Beginner's Manual - lesson 1:
What is tarot?
Tarot is a deck of cards. A traditional deck holds 78 cards, divided in 2 Arcanas. Does your deck differ in this amount, do not worry, it is perfectly readable and might even give that extra something that makes you click with your deck. For now, let us stick to the traditional deck.
The deck is divided in 2 Arcanas, the major Arcana (from now just called majors) and the minor Arcana.
The majors are 22 cards called "triumphs" or "archetypes". They are numbered from 0-The Fool to 21-The World. They symbolize our life journey going from 0 to 21 in eternity.
The majors are the main rulers in tarot, not only do they show persons of great significance in your life or sides to your own personality, they also reveal what stage or chapter you or your situation are in right now in your life.
The minor Arcana is divided in another 2 sections. 40 minors and 16 court cards.
The minors are divided in 4 suits: Pentacles, Cups, Swords and Wands. Each suit holds the numbers Ace to Ten. Both suits and the numbers has their own specific basic meaning.
The courts are as the minors divided in the 4 suits; Pentacles, Cups, Swords and Wands. For the court cards I prefer to call the suits “families” as each suit, family has 4 members: King, Queen, Knight and Page.
Some decks have image illustrations and others do not. It is a question of taste and temper, what you prefer and only you can answer that.
Remember first and only rule to tarot, and you will do fine *S*
 | What ever feels right for you |
Next: What is tarot about?