What Is Tarot?

Tarot (pronounced ta-row) is a divination system, or mystical method of inquiry and exploration. The basis of tarot is found in a set of 78 cards—including 22 called the Major Arcana and 56 called the Minor Arcana—recognizable by their bold, colorful images. In a tarot reading, there’s typically a practitioner (the person performing the reading) and a seeker (the person for whom the reading is being performed) or querent. Devotees believe that tarot can be used to:

You don’t have to be a clairvoyant or psychic—or consult with one—to benefit from the guidance that tarot cards can offer. Anyone can learn to use tarot.

Reading tarot cards can help you gain answers to specific questions—such as “Will I find true love?”—or recognize overall patterns in your life—such as the reasons you keep finding yourself stuck in career ruts. Tarot cards can act as a mirror to your deeper self, allowing you to better understand your decisions and relationships with others. By opening up your mind to possibilities, the cards offer practical perspectives that you may not have considered.

The exact origin of tarot has been disputed, but most accounts trace its beginnings to 15th-century Italy. According to some theories, the term “tarot” may have originated from an Italian card game called tarocchi. The game eventually spread to France, where it was renamed tarot. In addition to playing games with the cards, people in Renaissance Italy began to meditate on the cards’ images in an attempt to connect with a higher power. Some say that the intricate images on the cards contained hidden occult messages; for this reason, their use was banned by the Roman Catholic Church and other institutions.

Along the way, people began to use tarot cards as a fortune-telling tool; this idea spread through Europe as Gypsies traveled the continent. Eventually, tarot caught on in the United States and other Western cultures.