Meet Tarot's Big Playas: the Major Arcana Cards
Understanding Tarot
Tarot is a tool that helps you communicate with Spirit*, in order to receive messages for your Highest Good (and the good of all). When working with Tarot, it is important to remember that the cards don’t hold the magic, you do. You have control over the conversation and how to lead it. Using tarot is about developing our intuition, channeling (receiving) messages, and detaching from our Egos in order to get the messages we need to hear the most.
*Spirit refers to God, Universal Consciousness, your Spirit Guides, Ancestors, Loved ones that have passed on, Angels and Archangels. Whatever terminology that you connect with.
What does “Arcana” mean?
In Tarot there are a lot of strange words that you’ll come across. Arcana is one of them, meaning secret or mystery. In a Traditional Tarot deck there are 78 cards divided into two sections: Major and Minor Arcana. With the word Arcana meaning mystery, it would make sense that these cards would point to the big mysteries that you’re uncovering in your life. In other words, we're talking 'bout BIG, life-changing events! These cards point to the major changes and/ or choices that you'll face that will have long-term effects on your journey.
What makes the Major Arcana Cards important?
In typical Tarot decks, there’s usually 22 Major Arcana cards. I like to look at these cards as the “Big playas” or (for more academic folx) the Major Archetypes of the card deck (we’ll cover how to read the Minor Arcana in another post). Each Major Arcana card has a basic meaning (outlined below) which may change in different decks, depending on the vibe or the intention of the author/ illustrator.
ACTION STEP: I recommend using a journal or a virtual doc to take down some notes. Lay out all of the Major Arcana cards from 0 to 21 and take your time reflecting on each one. What symbols or colours stand out to you? What’s your initial reaction to each card? Write down your first impressions and we’ll come back to these later.
Let’s Break it Down
Feel free to grab your journal and write down the following keywords or click and save these pictures for your own reference. I’m also on Pinterest so feel free to pin these here.
Meet your Major Playas
Deepen your learning
ACTION STEP: look at your list of “first impressions” and see if there were any similarities to the keywords list. No worries if whatever you wrote happens to be different! This is just an intro to Tarot and remember that the cards have layers to their meanings. The beauty about Tarot is that you get to build your own relationship with the cards and that you get to discover these at your own pace. Intuitive readings don’t rely on interpreting from your mind but rather from your gut, heart, and third eye.
Trust in where you are. Trust that NOW is the most important place of your Journey.
Learning Tarot teaches you to have patience with your learning style and process, so just flow with it.
In Case You’re Feeling Overwhelmed…
Learning Tarot is like building a relationship with the cards. It’s like getting to know 22 new friends who have different personalities, tendencies, and temperaments. Each person has different layers to them and in different settings, these friends can behave differently. Overtime you’ll learn that some cards feel different when they’re next to other cards; just like your friend Emily who becomes playful and wild at parties but loves to be reflective when she’s on her own.
You’ll learn how to communicate with Spirit through the images of the cards. You’ll begin to create your own language with Tarot. One where you’re communicating and understanding Spirit’s messages clearly and confidently. In time, you’ll connect even deeper with this powerful Tool, but for now, enjoy where you are and what you know. Being a beginner is a beautiful and transformational thing.
Supporting you on your Journey,
xo TJ
PS. Share this post with a friend who you want to learn Tarot with! Now wouldn't that be some wholesome fun? ✌️😛