Starter Tarot

[Fool] [Ace of Swords] The Starter Tarot was first published as just the 22 major arcana cards. The artist George Bennett based his images on the Tarot of Marseilles. Later in 1989, the minor arcana was added to make a complete 78 card deck. In the Starter Tarot, the 56 minor arcana cards form four stories - one for each suit. The cards form a continuous picture when they are laid out left to right from the ace to the king and the suits in order as coins, cups, wands and swords. A key feature of the Starter Tarot is that suggested interpretations are printed at the top and bottom. The top set is for upright meanings. The bottom set is for reversed meanings. The latter are upside-down so they can be conveniently read when the card is reversed. These printed keywords can be helpful, but also somewhat distracting and may not match a reader's personal understanding of a card.

Number of Cards Size Copyright Back
Design
78
22 major/56 minor
2 1/2" x 4 3/4" 1989 [back design]

Language of Card Titles: English

Style of Suit Cards (2-10): story scenes

Also Included: instruction booklet, title card

Major Arcana:
Fool, Magician, High Priestess, Empress, Emperor, Hierophant,
Lovers, Chariot, Strength (Card 11), Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, Justice (Card 8),
Hanged Man, Death, Temperance, Devil, Falling Tower, Star, Moon,
Sun, Judgment, World

Suit Names: Wands, Cups, Swords, Coins (Pentacles)

Court Cards: King, Queen, Knight, Page

See Also:

SAMPLE CARD IMAGES:

[King of Wands] [Ten of Coins] [Ace of Cups]

Reference - The Encyclopedia of Tarot: Volume 1 by Stuart Kaplan, pg. 278 and Volume 3, pg. 634


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