Tarot wasn’t always about fortune-telling. It started off as just a fun card game in the Middle Ages. Within a couple of centuries, tarot cards became a favorite tool for divination. But we bet even the most talented occultists couldn’t have predicted that tarot would inspire nail art in the 21st century! Now you can find tarot-inspired manicures with tiny cards on each fingertip. And that’s not all, artists have turned tarot card nail art ideas into an enchanting way to tell a fortune. Each design is intensely personal and amazingly intuitive. It doesn’t even have to copy the card illustrations exactly – it can simply take the mystery and the mood and turn it into a marvelously mystical manicure.
Tarot Card Nail Art Ideas
Cups and Swords
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The hand-painted art here features specific cards from the Cups and Swords suits. It’s an interesting combination because Swords are logical while Cups are emotion-oriented.
On one hand, we see the King of Swords, the card that stands for thinking clearly. It shows up when it’s time to rise above emotion and calmly make a major decision.
On the other, we see the Ace of Cups. It represents a new relationship or emotional renewal where the heart tunes in more closely.
Next to the Ace of Cups, we see the Three of Swords, which stands for heartbreak but also signals a chance to heal.
The best news is the presence of The Sun announcing a celebration or breakthrough.
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Tarot Cards and Nail Art
Anything is fair game for nail art! Chaun Legend finds inspiration in graffiti and handbags. Betina Goldstein does a type of therapy with everyday objects. So, it’s not at all surprising that artists have been creating tarot card nails and posting them on social media for a decade. It’s a niche category, but it has a lot of significance.
Some link tarot cards to ancient divination sources like I Ching and the Kabbalah. More importantly, believers say that tarot taps into a universal source of knowledge. It’s a tool for understanding our past actions, our present situation, and possibly getting a peek at the future.
There are two groups of tarot cards: the Major Arcana with 22 “trump cards” and the Minor Arcana with four suits like regular playing cards, for a total of 78 cards.
The Major Arcana cards all have names like The Fool, Death, The Empress, and The World. The deck designs vary, but typically there’s an illustration similar to what you’d find on a face card. If you’re curious, look up one of the originals like the Rider-Waite deck or Tarot of Marseilles because those are the ones nail artists use for inspiration. You can see an example below.
Meanwhile, the Minor Arcana have 14 cards each in suits of Swords, Cups, Coins or Pentacles , and Wands or Rods. The cards are numbered from Ace to King.
Finally, every single tarot card has a meaning, and that’s what makes tarot card nail art ideas so fascinating. It’s literally fortune-telling on fingertips.
The Back of the Cards
Do you have a favorite set of tarot or playing cards? Chances are the illustration on the back is part of their appeal. Use that to inspire your next set of tarot card nails.
Here’s a favorite witch symbol that fits right into the theme. It’s the Triple Goddess, where the moon phases stand for the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone.
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Textured Tarot Card Nail Art
To continue the theme of drawing tarot nails, can you guess which Major Arcana might have inspired this set? Or maybe it was simply the overall deck design itself…
Those who use tarot cards regularly explain to newcomers that it’s best to choose a new deck intuitively. Don’t be swayed by what other people say. If the deck feels right to you, go with it. Then, try to feel the energy and tap into your natural insight when you do the reading. We bet you’ve experienced that kind of instinctive flow when doing a manicure.
Esoteric Symbols
If you’re going to do nail art about divination, it’s helpful to also be acquainted with esoteric symbols. Besides the moon and the compass, there’s the Eye of Providence or All-Seeing Eye that’s drawn inside a triangle. Yes, it’s the same as the one at the top of the pyramid on the back of the dollar bill. It stands for perception, protection, and insight.
Don’t Fear the Reaper
Hollywood makes a big deal out of the Death tarot card, but it’s not actually what it looks like. Instead, Death represents transformation, usually a big one. Think of it like the promise of a new beginning even if it hurts a bit.
Fortune at Your Fingertips
At the same time that nude nails have conquered runways, they’ve had to share the spotlight with 3D nail art and metallic accents. It’s only natural that someone would do textured tarot cards with an actual moon you can touch.
The Moon card stands for the dream realm and indicates someone is dealing with confusion. What’s interesting is that here it’s right next to The Fool who symbolizes the carefree beginning of the hero’s journey.
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The Lovers
Even though the skeletons give it a Halloween vibe, this version of Los Amantes was made for Valentine’s Day. Exactly as you’d expect, The Lovers stands for romance. But it’s even deeper than that. It can also mean acting as one, making a harmonious, conscious choice out of love.
Celestial Nails
Celestial nails fit right into tarot card nail art ideas. Here we see what looks like painted porcelain with bas-relief images of the moon and sun. We’ve already mentioned The Moon as the card revealing an unclear situation. Meanwhile, The Sun illuminates the moment with understanding and brightens the day with positivity and truth. This is your moment to shine!
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Conclusion
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Source:
https://www.tarot.com/tarot/cards
