A Complete Guide to the Tarot

Oct 13, 2026

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A complete introduction to tarot as a symbolic record of human experience, addressing where its legends come from and why the cards are considered distinct from ordinary playing cards. Explains the structure of 78 cards, including the Minor Arcana suits and the Major Arcana figures, and highlights tarot’s use for psychological insight, counsel, meditation, and divination. Includes discussion of occult systems linked to numerology, the Kabalah, and astrology, plus a glossary and supporting material.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatPDF

Pages169

Reading Time59 min

AccessFree to download

Contents

1 THE TAROT DEFINED

2 HISTORY OF THE TAROT

3 THE MAJOR ARCANA

4 THE MINOR ARCANA

5 HOW TO READ THE CARDS

6 THE TAROT AND MEDITATION

7 SYSTEMS OF OCCULT THOUGHT THAT ILLUMINATE THE TAROT

8 EPILOGUE—THE FOOL’S JOURNEY

Glossary of Symbolic Terms

Bibliography

About the Author

THE MYSTERY OF THE TAROT The origins of the Tarot are so veiled in the mists of time that it is only natural for myths and legends to surround it. Superstition, flights of fancy, and speculation have added their own patterns to the rich and colorful tapestry of Tarot lore and have only deepened its aura of magic and mystery. Cults have grown up around one or another historical theory, and sometimes their adherents have become fanatical in proclaiming the one and only “truth.” But the betterinformed investigators retain a certain amount of flexibility—even skepticism—and make no ironclad assertions. The truest claim we can make is that the Tarot is a symbolic record of human experience. Through deeply rooted mystic powers, the cards accomplish miracles of psychological insight, wise counsel and accurate divination. Other Bantam Books of related interest Ask your bookseller for the books you have missed THE COMPLETE BOOK OF PALMISTRY by Joyce Wilson SOULMATES by Jess Stearn A COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE TAROT ABantam Book /published by arrangement with Crown Publishers, Inc. PUBLISHING HISTORY Crown edition published June 1970 Universe Book Club January 1971 Selection Bantam edition /June 1972 All rights reserved. Copyright © 1970 by Eden Gray No part ofthis book may be reproduced or transmitted in anyform or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writingfrom the publisher. For information address: Crown Publishers, Inc. 201 East 50th St., New York, N. Y. 10022. eISBN: 978-0-307-77944-1 Bantam Books are published by Bantam Books, a division ofRandom House, Inc. Its trademark, consisting ofthe words “Bantam Books ” and the portrayal ofa rooster, is Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Ofice and in other countries. Marca Registrada. Random House, Inc., New York, New York. v3 .1 CONTENTS Cover Other Books by This Author Title Page Copyright Acknowledgments 1 THE TAROT DEFINED 2 HISTORY OF THE TAROT 3 THE MAJOR ARCANA 4 THE MINOR ARCANA Wands Cups Swords Pentacles 5 HOW TO READ THE CARDS 6 THE TAROT AND MEDITATION 7 SYSTEMS OF OCCULT THOUGHT THAT ILLUMINATE THE TAROT The Tarot and Numerology The Tarot and the Kabalah The Tarot and Astrology 8 EPILOGUE—THE FOOL’S JOURNEY Glossary ofSymbolic Terms Bibliography About the Author ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My deep appreciation to Nan Braymer for her invaluable assistance in the preparation of the manuscript ofthis book. Also to Mary Beckwith Cohen for her advice on all matters that concerned Astrology. 1 THE TAROT DEFINED The ancient and mystic pack of cards called the Tarot never fails to evoke the curiosity of the uninitiated.“What are the Tarot cards?” “What makes them so different from our own playing cards?”“Can they really foretell the future?” “Can anyone learn how to read them?” This book is devoted to answering these and many other questions and to give the reader a knowledge of the Tarot—its history, its links to other occult sciences, and the way it is used to shed light upon the past, the present, and the future. Everyone agrees that modern playing cards are directly descended from one part of the Tarot—theresemblances between parent and child are too striking to be accidental. In both we find cards numbered one to ten, followed by pictures or “court” cards. And just as the Joker is unnumbered and has no assigned place in our deck, the Fool in the Tarot is also without a number of its own or a preordained position—yet both are ever present in their respective packs. There are 78 cards in the Tarot, of which 56 (those most like modern cards) are equally divided among four suits—Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles—analogous to our Clubs, Hearts, Spades, and Diamonds. These suit cards are known as the Minor Arcana (arcana is the Latin word for secrets) . They are followed by 22 cards c

FAQs

What does the book say tarot is, in its truest claim?

It presents tarot as a symbolic record of human experience, offering psychological insight, wise counsel, and divination through the cards’ mystic powers.

How many cards does the tarot deck contain, and how are they organized?

The deck contains 78 cards: 56 divided among four suits (Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles) as the Minor Arcana, plus 22 cards forming the Major Arcana.

How does the book connect tarot to other occult systems?

It discusses linked systems such as numerology, the Kabalah, and astrology, explaining how these teachings are reflected in the cards and illuminate their meaning.

Oct 13, 2026

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