Introduction – Tarot Cards

This is an introduction to the 22 Tarot cards, which are also called the Major Arcana. There are actually 78 cards in the full deck. The Major Arcana are the picture cards, also called the trump cards.  On these is based the study of the Tarot. These cards could be summed up by the word Tao, which means The Way. The rest of the deck is the more familiar playing cards, with four Kings and Queens, but instead of Jacks, there are both four Knights and four Pages. These cards are called the Minor Arcana and total 56 cards. They have significance, but we won’t be covering them at this time.

The word “arcane” refers to secrets or mysteries. Their actual origin is lost in ancient times. The story goes that Priests and Teachers were entrusted in preserving their teachings and so created this deck of cards to be used for gaming. In this way their initiates could carry them in plain sight. You will find reference to many philosophies and religions in the pictures. This may also be why they are also called Tarot keys. Here are keys that will unlock the doors of the hidden mysteries of Life.There are many ways to study the cards. To begin we will look at each key individually. Later we will arrange them in what is referred to as a Tarot Tableau. There are two that I’m presenting here. The first has them arranged in three horizontal rows of seven cards each with The Fool card at the top. This was created by Paul Foster Case and may be found on the website BOTA.org.The second Tarot Tableau has the cards arranged in five horizontal rows of five cards each, with The Fool card on the right side and The World card at the left side. This arrangement was created by Rt. Rev. Helen Blighton. The Hebrew language is always written in this way, right to left, and this permits The Fool to move forward into the manifestation of all his potential.

She commented in her book Jewels of the Wise, “according to an old belief, the Hebrew alphabet was derived from groups of stars, with fixed stars for consonants, and the luminaries, or planets, for vowels. In this starry handwriting, words were written on the walls of the heavens, which, if one could read them, spelled out the meanings of all things.” You may find more about her on the web site HolyOrderofMans.com. There are, of course, many ways to arrange the cards.

The point, though, is to look at the cards, whether singly or in groups. Just by looking at them they begin their work. I would suggest that as you begin your study of the cards that (1) you study them in the order given, from number 0 to number 21, and (2) spend at least 5 minutes both before and after reading the section on each one just looking at the cards in silence.

You may wish to color a deck of cards. Currently a black and white deck can be purchased at HolyOrderofMANS.com. Their deck is suitable for coloring and comes with coloring directions.