The Tarot first appeared in the late 1300's as a game, but was also quite frequently used among the aristocracy as a divination tool. It was quite taboo to use these cards, so it was kept a secret, and certainly out of the hands of peasants. The fear was that these peasants would become powerful and revolt - especially now that they would understand the world.
The symbolism used is so expansive and ingenius that one would spend a lifetime noting every nuance - so I will provide a few broad strokes to help you.
In general, when learning to read the Tarot, one is instructed to develop a story from what the picture shows. The symbolism is so perfect that one can determine the meaning of the card simply by looking at it and evaluating one's emotions, thoughts, and perceived story. Every item in every card holds a meaning, and perhaps the best way to interpret most of these symbols is by evaluating what the color says to you.
Randomly, I drew from my Tarot deck The Magician - the first Major Arcana card. Depicted is a cat (I have cat decks...) looking up with his hands up high as though 'levitating' his wand above him. Over his head sits the halo of eternity, a golden figure eight. The table before him holds a cup, a sword, a wand, and a coin, and growing all around him are pink and white flowers. The Magician himself is clad in a rust-red tunic with a yellow cape. Behind him is a clear blue sky with clouds coming from the ground.
The Magician is looking up, and up is positive, so this is a positive card. The wand levitating denotes magic. The halo of eternity represents a kind of eternal knowledge and presence. The items on his table are the four suits of the Tarot - so he dabbles in everything. Green growth represents learning, pink flowers are 'youth' while white flowers are 'purity' - indicating a kind of naive innocence in his growth. Red is a power color, while yellow is a calm color - so he his calm but never stops going toward his goal. The sky is not overcast, representing clarity, and the clouds at the bottom of the sky only become a factor when the card is flipped up-side down.
When the card is up-side down, the sky looks to be falling, he's dropping his wand instead of levitating it, the items on his table will all fall off, and the flowers growing around him are about to overtake him. Do you see the story in that? Regarding the colors, everything is bright and happy until you flip the card, then the red in his tunic becomes more apparent - kind of a 'stop' message in that.
Tarot cards should never be described in single words or phrases - as the cards are so deeply rooted in ancient lore with so many little things going on, that a full evaluation should really be performed. Just like dreams. If you connect to Plato's world of perfect forms, and logically reason through how everything 'feels' to you, the symbolism will become so clear and vivid that interpretation will come natural.
The key here is logic and reason. Think about it, and you will know! With a little guidance, you will be well on your way to understanding the Meaning of Life - or whatever strikes your fancy. Tomorrow I will show you a few of the visual tools I use within the Shamanic Plane to discover answers on anything and everything - and that will be the end of this series. I've been working on Humanitarianism Vs. Evolution - basically whether we should apply Darwin's survival of the fittest to economics practices. However, if you're more interested in something else, feel free to let me know!
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