The structure of the Tarot Deck, Using The Original Rider Waite Tarot system.
Generally and most commonly the Tarot card deck is built of 78 cards split into 5 sections. The first section is the Major arcana and composed of 22 cards that represent major happenings in our life’s or the world. Cards 0-7 can represent our early life or beginning of a new project and influences and learnings on us by others more experienced. The cards 8-14 represent our search for knowledge as young adults. The cards 15-21 represent the last great journey to wisdom
The other 4 parts of the deck are similar in layout to playing cards and represent the everyday happenings in our life’s and the people around us. The four sections in the Minor Arcana are represented by the 4 elements.
The Fire suit ( wands) Illustrates, energy, enthusiasm, new projects, and beginnings.
Water ( cups ) suit represent emotions and spirituality.
Air ( swords ) suit represents the intellect, thought and mind.
The Earth (Pentacles ) suit represents our earthly existence and practical doing experiences, like work family and maintenance.
Each of the 4 suits is headed by a Royal family and represents the people around you.
• For example, the Knight of Wands (Fire) is a very energized young person rushing to his new project.
• The Knight of Cups (water) is in love with love he will woo you with poems
• and romance
• The Knight of Swords (Air) will send your brain spiraling with his knowledge and intellect.
• And the Knight of Pentacles is practical and will provide you with income and well-built and maintained home.
As always there are always positives and negative to the characters that we must be aware of depending on other cards laid in the spread.
When we chose cards to do a reading, we pick cards and lay them out in what we call a spread. There are many types of spread that are relevant to the question you may be asking. Where the cards a laid in the spread makes the reading that we tell.
Some people feel wary of the cards and think they are evil or spooky, I can assure you they are just pieces of cards produced by a machine and designer. It’s the question and the reader’s skills at interpretations via intuition, psychic or clairvoyant skills that can offer the questioners many ideas outside the box or personal vision, opening up many options for consideration.
The outcome of how we proceed with our life questions is always our personal choice. We are in control of our destiny if not always the things others bring into our lives. But how we choose to deal with those issues is our decision. The cards can be profound guidance or entertaining, depending on what you want from them.
Carol Unity Tarot