The Truth about Tarot

graphic by thanh thai

We’ve all been wondering the same thing: do tarot cards really tell the future? Can a Tarot card reading in your friend’s open double actually give an accurate prediction? We’re sorry to disappoint all you wannabe witches out there, but science points to no. However, according to some sects of spirituality, Tarot cards can be extremely insightful about the path of life that someone is on, which in our opinion, is just as good as foreseeing the future.

In order for you to truly understand Tarot cards, you have to start with their ever mysterious origin story. There are a million theories about where Tarot cards originally came from, but there’s proof that they were first used similarly to a traditional deck of playing cards during the 15th century. In fact, during the Italian Renaissance, they were revered as a form of art, giving them a deeper meaning than just an ordinary card game like Go Fish (which people definitely played during this time period).

As Tarot cards spread from Italy to other European countries throughout the 19th century, many people were intrigued by the detailed colors and pictures of the cards, and philosophers began to interpret the cards based on older ancient symbolism and mythology.

So, why do people use Tarot cards now? Most people that actually practice Tarot use the cards for spiritual guidance, in order to learn about themselves, and reflect on their lives. Some will also use Tarot cards to do a general reading, or to answer a specific question.

The cards all have a given meaning by the author and illustrator of the deck (provided in the reader’s manual that comes with each deck). However, it’s ultimately up to the reader to interpret the meaning behind each card.

According to tarot users, the answers the cards provide do not predict the future, but they can give lots of perspective on the past, provide an understanding of the present, and reveal alternative paths that can be taken in the upcoming future. 

In case you’ve ever wanted to give tarot a go yourself, you’ll need to know the basics. First, each tarot deck is comprised of 78 cards. Within the 78, there are 22 cards in the “major arcana,” which signify bigger life events. In a typical deck, the major arcana cards are numbered 1-21 and include an unnumbered “fool” card.

Additionally, each of the major arcana cards has an allegorical image typically associated with the human journey.  These cards are thought to have the most impact on big picture shit and long-term direction (a.k.a the scary stuff). The other 56 cards are known as the “minor arcana,” which consists of 14 cards of each suit: swords, wands, pentacles, and cups. Each suit also has a king, queen, night, and page, similar to a classic deck of cards.

Are you ready to buy a deck yet? If so, there are endless ways to prepare to read a deck of Tarot cards and to set up the readings. For example, some readers will draw the cards, and other readers will let their subjects choose the cards themselves. After the cards are chosen, the reader will usually analyze the cards based on the order in which they are drawn, the formation of the cards, and the orientation of the card (upside-down versus right-side up).

One important thing to note, however, is that although each card has its own independent meaning, the cards must be interpreted together. Even though the first card that is drawn may be a controversial card, that does not mean that the entire reading will be negative. The reader must wait until the rest of the cards are drawn to analyze them all together instead of making a hasty analysis based on just the first card.

If you’re still a little unsure of your deck-reading skills, don’t freak out. Most decks will come with a reader’s manual with the author’s given meaning for each card, so the reader can easily interpret them.

All of this, of course, could be utter bullshit if you’re a non-believer. But if you’re looking for some extra guidance that you failed to find at the bottom of your third large iced coffee, Tarot cards might be able to help.