| Tarot was founded in Italy, and references to it are | | | | positive forces. The Strength Card speaks of control |
| found in the Steele Manuscript, in a diatribe about | | | | over material forces. The Hermit is the controller of |
| tarot cards used for gambling. The cards were | | | | the elements. The Wheel of Fortune symbolizes |
| standardized by 1500. These cards were hand-painted | | | | change and its interpretations. The Justice Card is |
| or wood block printed. | | | | symbolic of balance. The Hanged Man represents |
| Tarot cards were given divine status by their | | | | reversal of views and also about control and balance. |
| interpreters. French cleric Antoine Court de Gebelin | | | | Death symbolizes change and rebirth. The Devil is |
| believed that the cards were born in ancient Egypt | | | | about ambitions and is said to be a masculine card. |
| as a commencement into priesthood. Alliette or | | | | The Tower represents actual understanding. Lightning |
| Etteilla, a famous mystic gave different divine | | | | is about use of power. The Star symbolizes the |
| interpretations to religious Christian meanings. | | | | hidden mind assembling knowledge. The Moon is |
| Alphonse Louis Constant, also a cleric who later called | | | | symbolic of the development of the spirit. The Sun is |
| himself Eliphas Levi, believed that tarot was a word | | | | all about life, judgment and the understanding of |
| connected to Kabbala He felt the god Thoth-Hermes | | | | spirituality. |
| was the creator of the original deck. Eventually other | | | | The lesser arcana cards consist of 56 cards with 4 |
| mystic beliefs were used, including Sufism, Hinduism, | | | | different suits. These are the wands, the cups, the |
| Christianity, Norse gods and many others. | | | | swords and the pentacles. These have cards from |
| The major arcana or the trumps have some of the | | | | ace to 10 and have lower ambience or auras. These |
| most interesting cards. Each of them is governed by | | | | cards are also linked to numerology. |
| one of the four elements and a planet. The Fool | | | | There was a revival of interest in tarot cards in the |
| represents energy and new beginnings. The Magician | | | | 70s, when many new decks were published. To |
| is the conscious mind and fortune. The High Priestess | | | | know about more about tarot cards, you could read |
| denotes the subconscious mind. The Empress | | | | Michael Dummett's The Game of Tarot, Cynthia Giles' |
| represents memory, creativity and imagination. The | | | | The Tarot: History, Mystery and Lore, Brian Williams' |
| Emperor is the ruler of the conscious elements. The | | | | A Renaissance Tarot and The Minchiate Tarot. |
| Hierophant is the inner being, the teacher and the | | | | These, together with the information available online, |
| subconscious. The Lovers are about relationships and | | | | are sure to spark your interest in this other-worldly |
| compatibility. The Chariot controls the negative and | | | | area. |