The Empress Tarology

Tarot

Tarot dates back to 15th-century Italy, originally as a card game before it was adopted for divination in the 18th century. The deck holds 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana, representing life's larger themes and turning points, and 56 Minor Arcana, split into four suits that speak to the details of daily life. Different traditions read the cards differently — the Marseille deck leans on centuries-old, more abstract symbolism, while the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, published in 1909, illustrated every single card and became the foundation most modern tarot builds on.

Runes

Runes come from the Elder Futhark, a 24-symbol alphabet used across Germanic and Norse cultures roughly between the 2nd and 8th centuries. Before it was ever a divination tool, it was a writing system — but each symbol carried meaning beyond its sound, tied to elements, forces, and concepts still recognized today. Rune casting as an esoteric practice was popularized much later, and tends to favor single draws or small three-rune spreads over the elaborate layouts common in tarot.

Ritual work is built around cycles — the Wheel of the Year's eight sabbats (Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lughnasadh, and Mabon), and the phases of the moon within each month. New moons are traditionally tied to setting intentions, full moons to release and culmination. None of it requires elaborate ceremony — the value comes from marking the cycle consistently, season after season, moon after moon.

Rituals