What is a tarot deck?
A tarot deck consists of 78 cards, 22 major arcana, and 56 minor. They are as follows:

Major Arcana: 0-21 0 -The Fool 1 -The Magician 2 -The High Priestess 3 -The Empress 4 -The Emperor 5 -The Hierophant 6 -The Lovers 7 - The Chariot 8 - Strength 9 - The Hermit 10 -The Wheel of Fortune

11- Justice 12 -The Hanged Man 13 - Death 14 - Temperance 15 - The Devil 16 - The Tower 17 - The Star 18 - The Moon 19 - The Sun 20 – Judgment 21- The World

Minor Arcana:
The Pip Cards – Ace through Ten
The Court Cards - Pages, Knights, Queens and Kings
The four suits – Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles

What are the origins?
The honest answer is, nobody really knows. The exact origins of the tarot are a mystery. Some believe the first deck was created in Northern Italy around 1400. Others believe the major arcana are derived from Hermes Trismegistus, King of Egypt. Still other beliefs are that gypsies brought them from India, that scholars in China invented them, etc. There is a correspondence between the major arcana and the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and because of this they are often related to Kabalistic lore of the Hebrews.

Note: It is believed by many that playing cards are derived from the tarot. The Joker is supposedly the only major arcana card in a regular card deck, and is based on the Fool
The Court Cards are represented as follows:
Pages Jacks
Knights None
Queens Queens
Kings Kings
The suits are represented as follows:
Wands Clubs
Hearts Cups
Swords Spades
Pentacles Diamonds

What can tarot be used for?
Tarot can be used for many things; however, it is most commonly used for divination, or to gain insight to a question or situation. Tarot can also be used for meditation, visualization and spiritual guidance. Some collect decks for the beauty of the artwork, and there are currently hundreds of different decks in existence today. If you are interested in getting a deck, there are many online sites you can buy one through, and most bookstores and new ages stores also carry them.

What is a spread?
A tarot spread is a layout of cards, with each card representing something based on the position it falls in for that reading. There are hundreds of spreads, and I put the most popular requests on my ordering form. If you do not see the spread/layout you would like, just fill out our customized reading request form. I will reply to you in regards to your request.

How does it work?
Once I receive your reading request, I will shuffle the cards with your question/s in mind. I will then layout the particular spread you want, and do the reading based on the cards that are laid and the positions they fall in. There are two ways I interpret the cards, the first being the symbolic, or traditional meaning of them. The second way I interpret is based on the intuitive feeling I am getting from the overall spread, and I combine both of these and then do the reading.

I hope this answers your questions; however, if there is something you would like to know I did not address here, please submit your question to our suggestion box. Please note, we may not be able respond directly to all questions left in the suggestion box, but may add your question to the FAQ. Thank you for visiting our site, we appreciate all of our visitors.