What Is Tarot?

Are you wondering: what is tarot?

Where does it come from? What does a reading entail? Does tarot predict my future?

I sent some of your FAQs to one of the Tarot readers on our team, Alexandra Moody, and she was kind enough to answer them for us. Here’s what she had to say…

What are tarot cards?

The Tarot deck, originally used as playing cards, is made up of 78 cards. The symbolism present in each card and the cards’ relationships to one another are used during a reading to assist in supporting a reflection or perspective shift for the client.  This ancient practice (it’s debated on the origins of the deck being in Italy or Egypt) relies on the symbolism of 22 majorarcana (secrets or mysteries) which represent the overall themes in our lives and have a stronger message for the client and the minor arcana (the suit cards) which are more connected to our everyday lives.

So…uhm…what are suits?!

There are four suits and court cards (think: king, queen, page, knight) just like playing cards. The suits are:

• Pentacles (our physical world or what we create as a tangible reflection in our lives),
• Swords (our mental reflection or mentality about a situation),
• Cups (our emotional realm or energy in motion, can be in the subtle world or hidden from the surface)
• Wands (the higher self or spiritual realm, can be what is existing in the unseen or subtle world, or what is outside of ourselves).

Cards can be read in a spread (the Celtic Cross is a popular one) and are read in relationship to each other.  No two readings are ever the same!!

Does tarot predict my future?

Readings are not intended to foresee the future but rather take a closer look at the resources you currently have available to you and examine past patterns that may be relevant to your current path. Typically, a client will have a specific question in mind for the reading and it’s up to them if they want to share it with the reader or hold it in their mind!  In fact, group readings with friends who know each other well can set the stage for deeper bonding and encourage open conversations about things after the reading.  While a reading is often lighthearted and fun, it can also summon deep emotion and often leads to cathartic tears. It’s rare that no one cries in a group reading where guests get to witness each individual reading in its uniqueness.

Will I like the experience?

Most people are blown away when they first get a Tarot reading (especially with an intuitive!). What’s great about the cards is that they are like an onion–with many, many layers to learn about and explore.  Beyond the individual experience, if you’re enjoying a reading with a group, this is a lovely way to break through the superficial and cultivate a deeper bond. The conversations that are sparked within a group reading are often revisited and expanded on far into the future.

Many of my clients enjoy their readings so much, they end up buying a deck for themselves to learn more about the cards!

To sum it all up

Tarot cards are meant to feel like a living, breathing conversation that supports you in your highest self.  They are meant to be uplifting and wise, much like we are when we are in that vibration on our own.

Intrigued?