O grande livro dos 78 arcanos
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What is the Tarot of Marseille?
The Tarot of Marseille is a 78-card deck that has been used for centuries as a tool for divination and self-knowledge. Its name comes from the city where several printmakers fixed, from the 17th century onward, the iconographic model that is still the most widespread today in France and other French-speaking countries. Its origins go back further still: the first tarot decks appeared in Northern Italy in the 15th century, initially as a simple card game before gradually becoming a symbolic and introspective tool.
The principle of tarot rests on a system of archetypal images — scenes, characters and symbols that represent the great stages and forces of human life: love, power, death, change, justice, hope. By drawing one or several cards, you invite these archetypes to shed light on a present situation. Tarot isn't meant to predict a fixed future: it offers a symbolic reading of a question, revealing sometimes-unconscious dynamics and opening up new angles of reflection.
How does a tarot reading work?
A reading consists of selecting, at random or according to a defined method, a number of cards from among the deck's 78 cards, then laying them out according to a pattern called a 'spread'. Each position in this layout has its own meaning — the past, the present, the near future, an obstacle, a piece of advice — and the card drawn there must be interpreted with both its own meaning and the role of its position in mind.
A one-card draw is the simplest: it answers a precise question or sets a general tone for the day, much like a 'card of the day'. The three-card spread is widely used because it structures a clear reading — past/present/future, or situation/obstacle/advice, for example. The five-card spread refines the reading further by adding nuance (what helps, what holds back, the likely outcome), while the ten-card spread, often called the 'Celtic Cross', is the great classic of tarot: it offers a complete view of a situation, crossing several axes of life and influence.
On Divinai, every reading is calculated from your question and generated at the precise moment you consult it: the cards are therefore never fixed in advance, and the interpretation takes into account the context you provided.
The two great families of cards
The Major Arcana (22 cards)
The 22 Major Arcana — from the Magician to the World, including Justice, Death, the Star or the Wheel of Fortune — represent the great symbolic stages of a life journey or an inner transformation. These are the best-known cards of the tarot, and the ones that carry the most symbolic weight in a reading: when a Major Arcana card appears, it generally points to a deeper issue, a structuring energy that goes beyond a simple everyday event.
The Minor Arcana (56 cards)
The 56 Minor Arcana are split into four suits, each linked to an area of life: Wands for action, energy and projects; Cups for emotions, relationships and feelings; Swords for thought, conflict and decisions; and Pentacles for material matters, work and finances. Each suit has fourteen cards, from the Ace to the Ten, plus four court cards — Page, Knight, Queen and King — embodying different profiles or postures in relation to that energy. The Minor Arcana bring the nuance and concrete detail that the more symbolic Major Arcana don't always spell out.
How do you interpret a card?
Interpreting a card combines three elements: the card's own meaning (what it symbolizes in itself), the position it occupies in the spread (past, present, advice, obstacle...), and the question asked at the outset. The same card won't carry quite the same resonance depending on whether it appears in the 'what holds you back' position or the 'likely outcome' position.
Each card can also appear upright or reversed: a reversed meaning isn't simply the opposite of the upright one — it often nuances the reading by pointing to blocked, internalized, delayed energy, or one that needs to be worked through differently. A reversed card usually invites you to look at what is preventing the card's energy from fully expressing itself, rather than to read it as strictly negative.
Go further
Want to explore the meaning of every card in detail, or get a personalized reading right away? See the full guide to the 78 Arcana → Do a reading now →
Arcanes Majeurs
Bâtons
Coupes
Épées
Deniers
Frequently asked questions
How many cards are there in a tarot deck?
A classic Tarot of Marseille deck has 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana, the latter split into four suits of fourteen cards each (Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles).
What's the difference between tarot and cartomancy?
Tarot specifically refers to the 78-card deck structured into Major and Minor Arcana, while cartomancy is a broader term covering all card-based divination practices, including other decks such as oracle cards or a classic 32/52-card playing deck.
Do you have to believe in tarot for a reading to be useful?
No. Tarot can be approached as a symbolic tool for introspection rather than a literal prediction of the future. Many people use it above all to gain perspective on a situation, put words to something they feel confusedly, or consider a decision from a new angle.
How do I choose the right type of spread?
It depends on the question. For a simple question or the tone of the day, one card is enough. To clarify a situation (past/present/future or situation/obstacle/advice), the three-card spread is ideal. For a fuller analysis of a complex situation involving several areas of life, the ten-card Celtic Cross is the most appropriate.
What does a reversed card mean?
A reversed card isn't systematically the opposite of its upright meaning: most often it signals that the card's energy is blocked, delayed, internalized, or needs to be worked through consciously. It's an invitation to look at what's preventing that energy from fully expressing itself in the situation at hand.
Can you read the cards yourself, or do you need a professional?
Both approaches work. A guided reading through a tool like Divinai gives you a structured, personalized interpretation without prior expertise, based on your question and the context you provide. An experienced tarot reader can offer a more nuanced reading, particularly for complex spreads or sensitive questions.
Are the Major Arcana more important than the Minor Arcana?
They aren't 'more important', but they carry a different symbolic weight. A Major Arcana card generally signals a deeper issue, a structuring dynamic within the situation, while the Minor Arcana bring more concrete detail about the everyday, emotional or practical circumstances surrounding that issue.
How often can you do a tarot reading?
There's no strict rule, but drawing cards several times a day on the same question tends to blur the reading rather than sharpen it. Most tarot readers recommend letting a question rest before drawing again, and favoring a thoughtful reading over compulsive consultation.