What IS the Tarot? . . . Part 3

So now . . . what can the Tarot do for you?

Let’s start out with what the Tarot does NOT do. This may be contrary to everything you’ve heard before, but this is NOT FORTUNE TELLING. Forget the gypsies in the wagons and the mystical bearded men in the smoky rooms. Folks have seen too many movies already. The Tarot will not tell you exactly what the future is going to be. It can tell you what the future MIGHT be, or which future is POSSIBLE, but it cannot tell you what the future WILL be. The reason for this is a simple little thing called “free will”. It is an undeniable cosmic force and there is no way to change it. Someone can tell you that on such a day in the future a certain thing will happen to you, but every decision you make between now and then can alter the likelihood of that event coming about. This is because of the ‘butterfly effect’ that rules all creation (Google that if you’re interested).

If this is not fortune telling, then what is it? Well, this is about using a powerful tool to enable confident decision making! The symbology of the Tarot touches the core of the common Human experience, and allows us to take a deep look inside ourselves. A.E.Waite (remember him?) said: “The true Tarot is symbolism; it speaks no other language and offers no other signs”.

When we lay out the Tarot cards and begin to interpret the symbols presented, we see a conversation (or story) begin to form. The images on the cards speak to us on such subjects as relationships, money, career, health, faith, and so on. This introspection leads to intuitive awareness and focus on the future that could be. By tuning into those intuitive messages, we can clearly see the different courses of action that are available to us, and evaluate which are beneficial and which are destructive. We also get feedback on how we typically handle things, how others perceive us, and how we can change our responses to the world and people around us for the better. This clarity allows us to make the right decisions to bring about the future we need; the best future for us and our loved ones. You might want to read this paragraph again to process it properly.

You can certainly spread the cards and do your own reading, and I encourage you to do so for fun. However, understanding the Tarot and being able to pull truly valuable meaning out of the symbology on the cards can take as much study as becoming a good Astrologer. For this reason, it is always best to seek the services of a professional Tarot consultant. Try to choose a reader who has a good track record and a professional approach. Also, make sure your reader is a person that you feel comfortable working with, as you may be sharing some very private secrets over time. A Tarot reading should be a very personal conversation between you and your reader. Together you interpret what the cards have to say about past influences, current issues, and possible outcomes. If this is done by you in a truthful manner, and your tarot consultant is knowledgeable and skilled, the outcome can be truly life changing.

I encourage you to pick up a Tarot deck and have a go at the cards. Pay attention to the symbology of each card and try to figure out what it says to you. Even if you never get around to doing this, I hope that you have learned something interesting today that you can file away in your spirit!

What IS the Tarot? Part 2 . . .

Yet it wasn't until the late 1700s that Tarot cards became strongly connected to fortune telling, psychic powers, or the occult. The writings of Antoine Court de Gebelin in 1781 were hugely influential on the public image of the Tarot deck. An amateur scholar, Gebelin suggested that the pictures on the Tarot deck were related to occult Egyptian hieroglyphics. As mentioned before though, this was pure romantic history being written.

Tarot divination really gained popularity during the 19th century, spurred on by a growing interest in psychic spiritualism. Everyone was holding séances, Houdini was busy debunking the Mediums, and ghosts and fairies were everywhere. People became very interested in the Tarot, Runes, Pendulums, Ouija Boards, and everything related to metaphysics.

This is about the time that the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot deck was produced (created in 1909 to be exact). If you are vaguely aware of this deck, you will notice that I called it “Rider-Waite=Smith” instead of simply “Rider-Waite” as it is commonly known. The reason for this is that Pamela Smith is the lady who produced the artwork for this deck, but because of the culture of the times, only the man involved in the project, A.E. Waite, and the publisher, the Rider Card Company, were credited in the name of the deck. This is now often considered the "standard" deck in the English world. It is certainly the one that most people are familiar with, and can be purchased at any major book store or metaphysical shop, or even on Amazon!

Although the symbols in this deck are more a product of the late Victorian age than the Italian Renaissance period that they seem to reflect (much less ancient Egypt), they are still pretty close to some of the early Tarot decks, and so are considered ‘traditional’. Wherever they claim to come from, these days you can find a Tarot deck in any style or theme conceivable. There are Fairy decks, Druid decks, Alice in Wonderland decks, and of course Vampire decks for the “Twilight” fans. Any of these choices is perfectly fine, as divination with the Tarot has little to do with the origins of any given deck. It is the symbology of the deck we choose that we must learn to work with on an intuitive level.