Glossary entry for
Tarot cards
Tarot cards first appeared in Italy in 1445.Their origins are shrouded in
mystery, with some people tracing them back to ancient Egypt. For a long
time tarot cards were associated with Gypsies because they used them for
fortune telling. The tarot is closely linked to the Hebrew mystical system
of Kabalah. There are 78 cards in a pack. The first 22 are called trumps or
the Major Arcana and represent stages in occult initiation.The aspirant
meditates on the symbolic meaning of each card in order to understand how
the universal energies represented operate within his own being.
Today there are hundreds of different tarot packs available.Some are just
gimmicks, cashing in on the interest in tarot without having the deeper
meanings present.Tarot packs with real power are those that embody
teachings from long standing traditions.
At the popular level tarot cards are used for fortune telling. The cards are
shuffled in different ways, then laid out in certain patterns called
spreads. R.J.Stewart, creator of the Merlin Tarot, calls fortune telling a
lesser art of tarot, as opposed to meditation and visualisation with the
tarot for higher insights. (This song says:"Tarot cards and astronomy". It
would make more sense if it was "and astrology", as this fortune telling
method fits the context of the verse.)
Contributed by Alan Pert, Sydney, Australia
More information is available at:
Van references in:
- "Drumshanbo Hustle"
(on The Philosopher's Stone)
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