As a popular form of cartomancy, the Tarot deck consists of 78 cards, divided into the major and minor “arcana”.
Arcana is the plural of the Latin word arcanum, meaning “hidden truth” or “secret knowledge”. The major arcana consist of 22 cards while 56 cards constitute the minor arcana. The art of reading Tarot is a form of fortune-telling or ‘divination’ which is said to inform the reader of supposed wisdom entailing to the past, present, and future.
Although many have attributed much accuracy and validity to the art, it is often criticized that, regardless of the cards shown, the user will draw out their own meaning, filling in the blanks with either (1) wishful thinking or (2) interpreted and transcribed subconscious/higher-self messages. It is uncertain how to ever prove whether cartomancy is predicated upon some higher pattern or if it is just a form of psychological game with oneself.
Another form of divination, albeit more intricate and complex, is the I Ching.