Jamie Butler Learn it Live Series

Class #29 Basics of Tarot

a. learn the suites and what they stand for
b. quick learn on the major arcana cards
c. symbolism on every card. Journal with each card.
d. traditional ritual verses modern layouts: what is best for you




Tarot:

Playing cards’ history:
Did you know that at one time, the king of hearts represented Charlemagne, the king
of Diamonds was Julius Caesar, the king of clubs was Alexander the Great and the
king of spades was King David from the Bible? These fascinating identities, along
with special designations for the other court cards, were bestowed by the French
who were instrumental in bringing the pleasures of card play to people in Europe
and the New World.

The earliest playing cards are believed to have originated in Central Asia. The
documented history of card playing began in the 10th century, when the Chinese
began using paper dominoes by shuffling and dealing them in new games. Four-
suited decks with court cards evolved in the Moslem world and were imported by
Europeans before 1370. In those days, cards were hand-painted and only the very
wealthy could afford them, but with the invention of woodcuts in the 14th century,
Europeans began mass-production

It is from French designs that the cards we use today are derived. France gave us the
suits of spades, clubs, diamonds and hearts, and the use of simple shapes and flat
colors helped facilitate manufacture. French cards soon flooded the market and
were exported in all directions. They became the standard in England first, and then
in the British Colonies of America.

Americans began making their own cards around 1800. Yankee ingenuity soon
invented or adopted practical refinements: double-headed court cards (to avoid the
nuisance of turning the figure upright), varnished surfaces (for durability and
smoothness in shuffling), indexes (the identifying marks placed in the cards’
borders or corners), and rounded corners (which avoid the wear that card players
inflict on square corners).


Cartomancy:

Tarot history:
The history of cards and their use to foretell the future - traditionally called
"cartomancy" - is not a subject easily researched.

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Historians believe the four suits of the deck at that time needed to be extended by
adding new cards which would "trump" or beat cards of the four ordinary suits in
popular card games.
With the addition of 22 cards, which had no suit designations attached to them, a
deck of 78 cards was created. With that deck, tarot cards are believed to have been
born.

Tarot first appears in Italy under the name TAROCCO. The first known deck was
made for the Vicsconzi-Sforza family of Milan. The artist of the Visconzi-Sforza deck
is believed to be Bembo. Gertrude Moakley, in the book she wrote about this deck
and the history of the tarot, believes that the cards represent the parade: the triomfi
that marked many a celebration.

During the late 1700's and into the early 1800's Eliphas Levi, a Catholic Priest,
writer, and teacher, created the basis for the most popular Tarot cards still in use
today. Although Levi was born and trained for the Catholic Priesthood, he studied
many other religions and subjects as well. He studied the Jewish, Hindu, Polish and
Masonic religions and Cabalism. Levi was also a student of astronomy, astrology,
and the metaphysics. When he created his first Tarot deck, he incorporated his
knowledge of religions, the elements in nature (fire, water, earth, air), and what
were believed to be powerful astrological events and symbols (most of which are
still popular today). There are even references to scriptures from The Bible shown
in some of the cards. Levi claimed he created the cards as a tool to aid his students
in the art of spiritual enlightenment, self-improvement, and self awareness.

Levi saw the similarity of the tarot with many occult traditions, including the
correlation of the tarot with the Hebrew system of mysticism, the Kabalah. Levi tied
the tarot into the Tree of Life and the Kabalah. He saw the tarot as a key to life itself,
as an essential tool for man to use to develop himself as a human being, as a way to
grow so that he might find heaven.

It wasn't until the late 1800's that A.E. Waite realized that the cards could be used to
predict possible future events. Waite created the Rider-Waite deck based on the
works of Eliphas Levi, and published the cards in 1896. The Rider-Waite Tarot deck
is the most widely used version currently in existence.

The Tarot was then introduced into the Western culture in the early 1900's, and
were extremely popular during World War I. Today the Rider-Waite deck is the
most popular and widely known pack. It has the advantage of having pictures on all
the cards, which makes for easier interpretation. Recently, many other decks have
been published all trying to embellish the cards in different ways, but still is accord
with their meanings. Today more people are opening up to the idea of Tarot readers,
Astrologers, and Psychics.

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Tarot layouts:
Laying out the Tarot cards is not a quick game. There is no “instant oracle” that
presents miracle solutions to all problems. But
Tarot cards can certainly be a valuable tool, useful in making decisions, helping you
search for the meaning of life, and leading to self-discovery.

The cards show us mirror reflections of ourselves in the outside world. That is why
interpretations by others, in books for example, can be no more than points of
reference or notes for setting in motion our own chain of associations. The
meanings of the cards are to be found in ourselves. It is important to remember that
the cards only reveal possibilities, which don’t necessarily have to materialize
because we are ourselves are the masters of our fate, and shape and direct it.


The four suites of the Tarot can be translated into:

Swords are the cards of the mind, conflict, and cuts to the truth of a situation. Sword
aligned people can be of great use in dire or extreme circumstances; they take a
stand, and do not quit.
Swords is an 'Air' sign


Rods or Wands are concerned with creation, energy, the human will and ideas.
Wand people are the creative forces in our society, the people who ask 'why not?'.
They work for the advancement of others in government or law - but not 'daily
grind' work - it must be novel, challenging.

But his force un-channeled or untutored, can create mischief and disruption, as the
Wands person seeks diversion and change in less productive ways.
Wands are a 'Fire' sign.


Cups are the suite of emotions, fulfillment, love, and matters of the heart. Cups
people care about others, finding happiness through helping others find it. Intuition
is also a cups trait.

But when you get tired of caring, when it just is too much, then a cup person may get
cynical or self-centered, and rebellious.
Cups are a 'Water' sign.


Coins or Pentacles are concerned with practical, concrete things, and with the
body. People aligned with pentacles value and respect good hard work. Doing one's
work the best way possible, and providing a good home for one's family are high
priorities.

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But sometimes they can find it hard to remember just why all this work is needed.
At the worst, the pure enjoyment of physical pleasure and possessions can dominate
or rebel.
Coins are an 'Earth' sign.


22 Major Arcana Cards resources
https://www.biddytarot.com/tarot-card-meanings/major-arcana/

https://www.tarot.com/tarot/cards/major-arcana


Take care in choosing a deck for you. Once you purchase a deck do not lay them out
immediately, hold them, shuffle them, look at them. Start a card diary, where you
can write down impressions the cards give you. This will help you understand the
meaning of them.
-No one else should handle your cards, this way they remain with your energy only.
-Keep your cards wrapped in a special cloth for protection.
-If you ever feel your cards need to be cleaned, chronologically put your cards in
order: Major Arcana (0-21) and Minor Arcana (Wands, Cups, Swords, and Coins or
Pentacles). This will restore order to your cards.

Now it is time to layout your Tarot. Find some quiet time away from people and
phones and pets. Calm yourself. Focus on your question you want to consult the
cards with. Let as many images as possible come to your mind about this question.
Then distance yourself again from your theme and try to take as neutral a position
as possible.

Pick up the stack of cards and shuffle it. The most effective way to handle the cards
is to
1. mix them on the cloth by pushing them upwards, face down and them
shuffling them with both hands.
2. Mix the cards until you have the feeling it is enough.
3. Afterwards, push the cards together into a neat stack, and set it on the cloth
in front of you.
4. With your left hand, lift off a part of the stack and place it to the left of the
first stack.
5. If you are using the Major Arcana only, simply take the first stack and place it
on the second, and you will be ready to begin.
6. But if you want to use all 78 cards, take off about half of the second stack and
put it back on top of the first stack: then take the whole stack and place it on
the second stack.
Now the cards are shuffled. Spread out the cards like a fan in front of you on the
cloth. Without touching the cards, let you left and gild over them. Let your hand

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respond to the card before pulling out a card. Pull the card and place it on its place
in the layout. Repeat the procedure as often as you need cards.

When it is time to flip your cards do so one at a time and flip from left to right.
Reshuffle your deck when you are finished reading your cards.

Ok, so if this too much for you to remember and you are not into the ritual side of
the Tarot, then shuffle your cards while you are thinking of your question, draw
from the top of the deck when you are done. Lay them face down and continue your
layout reading.



Tarot workings:
The cards do not possess any mysterious powers, nor can they harm anyone if they
are read in the proper perspective. The Tarot cards reflect thoughts and actions in
our subconscious and conscious mind. Mind over matter to use the term loosely.
They can and should be used only for positive reasons. As with anything else, if
used with negative or malicious intent, the negativity that is created will only come
back on the invoker.

The Tarot are best suited for learning about oneself, and one's reactions to life's
seemingly never ending struggles, to increase self awareness, and possibly to obtain
a new point of view of life itself. They can help to clarify past events, understand
why the events took place, and possibly give some insight into how to avoid making
the same mistakes again, or even how to make the good events happen again. The
cards can also predict possible future events. Sometimes, just knowing ahead of
time an event may occur, is enough to change the person's path and future outcome.


Tarot trivia:
There are references about card playing long after the first deck; indeed one Medici
pope is known to have enjoyed the cards after a long day of ruling the world.

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