The Tarot is a method of divination, which uses a deck of 78 cards... each one symbolizing a condition of human experience, a person, or even place. For the more adept, the cards can also symbolize specific increments of time, and even be associated with Astrology.

The structure of the Tarot is as follows: Of the 78 cards, 22 represent what is called the Major Arcana. These are 22 archetypal cards that are of no ordinary significance when they appear in a reading. The Major Arcana is well known to refer to significant life developments, including growth and transformation. It can also speak of the powerful feelings that often attend these life changes. The remaining 56 cards comprise what is known as the Minor Arcana. These cards embody events on a more mundane level, yet their importance and relevance is not to be underestimated. It is important to be cognizant of the fact that when a professional does a Tarot reading, each of the cards drawn are not read individually…They are read as part of a Gestalt, or collective, meaning that the significance of any one card is determined in the context of those which surround it.

The Minor Arcana consists of four suits, each containing 14 cards. The four suits are as follow: Wands, Pentacles, Swords, and Cups. Each suit progresses as follows: Ace, 2-10, Page, Knight, Queen, and King.  
Let’s take a look at some general meanings associated with the cards:


Suits:

Wands – Energy, adventures, creativity, ambition, career, power.
Pentacles – Finances, practical matters, stability, skills, nature, physical.
Swords – Intellect, law, conflict, decisions, ideas, planning.
Cups – Emotions, intuition, creativity, love, children, sharing.


Numbers:

Ace – Beginnings, creativity, initiative, energy, independence.
Two – Partnerships, conflict, balance, decisions, reflection.
Three – Growth, expression, communication, creativity, gain.
Four – Planning, establishing, stability, reason, structure.
Five – Strife, challenge, adjustment, change, competition.
Six – Balance, harmony, recognition, justice, peace.
Seven – Wisdom, spirituality, awareness, change, choice.
Eight – Endings, power, transformation, business, stability.
Nine – Completion, finality, wisdom, strength, spirituality.
Ten – Endings, rebirth, cycles, groups, perfection.


Court Cards:
 
Page – News, communication, change, students, children.
Knight – Change, action, energy, excitement, strength.
Queen – Creativity, motherhood, maturity, caring, intuition.
King – Maturity, power, strength, authority, will.


The above material represents the basics of the Tarot. So, how does it work?

The Tarot “tunes in” the myriad energies and future potentials surrounding a person and communicates these via the rich symbolism of the cards. As the cards have multiple levels of meaning, the challenge for the professional Tarot reader is to determine at which levels the cards are manifesting…But, of course, if one is a professional, then it’s not really a challenge, is it?

Overall, the Tarot can serve as a “signpost”, if you will, to either reaffirm the paths we are taking in our lives, or communicate that which we know we should be taking in our lives, but are to afraid to take. It is an exercise in self-awareness.