If you’re new to the world of Tarot, then welcome! It’s not too hard to learn how to give great Tarot readings. One of the first things that you’ll want to know is the difference between the types of Tarot cards.
The major and minor arcana are the two major types of cards within a standard Tarot deck. You may have also noticed similar decks of cards called Oracle cards. What are all these different cards and how do they affect your readings?
The Different Types of Tarot Cards
There are different types of decks as well as different categories of cards. Pretty much all standard Tarot decks are divided between the major and minor arcana.
Major Arcana
The major arcana cards are 22 in total.
These cards are representative of major archetypal forces or energies in the universe and in our individual lives. Each major arcana card reflects an important aspect such as an emotion or virtue.
The major arcana are also historically and spiritually significant. The major arcana cards, the first of which is The Fool, tell a story. This story is the journey of The Fool as he progresses through his spiritual development. It is relatable to the path to enlightenment that we are all on.
Minor Arcana
There are usually 56 minor arcana cards in a Tarot deck.
The minor arcana cards represent forces, experiences, activities and situations that relate to our daily living. The minor arcana cards are broken into 4 different suits.
In most decks, these suits consist of swords, wands, cups, and pentacles. Each suit relates to a different theme or idea. These themes help to color your reading.
Minor arcana cards help to provide focus for certain details or aspects of a reading. The major arcana may set the overarching theme of the reading itself, for example, while the minor arcana may encourage you to hone in on certain parts.
Oracle Cards
Oracle cards are a different type of cards than Tarot.
Oracle cards are generally less structured than Tarot cards and readings don’t have a lot of rules. They don’t have to adhere to certain symbols, nor do they have to represent the same ideas that you would find in a Tarot deck.
As such, oracle cards come in a variety of different themes. The total number of cards in an oracle deck may vary as well, with some decks containing as few as 12 cards with others having more than 100.
Oracle cards may work well in conjunction with Tarot cards. Oracle cards generally deal with bigger topics and ideas than Tarot cards. This means that they may be useful for providing a general context for your readings.
The Tarot cards, then, can be used to help figure out certain details or approaches.
In Conclusion
Understanding the different types of Tarot cards is important for anyone who wants to give good readings. It’s also important to understand the difference between card sets, such as Oracle cards compared to Tarot cards.
Then, of course, you’ll want to learn the meanings of individual cards themselves. The Death card, for example, has a very different meaning than the Judgment card.
