The tarot are a set of 78 cards, 22 major arcana or 'triumphs', and 56 minor arcana, 14 in each suit, numbered 1 through 10 with four 'court' cards - the page, the knight, the queen, and the king. The original tarot were invented sometime in the early fifteenth century in northern Italy, and were not used for divination. The four suits of the tarot - swords, wands, coins, and cups - are merely the Italian versions of the more familiar French suits - spades, clubs, diamonds, and hearts, and both the major and the minor arcana were used to play 'Triumphs', a game similar to bridge.
From Italy, the game spread to England, France, Germany, and Austria. It wasn't until much later in the late 1700s that the tarot deck became a tool of mysticism. Theories sprung up connecting the tarot with Ancient Egypt and with the Hebrew Kabbalah, however, none were proven.
The most popular, and by far the most familiar tarot deck is the one created in the 20th century by Arthur Edward Waite. The 22 triumphs of Waite's deck, illustrated by Pamela Coleman, are shown below.
The Fool: The Fool is a card of optimism and innocence. Waite's Fool walks, smiling, along the edge of a cliff. He could fall at any minute. The Fool Reversed warns against disregard for potential risks.
I The Magician: The Magician represents intelligence and initiative - being aware of one's abilities and using them to best advantage. It is a card of action and decision-making. Reversed, the Magician warns against deceit or fear of change. It could also signify mental illness.
II The Hight Priestess: The High Priestess is a card of intuition and spiritual awareness. It urges caution and thought before action. Reversed, it represents ignorance or conceit.
III The Empress: The Empress represents female authority, motherhood, nurturing, fertility and abundance. Reversed, it warns against the loss of wealth or happiness through inaction or indecision.
IV The Emperor: The Emperor represents male authority. It is a card of strength, motivation, and competition. Reversed, it can signify inability to work with others, or taking pleasure in their failures. It warns that the ends do not always justify the means.
V The Hierophant: The Hierophant (or the High Priest) represents structure and tradition, but it urges one to learn from the past, not to dwell on it. Reversed, it signifies intolerance and inability or unwillingness to understand.
VI The Lovers: The Lovers represent not only meaningful love relationships, but compassion toward others. It is also a card of material wealth and happiness, and security. Reversed, it portends failure, conflict, or the possible end of a relationship.
VII The Chariot: The Chariot is a card of collaboration and compromise. One must occasionally give way to others. Reversed, the Chariot signifies dispute. It warns not to let petty grievances become major problems.
VIII Strength: Stength and courage. Perseverance in the face of difficulties. Strength is a powerfully positive card, and it may mitigate the misfortune of other cards around it. However, reversed, Strength represents either weakness of convictions, or the abuse of power.
IX The Hermit: The Hermit is a card of introspection, solitude and contemplation. In itself, it is positive, but one must take care not to become too detached from the world. Reversed, the Hermit signifies loneliness, isolation, and the inability to communicate.
X The Wheel of Fortune: The Wheel of Fortune represents balance. There can be no good without evil. It urges one not to dwell on misfortune, and promises a new beginning. Reversed, it represents bitterness.
XI Justice: Justice urges honesty, fairness, and equality, and promises that eventually, everyone gets what's comming to them. Reversed, it signifies injustice and prejudice or false accusations.
XII The Hanged Man: The Hanged Man is a card of inaction. It urges one to pick one's battles, for not all battles can be won, and not all are worth fighting. It is a card of self-control and sacrifice, but reversed, it signifies complacency, masochism, or playing the martyr needlessly.
XIII Death: The Death card is not a card of physical death. It signifies profound life or self-altering change. Rebirth. Reversed, it represents stagnation or resistance to change.
XIV Temperance: Temperance is a card of moderation. It signifies diplomacy and compromise in negotiations. Reversed, it signifies rivalry or conflict.
XV The Devil: The Devil urges one to overcome obstacles which may seem insurmountable, and urges one to face one's fears in order to move forward. It also warns against keeping bad company or following a deliberately destructive path. Reversed, the Devil represents escape from bad influence, or could signify overcoming an addiction.
XVI The Tower: Destruction. The Tower urges one not to become complacent or smug. Do not take good fortune for granted. Reversed, the Tower represents unfounded rumours or accusations.
XVII The Star: The Star is a joyful card. It promises achievement of hopes and dreams through perseverance. Reversed, it may signify an opportunity missed through inaction or pessimism.
XVIII The Moon: The Moon, like the Wheel of Fortune, acknowledges that there will be good times and bad. In times of misfortune, it urges one to remember the good, and to know that the bad will pass. Reversed, it represents hidden threats or the exposure of secrets.
XIX The Sun: The Sun is a card of success and material wealth, but it urges one to take care and to prepare for less fortunate times. Reversed, it can signify arrogance in success or impatience with setbacks.
XX Judgement: Judgement is a card of enlightenment. It represents acceptance and confidence in oneself, and satisfaction with a life well-lived. Reversed, it signifies resistance to change or an attempt to fight the inevitable.
XXI The World: The World in a card of happiness, success, and good fortune. Like Judgement, it signifies confidence and satisfaction with one's life, but the World urges one to share one's good fortune, and to live as an example to others. Reversed, it is still a positive card, but perhaps a little less happy. Perhaps the expectations of others are burdensome.