The Fool begins

Getting started with the Tarot

Hello there! I’m so excited to get into the nitty gritty of the Tarot with you all. Over the next weeks, months and maybe even years (the Tarot journey is lifelong, with myriad paths and planes to explore), we’re going to deepen our relationship with these 78 cards and learn more about ourselves in the process.

Let’s briefly address the title of this post. In a modern context, those of us who care about our fellow humans and want to do good in the world probably understand that “fool” is an ableist term. If you’re completely new to the Tarot, let me reassure you that I haven’t chosen this word arbitrarily to describe beginners, or what we’ll be doing here together, nor do dismiss the impact that words have. But The Fool is a central figure in the Tarot, and it is their journey throughout the archetypes and lessons of the Major Arcana that we follow.

The Major what?! you might be wondering, at which point I’d reassure you that there’s no such thing as a silly question when you’re courageously setting out to learn something new and open your heart up to something different.

So! Let’s begin with a very brief overview of the structure of the Tarot.

Please note: I’ve provided a recommended beginner reading list at the bottom of this post where you can learn more about the Tarot’s history, but the cliff notes are that it originated in northern Italy in the mid 1400s as a deck of playing cards. They remained as such for at least a few centuries, and it wasn’t until the 1800s that they began to be used as a tool for divination. Although a number of different deck designs circulated during this time, the one you’re probably the most familiar with is the Smith Rider Waite. I’ll do a separate post at some point about the history of its illustrator, Pamela “Pixie” Colman-Smith. It’s a tragic tale, but sadly unsurprising given the disregard for women’s contributions that persists today.