Tarot in a nutshell
The Tarot consists of 78 cards. 22 Major Arcana which represent the profound alchemical and archetypal forces that play upon mortals. 16 Court Cards which often represent the personalities, relationships or manifest energies in the querent's sphere. And 50 Minor Arcana cards, consisting of 4 Suits, which show how the said forces manifest themselves in influencing the psychology of the querent and their actions in this veil of tears. The deck I use for my readings was designed in 1909 by Pamela Coleman-Smith, under some esoteric guidance from A.E. Waite of The Golden Dawn. She died penniless in Cornwall 1951. Let our soul be still and listen to the wisdom of The Cards.
A note on The Celtic Cross. The cards are shuffled 3 times and then cut 3 times with the querent's question in mind. 10 cards are then laid out on top of the significator. On the left you will see 3 cards in the middle of a circle, which has the appearance of the top of a gravestone often found in Ireland. The 4 cards of the circle are not meant to be static but revolve as a wheel around the 3 cards in the middle, the crux of the matter at hand. On the right-hand side 4 cards are laid one above the other, like a stave or the length of the gravestone, these represent the road on which the wheel must travel, towards the outcome. Let our soul be still and listen to the wisdom of The Cards.