*chuckle* Well, good to see that you are holding the deck in your hand as you read this. *settling in my seat to begin to relay what I have learned onto you*

Many seek out the use of the cards for different reasons. The most commonly associated reason being to aide in character analysis, or divinational aspects -- by using them to try and take a glimpse into the future OR to help see possible solutions to an immediate situation. There are those who also value the Tarot's use in meditational sense :

A student of the metaphysical though can gain insights to the inner meanings of the cards. The artist who is constantly working with the images and symbols also draws a heightened sense of creativity while focusing on the many layered aspect of the cards. The student of the Bible could uncover how the Tarot relates to many passages from the Old and New Testaments (i.e. Adam and Eve being represented by The Lovers card, the murder of Cain by Abel represented by the 10 of swords (though some also feel this represents the betrayal of Joseph by his brothers since there are ten brothers aka ten swords and he was left for "dead" by them), etc.).

First off, the first thing that is asked is "So, where did the name for the deck come from....why is it called a *Tarot* deck????" . . .good question!! And one that sets the ball on the roll to show you that the history of that little deck in your hands can be a wee bit confusing at times, even to those who have read many a book.

To explain the name of the "tool" in your hand that is referred to as Tarot, I have to first off show you the possible reasons it was called that. Sounds easy. . .but nothing with the Tarot is easily laid out, as you will discover when you start to read with them. *winkety wink*

To start off, the pronunciation of the word is similar to sounding "ta-row" (the last "t" taking on a totally unrelated phonetical sound. . .and never explained as to why. *shrug*). And to get the confusion started, in Egyptian terms "Tar" means path or road of life. . .and "Ros" means Royal (thus translated this way means "The Royal Path Of Life"). OR, that there was a bidding-card game in Italy that used pictorially depicted cards called "Tarocchi", that when it later spread to France became called "Tarot". OR, in early European days, early card makers (using hand carvings of wood to print with) were called "tarottiers". *chuckle as I give you an I-told-you-so-wink*

Now as you look at your deck, you will notice that they are essentially nothing more than cards pictured with scenes or images, not words. (though the Major Arcana does have their assigned names printed onto them, that is a later addition. . .) Now. . ."arcana" is derived from the Latin word "arcanum", meaning "secret knowledge" or "secrets", so the Major Arcana is "the big books of secrets" and the Minor is "the small book of secrets." And when you study the images contained on them, this seems to aptly describe the two separate parts of the deck that make a whole when used to read or meditate with.

Take a card, and look at it...all it appears to be at first is a drawing. Nothing grand or spectacular, in fact somewhat simplistic at times to the eye and perhaps sort of telling a small story. Lay out the suit of cups, for example, side by side...1 thru 10, and you will notice that each one seems to sort of move on to the next...a continual line of the story, and each individual card merely a small chapter of it. *smile* Now look at the row of the cards again, and you will see that they sort of bounce up and down in feel. . .sort of reflecting the ups and downs one feels in life at times. Then another glance has you sort of being able to "relate" to the cards images slightly as you sit there and say "I sort of recalling feeling like that once...." or "Man, I can see that happening to me..." Now when you start to read with cards and lay the cards out, at first the cards will be a composition of sorts with the printed images looking up at you -- then the images start to become pictures -- then the pictures start to relate to the other pictures -- and lastly the pictures combine together to make a "story". Eerie at first, I know. . .but the cards *were meant to communicate* to us in terms we understand or relate to, otherwise how could we use them as a divinational/meditational tool???

"If they were meant to communicate with us, then why weren't they written in words. . .like the runes took a letter of the Norse alphabet,... why didn't the cards adopt something similar, why pictures???" Well, there are 2 reasons for that. . .or it is theorized that there are only 2.

The first being that it is thought that our right side of the brain is the one that puts things into words. I can say "cat" ... and the right side of your brain sees that word and sends a message to the left side, that sees in symbols or images, who relays back to the right the "visual" image of a cat to connect to the word. The right side thinks logically ... it has to, just the way it was designed to work. But the left is sort of linked to our subconscious, ... it is what we use at night as we sleep and dream, or when we sit and daydream while awake. It is our "visual" thinking side. So the cards images hit our eyes, and the right side puts into words and "logical" images what the left side makes of these images thru a non-verbal, abstract sense. *shrug*

Unfortunately, though, the second reason is more detailed and branches out many different directions. . .so click here to continue.

This page opened up into a separate window, if you aren't going to read the entire series, just click it close now to return to the main History cover page so you can jump off from there. Thanks.

Last Updated October, 1997 © Carol aka Secretive