The Art of Tarot - Part I: Where It All began
Discover the fascinating origings of tarot, from Renaissance Italy to the mystical practice we know today. Explore the 78 cards, their symbolism and the secrets behind the Major and Minor Arcana.
There is something fascinating about a deck of tarot cards. Perhaps it is the imagery, the symbolism, or the
way a single card can invite us to see a familiar situation differently. But where did tarot begin, and what exactly is inside a deck?
From Renaissance Italy to Modern Tarot
Tarot first appeared in fifteenth-century Italy as a card game. Beautifully painted decks were commissioned by wealthy families, including the Visconti-Sforza family circle in Milan. The cards were not originally created as a method of predicting the future. Over time, especially from the late eighteenth century onwards, European writers began connecting tarot with divination and esoteric traditions. In 1909, the Rider Waite Smith deck, illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith, helped popularise fully illustrated scenes on the numbered cards. Its imagery remains influential today.
A Deck of 78 Cards
A traditional tarot deck has 78 cards, divided into the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. The 22 Major Arcana explore larger themes: beginnings, choices, change, hope and completion. The Fool, The Lovers, Death and The Star are among the best-known examples. Death, for instance, is usually read symbolically as change or the end of a chapter, not a literal prediction.
The Four Suits
The 56 Minor Arcana cards describe more everyday experiences:
Cups - Emotions & Relationships
Cups explore feelings, love, intuition, emotional connections and relationships.
Wands - Creativity & Ambition
Wands represent inspiration, enthusiasm, personal growth, ambition and the energy behind our actions.
Swords - Thoughts & Chanlenges
Swords are associated with the mind, communication, decisions, conflict and mental clarity.
Pentacles - The Material World
Pentacles explore work, finances, security, practical responsibilities and our relationship with the physical world.
Each suit has ten numbered cards and four court cards: Page, Knight, Queen and King.
Together, the cards form a visual language that readers learn through study, observation and practice.
Until Next Friday
Now that you know where tarot came from and how the deck is organised, you may be wondering: what
actually happens during a reading?
Join us next Friday for Part II, when we explore how readers work with the cards.
Keep an eye on our Instagram and TikTok: a free beginner’s gift is on its way.
Stay tuned, your journey is just beginning.
With a little magic,
The Mystic Girl
Your Big 3: Sun, Moon & Rising
When people first become interested in astrology, they usually start with their Sun sign, the zodiac sign most people already know.
But your Sun sign is only one part of your birth chart.
In astrology, your Sun, Moon and Rising sign are often called your Big 3 because together they give a much fuller picture of your personality, emotional world and the way you naturally move through life.
Your Sun Sign
Your Sun represents your core identity.
It reflects the qualities you naturally grow into, your sense of self and the part of you that wants to express itself fully.
You can think of it as the centre of your personality, the energy that feels most connected to who you are.
Your Moon Sign
Your Moon represents your emotional world.
It can show what makes you feel safe, how you react emotionally and what you need when you are vulnerable, stressed or simply being yourself away from everyone else.
Sometimes people relate more strongly to their Moon sign than their Sun sign, especially when it comes to emotions and relationships.
Your Rising Sign
Your Rising sign, also known as your Ascendant, is the zodiac sign that was rising on the eastern horizon at the exact moment you were born.
It represents the way you naturally approach the world, the energy you may give off when people first meet you and how you tend to respond to new experiences.
Because the Rising sign changes throughout the day, knowing your exact birth time is important when calculating it.
Why do the Big 3 matter?
Imagine three people with the same Sun sign.
On paper, they may all be described as having similar characteristics, but in reality they can be completely different.
One may have an emotional and sensitive Moon, another a more independent one. Their Rising signs may also change the way they communicate, behave socially and approach life.
That is why astrology becomes much more interesting when you look beyond your Sun sign.
Your birth chart contains many different placements and connections, but understanding your Big 3 is a simple place to start.
Your Sun shows your core self.
Your Moon shows your emotional self.
Your Rising shows how you meet the world.
Together, they tell a much bigger story.
The Mystic Girl