A standard deck of tarot cards consists of 78 cards divided into two classifications or sections: the major arcana and the minor arcana.
The word arcana is plural for the word arcanum which means "profound secret". According to the alchemists of the Middle Ages, the arcanum was the secret of nature. Therefore, the tarot cards are actually a collection of the secrets of our universe.
For this particular post, let us concentrate on the major arcana. There are 22 major arcana cards, which are considered as the heart, in any given tarot card deck. All of these major cards serve as a symbol to some universal aspect of the human experience. They actually represent archetypes, that are consistent, directing patterns of influence, that are inherent in all of us, as we are a big part of nature.
These 22 cards all have a name and a number. Some cards convey the meaning of the cards directly like Justice, Strength, Temperance. While other cards refer to individuals that personify a certain approach to life like the Hermit or the Magician, for instance. Still, there are other cards that have astronomical names like Sun, Moon and Star. They symbolize elusive forces associated with those heavenly bodies.
Whenever a major arcana card is drawn in a reading, it is always given extra weight in the reading because this means that the issues and concerns behind that card is not temporary nor mundane. They usually refer to more long lasting and crucial dilemmas, issues, problems, and principles that need to be faced and resolved. Major arcana cards, simply put, represent your major emotions and motivations.
Last but not the least, the 22 major arcana cards mark the path of our inner development. They hold the patterns of our growth whether these patterns occur in a segment of our life, or in our whole lifetime. And no matter what pattern will arise from all the readings, the major arcana cards will show us that wholeness and fulfillment are our destiny. If we abide by this principle and keep this promise, then we will eventually realize our true nature and gain the World.
The word arcana is plural for the word arcanum which means "profound secret". According to the alchemists of the Middle Ages, the arcanum was the secret of nature. Therefore, the tarot cards are actually a collection of the secrets of our universe.
For this particular post, let us concentrate on the major arcana. There are 22 major arcana cards, which are considered as the heart, in any given tarot card deck. All of these major cards serve as a symbol to some universal aspect of the human experience. They actually represent archetypes, that are consistent, directing patterns of influence, that are inherent in all of us, as we are a big part of nature.
These 22 cards all have a name and a number. Some cards convey the meaning of the cards directly like Justice, Strength, Temperance. While other cards refer to individuals that personify a certain approach to life like the Hermit or the Magician, for instance. Still, there are other cards that have astronomical names like Sun, Moon and Star. They symbolize elusive forces associated with those heavenly bodies.
Whenever a major arcana card is drawn in a reading, it is always given extra weight in the reading because this means that the issues and concerns behind that card is not temporary nor mundane. They usually refer to more long lasting and crucial dilemmas, issues, problems, and principles that need to be faced and resolved. Major arcana cards, simply put, represent your major emotions and motivations.
Last but not the least, the 22 major arcana cards mark the path of our inner development. They hold the patterns of our growth whether these patterns occur in a segment of our life, or in our whole lifetime. And no matter what pattern will arise from all the readings, the major arcana cards will show us that wholeness and fulfillment are our destiny. If we abide by this principle and keep this promise, then we will eventually realize our true nature and gain the World.
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