here are 22 cards in the Major Arcana, each showing some aspect of the human exp erience.

The cards of the Major Arcana are focused on three themes: the realm of the material world, the realm of the intuitive mind, and the realm of change. In A Complete Guide to the Tarot, Eden Gray points out that the the different ev ents and emotions and experiences we have are reflected in the cards as laid dow n by a reader. Ultimately the Fool is at the center of it all, an innocent about to embark on a journey which will include many trials and tribulations. Depending on which deck you're using, you may find that your cards are not in th e order presented. Don't worry about that -- go by the meaning of the card, not by the numeric order. The illustrations on these pages depict cards from the Rid er Waite deck, which is one of the most popular Tarot decks available today, and one typically used by new readers as a way to "get to know" Tarot.