Posts Tagged ‘Fifteenth Century’
Have Your Tarot Cards Read Over the Telephone! is This a Good Thing?
e more common means of telling fortunes and offering insights into the past and future is the tarot. Tarot cards first originated in Italy in the first half of the fifteenth century as a card game, used purely for recreation. This early game was something like the modern game of Bridge. The use of tarot cards for divination is first recorded in the early 1700s and by the end of the 18th century; changes were made to tarot cards to make them more useful for divination and esoteric meanings. Originally, tarot cards had no connection to the occult, and this link is a more modern one than the cards themselves. The specifics of the modern cards, designed for esoteric purposes, have their basis in the 19th century Order of the Golden Dawn.
Tarot cards are separated into one major arcana and five suits, namely: The Major Arcana, The Suit of Wands, The Suit of Coins, The Suit of Cups, and the Suit of Swords.
The suits are separated as well. Their points’ worth and specific meanings are determined by being one of Oudlers/Trulls, Kings, Queens, Cavaliers, Jacks, or Others. Oudlers and Kings have the same value; the others from Queens to Jacks are worth one point less than their predecessors.
Despite this, the English-speaking world pays more attention to the divinatory meanings of the cards, which will be tackled in the next area.
Every card has a different meaning, depending upon what the card’s suit is, and if it is part of the Minor or Major Arcana. All of the Tarot cards are numbered, so each card serves a reader with a specific numerological value which can be interpreted during divination practices. Furthermore, the meanings of the cards evolve depending upon where the cards appear in a reading, as well as what kind of card layout is used. The cards are read both singularly and together to get a complete reading. The most popular layouts are the three card spread and the Celtic Cross.
Many tarot readings are done face to face. You can find someone who reads tarot cards in your local area by searching online, checking local listings or asking at an occult bookshop. You should come prepared with a question or query much of the time, and may find that while you can gain some useful insights from a reading, it is more a perceptive tool than a truly esoteric one. Each tarot reader has their own preferences with regard to how they lay out cards and read them; however, you can reasonable expect that a more complex and time consuming reading will be more costly.
Telephone readings are generally more available than the street readings. A simple Google search will provide one with more options than one can normally find in the local streets. These readings are available for more or less £5.00 per reading.
Phone readings are generally cheaper because being online the tarot card readers can appeal to a larger audience, and through which they do not have to over charge, as there is no lack of customers.
There is, however, a drawback to phone readings: a lack of mystique. According to tarot card purists, again, phone readings are less effective than the typical face-to-face reading. Unfounded as this argument may be, it is enough to sway reading prices lower, and for those who believe in astrology, this may mean a whole lot.
This industry is largely helped by the growth of online communication. While past services have only been for local phone lines or party lines, the Internet has encouraged a large market growth in tarot card readings over the phone.
Tarot card divination may not be a real science; it may not be as accurate as some people would like to believe, but the market for tarot is ever growing through the availability of readings online and in other similar mediums. While this is so, there is still a large demand for face-to-face tarot reading because of the mystique and interactivity. A fair judgment of the industry is that it is growing in its different aspects - whether it is face to face, on the phone, or by some other medium. While society drives itself into a more scientific future, the appeal of astrology, especially in tarot cards, is still growing fast.
By: Karri Madelline
About the Author:
Tarot cards are separated into one major arcana and five suits, namely: The Major Arcana, The Suit of Wands, The Suit of Coins, The Suit of Cups, and the Suit of Swords.
The suits are separated as well. Their points’ worth and specific meanings are determined by being one of Oudlers/Trulls, Kings, Queens, Cavaliers, Jacks, or Others. Oudlers and Kings have the same value; the others from Queens to Jacks are worth one point less than their predecessors.
Despite this, the English-speaking world pays more attention to the divinatory meanings of the cards, which will be tackled in the next area.
Every card has a different meaning, depending upon what the card’s suit is, and if it is part of the Minor or Major Arcana. All of the Tarot cards are numbered, so each card serves a reader with a specific numerological value which can be interpreted during divination practices. Furthermore, the meanings of the cards evolve depending upon where the cards appear in a reading, as well as what kind of card layout is used. The cards are read both singularly and together to get a complete reading. The most popular layouts are the three card spread and the Celtic Cross.
Many tarot readings are done face to face. You can find someone who reads tarot cards in your local area by searching online, checking local listings or asking at an occult bookshop. You should come prepared with a question or query much of the time, and may find that while you can gain some useful insights from a reading, it is more a perceptive tool than a truly esoteric one. Each tarot reader has their own preferences with regard to how they lay out cards and read them; however, you can reasonable expect that a more complex and time consuming reading will be more costly.
Telephone readings are generally more available than the street readings. A simple Google search will provide one with more options than one can normally find in the local streets. These readings are available for more or less £5.00 per reading.
Phone readings are generally cheaper because being online the tarot card readers can appeal to a larger audience, and through which they do not have to over charge, as there is no lack of customers.
There is, however, a drawback to phone readings: a lack of mystique. According to tarot card purists, again, phone readings are less effective than the typical face-to-face reading. Unfounded as this argument may be, it is enough to sway reading prices lower, and for those who believe in astrology, this may mean a whole lot.
This industry is largely helped by the growth of online communication. While past services have only been for local phone lines or party lines, the Internet has encouraged a large market growth in tarot card readings over the phone.
Tarot card divination may not be a real science; it may not be as accurate as some people would like to believe, but the market for tarot is ever growing through the availability of readings online and in other similar mediums. While this is so, there is still a large demand for face-to-face tarot reading because of the mystique and interactivity. A fair judgment of the industry is that it is growing in its different aspects - whether it is face to face, on the phone, or by some other medium. While society drives itself into a more scientific future, the appeal of astrology, especially in tarot cards, is still growing fast.
By: Karri Madelline
About the Author:
Samantha Srillian is a freelance writer, as well as a naturally gifted psychic medium and tarot card reader. She is interested in alternative therapies, angels and spiritual healing.
A Beginner’s Guide to Tarot Card Readings
INTRODUCING THE TAROT -
Tarot is a means of divination - that is, the art of ‘reading’ the future or uncovering the unknown. The tarot consists of a set of playing cards which are dealt into a particular layout according to what your question is. When dealing the cards you should focus on a particular problem you may be experiencing or think about an aspect of your life about which you’d like more clarity. Traditionally the tarot has been interpreted by a ‘tarot-reader’ - either professional or amateur. More recently, however, computers have been used more often to give readings online or on CD Roms etc.
HISTORY -
There is much mystery surrounding the history of the tarot and myths about its origins abound. Some cynics say that this mystery has been perpetuated as a marketing tool for tarot card salesmen! However, by just looking at the evidence available we can estimate that the earliest surviving full deck was painted in 1422 by Italian artist Bonifacio Bembo. This is known as the Visconti deck, named after the Duke of Milan, who commissioned them. Although accounts of Ancient Egyptian, Celtic, Indian and earlier Italian links have been suggested, there is no evidence to support claims of earlier decks than the Visconti. It is possible that these more exotic links were drawn as a result of the Moorish and other cultural influences on Italian society at the time.
The cards were originally used for a game called Tarocchi or ‘Game of Triumphs’ which was similar to Bridge. The game was played mainly by the Upper Classes and has continued in some circles (mainly in Italy and France) to be played to this day.
The tarot’s use by the Upper Classes probably saved the game from being banned by the Church (though some accounts state that tarot was considered heretical and outlawed by the Church). Indeed in the latter half of the fifteenth century some church sermons labelled tarot as the work of the Devil. But in fact the Church concerned itself more with the use of ordinary playing cards, which were considered gambling. Some cards from the tarot deck - such as the Devil, the Tower and the Death card - were on occasions omitted from the pack, as they were feared by many people, but little harm was actually done to the use of the cards until centuries later.
EVOLUTION -
The tarot has undergone many permutations in its use, design and interpretation over the centuries. There is early evidence, for instance, to suggest that one of the first permutations was in using the cards as inspiration for poetry - possibly the first use in describing aspects of the human psyche and personality traits. The cards have since evolved according to the prevailing culture of the times and attitudes within them.
The first evidence of tarot being used as a divinatory tool came in the early eighteenth century in Bologna. In 1781 a clergyman, Antoine Court de Gebelin, revitalised and raised awareness of the tarot in his book, which drew links between the imagery in the Major Arcana and the mysteries of Ancient Egypt. This was later picked up by occult practitioners (occult means “hidden”) such as Alistair Crowley and Waite of the Rider-Waite deck. The imagery on this deck is the one with which we are most familiar today as this was the deck introduced into America in the twentieth century and the only one readily available to generations of Americans. We therefore tend to associate the tarot with more esoteric connections, rather than the lighter use which defined its origins in fifteenth century Italy, over 500 years before.
THE TAROT CARDS -
There are 78 cards in a tarot deck. These cards are made up of a Major Arcana (Trumps) and Minor Arcana. Arcana means mystery, which reflects the secret wisdom contained in each card.
The Major Arcana
Major Arcana or ‘Great Mysteries’ consists of 22 cards and represents our journey through life.
The Minor Arcana (Lesser Mysteries)
consists of 56 cards and represents day-to-day living.
The Minor Arcana can be divided into four suits. These are Wands, Cups, Swords and Coins.
The Suits
The Wands represent doing
Key words: Action, change, beginning, resolution, fire element.
The Cups represent being
Key words: Feeling, emotions, spiritual, love, water element.
The Swords represent thinking
Key words: Ideas, understanding, reason, conflict, air element.
The Coins represent having
Key words: Money, property, abundance, earth element.
Each suit consists of numbered cards from Ace to Ten
plus four Court Cards - the Page, Knight, Queen and King.
Court cards
The Court Cards traditionally represent a person in your life or an aspect of yourself. For instance, turning up the Knight of Wands suggests you or someone in your life may be acting irresponsibly and therefore behaving like this Knight. This site has been written so that all the interpretations can be found in the text. You do not need to do any extra work in adding the Court Card interpretations into your readings.
Card numbering
These definitions are not intended to give comprehensive definitions (nor do they fit each card precisely). Rather, they provide general patterns and a rough path through the suits:
Ace: Represents the essence of its suit
Two: First steps into the area of the suit
Three: Further steps
Four: Inner blocks to be overcome along the way
Five: Hardship, strife, struggle, conflict
Six: Journeys and learning new lessons
Seven: Learning further, more challenging lessons in order to break into the new
Eight: Having to persist through difficulties
Nine: Final lessons
Ten: The end result of learning all the lessons of the suit
Page: The apprentice who learns and plays with the essence of the suit
Knight: The rebellious or ‘darker’ side to the suit
Queen: The feminine manifestation of the suit - its ‘inner aspect’
King: The masculine manifestation of the suit - its ‘outer,’ worldly aspect.
To learn more about Tarot and get a free reading visit http://www.tarot-cards-reading.com
By: Fred Street
About the Author:
Tarot is a means of divination - that is, the art of ‘reading’ the future or uncovering the unknown. The tarot consists of a set of playing cards which are dealt into a particular layout according to what your question is. When dealing the cards you should focus on a particular problem you may be experiencing or think about an aspect of your life about which you’d like more clarity. Traditionally the tarot has been interpreted by a ‘tarot-reader’ - either professional or amateur. More recently, however, computers have been used more often to give readings online or on CD Roms etc.
HISTORY -
There is much mystery surrounding the history of the tarot and myths about its origins abound. Some cynics say that this mystery has been perpetuated as a marketing tool for tarot card salesmen! However, by just looking at the evidence available we can estimate that the earliest surviving full deck was painted in 1422 by Italian artist Bonifacio Bembo. This is known as the Visconti deck, named after the Duke of Milan, who commissioned them. Although accounts of Ancient Egyptian, Celtic, Indian and earlier Italian links have been suggested, there is no evidence to support claims of earlier decks than the Visconti. It is possible that these more exotic links were drawn as a result of the Moorish and other cultural influences on Italian society at the time.
The cards were originally used for a game called Tarocchi or ‘Game of Triumphs’ which was similar to Bridge. The game was played mainly by the Upper Classes and has continued in some circles (mainly in Italy and France) to be played to this day.
The tarot’s use by the Upper Classes probably saved the game from being banned by the Church (though some accounts state that tarot was considered heretical and outlawed by the Church). Indeed in the latter half of the fifteenth century some church sermons labelled tarot as the work of the Devil. But in fact the Church concerned itself more with the use of ordinary playing cards, which were considered gambling. Some cards from the tarot deck - such as the Devil, the Tower and the Death card - were on occasions omitted from the pack, as they were feared by many people, but little harm was actually done to the use of the cards until centuries later.
EVOLUTION -
The tarot has undergone many permutations in its use, design and interpretation over the centuries. There is early evidence, for instance, to suggest that one of the first permutations was in using the cards as inspiration for poetry - possibly the first use in describing aspects of the human psyche and personality traits. The cards have since evolved according to the prevailing culture of the times and attitudes within them.
The first evidence of tarot being used as a divinatory tool came in the early eighteenth century in Bologna. In 1781 a clergyman, Antoine Court de Gebelin, revitalised and raised awareness of the tarot in his book, which drew links between the imagery in the Major Arcana and the mysteries of Ancient Egypt. This was later picked up by occult practitioners (occult means “hidden”) such as Alistair Crowley and Waite of the Rider-Waite deck. The imagery on this deck is the one with which we are most familiar today as this was the deck introduced into America in the twentieth century and the only one readily available to generations of Americans. We therefore tend to associate the tarot with more esoteric connections, rather than the lighter use which defined its origins in fifteenth century Italy, over 500 years before.
THE TAROT CARDS -
There are 78 cards in a tarot deck. These cards are made up of a Major Arcana (Trumps) and Minor Arcana. Arcana means mystery, which reflects the secret wisdom contained in each card.
The Major Arcana
Major Arcana or ‘Great Mysteries’ consists of 22 cards and represents our journey through life.
The Minor Arcana (Lesser Mysteries)
consists of 56 cards and represents day-to-day living.
The Minor Arcana can be divided into four suits. These are Wands, Cups, Swords and Coins.
The Suits
The Wands represent doing
Key words: Action, change, beginning, resolution, fire element.
The Cups represent being
Key words: Feeling, emotions, spiritual, love, water element.
The Swords represent thinking
Key words: Ideas, understanding, reason, conflict, air element.
The Coins represent having
Key words: Money, property, abundance, earth element.
Each suit consists of numbered cards from Ace to Ten
plus four Court Cards - the Page, Knight, Queen and King.
Court cards
The Court Cards traditionally represent a person in your life or an aspect of yourself. For instance, turning up the Knight of Wands suggests you or someone in your life may be acting irresponsibly and therefore behaving like this Knight. This site has been written so that all the interpretations can be found in the text. You do not need to do any extra work in adding the Court Card interpretations into your readings.
Card numbering
These definitions are not intended to give comprehensive definitions (nor do they fit each card precisely). Rather, they provide general patterns and a rough path through the suits:
Ace: Represents the essence of its suit
Two: First steps into the area of the suit
Three: Further steps
Four: Inner blocks to be overcome along the way
Five: Hardship, strife, struggle, conflict
Six: Journeys and learning new lessons
Seven: Learning further, more challenging lessons in order to break into the new
Eight: Having to persist through difficulties
Nine: Final lessons
Ten: The end result of learning all the lessons of the suit
Page: The apprentice who learns and plays with the essence of the suit
Knight: The rebellious or ‘darker’ side to the suit
Queen: The feminine manifestation of the suit - its ‘inner aspect’
King: The masculine manifestation of the suit - its ‘outer,’ worldly aspect.
To learn more about Tarot and get a free reading visit http://www.tarot-cards-reading.com
By: Fred Street
About the Author:
Fred Street is the creator of http://www.tarot-cards-reading.com a free Tarot reading site which offers a wide range of readings online and by email. Ideal for anyone learning Tarot
