The Major Arcana are the first twenty-two named cards within a tarot pack, known as the anchors of any tarot reading, with each card carrying a special meaning. As a whole, it is traditionally referred to as the Fool’s Journey, which is symbolic of one’s life experiences and voyage to self-discovery.
The Fool is representative of someone eager to discover the world and become familiar with essential emotions, societal structures and their role within it all. Amongst this passage, choices are laid ahead, and navigating these are opportunities to learn about themselves, when to follow intuition and when to use more of a logical approach.
Hip Hop Tarot Deck - Major Arcana Cards
Each card within the Major Arcana is associated with an element; fire, water, earth and air. They depict universal energies in our lives and point towards our spiritual evolution. Before reading with the Major Arcana, it is vital to have a basic understanding of each card; your deck should come with a reference guide that you can refer to as you familiarise yourself with different meanings.
A big part of tarot reading is being open to interpretation and understanding your intent, an excellent way to do this is to start by asking the freshly cleansed deck a candid-style question. Something with a framework like, ‘Why am I feeling anxious about’, What should I focus on in my relationship with…’, or ‘How can I move forward with…’. During this time, a thorough shuffle in any fashion you like will help you focus and connect your chosen objective with the cards.
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The next stage is pulling the cards; cutting the deck with your left hand and pulling the card on top is a straightforward way to get started. Others like to fan the cards out like in poker and pull out the first card that draws the eye or feels right in your hand. At this point, you can decide whether you pull a single card or opt for a spread; the more cards you pull, the more in-depth the reading tends to be. A spread can help with speaking more broadly about your life situation instead of answering one question, so do what suits your desires and level of tarot interpretation expertise.
After you have chosen your card or cards, lay it down and turn it over to reveal the words and image; remember to pay close attention to what comes to mind when you see this for the first time. The point is to stay calm and get centred, this way, you can effectively associate with your sense of self and the open energies at play.
There are infinite ways to lay out your cards if you are doing a spread; a simple place to start is with a three-card spread. This represents the past, the present and the future. As you turn over each card, set your focus on these three principles; card one is a representation of how you can surrender to changes in your life, card two can offer direction on caring for yourself during this process, and card three serves as a guide to staying true to yourself amid the transformation. If you feel confident, a five-card spread can enhance your clarity and offer the chance for true illumination.
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To do this, either pick out five cards randomly from a shuffled deck or split them into five piles, pulling the card off the top and laying them in front. Considerations over the cards can be as follows; card one asks you what is going on in your life at that current moment, card two projects ways in which you can be strong during this time. Card three is all about what you can learn from this; card four asks what is leaving or ending at this time, and card five, what is beginning. Of course, there are more complex ways to conduct a spread that will create its own comprehensive language to immerse yourself in.
Tarot readings can be used as a self-care practice, a positive way to shed light on pivotal moments and personal journeys. After a reading, it can be helpful to take time to reflect with a journal entry; this can help you understand your feelings and summarise what you have taken from the tarot cards. A productive way to implement tarot reading into your daily life is to draw a card every morning, a ritual that gives a guide for the day to come and a chance to manifest a bright future.
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Bear in mind that there is no right or wrong way to pull cards, so trying a few different ways may help you find your groove. The more you learn, the more you can connect cards with your astrology sign and the cosmos, allowing you to tap into your unconscious thinking for a deeper insight into who you are and what you can achieve.
Blue Monday Press have created a fun Hip Hop Version of traditional Tarot Cards, reimagined with twenty-two iconic rappers and musicians representing the individual Major Arcana. We love this modern-day twist on this powerful ancient practice; check them out here!
