Category: EdTech

I suppose it’s strange that over the past couple of months of investigating tarot, I’ve never actually tried to define it. I suppose I’d like to make my own definition but for now, I’ll rely on what others have to say.

Oxford Dictionary gives the following definition.

Wiki gives the following definition.

I wanted to look a bit further into the etymology of tarot but unfortunately, much of the origins are unknown. Etymonline states that tarot’s etymology comes from the “1590s, from French tarot (16c.), from Old Italian tarocchi (plural), of unknown origin, perhaps from Arabic taraha “he rejected, put aside. (etymnonline, 2019).”

This Arabic connection is an interesting parallel to Tarots introduction to Egypt. I’m not sure how to connect this rejection. I wonder if this has something to do with the modern game of Tarot. Tarot as a game is trick making, making choices of betting, rejecting etc.

I’ve taken this definition of the Major and Minor Arcana in the tarot deck directly from the “Tarot” page of Wikipedia.

• “The Major Arcana (greater secrets), or trump cards, consists of 22 cards without suits:
  • The Magician, The High Priestess, The Empress, The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Lovers, The Chariot, Strength, The Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, Justice, The Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon, The Sun, Judgement, The World, and The Fool. Cards from The Magician to The World are numbered in Roman numerals from I to XXI, while The Fool is the only unnumbered card, sometimes placed at the beginning of the deck as 0, or at the end as XXII” (Wikipedia, “Tarot” October 15, 2019).

• “The Minor Arcana (lesser secrets) consists of 56 cards, divided into four suits of 14 cards eachTen numbered cards and four court cards. The court cards are the King, Queen, Knight and Page/Jack, in each of the four tarot suits. The traditional Italian tarot suits are swords, batons, coins and cups; in modern occult tarot decks, however, the batons suit is often called wands, rods or staves, while the coins suit is often called pentacles or disks” (Wikipedia, “Tarot” October 15, 2019).

These Arcanas make up the Tarot deck and in sequence ” the Tarot trumphs are like a secular Neoplatanic rosary. They tell of a similar heroic journey, through three layers equated to three parts of the soul, but the hero in the Tarot is not Christ. The hero is Everyman or Everywoman” (Place p.129). I think it’s this idea that draws so many to tarot; it’s the power that comes with being the hero in your own story. The focus on self. Still, I don’t believe this desire manifests through narcissism. The desire to seek place and make room for your own journey in an expansive world doesn’t scream self-absorption to me. It just seems human. A human urge that has lasted centuries exists in a deck of cards.

Citations

Meet the Libra. Jason has ever so graciously offered to be one of my test subjects as I learn how to properly read tarot. For this reading, I did it pretty intuitively. He had questions about the upcoming school year. This is the final year of his undergraduate degree and he has lots of uncertainties about the future. These uncertainties relate to time, place, success etc. Basically he’s got questions.

As a typical libra, his opinion of tarot is quite… balanced; he’s certainly not a devote follower of the craft but he also wouldn’t define himself as a sceptic. He takes what he thinks relates to him and his life, and he uses it. What he doesn’t relate to, he tends to disregard. This reading will act as a baseline for my Inquiry: a place to grow from.

On to the reading… Gulp.

Now Tarot doesn’t just prophesize the future; it tells a story.

We begin with the three of swords. Now I’m under the belief that no card is a BAD card… but this one certainly doesn’t look too friendly. The card speaks to betrayal, heartbreak, a deep hurt. It’s a card of intense emotion. Still, there is a possibility (and likeliness in regards to the later reading) to move from this betrayal.

The two of wands speaks to future planning. A card of potential. Though Jason still has a lot of questions about his future post-graduation, there are plentiful opportunities for success for him on the horizon. This card speaks to travel, longterm goals, and a decision that must be made. Great success may be in his future if he is able to take a few risks.

The king of cups is balance (hey king libra). He is calm and open to his emotions without being overwhelmed by them. This may speak to three of swords… a point in his journey where he is able to reconcile his emotions.

Finally the queen of swords- facing forwards to the future, to change. She has emotional maturity and mental clarity. This card speaks to the independence Jason is building towards as he finishes his degree both in his personal life and career.

Thus concludes my lower than amateur baseline reading. I had to omit some aspects for the sake of privacy. I’ve found that tarot can surely be intrusive.