Divination - Intro to Cartomancy

Welcome back once again to Divination! In this class we are going to begin introducing you to Tarot cards. Tarot cards are used in the art of Divination, specifically the field of Cartomancy. The most common use of tarot is for divination, but another important use is a tool of self-reflection.
Cartomancy is a way to access a higher quality of insight. Tarot is filled with imagery and ideas about opposites. Many cards traditionally have a black pillar on one side and a white pillar on the other. This can be interpreted in many ways, but one common idea is that we are being invited to walk a middle path between two extremes. A Tarot deck is made up of two parts, the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. Arcana is latin for "secrets."
The Major Arcana are twenty-two cards with individual, unique names. They are numbered 0-21. The Minor Arcana are comprised of fifty-six cards that are divided into four suits (Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles). Each suit contains one Ace through Ten, plus a Page, Knight, Queen, and King. The person who is asking the question in the reading is known as the Querent. The person who is interpreting the cards is known as the Reader.
The various methods of laying out the cards in a reading are known as spreads. Before starting a reading, make sure you are calm. This can also be known as centering, or grounding. Distraction or ill emotion makes reading the cards more difficult. With explanations out of the way, partner up, start shuffling your decks, and get to fortune-telling!