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By
Lee Ann
Cornell
 There's
an old Chinese proverb that goes like this, "a picture is worth ten
thousand words." The Tarot is a tool that may be used to open up
volumes of esoteric wisdom, a universal language relaying universal
concepts in pictorial form. If you open up a deck of these cards,
which are true to the original concepts, you may begin to see the magic
of this wonderful universal language as it unfolds before your very
eyes. The artwork is beautiful and mysterious.
The first historical evidence of the Tarot dates back to the middle of the
15th century. An artist by the name of Bonifaceio Bembo painted a
set of unnamed and unnumbered cards for the Visconti family for an Italian
game called the Terocchi. This was primarily a game for gambling and
to a much lesser extent a device for fortune telling. It is believed
that the tarot dates back much further than this but there appears to be
no historical evidence to back this up.
The
ancient mysteries of the universe are hidden within these cards.
Through working with tarot you may begin to gain insight into
sacred geometry, mythology, psychology astrology and philosophy.
It can open doorways to an understanding of universal laws and
concepts.
The
tarot cards are a representation of the various cycles that we
continuously pass through in our daily lives. A reflection
of personal growth, accomplishments, opportunities and challenges.
There
are 78 cards in a deck, 22 major arcana and 56 minor arcana.
Arcana means secret knowledge. The major arcana reflects our
value systems, psychological growth and spiritual growth.
The minor
arcana reflects our everyday experience, aspects of personalities,
behavior patterns, feelings, interest and situations we periodically find
ourselves in. By reflecting upon these cards, we can raise our level
of consciousness and gain a deeper level of awareness within ourselves and
the world around us. There are four suits in the minor arcana and
the elements of these suites also appear in the major arcana. Each
card is also assigned a numerical value. Upon gaining some basic
knowledge of numbers and the four elements, a pattern will emerge and
reading will become easier.
The Pentacles are related to the element of earth and the physical plane.
This suit is a representation of materialization, money, career,
education, business, responsibility, progress. The Swords are related to
the element of air and the mental plane. This is a very erratic element.
This suit is a representation of thoughts, ideas, viewpoints, analysis,
criticism, force, defeat, conflict, anger, hurt, pain and despair. The
Cups are related to the element of water and the emotional plane.
This element is also associated with the subconscious mind and our spirit.
This suit is related to relationships, love, feelings, passion, desires,
compassion and sympathy, joy and commitment. The Wands are related
to the element of fire and are associated with growth. This suit
represents creativity, inspiration, enterprise, expansion, competition,
progression, recognition, ambitions, drive, faith and limitations.
The tarot is not a play thing designed for mere fortune telling. It
is not a quick and easy path to enlightenment. Any true path to
enlightenment requires patience and a certain amount of time must be
devoted. It is not an overnight journey. It is a journey of a
lifetime.
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