Many decks published today are identified, in part, as being based on the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot (RWS) or as not being based on it. That identification only means something if you know what the RWS Tarot is. For seasoned tarot enthusiasts, it is ingrained, but for people new to tarot, it might be helpful to understand the importance of the RWS Tarot and its characteristics. Arthur E. Waite was the creator of the deck, although some question to what extent he was involved with the design of the cards, particularly the Minor Arcana. He was mystic and occultist and member of the Golden Dawn. He invented (although he claims it is ancient) the Celtic Cross Spread, one of the most well-known

The Minor Arcana of the tarot is divided into four suits, much like a deck of playing cards. The suits are Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. They are usually associated with elements, fire, water, air, and earth respectively, although some decks do reverse Wands and Air. Each suit contains the Ace - 10, Page, Knight, Queen, and King. Each suit focuses on specific areas of life or human experience. Wands are associated with fiery passion, will, determination, career, and projects. It is an active energy, fast-moving and hard to contain. If not handled properly, it can burn wildly out of control. At its best, it is inspiring and uplifting and fuels our efforts and

A tarot deck has 78 cards. The cards are divided into sections, which makes learning them easier because the section a card is in shapes its meaning. The sections are: Major Arcana (22 cards) Minor Arcana (40 cards) Court Cards (16 cards) This article focuses on the Court Cards. The Court Cards are technically part of the Minor Arcana because they are found in each of the four suits of the Minor Arcana. In each of the suits (Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles) there are four cards that are like the royalty cards in a playing deck. A playing deck has a Jack, Queen, and King. In a tarot deck, the Court Cards are: Page, Knight, Queen, and King. These cards usually

A tarot deck has 78 cards. The cards are divided into sections, which makes learning them easier because the section a card is in shapes its meaning. The sections are: Major Arcana (22 cards) Minor Arcana (40 cards) Court Cards (16 cards) This article focuses on the Minor Arcana. The Minor Arcana is divided into four suits, usually: Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. Technically, the Court Cards are included in the Minor Arcana, but they are discussed separately. The cards here are the numbered cards, Ace through 10. They represent everyday events and situations. While the energy of the Major Arcana cards is often beyond the querent’s control (querent is the person