| A Tarot card deck typically consists of 78 colorful | | | | "Tarocchi, a French card game originally termed |
| cards imprinted with what many deem fascinating | | | | carte da trionfi — cards with |
| and curious images. The cards, each filled with a | | | | trumps. It has been theorized that the name was |
| particular meaning and portent, most often come | | | | shortened from Tarocchi to Taro and |
| somewhat larger than ordinary playing cards and | | | | thus evolved over time into Tarot by the |
| make an impressive display when ritually laid out. This | | | | French. The definition of Tarot goes hand in hand |
| deck of special cards can be used by a trained | | | | with the origin of the name because Tarot is |
| reader for glimpsing into his or her own future | | | | considered to be a tool of divination by believers, and |
| or that of another person for whom the cards are | | | | the roots of the name explain, in part, how this came |
| read. The Tarot deck, divided into Major Arcana and | | | | to be so, though we may never know the complete |
| Minor Arcana, contains 22 symbolic cards and 56 suit | | | | story, since its complete origins have been lost in the |
| cards — wands, swords, cups, and pentacles | | | | passage of time. |
| — interestingly also called pip cards. | | | | The origins of Tarot vary almost as widely as there |
| Many types and styles of Tarot cards exist, and a | | | | are people exploiting the powers of these fascinating |
| breakdown of even the more common Tarot card | | | | cards. Some maintain the cards have roots beginning |
| deck reads like a mysterious journey into the occult | | | | in the ancient mysteries of Egypt, the mythical city |
| — and perhaps it is! The Major Arcana includes | | | | of doomed Atlantis, or from the magic-filled |
| the magician, high priestess, empress, emperor, | | | | background of the European gypsies. But |
| hierophant (a sage or wise man), lovers, chariot, | | | | etymologically speaking, that is, considering Tarot |
| strength, hermit, wheel, justice, hanged man, death, | | | | from the history of the word itself, this mysterious |
| temperance, devil, tower, star, moon, sun, judgment, | | | | deck of future-foretelling cards probably came into |
| world. The Minor Arcana (the suits) consists of the | | | | being in the northern Italian courts of nobility during |
| aces, twos, threes, fours, fives, sixes, sevens, eights, | | | | the mid-15th century. |
| nines, tens, court cards, pages, knights, queens, and | | | | Whatever and whenever the source of Tarot, this |
| kings — all in the above-mentioned suits. | | | | remarkable deck of cards remains an entertaining and |
| The key to successfully reading the Tarot deck, | | | | intriguing journey into the unknown, the inexplicable, |
| however, does not lie only in what the cards mean, | | | | and the sometimes mystifying realms of life. Perhaps |
| but in how to interpret them. A gifted Tarot reader | | | | the roots of Tarot lie shrouded in doubt for a reason. |
| can sometimes create a huge following by accurately | | | | Perhaps Tarot is meant to mystify as well as to |
| predicting the futures of friends, family — | | | | reveal. Perhaps
only the Tarot cards know for |
| even strangers who call on him or her for a reading. | | | | sure! |
| Tarot comes from the Italian word | | | | |