Sarah Bartlett - Iconic Tarot Decks: The History, Symbolism and Design of over 50 Decks

The History, Symbolism and Design of over 50 Decks

SARAH BARTLETT

In the world of tarot, it has become fashionable to use the analogy of the Fools journey as our own as we set off down the path to self-understanding. The Fool, or oneself, meets other characters or experiences various states of being (as seen in the major arcana cards) that are considered stepping stones for personal growth. In fact, each card or stepping stone mirrors something ineffable and magical within us. Our tarot journey also enables us to learn to make decisions or take responsibility for our choices, or we begin to understand the deeper archetypal themes to which we resonate. But breaking away from this belief (and one to which I thoroughly subscribe), I would like to suggest that it is also the stories of tarots creators, artists, mystics, occultists, nobility, poets and princesses that are also a reflection of you.

In fact, it is also these characters who are at the core of your tarot journey, whether it is the artist who painted the Renaissance miniature portraits or the occultist who craftily added esoteric symbols to a cards imagery. All these people and ideas are forever preserved in the tarot, and all of them reflect you.

Thats why this book is unique, in that its not just a history of tarot, nor a practical guide to interpretation, healing or divination. It is about the tales and secrets, the symbols and escapades that imbue and permeate tarot, and the legacy of all who have come across it, too. It is this cultural life that brings tarot alive. Whether in its first use as a risk-taking game or as a reminder to dukes and courtiers of family folly, like a plum marinating in the finest wine, the tarot has soaked up the sweetest and most bitter flavours from the past. And again, whether as a medium for esoteric messaging or a divinatory tool, the tarot gathers in its wake, like a great train of thought, all images, ideas, philosophies, esoterica, cultural or social, of the places through which it has passed.

In this book, you will discover that all that is tarot is all of you, too.

These days, the standard deck of tarot is made up of seventy-eight cards. They consist of four suits of fourteen cards each, known as the minor arcana, plus the major arcana made up of twenty-two cards. The four suits are usually referred to as Swords, Wands, Pentacles and Cups, although there are some variations depending on the creators choice of title. But generally they relate to the elemental correspondences in western astrology. So Swords usually equate to Air, Wands to Fire, Pentacles to Earth and Cups to Water.

The Major Arcana

The twenty-two cards that make up the major arcana are numbered from one to twenty-one, while the Fool is unnumbered. With the Magician as I and the World as XXI, the major arcana are the most dynamic, personal and archetypal when used in divination or personal psychological work. The unnumbered Fool is sometimes considered the very essence of oneself.

Archetypes

The major arcana are usually interpreted as powerful archetypes known to us all, but often hidden away in the unconscious. When used in divination or self-healing readings, the images provoke a reaction within us that informs us of various states, which either need addressing or are already (or will be) manifest in our lives. These can also be outside influences such as events, experiences or people that we meet. Depending on the layout of the cards, the archetypal meaning can change from a positive quality to a more negative one and vice versa.

The Four Suits

The four suits usually have ten pip cards, in other words cards numbered one (ace) to ten, and then four court cards. These are usually, in ascending order, Page, Knight, Queen, King. This format is found especially in Rider-Waite-Smith styles of deck (see ) and so on. Variations also occur in contemporary decks, with alternative court cards such as Mother, Father, Daughter, Son.

The Major Arcana

Here is a brief guide to the symbolic correspondences and interpretations of each of the cards illustrated.

MAJOR ARCANA FROM THE ENCHANTED TAROT (SEE )

The Wheel of Fortune, Strength, The Hierophant and The Fool.

The Fool

Unnumbered: Unlimited potential

Astrological affinity: Uranus freedom

Keywords/phrases: Spontaneity, impulse, blind to the truth, eternal optimist, ready for a quest, taking a chance, knowing the right way forwards, even if others think its wrong.

The Magician

1: Focused action

Astrological affinity: Mercury magic

Keywords/phrases: Getting magical results and acting with concentrated effort, persuasion, time to manifest results, knowledge is power, taking ideas and putting them into action.

The High Priestess

2: Mystery

Astrological affinity: The Moon receptivity

Keywords/phrases: Silent potential, secrets revealed, feminine intuition, seeing the truth, seeing beyond the obvious to what is hidden or true.

The Empress

3: Abundance

Astrological affinity: Venus indulgence

Keywords/phrases: Tangible or creative results, sensuality, fulfilment, pleasure in earthly delights, expression of joy, mother figures in relationships.

The Emperor

4: Authority

Astrological affinity: Aries organization

Keywords/phrases: Official matters, masculine power, authority and discipline, wise counsel, accomplishment, motivation, father figures in relationships.