| > | | | | fortune, justice, the hanged man, death, temperance, |
| | | | the devil, the tower, the star, the sun, the moon, |
| One of the first steps toward understanding the | | | | judgment, and the world. |
| Tarot lies in appreciating the meaning of its two | | | | A number of the Major Arcana cards serve as |
| Arcana — the Major and the Minor. But even | | | | archetypal representatives of real people in our lives, |
| before that, the novice does well by committing to | | | | either as a whole or in symbolic parts. Some |
| memory the meaning of Arcana — | | | | archetypes, for instance, would be authority figures, |
| defined as mysterious knowledge, language, or | | | | mysterious or mystical people, or parental, sibling, or |
| information accessible only by the initiate. | | | | other familial figures. |
| By its very definition, the word Arcana | | | | The Major Arcana cards each represent, through |
| exudes secrecy and a certain esoteric eeriness | | | | their images, positive and negative forces. The |
| — making it the perfect word for the two | | | | interpretation of the meanings of the cards, |
| branches of the Tarot so important to believers, | | | | however, relies on many factors. Some of these |
| including new initiates. To learn about Tarot is | | | | factors include how the cards are laid, which cards |
| one thing; to truly learn the meaning of the | | | | surround others, the information sought, the reader, |
| Tarot’s Arcana is quite another. | | | | and the person for whom the reading is being |
| Because the Arcana are secret, and because their | | | | performed. So even though each individual Major |
| deeper meanings are closed to many, learning them | | | | Arcana symbol or card holds its own unique |
| takes time, determination, and perhaps even a gift. | | | | meanings, it must be taken as only one part of a |
| This gift belongs to those with a desire to learn the | | | | whole with the above critical dynamics taken into |
| mysteries and knowledge of the Ancients, the special | | | | account. |
| few, the Chosen. The Arcana, though seemingly | | | | When dealing with the Major Arcana, one deals with |
| somewhat simplistic at first glance, are in actuality the | | | | some of the ancient, mystical, and hidden secrets of |
| great secret to reading Tarot. | | | | the universe — and should do so with the |
| The first of the Arcana, termed the Major | | | | caution attributed to the wisest among us. But be |
| Arcana, symbolically relate to our physical, as well | | | | cautious, not afraid! Some may say, Curiosity |
| as intellectual, emotional, and spiritual states of being. | | | | killed the cat! But we also know: Satisfaction |
| These 22 powerful cards illuminate our strengths, | | | | brought it back! And even though cats do |
| weaknesses, fears, wishes, and the light and dark | | | | purportedly have nine lives, you’ll have to |
| portions of our souls. The Major Arcana in a | | | | consult the Major Arcana to even hazard a guess as |
| commonly used Tarot deck include the fool, the | | | | to which life the cat in question is now living — |
| magician, the high priestess, the empress, the | | | | once you’ve learned the Major |
| emperor, the hierophant (wise man or teacher), the | | | | Arcana’s secrets, that is! |
| lovers, the chariot, strength, the hermit, the wheel of | | | | |