There are 78 cards within a traditional Tarot deck and out of those, 22 are what we call the Major Arcana .

The word Arcana or Arcane comes from the Latin Arcanum and means secrets, hidden meanings and mysteries. We call them ‘Major’ as unlike the other 4 suits ( Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles) they hold a more significant influence over a tarot reading by virtue of the fact that these cards represent what will seem like ‘major’ events or influences.

They can be read from 0 – 21 as being a journey of sorts, starting with the first card 0 – The Fool.

Let’s start with this one and look at why this is what we sometimes refer to as the start of your journey, be that in the physical or the esoteric and spiritual.

The Fool’s tarot card is full of imagery and hidden signs and symbols which as tarot readers, we can interpret through the illustrations and key word meanings or through our intuition as we search deeply within that illustration to find the ‘secret’ or hidden message contained therein…for you.

As a stand alone tarot card, The Fool signifies, beginnings, crossroads, a journey (as above) and above all it is a major card of choice and possibly, adventure.

The Fool represents the childlike quality we are all born with, that innocence, that sense of wonder in life and sometimes…naivety too.

This is all about not being afraid to take a risk once in a while, even if others around you consider you a ‘fool’ or foolhardy for doing so. As the illustrations often depict, this person is teetering very close to the edge of a precipice – will they jump or not?

*Tarot Deck is The Alchemical Tarot by Robert M Place