{"id":59,"date":"2020-03-06T13:42:48","date_gmt":"2020-03-06T13:42:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tarotreadermonica.com\/blog\/?p=59"},"modified":"2026-03-29T08:24:46","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T08:24:46","slug":"tarot-cards-introduction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tarotreadermonica.com\/blog\/tarot-cards-introduction\/","title":{"rendered":"Introduction to Tarot Cards \u2014 What Are Tarot Cards & How to Learn Them"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Dr. Monica Agarwal | Founder, IIOST \u2014 International Institute of Spiritual Trainings | Professional Tarot Reader & Educator | 21 Years of Experience<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Welcome to The Visionary Journal \u2014 the official spiritual knowledge blog of Dr. Monica Agarwal and IIOST. This is the first article in our introduction to tarot cards<\/strong> series, and it lays the foundation for everything we will explore together \u2014 card meanings, spreads, intuitive reading, professional practice, and the deeper spiritual science behind one of the world’s most powerful wisdom tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you are a complete beginner who has never held a deck, a self-taught reader looking to deepen your knowledge, or one of my existing students wanting a structured reference \u2014 this series is designed for you. Let us begin at the very beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

What Are Tarot Cards?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tarot cards are a system of 78 illustrated cards used as a tool for spiritual insight, self-reflection, and intuitive guidance. Each card carries a specific image, symbol, colour scheme, and archetype that speaks to a universal aspect of the human experience \u2014 from love and loss to ambition, transformation, and spiritual awakening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The power of tarot is not in prediction in the fortune-telling sense. It is in the card’s ability to act as a mirror \u2014 reflecting back what the subconscious already knows, what patterns are at play beneath the surface, and what choices and energies are present in any given situation. A skilled tarot reader does not tell you what will happen. They help you see clearly what is<\/em> happening \u2014 at the soul level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Used with training, intention, and ethical responsibility, tarot is one of the most precise and nuanced tools available to a professional spiritual practitioner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

The History of Tarot Cards<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tarot cards are believed to have originated in 14th and 15th century Europe \u2014 initially in northern Italy, where they were used as playing cards in a game called tarocchi<\/em>. The earliest known tarot decks were created for the nobility of Milan and Ferrara as luxury entertainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the following centuries, occultists and esoteric scholars began to recognise the deeper symbolic architecture encoded within the cards. By the 18th century, tarot had been firmly adopted into the Western mystery tradition \u2014 connected to Kabbalah, Hermeticism, astrology, and numerology. The cards were understood not merely as a game, but as a map of the soul’s journey through existence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, tarot is used by millions of people worldwide \u2014 as a spiritual practice, a professional guidance tool, and a system of self-development. In India, interest in professional tarot has grown enormously over the past decade, and IIOST has been at the forefront of establishing internationally benchmarked professional standards for tarot practice and education in India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

The Rider Waite Tarot Deck \u2014 The Foundation of All Tarot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Of the hundreds of tarot decks available today, the Rider Waite Tarot<\/strong> remains the foundational deck \u2014 the one every serious student of tarot must learn first. Created in 1909 by artist Pamela Colman Smith under the direction of occultist Arthur Edward Waite, the Rider Waite deck was the first tarot to illustrate all 78 cards with fully realised scenic images \u2014 including the 56 Minor Arcana cards, which previously featured only abstract pip symbols.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This innovation transformed tarot from an esoteric tool accessible only to initiates into a system that could be read intuitively \u2014 because the images themselves speak directly to the unconscious mind. Every symbol, colour, figure, and landscape in the Rider Waite deck is deliberate and meaningful. Learning to read these images with precision is the foundation of professional tarot practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At IIOST, all beginner and intermediate courses begin with the Rider Waite system. Once the student has mastered this foundation, they are equipped to work with any deck \u2014 including more advanced systems like the Thoth Tarot or Dr. Monica Agarwal’s own Akashic Soul Journey (ASJ) Oracle Deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

The Structure of the Tarot Deck \u2014 78 Cards Explained<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The 78 cards of the tarot deck are divided into two main sections: the Major Arcana<\/strong> and the Minor Arcana<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Major Arcana \u2014 22 Cards of Soul Wisdom<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Major Arcana consists of 22 cards numbered 0 through 21. These cards represent the major themes, archetypes, and spiritual lessons that shape a soul’s journey through life. When Major Arcana cards appear in a reading, they signal significant, often karmic forces at work \u2014 events and energies that carry weight beyond the ordinary day-to-day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Major Arcana begins with The Fool (0)<\/strong> \u2014 the soul at the beginning of its journey, stepping into the unknown with innocence and potential \u2014 and ends with The World (21)<\/strong> \u2014 the completion of a full cycle, the integration of all lessons, and the achievement of wholeness. Every card in between represents a stage, a teacher, or a transformation on that journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 22 Major Arcana cards are: The Fool, 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, and The World.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Minor Arcana \u2014 56 Cards of Daily Life<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Minor Arcana consists of 56 cards divided into four suits of 14 cards each. These cards address the practical, emotional, mental, and material dimensions of daily life \u2014 the situations, relationships, challenges, and opportunities that make up the fabric of our lived experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each suit contains cards numbered Ace through 10, followed by four Court Cards: the Page, Knight, Queen, and King. The Court Cards often represent people in the querent’s life \u2014 or aspects of the querent’s own personality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

The Four Suits of the Minor Arcana<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Understanding the four suits is one of the most important foundations in tarot. Each suit corresponds to an element, a domain of life, and a dimension of human experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cups \u2014 The Suit of Water & Emotions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The suit of Cups corresponds to the element of Water. It governs the emotional and relational dimensions of life \u2014 love, relationships, intuition, dreams, creativity, and the inner world of feeling. When Cups dominate a reading, the situation is primarily emotional in nature. Questions of the heart, relationship patterns, and emotional healing are at the forefront.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wands \u2014 The Suit of Fire & Passion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The suit of Wands corresponds to the element of Fire. It governs ambition, passion, inspiration, spiritual energy, creativity, and the drive to act and create. Wands speak to the inner flame \u2014 the motivation, vision, and life force that propels us forward. When Wands appear, energy, action, and inspired movement are the themes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swords \u2014 The Suit of Air & Mind<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The suit of Swords corresponds to the element of Air. It governs the mental realm \u2014 thought, communication, conflict, truth, decision-making, and the power of the mind. Swords are the suit of clarity and challenge. They cut through illusion to reveal truth \u2014 sometimes uncomfortably. When Swords appear, mental clarity, communication, or conflict resolution is required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pentacles \u2014 The Suit of Earth & Material Life<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The suit of Pentacles corresponds to the element of Earth. It governs the material dimension \u2014 money, career, health, home, abundance, and physical reality. Pentacles speak to what we build in the tangible world \u2014 our resources, our security, and our relationship with the physical plane. When Pentacles appear, practical, financial, or career matters are at the centre of the reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

What This Blog Series Will Cover<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Over the course of this blog series, we will study all 78 tarot cards in structured detail \u2014 each article focusing on a single card, exploring its upright and reversed meanings, its symbolism, its elemental and numerological associations, and its meaning across different life contexts including love, career, finances, and spiritual growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We will progress in order \u2014 beginning with the Major Arcana from The Fool to The World, then moving through each suit of the Minor Arcana from Ace to King. Along the way, we will also publish articles on spreads, reading techniques, intuitive development, and the professional standards that distinguish a trained tarot reader from a casual one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This blog is designed to be a genuine learning resource \u2014 not a shortcut to card memorisation, but a deep, considered exploration of one of the world’s most profound wisdom systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Blog Learning vs Professional Tarot Courses \u2014 What Is the Difference?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The articles on this blog provide a strong intellectual foundation in tarot \u2014 card meanings, symbolism, structure, and context. This is valuable and important. However, there is a significant difference between understanding tarot conceptually and being able to read cards with accuracy, depth, and professional confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professional tarot reading requires more than memorised meanings. It requires:<\/p>\n\n\n\n