According to Robert M. Place in The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination (Penguin, 2005), the tarot cards were originally a series of "trumps" based on a parade of a sort called "triumphs" where each card or symbol subsequently "trumped" the preceding character or symbol, and was trumped by the card which followed.
The 22 cards of the major arcana can be likened to a heroic quest, where the hero overcomes earthly desires, descends to the underworld, defeats death, and earns the reward of immortality. As a result of the epic scope of this tale, the Tarot has often been used for divination.
However, it was likely that the cards also originated as a game, and were meant to be played in hands much like modern playing cards. The imagery and suits for the modern deck of playing cards were derived from the original tarot decks, and the parallels survive today. It is certainly possible to use playing cards for divination!
One "new age" note: it is best to use a separate deck for divination than is used for everyday games of poker and bridge. Cards can pick up energy according to use and user.
Composition of a Tarot Deck
The 78-card tarot deck is comprised of the following cards:
- 22 major arcana cards ("arcana" means secrets, so major arcana cards are related to "big secrets" or large life changes and sweeping patterns in one's life);
- 16 court cards (four in each of the 4 suits), and;
- 40 "pips" or cards numbered 1-10 of each of the 4 suits.
The suits of the tarot are generally cups, swords, wands and coins (or pentacles, depending on the deck). Cups and coins are considered "feminine" energy, and concern the elements water and earth, respectively. Likewise, phallic swords are related to air, and equally masculine wands to the fire element.
The 16 court cards include a king, queen, knight and page in each suit. For modern playing cards, the knight and page have been combined into the Jack card.
The only major arcana card to survive into the modern deck of cards is the zero card, or "the fool." The image of the harlequin youth blithely tripping off a cliff can in fact trump any of the the cards, or none of the cards in the major arcana. It is a "joker" card in both the tarot and in the modern playing card deck. He signifies new beginnings, leaping without looking, and careless good luck.
Converting Tarot Symbols to Modern Playing Cards
The suits are divided by color - reds are feminine and blacks are masculine - and the modern suits resemble the Tarot images with the slightest bit of imagination.In playing cards, the parallels are not difficult to draw:
- The feminine tarot suit of cups relates to love, relationships and romance - hearts
- The feminine tarot suit of coins relates to earthly matters of riches and health - diamonds
- The masculine tarot suit of swords relates to clear logic and a "cutting off" - spades
- The masculine tarot suit of wands speaks of work and social interactions - clubs
Since the fool, or joker card is the only major arcana card to survive in the modern deck, it is important to note that you are basically performing a "minor arcana" reading, and that only "little secrets" should be expected to be revealed. This includes day-to-day matters, rather than broad life-changing events.
Reading the Playing Cards
The reader should be familiar with the meanings of all of the tarot's minor arcana pips as well as the court cards, and use the parallel suit and number to read the cards.
For example, the queen of hearts (so celebrated in song) is in fact the queen of cups, known for her intuition, and connection with all living things. The 3 of spades will represent heartbreak and betrayal, and the 9 of hearts that all of your wishes will come true. Aces have the same meaning in both decks - the universe is handing the supplicant a tool - be it a heart, diamond, spade or club.
The only trick in this is the knight/page to Jack conversion. Generally speaking, the Jack is closer to the knight in meaning than he is to the page. Where the knights indicate speed and action surrounding their suit, pages indicate messages or news. Jacks can signify both.
Alicia King - Alicia King has been writing for Suite 101 since June of 2007. For over a year, she was the Featured Writer for the Suite section about ...
