Among the 78 Tarot Cards in a standard Tarot Card Deck, there are a few Tarot Cards that have similar or common meanings. Just as the imagery of each card differs from one another, these meanings carry subtle but important differences within them that affect the interpretation of that Tarot Card in a Tarot Card Reading.
The Cathar Tarot is a new deck that will be released on the 20th of December, 2016. I recieved a copy of The Cathar Tarot from the deck publishers in return for a honest review.
To be honest, as I started out, I did not have much knowledge of the Cathars. And I don’t claim to be an expert either. However, from a complete novice’s point of view, this deck does create a great entry point to get to know of the life and the culture of a people that have, sadly, been obliterated from this world.
The Cathars existed during the Middle Ages, and were found in Italy, Germany, Flanders, England, and France. The name ‘Cathar’ seems to have been derived from the Greek word ’katharoi’, which means ‘the pure’. They rejected several formalized beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church and believed that the world was not created by God, but by the Demiurge, a reflection of the real Creator. This world, therefore, was a poor copy of humanity’s true home, which is an earthly paradise where there was no ‘fall’, no ‘sin’, and no one was expelled from Eden.
Some interesting facts about the Cathars include: they were vegetarian, and they had pretty open view about sex. More than that though, the Cathars were a gentle people, and had very tolerant views about other religions.
Ultimately, these people were branded as heretics by the Church and were systematically hunted down and slaughtered.
A number of legends still prevail about them, chief among which is the belief that they held the secret to the Holy Grail, or even the Grail itself.
The Cathar Tarot Card Deck is an interesting depiction of the beliefs, life and lifestyle of the Cathars in the Middle Ages. The images draw upon the beliefs of the Cathars, and then upon an ancient belief system called ‘Gnosticism’.
The deck creator, John Matthews, and the artist, Wil Kinghan have used the universal symbolism and appeal of the Tarot structure to share the wisdom of these wonderful people with the rest of the world.
I liked how the artist has used a very interesting drawing style for the card images — you often find art and fresco drawings from the Middle Ages drawn in this exact way! I thought that this was a great way to connect with the time-period that the Cathars existed.
The Cathar Tarot Card Deck comes packaged in a very sturdy box that holds the cards and a 112-page book that contains full color illustrations.
The cards are approximately 3 inches wide and 4.5 inches tall, and have rounded edges. The card stock itself is pretty thick, and so the entire deck is a bit of a thicker pile compared to, say, the Universal Waite Tarot Card Deck.
Regardless, shuffling the deck isn’t that hard for me — and I have relatively smaller hands. Probably the reason lies with the surface of the cards which is smooth and not matte.
The back design is pretty, and features the Cathar seal. This is a part of the armorial bearings of the Counts of Toulouse and can be seen in the Languedoc region of France, where the Cathars had their final stronghold. This design is therefore also known as the ‘Cathar Cross’.
Due to the coloring though, one is able to easily know if the card is upright or reversed. For those of us who use reversed cards in readings (like I do), back designs like these can be a bit frustrating. However, I overcome this by closing my eyes while pulling the cards — that way I don’t get affected regardless of the card’s direction.
The deck is accompanied by a 112-page full color illustrated book.
The guidebook contains quite a bit of information about the Cathars, their way of life, and their belief systems. The card illustrations for the Major Arcana cards are big (take an entire page) but are comparitively smaller for the Minor Arcana.
The font size is pretty small though, so you may need your reading glasses for this one.
What I really liked about the guidebook is that the information is presented slowly, and it builds upon itself as you keep reading. As you read through the information of the Major Arcana cards, you learn more and then a bit more about the Cathars’ life and belief.
While I am not completely averse to info-dumps, I did like this approach very much — somehow, I wanted to keep on reading and thus learning more about these lovely people.
For both, the Major and Minor Arcana cards the description included the information about the context and the imagery, and keywords for the ‘Light’ and ‘Dark’ aspects of the card’s meanings.
This is particularly useful for those of us who use reversed card meanings in our readings.
The back of the book contains a section where the deck creators talk about how one can get to know the deck better, and activate the cards. Three spreads, the ‘Cathar Cross Spread’, and the ‘Court of Wisdom Spread’, and the ‘Grail Knight Spread’ are included, along with a sample reading.
Finally, there are a few passages from actual Cathar writings that add to our knowledge of the Cathars and their beliefs and lifestyle. And if you are truly drawn into this, there is a short list of books and websites where you can learn even more.
The deck follows the Rider-Waite-Smith format — the Minor Arcana cards have pictures on them. And if you have experience working with the Rider-Waite-Smith or similarly-formatted deck, learning this deck won’t be hard.
In keeping with the deck’s theme, the suits are named as follows:
The names of pretty much all the Major Arcana cards are also in keeping with the deck’s theme. Here however, they do not follow the Rider-Waite-Smith pattern — Major Arcana 8 is Justice, and Major Arcana 11 is Strength.
A comparative list of the names of the Major Arcana cards is also provided at the back of the book.
As you may have seen, I’ve been doing my daily card readings for this month, on Instagram, with this deck, and the information flows so smoothly from the imagery!
Since this is a new deck for me, I do carry the book with me and glance through it while I look at the card image. But, even if I didn’t have the book, I wouldn’t suffer much. The imagery of the cards lends itself very beautifully to the storytelling process and to an intuitive reading.
Knowing the meanings of the symbols and the context specific to the Cathars beliefs and lifestyle does help — but if you are in a bit of a rush, and can’t refer to the book, then too, you won’t go wrong if you just mined the cards’ imagery and used your intuition to seek guidance. IMHO, this is the best thing about the Cathar Tarot Card Deck.
I also made a video where I talk about this deck, and where you can get a sneak peek at the cards as well. Enjoy!
The fun thing is that I accidentally ended up getting two copies of the deck in the mail. That meant only one thing. A Giveaway!
So go ahead and enter yourself into the giveaway thingy below. The giveaway ends 12 a.m. EST on the 9th of January 2017, and I will announce the winners on my Instagram and FaceBook, and also in the Comments section of this blog. The deck will be sent via USPS (and I think I ought to be able to provide a tracking number as well).
The giveaway has since ended, but you can still buy a copy of this lovely deck!
What do you think about this wonderful deck? Would you want to buy it for yourself? Or do you already have it? Do share your thoughts and experiences with me in the comments section below. It would be interesting to hear what you thought of this deck.
Ever since I had my first Tarot Card Reading about 10 years ago, I’ve been in love with the Tarot cards. The images, the colors, the art, the swirling magic of the stories that the images seem to tell me — all of it has in turn enthralled, intrigued, befriended, taught and guided me for all these years. However, my curiousity and some really happy coincidences have led to to discover that apart from the Tarot, there are a few more card-based divination systems out there.
Naturally, I have explored them — liking some for one reason or the other, and not really connecting with some. Today, I would like to share with you the different card-based divination systems that I’ve encountered and explored.
Just Because…
I’ve also made a video about this, where I talk about these systems. You can have a quick look at the different decks that I have from these different systems and see what I’m talking about.. 🙂 I’ve embedded the video towards the end of this post, so just scroll down…
Without any further ado, here’s the list:
Cartomancy is defined as “fortune telling by interpreting a random selection of playing cards”.
This is how it all began, I think. The deck of of 52 cards divided into four groups (hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs) was used for divination purposes. A random draw of a certain number of cards from a well shuffled deck would be arranged in a specific layout and interpreted based on certain rules and ‘meanings’.
Personally, I haven’t explored this system — mostly because there aren’t images on the cards which will stir up my imagination and intuition — which seem to be a requirement for me.
However, it does remain quite a popular system of divination. A quick Google search will lead you to some really interesting websites where you can learn more about this topic.
Images: None. Just the suit symbols. Face cards (Jack, Queen, King) have images.
The next evolutionary step for Cartomancy was when the 52-card deck was reduced to a 32-card Piquet deck by removing the cards 2s through the 6s.
This ‘Piquet’ deck was then later enhanced into a 36-card Deck, and the playing card symbols were substituted with actual symbols that was also loosely based on the popular ‘Game of Hope’ card game. This deck was then named after Mlle. Lenormand (1772-1843), a popular fortune teller based in France during the time of Napoleon. The system of divination using cards seems to have gained much renown due to her notoriously famous client-list and number of books she authored.
In my observation, the system of interpreting these cards is very logical and linear, while also incorporating intution. It is very unlike the Tarot in several respects. For instance, while reading with these cards, only the symbol on the card is important for the purposes of divining the meaning — contents of the card’s imagery bear no importance to the interpretation. However, just like in the Tarot spreads, the placement of the card in the ‘line’ or spread is important for the purposes of interpreting the message, and it always comes back to the context of the question that was asked of the cards. Also, the message that these cards give is very lucid and precise, compared to the very ‘feelings oriented’ and ‘deeply internal’ messages that the Tarot cards give.
It can be quite a shift for a very intuitive Tarot Card Reader to pick up these cards and read with them. However, when combined with a Tarot Card Reading, both these card systems play awesomely with each other — giving the reader both the deeper and the more practical messages. This can be advantageous for the client, who ends up benefitting the most from a very informational reading.
I recently found myself drawn to learn more about this system while I was working with the Dreaming Way Tarot for my Learn This Deck video series. I discovered that Kwon Shina, the artist illustrator who had drawn the images of the Dreaming Way Tarot had also illustrated a Lenormand Deck called the Dreaming Way Lenormand. Since I was in love with the quriky and cute artwork style of the illustrator I ended up purchasing the deck, and my journey of exploration began.
{I will write an article about the Lenormand Cards and include more details and links to resources in that article, and then link that article here. Promise.}
The Lenormand cards are a set of 36 cards in no particular order — there is absolutely no significance of why a particular symbol has a particular number like in the Tarot. Each card has the one main symbol on it. The background and other additional imagery carries no weight in the meaning and interpretation of that card. For a very basic spread, the cards are laid out in a single line and read linearly. The card to the right adds value or meaning to the card to its left, and so on. Each card can represent a single word (noun or adjective or verb or adverb) and you string them up to form a sentence which conveys the message. Plus, there is no concept of ‘Reversed Cards’ like with the Tarot. And unlike the Tarot, specific cards are decidedly positive or negative in their impact.
Although, it sounds pretty simple in theory, it is quite challenging to do this type of reading. For me, the challenge is in not letting my intuition get into the card’s imagery. This is why I have ended up looking for cards which have a very stark imagery style — just the symbol and nothing else extra on it. And the second challenge is in allowing only that much intuition to come into play which will let me know which of the meanings of that symbol apply in the reading. In short, I find myself running free but within a specifed area.
Of course, when I feel like I have ‘practiced’ enough, I plan to add these cards into my reading process so I can be of more help to my clients. For now, I have started with putting up a ‘card-a-day’ reading with this card on my Instagram and on FaceBook.
Images: Usually just a single symbol. May contain additional background imagery depending on Deck Theme and Artistic Style. Also may contain the playing card suit insert or name.
My first love. My best love. The Tarot Cards have been the doorway to exploring my intuition. However, they were also a great synthesis of my love for mythology, psychology, art, and symbolism, and the process of interpretation.
This is a complete system in and of itself. Typically, it has 78 cards, divided into 22 cards called the Major Arcana, and 56 cards called the Minor Arcana. The Minor Arcana are then further sub-divided into 14-Card Suits. The Major Arcana talk of a deeper truth filled with Arcana and Archetypal symbols and imagery. The Minor Arcana (through the four Suits of the Wands, Swords, Cups, and Pentacles) talk of the everyday things that people go through in their lives. The Suits also contain a total of 16 Court Cards or People Cards which are a composite of the 16 different Personality Types.
In short, the cards cover all aspects of a person’s life — spiritual, energetic, mind, feelings, and practical.
The cards are randomly pulled from a well-shuffled deck, and laid out in a ’spread’ where the spread positions correspond with the question asked to the cards, and give the cards their context. Intuition and storytelling plays a huge role in interpreting these images, and they offer all levels of guidance and prediction.
Images: Deeply evocative imagery based on Deck Theme and Artistic Style. Full of symbols and hidden meanings. Every aspect of imagery may strike the intuitive-imaginative processes.
For some reason, I could never find myself drawn to these decks — probably because these cards usually have a message printed on them which tends to distract me from getting into the intuitive flow.
However, that doesn’t mean that this system doesn’t have it’s adherants and followers.
In theory, this is also a worthwhile system to explore. And many Tarot Card Readers often use Oracle Cards to add more value, meaning, and guidance into their readings.
Nowadays though, I’ve discovered Oracle Decks which don’t have much in the way of messages printed on them — maybe just a keyword. The White Rabbit Oracle and the Sacred Symbols Divination and Meditation Cards are two such decks that have drawn me to them.
Typically, you will find a good number of Angel based Oracle Decks out there in the market. But there are others as well — and just like the Tarot, they are often based around a certain central theme or belief system.
Readers may use these in a ‘spread’-type layout just like the Tarot, or they often pull out a random card or two to add value or additional messages to an existing Tarot Card Reading. However, these aren’t really suited for prediction-based questions. By their very nature, they are meant for guidance and encouragement.
Images: Depend on Deck Theme, and Artistic Style. Usually have an insightful or encouraging message printed on the image. Sometimes, its just a keyword.
I discovered these cards through a friend who had seen them when she went for a Reading. I ended up exploring the website and ordering this deck and three more later on. Of course, there are more decks based on different themes, which are totally on my wish list.
These cards, to quote directly from their website, “simulate creativity and communication”. The best part is that these decks can be mixed up with each other and still be fluidly used as a single deck.
The Original OH Deck was a unique creation, designed and painted by Canadian artist Ely Raman. There are 88 cards with pictures painted on them. These are complemented with 88 cards which have keywords on them. Randomly pull out a picture card and put it upon a randomly pulled word card, and see what comes up in your heart and mind.
Subsequently, several artists have created picture cards of their own, based on different themes, and added to this ‘image library’ and enhanced this deck.
I mix them up, and use them to plan / plot my story, or get to know my ‘characters’, both with and without the ‘word cards’. Sometimes, I also use them to gain a deeper understanding of my inner self and inner processes. Depending on how I feel during a reading, I may even add them into the mix for a client reading.
These cards come in real handy when the reading involves going deep into the client’s psyche to find root causes of fears, phobia, and other issues which have troubled them and left them in stuck positions in their lives. Of course, it requires a lot of trust between you and your client, and a lot of interactivity in your reading process. In my experience, these cards work especially brilliantly in readings when the client is willing to give the process a genuine shot — after all, he / she may have to sit and talk about what feelings and associations the image card + word card combo is stirring up within his / her psyche.
The accompanying booklet also describes how these cards can be used in a group setting in a ‘game’. These cards have found their use with counsellors and psychotherapists, as also with divination practioners.
Images: A number of paintings based on the Deck Theme. Different decks can be combined with each other to create a wider theme-palette of images to dive into.If you’d like a bit of a visual treat while I talk about the stuff that I’ve written in this blog post, then just click play and watch the video!
And if you would like to be notified every time I upload a new video, just head on over to my You Tube Channel and subscribe!
There are all kinds of different ways in which to access the intuition, the imagination — essentially the subconscious mind — using these card-based systems. Of course, these cards may or may not have all kinds of evocative images and artwork. Shuffling, then choosing random cards, and laying these cards out in a layout / Spread for the purposes of divination is a multi-layered system full of variety and innovative methods and tools.
Even though there may be a number of Tarot Card Decks out there to whet your appetite, these systems are also well worth looking into. Plus, they play really well with the Tarot.
Not only do they exercise your psychic muscles in different ways, but they also help you get more information, and put you in a position where you can help your clients better.
Of course, if you know of any other card-based divination system that I haven’t covered here, please just drop a line in the comments section below. Also, if you have anything else to add or say, please tell me. I would love to hear all your thoughts.
Repeating cards in a Tarot card reading are quite an interesting and common occurrence. During the course of a single Tarot card reading, the Tarot reader often ends up doing several spreads to answer the different questions that the client might have. And a card or two (or sometimes three) can often pop up repeatedly across those spreads.
Today, lets find out about the significance and meaning of these repeating cards in a Tarot card reading.
