The Map of the Tarot

There are many Tarot decks, based on a variety of sets of symbolism. Which one you choose to use will depend on which deck you feel most comfortable with.

By and large, although the symbols and designs vary, the significances of the individual cards are the same.

Personally, I have around half a dozen different decks which I use from time to time but there is only one I use on a regular basis and that deck accompanies me everywhere. Not that I necessarily consult the Tarot all the time or everywhere I go, in fact I use the Tarot sparingly, but my favourite deck is never far from my hand.



The first are from a deck which seems partly based on the old Marseille Tarot published by Barnes and Noble 1990.



An unusual deck, The Karma Tarot, based on life at Christiania in Copenhagen.



This last pair are from the Crowley Book of Thoth Tarot.

For further information on the various decks available visit this site where there are details of many Tarot and Oracle decks.

To see many more Tarot decks, please follow the links given below to my other Tarot lenses.

Two of the Major Arcana cards from the Arthurian Tarot.

On The Map of the Tarot you will see a number of symbols.

Above are the signs of the Zodiac.

And these are the planetary symbols, one of which you will find associated with every card.

Also on The Map are the symbols of the elements.

And the abbreviations which refer to the potency of planetary relationships of the cards.

It has been pointed out to me that many people are unfamiliar with paper sizes.

The Map of the Tarot is supplied to you as a monochrome copy in A1 size ... 23.5 inches x 33 inches ... 59 cms x 84 cms.

The instruction booklet with colour chart, card meanings etc is supplied in A4 size which is approximately 8.25 inches x 11.75 inches and is protected inside a clear fronted report folder.

The Map itself cannot be printed out on any size of paper below A1 as it is packed with information which would be impossible to decipher in any smaller size.

The Map of the Tarot can be used with any deck of Tarot cards, no-matter the style of those cards.

The Tarot encompasses all mythologies and religions and may be used in conjunction with Astrology and other disciplines to foretell future events and to make sense of the past.

A reading of the year ahead may be gained with a layout of the planetary cards in a zodiacal spread as readily as a horoscope may be divined and, of course, by shuffling and laying out the cards as chance arranges them, 'fortunes' may be told.

The Map is simplicity itself, all the Tarot cards are marked on The Map in their appropriate places and a brief reminder of the meaning of the card is written in each card's segment. Also appropriate to each card are marked the astrological / astronomical correspondence of the card along with the elemental correspondences of all but the small cards (the 36 decans) which have astrological / astronomical correspondences only.

This is the simplicity of the system and yet, you may develop from this simplicity, whatever complexity you desire.

Most readers will prefer a simple life but should you want to dig a little deeper into the meanings of the Tarot cards and into the spread you have laid out, you can add astrological information and you can interpret the meanings of the cards as they apply to where they have turned up in the spread.

For example, a card which falls in its natural place on The Map will be reinforced, a card which turns up in the natural place of another may be modified by its influences.

An amount of time spent experimenting with spreads on The Map will surely be beneficial to your reading of the cards for yourself or for others.

Before starting to use The Map of the Tarot, you should first spend some time familiarising yourself with the position of each card on The Map itself.

Many patterns will become evident to you in the way the cards are positioned on The Map of the Tarot.

There is a logical reason for the position of every card and, although you may not at first be aware of the significance of this, in time you will see the 'natural' layout which is embodied in the design.

Take your time to understand the cards, individually and collectively, and the ways in which they influence and moderate each other.

Past, Present, Future.

This spread is very easy to use in conjunction with The Map of the Tarot.

First choose a card from among the Court cards to represent the querent, this is referred to as the Significator. Generally, Kings represent men, Queens - women, Princes - young men, Princesses - young women or children. Wands for red and golden hair, Cups for fair hair, Swords for dark or black hair and Discs (Pentacles) for brown hair.

Seperate the Major Arcana from the Minor Arcana and hand all fifty-six Minor Arcana cards to the querent who should shuffle, cut and hand the cards back to you. Keeping them in order, take the top twelve cards from this stack and lay the remainder aside for the moment.

Shuffle the Major Arcana cards and spread these face down asking the querent to select first four and then a further three at random from the spread. Keep these in order of choosing so that you now have three heaps of 12, 4 and 3 cards respectively.

Lay the 12 Minor Arcana cards at positions on the outer ring corresponding to Houses 1 to 12 in order. If the Significator is amongst them, place it in the centre of The Map and ask the querent to select, as before, one Major Arcana card to take its Place on the outer circle. If the Significator is not present among the twelve chosen Minor Arcana, search it out from the discarded deck and place it in the centre of The Map.

Take the stack of 4 Major Arcana and lay these in order (on an inner circle on The Map), first next to House 1, second next to House 10, third next to House 7 and the fourth next to House 4.

Finally, take the stack of 3 cards and place them to form a triangle (again within the square of four on The Map), the first at House 12, the second at House 8 and the last at House 4.

The twelve outermost cards represent the evolution of the event or question denoted by the four-square Major Arcana cards - I = the beginning, II = the climax, III = the obstacles, IV = the outcome or ending. The inner triangle indicates; A = the past, B = the present, C = the future, all as relevant to the question.

The full reading is obtained thus:
I in conjunction with 1, 12 and 11
II in conjunction with 10, 9, 8
III in conjunction with 7, 6, 5
IV in conjunction with 4, 3, 2

A with 1, 2, 3 - the past
B with 4, 5, 6, 7, - the present
C with 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 - the future.

At the head of the Map it tells you the purposes of the Map are for divination, meditation and as an aid to further study.

In terms of divination, clearly the Map is directly related to the Tarot, there may be some who are unaware that the Tarot has a relation to the Zodiac and a use in Astrology and more general prediction. The Map can be applied as well in a general reading as when reading on a personal level or for a specific time or event.

Indeed, an astrological chart can be laid out on the Map and combined with a Tarot spread to add further depth to the reading. In this it helps to have something to represent the planets, ascendant etc of the chart and I would highly recommend a selection of "crystal" balls.

You can buy small to large sized spheres of semi-precious stones which give you all the colours you could possibly want to represents the various points on a chart. Not a cheap option but the most inspiring.

Alternatively you could use any small spherical object or appropriate small ornament to represent them.

As an aid to further study ... there is still much to study with the Tarot and I truly believe we have only scratched the surface. It may not always have existed in its most recent form but there are still correspondences to be found.

Crystal Spheres or even marbles can be used to represent the Planets in an Astrological reading.

To keep the crystal spheres stable in their positions, I recommend you use the unobtrusive ring-style stands which are available for displaying your crystals. They are usually made from semi-precious stones etc.

In the Amazon Voting Plexo at the bottom of this lens you should find a link to the only book you will ever really need relating to Astrology and casting a horoscope, The Revised Waites Compendium of Natal Astrology.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book for any beginner in Astrology, it will serve you well for many years and is very easy to follow.

This is the copy of The Map of the Tarot which is shipped in a cardboard tube. The size is such that it will not go through any letterbox and therefore someone must be there to receive the item from the postman or to collect it from the Post Office. If you are only at home at the weekend we can try to ship to coincide with weekends in the UK. Unfortunately, shipping times outwith the UK are difficult to predict.

Two examples of how the Map of the Tarot can look when coloured.

The colours used to complete the Map are, of course, my preferences and assigned according to the findings of my many years of research but you can use alternative colours if you wish, after all, you may use a different system from me.

My colours should all be found in the Caran D'Ache range of pencils etc. I am aware that these are expensive - there are other manufacturers who produce similar colours in pencils / crayons / paints / pastels and you can choose to go much paler with the colours to simply lend a hint of the shade to the segment.

How you finish the Map off is entirely up to you.

The 72 fold name of God

Wondering how this fits with the Tarot?

On the Map of the Tarot you will find there is one ring which has been left blank and this is the ring which is divided into 5 degree segments. There are two of these segments for each of the small cards (or 'pip cards' - 2 to 10 inclusive in each of the four suits).

These 5 degree segments represent the 72 names of angels - some would call them angels and demons - the Shemhamphorasch or 72 fold name of God.

There are two angels to each small card. You can add these to your copy of the Map if you feel they will help you to remember more in depth and subtle meanings for the cards.

... some readers of this lens may be interested in One Big Circle

Go on, you know you want to.