in reality and will reveal the Subject’s material and financial situation and can represent physical home and security, or their job/ability to have income. The Pentacles will reveal threats or advancements to the Subject’s overall levels of stability in terms of finance and home, their achievements and the way they perceive their success. Element: Earth. Career, work, financial ability/security/physical home and lifestyle.
Each suit: Numbered 1 (Ace) to 10 representing stages of each phase, as well as attitude/aptitude of how approaching the situation.
Ace: has very high energy round new phase about to begin, no physical signs but the right time to be alert for and ready to take on new ideas or opportunities. Positive card – use the energy whilst it is around.
Two: developing into something more tangible to work with. Early days. Keep working at it.
Three: significant movement towards real potential, don’t stop now.
Four: moving well, though there may be doubt, more effort needed.
Five: hurdles/obstacles might appear to be overcome, but you can do it.
Six: some successful signs, but effort and progress still needed.
Seven: often decisions about how/if to continue. Doubt.
Eight: close to make or break. Care or additional skills needed.
Nine: signs of whether success is achievable – don’t give up now.
Ten: completion/ success/achievement/not working out/ exhaustion/upset – not everything is going to work out but other opportunities will come.
Court Cards: Page, Knight, Queen and King.
The Court cards represent people or behaviours eg The King could represent a need to listen to advice from a knowledgeable person around the Sitter, OR the Sitter might need to work at gaining experience to master their situation by taking on some of the traits of the King.
The Page: perhaps a child, naivety, childish attitude, need to learn and grow experience. Don’t rush – learn. Could represent boy or girl, inner child or level of experience. Pages might mean a message. Could be a person coming into life or already around. Son, daughter, niece, nephew, friend. Very young person or attitude.
The Knight: Adolescent, younger person – male or female, inner self or level of experience higher than a Page but not necessarily mature enough. Can be flighty, adventurous, immature and perhaps a bit arrogant. But they do have ‘drive’. Could be a person coming into someone’s life, or already around, or the Sitter. Brother, sister, cousin, friend, peer.
The Queen: Mature woman, mother, mother figure, woman of authority, boss, experienced and influential person in Sitters life. Could represent Sitter, or how they need to adopt the traits of the Queen. Capable, fierce, loving, clever, ruthless at times. Able to provide for those they love.
The King: Mature male, father, father figure, man of authority, boss, experienced, master of their trade, knowledgeable and influential – Can offer excellent advice on how to proceed if they appear in Sitters life. Could represent Sitter, or how they need to adopt the traits of the King, if they wish to succeed.
Go to www.simplytarot.com for each card’s short and full explanation.
Try and attach your own experiences to the cards you find hard to remember to bring it into context for you.
More importantly, allow your own reaction/instinct to the cards to add value. YOUR reactions to the images, the colours, meanings, or ‘vibes’ are perfectly valid and will bring your own special, and individual, energy, in its own right, to the reading.
Simply Tarot believes that the Tarot should bring light and sensible guidance to the vulnerable people that are seeking help. It should be used as a tool to help people, not to create fear in them.
Good luck on your tarot journey,
Patricia
Artist of The Tarot House Deck
Simply Tarot
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