For centuries, tarot has been a symbol of spirituality. It’s a way to connect to the universe and open your mind to accepting advice from it. Tarot cards hold more power than one might think. Tarot cards are not just an ordinary deck of cards, they act as a door to a world of spirituality and understanding. They are used as a way to seek help from your spirit guides, to answer questions you have about certain areas of your life such as relationships or career, or just life in general. Tarot is a useful tool which can help you understand more about yourself, but tarot is not a future-telling tool; it’s a way of seeking guidance and advice.
In this article, we will explore the world of tarot and discuss:
In any given tarot deck, there are 78 cards; 22 cards are part of the Major Arcana, and 56 are part of the Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana are cards that can be related to major events in our life, our life as a whole, or the “big picture.” The Minor Arcana are used for more specific moments in life, or questions we may have about everyday life.
The Minor Arcana are divided into four suits, similar to playing cards. The suits consist of wands, cups, pentacles, and swords:
The Suit of Wands represents who you are at your core; your spirituality, energy, and personality. Perhaps you’re looking for guidance on your purpose, or what makes you unique.
The Suit of Cups has to do with your emotions, relationships, and feelings of love. It indicates you are emotional, and are looking for guidance in an area of love or an emotional connection.
The Suit of Pentacles is all about finances, self image, and material possessions. It could indicate problems at work or seeking financial questions.
The Suit of Swords is related to your consciousness, and your beliefs; the cards represent action and conflict. This could mean internal struggles, or struggles with someone else.
Each suit contains 14 cards, and are read two ways, upright and reverse.
There are a few different ways to read tarot cards, including the Celtic Cross, the Pentagram, the three-card layout, and the simple layout of one line of cards. Spreads are set up to help answer questions, so many of them are set up as “past, present, future” or you can simply draw a card and ask a question, and as you connect to your spirit guides you should be provided with advice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZQZItkCLU4 (embed in WebFlow)
It’s important to be in a calm state of mind, after all, tarot reading is a spiritual experience. Take some deep breaths, clear your mind, and begin to connect to the cards. After shuffling the deck well, spread them out how you’d like according to the advice you’re seeking, then ask your question or set the cards up according to what you need to hear.
Each tarot deck comes with a guide which shows you what each card means. When you pull your cards and lay them out, you may either look to your guide or study the meanings on the internet. If you’re a beginner, it may take a while to learn each card, but with practice it will get easier. Remember there are two meanings for each card; upright and reverse.
Now, let’s explore the meaning of the Seven of Pentacles, a card which may come up in your spread.
This card is one that represents good fortune, seeing the fruits of your labor, like a nearly finished project. This card shows that there has been some hard work put in, and it has paid off. While the work may not be done, it is important to stop and appreciate progress, and not get frustrated with yourself. Results take time, and this card is reminding you that you are on the right track, and it’s okay to take a break.
Symbolism is an important part of tarot. The images on the cards are more than just a visual, but a representation of the meaning of each card, and they can aid in interpretation.
Here, we see a man leaning on his shovel, looking down at the seven pentacles. Clearly he has been working hard, but stopped to admire his work. The pentacles are part of this garden the man is tending to, and he looks down as if planning his next move. As if the pentacles are the fruits of his labor not yet ready, they still require his attention, but they are on track to be harvested.
The general upright meaning of this card can be related to hard work paying off, such as an investment. As mentioned before, the pentacles suit is all about finances and material possessions. You are on track for success, and if you keep up your hard work, you’ll soon see reward. It must be said that this card relates to long-term plans, and long-term investments, not instant gratification. While it may take some time, the result will be worth the effort and wait, but will require patience. Although you may feel impatient or frustrated, keep pushing forward.
In a love reading, this card could represent a love connection that has been forming over time, perhaps a friend, or just an acquaintance. Although finding love can be a long, drawn out process, it can turn into something wonderful. If you’re involved with a possible love interest but are unsure if it is something worthwhile, this may be your sign to stick with it and find out what happens. If you’re in a relationship, this may look a bit different. The Seven of Pentacles is here to remind you that a relationship isn’t always going to be flawless or fun. It can be hard work, and require compromise, but in the end it will be worth it.
Since this card centers around work and financial investments, it’s no surprise that it signifies business strategy and hard work. Your work is not in vain, and it may feel like it isn’t going anywhere, but your labor will pay off, and you will soon reap the benefits. Now may be a good time to evaluate your progress, and see if anything needs to be tweaked.
The reversed meaning of a tarot card may be the complete opposite version of the upright interpretation, or it may be slightly off or not quite there yet. In this case, it represents a very sedentary stage of life, in work, love, and otherwise. Perhaps you will not be getting the results you wanted after all, and the fruits of your labor aren’t as ripe as you thought they’d be. It doesn’t necessarily mean bad luck, but that you must reflect on your life and your work, and figure out what is working and what isn’t.
In a love situation, you may be experiencing frustration due to there being no progress and no results. This does not mean that you will never see results, or that you should give up, but it may take longer than expected to find a connection. Perhaps it’s time to take a step back and focus on other things, then in good time, you will find your love match. Don’t get discouraged and give up, and try not to let it get you down. Whatever you desire to happen will, but you must be patient and wait for it and it will happen naturally.
The reverse Seven of Pentacles may signify that you’ve not been successful in your recent ventures, and that you are experiencing some stagnation in the workplace. Something is amiss, and it’s time to take a step back and find out what that is. Your projects are not producing the results you had expected, and you are either spending too much time or too little time at work.
Let’s face it: it's hard to juggle everything life throws at us. It can be difficult to navigate daily life, and sometimes we just need a little help from the universe. Tarot is a valuable tool we have at our disposal, and is easy to use! Grab your deck and allow the universe to answer your burning questions, one card at a time.
