What Is Tarot? A Beginner's Guide
A 78-card deck with roots stretching back centuries, Tarot has evolved from a card game into one of the world's most recognizable tools for reflection.
Quick Answer
Tarot is a 78-card deck divided into the Major Arcana (22 cards representing significant life themes) and Minor Arcana (56 cards representing everyday situations across four suits). Traditionally used for reflection and guidance, a Tarot reading interprets the cards drawn in a specific layout, or spread, in relation to a question.
In This Guide
A Brief History of Tarot
Tarot originated in 15th-century Italy as a card game called tarocchi, played by the nobility. It wasn't until the 18th century that occult practitioners began attaching symbolic and divinatory meaning to the cards, giving rise to the reflective, guidance-oriented practice most people associate with Tarot today.
The Deck's Structure
A standard Tarot deck contains 78 cards, split into the Major and Minor Arcana. The 22 Major Arcana cards represent significant, archetypal life themes, while the 56 Minor Arcana cards, divided into four suits, represent everyday situations and emotions.
The most widely recognized Tarot deck today, the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, was published in 1909 and illustrated by artist Pamela Colman Smith — its imagery became the template most modern decks still follow.
How Tarot Is Used Today
Modern Tarot practice centers on drawing cards in a specific layout, called a spread, and interpreting their traditional symbolism in relation to a question or life area — commonly love, career, money, or general life direction.
Reflection, Not Fortune-Telling
Most contemporary Tarot practitioners frame the practice as a tool for reflection and exploring different perspectives, rather than literal fortune-telling — the cards are traditionally read as prompts for insight, not fixed, guaranteed predictions of the future.
Summary: Key Takeaways
- Tarot is a 78-card deck, split into Major and Minor Arcana.
- It originated as a card game before becoming a reflective, symbolic practice in the 18th century.
- Modern practice treats it as a tool for reflection, not literal fortune-telling.
How PalmGuru Approaches Tarot
PalmGuru's Tarot feature offers multiple spread types with AI-generated interpretations grounded in traditional card meanings, framed for reflection and self-understanding.
This guide reflects traditional interpretations, provided for entertainment and self-reflection purposes only and not as medical, legal, financial, or psychological advice. See our Terms of Service.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Tarot?
A 78-card deck traditionally used for reflection and guidance, divided into Major and Minor Arcana.
How many cards are in a Tarot deck?
78 cards — 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana.
Where did Tarot originate?
As a 15th-century Italian card game, before taking on symbolic, divinatory meaning in the 18th century.
Is Tarot the same as fortune-telling?
Most modern practitioners treat it as a tool for reflection and perspective, not literal, guaranteed fortune-telling.
What is the most famous Tarot deck?
The Rider-Waite-Smith deck, published in 1909, whose imagery most modern decks still follow.
How does PalmGuru offer Tarot readings?
PalmGuru offers multiple spread types with AI-generated interpretations grounded in traditional card meanings.
Discover More with PalmGuru
PalmGuru combines AI with traditional palmistry, Kundli, Vedic astrology, numerology, Panchang, Tarot, and Vastu to provide personalized insights inspired by traditional knowledge. Download PalmGuru today.