What is the French tarot glossary? It is the short list of words you meet when you learn tarot in French: an arcane is a card, a lame usually means a major arcana card, a tirage is a spread and the consultant is the person you read for. Below are the 16 terms that matter most for divinatory tarot.
French tarot books and videos use a vocabulary that does not map word for word onto English, and two traditions, Marseille and the 1909 English one, use different names for the same cards. This glossary is written for anyone reading French tarot material or planning to learn tarot on their own in French.
The words you meet first
- Arcane. From the Latin arcanum, "secret". A card; the major arcana are the 22 trump cards, the minor arcana the 56 suit cards.
- Lame. Another word for a card, mostly used for the major arcana.
- Tirage. A spread: the layout of cards you draw to answer a question.
- Tirer les cartes. To draw cards; se tirer les cartes means to read for yourself.
- Consultant. The person you read for, yourself or someone else.
- Battre / mélanger. To shuffle.
- Couper. To cut the deck into two or three piles after shuffling.
- À l'endroit / renversée. Upright / reversed (à l'envers).
- Mots-clés. The keywords that sum up a card.
- Signification. The traditional meaning of a card.
- Position. The place a card holds in a spread; it shapes the meaning.
- Guidance. Advice or perspective a card offers, never a prediction.
- Cartomancie. Divination with cards in general, including ordinary playing cards.
- Tarologue. Someone who practises or studies tarot; no special gift implied.
- Jeu. The deck itself, usually 78 cards.
- Livret. The booklet that comes with a deck and explains the cards.
Marseille or 1909: the names that change
The same card can carry two names. The table lists the ones you will meet most often, with their numbers.
| 1909 English tradition | Tarot de Marseille |
|---|---|
| The Fool (0) | Le Mat |
| The Magician (I) | Le Bateleur (I) |
| The High Priestess (II) | La Papesse (II) |
| The Hierophant (V) | Le Pape (V) |
| Strength (VIII) | La Force (XI) |
| Justice (XI) | La Justice (VIII) |
| Death (XIII) | L'Arcane sans nom (XIII) |
| The Tower (XVI) | La Maison Dieu (XVI) |
| Pentacles | Deniers |
Another point to know: in the Marseille tradition the numbered minor arcana show repeated suit signs without scenes, while the 1909 illustrations by Pamela Colman Smith put a scene on every card. Both are valid. The French tarot terms also include triomphes, the old name of the trumps, which comes from the Italian trionfi of the fifteenth century; the full story is in our history of the tarot.
Learning the vocabulary with the cards in your hands
Words stick when you meet them on real cards. Our French-language learning deck uses the 1909 illustrations and prints the meaning on every card. A printed French booklet comes in the box, and the full French course follows by personal link after purchase. You can of course learn the vocabulary with any deck; this one simply removes the step of looking everything up in a book.
French-language learning tarot deck, 1909 art
Meanings printed on every card in French, a French guidebook in the box and the full course in French after purchase. Ships to the EU, UK, Switzerland and Iceland.
See the French deckTarot or the card game?
In France, tarot also names a trick-taking card game with the same 78 cards. Its own vocabulary (atout, Excuse, chien) has nothing to do with divination, so add divinatoire to your searches when you want the cards used for reflection and reading.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an arcane and a lame?
Both words mean a card. Arcane can refer to any card, major or minor; lame is used mostly for the 22 major arcana. French occultists popularised the word arcane for tarot cards.
Why does French tarot use different card names?
The Marseille tradition grew from French card makers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, while the 1909 deck is an English tradition. Each gave its own names and, for Strength and Justice, its own numbers.
Do I need a special deck to learn these terms?
No. Any tarot works, and the glossary above applies to all of them. A deck with meanings printed in French simply keeps the vocabulary in front of you while you practise.
Is a tarologue the same as a psychic?
Not necessarily. A tarologue practises or studies tarot; a psychic claims to perceive what others cannot. You can read tarot as a mirror for your own questions with no special gift.
Incluye el curso completo de tarot en español, gratis
Incluye el curso completo de tarot en español, gratis
