The Fortune-Teller - How To Read Tarot Cards

About the origin of the Tarot de Marseilles, we know few things but we can however say this: the Tarot de Marseilles deck appeared in France under the reign of the king Charles VI. When this poor king became insane, he was locked up in a castle by his wife Isabeau of Bavaria. Odette de Champdivert, his mistress offered a deck of Tarot cards to him.

In fact, these tarot cards were composed by 56 paperboard pieces decorated with figures and signs. This play was used by Sarasins in Eastern countries. Charles VI asked to Jacquemin Gringonneur to redraw the figures in order to make them look prettier. Some claim that the first illuminations of the cards appeared in Italy but the work of this artist is indexed on the journal of Charles VI's banker.

The Tarot we talk about here was not a divination Tarot but well a card game; which still exists and is still used in Mediterranean countries. Although the opinions are divided and the experts seldom agree between them, the Divinatory Tarot de Marseilles was born from this game.

22 major arcana were associated to the 56 basic cards (minor arcana). These major arcana are more often used than the minor arcana. The graphics of the Tarot de Marseilles look medieval and reflect the concerns of our ancestors to perfection.

Here are the 22 major arcana:

• I. The Magician,
• II. The High Priestess,
• III. The Empress,
• IIII. The Emperor *,
• V. The Pope,
• VI. The Lovers,
• VII. The Chariot,
• VIII. Justice,
• VIIII. The Hermit *,
• X. The Wheel of Fortune,
• XI. Strength,
• XII. The Hanged Man,
• XIII. Death or (The Noname Arcana),
• XIIII. Temperance *,
• XV. The Devil,
• XVI. The Tower,
• XVII. The Star,
• XVIII. The Moon,
• XVIIII. The Sun *,
• XX. Judgement,
• XXI. The World,
• XXII. The Fool **

* classification "IIII" and not "IV" highlights the progression of the Tarot of Marseilles game.

** The Fool is the 22nd arcana but is generally not numbered.

The 56 minor arcana are split into four suits:

• Spears,
• Cups,
• Coins,
• Swords

Each suit includes 14 cards that are numbered from 1 to 10, or Ace through 10 and 4 noble cards ; which are: the Page, the Knight, the Queen and the King.

During the Middle-Ages and later, these suits were associated with the social classes: Coins with the traders, Cups with the clergy, Swords with the nobility and Spears with the peasants

The meaning of Minor Arcana and the best 7 Tarot card spread are explained in two complementary lenses.

Before consulting a fortune-teller, it is necessary for you to know that, if all these persons aren't good fortune-tellers (some of them earn their living by telling anything); the predictions that you will hear will perhaps never arrive but that does not mean that the fortune-teller is bad.

Indeed, during the pulling of tarot cards, you will be asked to "cut" in order to allow the set to be impregnated by your emotions. One can talk about "magnetizing". If the day you consult a fortune-teller, you have negative ideas or if you are depressed, the predictions will be in harmony with your state of mind. Hundred percent of the predictions made by the fortune-teller will be carried out if you follow the way of life that you fixed the day of the consultation.

In some occasions, I noticed that my predictions are carried out at 100% with people who keep the same state of mind during the months following the consultation.

For example, a friend asked me for a consultation because she had compulsive obsessional disorders and wanted to know how her disease would develop. I announced to her that she would not be interested by her disease within some weeks because she was going to leave on a journey in an Island and would meet her husband-to-be. She believed that I was becoming insane! Because of the compulsive disorders, she did not travel but the year she came to me, she went to Jersey Island (U.K.) and met her husband-to-be. They got married two months later.

You have to know that people who consult a fortune-teller, do it for sentimental purpose, particularly when they are depressed. However, a depress is momentary, one can cure a depression and consequently, the predictions are distorted.

The Magician is represented by a young man in front of a work table.

This card represents the life's active ingredient, its number I (one) is male, it is the Yang element.

Basic Significance

If this card comes in the right position, it means the beginning of the things, the will of a person, a man's profession or a woman's new affective relation.

When this card comes in the reversed position it means professional problems, lack of self-confidence, apathy...

This is called The High Priestess because the woman who is drawn wears a pontifical tiara. She also represents Isis, an Egyptian divinity, Osiris's wife.

The High Priestess represents wisdom, quality development by the sobriety of her costume.

It is a very positive card of the Tarot as well as the Yin element.

Basic significance:

The card in the right position symbolizes nature, pregnancy, knowledge, mother, perspicacity, wisdom...

The High Priestess in the reversed position symbolizes an immoderate and painful love, superficiality

This card also represents the hidden face of a man's life.

This is the second female character of the Tarot. The Impress is sitting on a throne and she is crowned. The Empress seems to be sure of herself, calm, intelligent, worthy.

This major arcana represents the capacity, the Empress clothing is luxurious and invaluable. This arcana is extremely positive.

Basic significance:

In the right position the Empress represents the intelligence, dignity, the authority, the mother, the wife, the right decisions.

In the reversed position, this arcana represents the enemies, sterility, despotism, litigations.

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This card is represented by a man who reached the maturity and is sitting on a throne. He is invested by a great power, beside his throne, we see a gold shield where an eagle is painted; which is the crowned bird.

The stature of the emperor means that he is never afraid.

This tarot card represents a triumphing character.

Basic significance:

In the right position The Emperor card represents safety, authority, important and powerful characters, prosperity.

In a reversed position, The Emperor card represents ineffectiveness, meanness, brutality...

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The character represented on this Tarot card is an old man, symbolizing purity. The accessories of his clothing are divine material and intellectual world symbols. The furniture of his palate represent the moral law, the free will.

The symbols of seven traditional planets (the Moon, Jupiter, Venus...) are drawn on his crozier.

Basic significance of the Pope card:

In the right position, this Tarot card represents indulgence, wisdom, protection, kindness, being devoted to traditions.

In the reversed position, this Tarot card symbolizes cowardice, frivolity, lack of conscience.

Don't think that "The Lovers" card means systematically "Love".

The principal character this Tarot card represents a young man surrounded by two young women. The first woman seems to be rich and tries to take him along towards the richness; the second seems to be poor and wants to convince him to follow her. Cupid, at the top of the Tarot card takes care of this young man's choice.

This Tarot card symbolizes the choice, the free will.

Basic significance:

In the right position, The Lovers represents love of beautiful things, the choices, youth, discovery of love...

In the reversed position, The Lovers represents selfishness, instability...

The Chariot; which is evoquing a Solar Tank, is conducted by The Emperor who seems being trustful and serene. The colors of this Tarot card are bright and positive. The Chariot represents success, this Tarot card is also of Osiri.

The Chariot signifies the capacity to progress in our life.

Basic significance:

The Chariot card in the right position means success, supremacy, import-export, financial success...

In the reversed position this Tarot card means: overwork, failure...

Justice is represented by a woman sitting on a golden throne. Gold is the color of her intelligence. Justice holds the Sword of Justice in her right hand and the Scale of Justice - which is in gold too - in her left hand. This character seems impartial, representing integrity and incorruptibility.

Basic significance of this tarot card:

In the right position, the Justice represents equity, virtue, impartiality, stability...

In the reversed position, this tarot card represents hypocrisy, intolerance, instability...

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The Ermit is the nineth Tarot card.

This tarot card represents an old man wearing a cape and carrying a lantern, walking with a cane.

This old person seems to walk with caution.

His clothing is quite particular: the inside of his cape is richer than the outside; which means that the Hermit gives more value to the inner wealth than to the external wealth.

The Hermit is not a negative tarot card, it is a card representing wisdom.

In the right position, the Hermit symbolizes caution, protection, but also reflection and misanthropy.

In the reversed position this tarot card represents selfishness, greed, indolence, dishonest actions.

The Hanged Man represents passivity, the events over which we have no control. It is also a stage of mysticism. The Hanged Man has lost his energy. The prevailing colors of this Tarot card are yellow (the intellect), red (passion), blue (action) and green (nature). The Hanged Man sees the world upside down, but perhaps The Hanging Man sees what others do not.

This Tarot card represents introspection, questioning. It is synonymous with expectation. But certainly not the end of something.

Basic Significance:

The Hanged Man card in the right position: punishment, immobility, discipline, you have no control on what happens to you or on what you are expecting...

This Tarot card in the reversed position: unnecessary sacrifice, egotism, delusions, anxiety...

Strength is the eleventh tarot card and is represented by a young woman controlling a lion. Her head dresses a hat adorned by a crown; which means she is a woman who has the power. Her red dress is the symbol of her strength. This tarot card is the symbol of the spirit domination over brute physical strength, this tarot card also represents humanity as it is supposed to be.

Basic significance:

In the right position Strength is a card that represents conviction, energy, heroism, mental and/or physical strength...

In the reverse position, the Strength is weak pettiness, pride, arrogance...

This card is adorned with a wheel in motion; which represents the changes of our life. The Wheel Of Fortune card symbolizes our destiny. Two figures are on the Wheel of Fortune: on the right is Hermanubis, good engineering and on the left is Typhon, the perversion symbol. A Sphinx is sitting at the top of the wheel to counterbalance good and evil. This character is also the symbol of our destiny.

The Wheel of Fortune represents the ups and downs of our life, good and evil, joys and sorrows.

Basic significance:

In the right position this Tarot card represents success, good intuitions, money, victories.

In the reversed position this arcana major represents failure, lost opportunities, instability, loss of money, blocked situations...

Click here for more info on The Wheel Of Fortune

This Tarot card inspires fear to people but it's a mistake. In fact, The Death is the symbol of life. The design represented on this tarot card is a skeleton holding a scythe in its right hand. We also see human bones on the card and some flowers.

This card represents the Nature, the removal of bad things, bad air, bad experiences... When something disappears, something else appears. The Death card represents the end of a chapter and the birth of another. The Death card is also the spiritual rebirth, progress, freedom of thought.

Basic significance:

The Death in the right position: renewal, changing elements, end of a chapter, sentimental failure...

The Death in the reversed position: immobility, injury, illness, disappointment.

Temperance is a very positive tarot card even even though it seems to represent patience. This Tarot de Marseilles major arcana is the representation of a winged woman, a female angel. She wears a long red and blue, belted gold dress but on some other card plays, it may be only red. On her forehead, a gold star. The line of her wings is gold as well. The angel is decanting the liquid from an amphora (the reason) into another one (sensitivity).

The decor of this tarot card appears to be rustic, which adds to the serene aspect of this card. Temperance is an allegory of magnetic healing, physical and mental energies.

Basic significance:

Righ position: patience, serenity and harmony, friendship, sympathy, communication, therapeutic magnetism, sociability.

Reversed position: disorder, impatience, apathy, uncertainty, lack of contact.

This card is represented by a character in a frightening ugliness. As the angel of Temperance, the Devil has wings but, in addition, he is provided with horns, female breasts, forked legs and the lower part of his body is hairy. It is a creature made out of a blend of a man, a woman, a goat and a bat. The pedestal under the Devil's feet is the symbol of the altar of Sabbat. Two monsters (fauna) are surrounding the Devil.

The Devil is the enemy of humans and only wants to make them his slaves. This Tarot card symbolizes the powers terrestrial unlike angels that symbolize the Light of God.

It is up to humans not to sell their soul to the Devil.

The Tower (or The House Of God) is a tall and imposing building, with golden battlement and that proudly runs in a cloudless sky. This building was destroyed by a lightning. Two persons are falling from the tower; according to some people, they are the architects of the tower.

This card represents our presumptions. The Tower reminds us that having too much ambition, being too materialistic led to the disaster, as these "defects" impede our ability to listen to common sense.

This tarot card also tells us that we must not be complacent about flattery. It also reminds us that we must remain faithful. The flames that surround this building under demolition represent the psychic, spiritual and material worlds.

What a lovely card!

The character on the card is a nude young woman with blond hair. Her nudity symbolizes purity. The young woman was on the verge of a river and pours the contents of two amphorae in the river. This act represents fertility.

There are also seven stars surrounding a 16 branches star (eight red and eight yellow). The water represented on the card symbolizes destiny, this card is a very positive announcement of new opportunities for the consultant.

The Star has a very special power: this tarot card cancels the negative effects of the other cards when it is correctly placed.

This 18th Tarot de Marseilles arcana is a very special card. Indeed, it contains several different but important elements. It seems that the landscape, a rainy country with a water expanse, has been ravaged by a war as the soil is bloodied.

The map is full of characters:

- A crab ; which is the symbol of our unconscious
- Two guard dogs ; that suggest wolves howling at the moon
- Two protective towers
- The moon ; which shines through the sun's rays and not by itself

Have you noticed as, despite everything, the landscape is abandoned?

Click here to learn more about The Moon

The Sun is the warmest arcana of the Tarot de Marseilles play and one of the most positive tarot cards.

This card is synonymous with welfare and is luminous. The sun's rays are the basis of life, they show things under their real aspects while hiding nothing from the truth.

The characters on this 19th arcana are dressed as Adam and Eve with few fabric and seem to be in love. They are supposed to represent feelings and reason.

The Sun keeps its promises of love, kindness, benefits, honour, prestige...

The Judgement is represented by an angel with golden wings and that is in a golden trumpet. At the bottom of the card, there are three people being held in a tomb. The angel and the characters are symbolizing the Last Judgement and the sins committed by humans.

However, you don't have to be afraid of this card as there is forgiveness for every sin and the angel of the Tarot de Marseilles is an angel of forgiveness, consolation, a benevolent angel that will direct the sinners on the path to purification.

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The world is the Tarot de Marseilles most positive major arcana.

The "World" is represented by a woman who wears a red light veil. She is dancing in the centre of a laurel crown; which is synonymous with victory.

Why is this woman unclothed? The reason is simple: she symbolizes the plain and honest truth; which is always naked.

These symbols remind us that the world is always rotating, going towards the future and never goes back.

Here is the last (but not the least) Tarot Major Arcana.

The Fool - French-speaking people also call this Tarot arcana "The Mat" - is a very special card of the Tarot de Marseilles. This tarot card represents recklessness or irresponsibility; which is the reason why this Tarot de Marseilles major arcana is not numbered.

The Fool - which was a character very popular in the royal courts of the Middle Ages - is dressed in brightly coloured and multifaceted clothes. Little bells are surrounding the collar of his dress; which enables him to get noticed where ever he goes by their ringing.

His hat, with its curved spikes, is as much extravagant as the rest of the character. Besides his clothes, the Fool has also a lot of common peculiarities with the joker of our usual card games: above other cards, but has no tangible value.