Tarot glossary
What is cartomancy?
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Cartomancy is the practice of interpreting cards to reflect on a question or anticipate situations. Tarot is one of its forms, as are Lenormand and the ordinary playing deck. The word joins card with the Greek suffix for divination. There is no scientific proof that it predicts the future.
What the word means
Cartomancy joins card with the Greek element that points to divination, the same one found in chiromancy, the reading of hands. It names any method that uses cards as an instrument of symbolic reading.
It is an old and diverse practice that has changed a great deal across eras and regions. For that reason, there is no single way to read: each tradition has its own rules.
Decks used in cartomancy
Tarot is the best known, but not the only one. Many cartomancers read with the ordinary 52-card deck, with the 36-card Lenormand (known in Brazil as Baralho Cigano, derived from the Petit Lenormand), or with oracle decks, which do not follow the structure of tarot.
- Tarot: 78 cards, Major and Minor Arcana.
- Lenormand (Petit Lenormand): 36 cards, read in sequence.
- Playing cards: 52 cards, in four suits.
- Oracles: themed decks with a free structure.
Cartomancy today
In recent decades, cartomancy has taken on a use more focused on self-knowledge, with readers who treat the cards as a mirror rather than as prediction. This approach helps avoid the idea of a fixed destiny.
If you practice or consult, remember that the cards do not replace informed decisions or professional guidance on health, finances or law.
Frequently asked questions
- Are cartomancy and tarot the same thing?
- No. Cartomancy is the general practice of reading cards. Tarot is just one of the decks used in it.
- Does cartomancy predict the future?
- Some people use it for that purpose, but it has no scientific proof. Many readers treat it as a tool for reflecting on the present.
- Which deck should I use to start with cartomancy?
- It depends on your interest. Tarot is the most studied, and Lenormand has a more direct style of reading. Pick one and go deep before moving to another.
Educational content, for reflection. Tarot does not replace medical, legal or financial advice.