Can
these Ancient & Mystical Cards
Reveal
the Secrets of your Life?
Divination by Cards?
The Grim Reaper or Death Card must surely be the most famous of all the Tarot Cards. But to the casual observer, it is also the most little understood. The death card can simply mean that something is ending, a spate of bad luck perhaps, a relationship or a career that didn't suit you etc. It can also signify the start of a new era and new opportunities. So the Death Card."La Mort'', is not as bad as you first imagined!
Where do they originate from?
Visit a psychic fare and amongst the many tables of psychics you are sure to find a deck of Tarot Cards. This particular form of divination has become more popular than ever over recent times. Its roots however, can be traced back to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, although their exact origins are unknown. It has been said that it incorporates the religions of Ancient Egypt, Persia, Hebrew and Christian beliefs. The Tarot has been known to exist in Italy since the fourteenth century. The word 'Tarot' may possibly come from the Kabalistic 'torah', relating to sacred texts of the Jewish religion.
The Tarot Deck.
The Tarot deck of cards consists of 78 cards, 4 suits of fourteen cards plus 22 Trumps. In some ways it is not unlike an ordinary deck of playing cards it just has 26 extra cards, 22 (trumps) form the group referred to as the Major Arcana Cards. The major cards became standardised by 1748, with the now well known Marseilles or classic pack. The remaining 56 cards are referred to as the Minor Arcana. The word 'Arcana' meaning ' 'secret'.
The range of different cards now available commercially is around 100, and maybe more. Some are truly works of art. As to which set the reader uses is as much a case of personal preference as it is of authenticity.
How do they work?
While studying the Tarot one of the biggest questions that pops into the mind is; 'How can a set of cards, produced in a factory, then packed off to stores, possible predict the future for anyone?' The answer, unsurprisingly is, 'They Can't! You may also ask; 'What is so special about these cards?' The answer, 'Nothing!'
So with that revelation, what next. It doesn't matter which cards are used, many people just use plain old playing cards, so it doesn't matter where they come from or where they were made, what does matter is that you are comfortable with them and they contain enough answers to life's questions. You must remember that it is not the cards, or the design on them that holds the mystical answers, it's your interaction and interpretation of them.
Here is where we throw in a contradiction, all the 78 cards have meanings, and so, we have to learn those meanings. They relate to the many feelings and things that can happen in our lives. When we hold a full deck in our hands, we are holding all these problems, desires, achievements, failures and dreams. To learn about ourselves, to see 'our future' to find answers, we only need to put the cards in order.
This we do with various spreads of the cards; such as Celtic cross, three Card Spreads etc. There are loads to choose from, you can even invent your own, (once you have learnt everything there is to know.) Some spreads work better for some people than they do for others, and again, it will depend on the depth of the reading you are giving. You can not expect the volume of information from three cards as you can from eleven.
So how do we deal the cards in the first place? Well now we come to the mystical bit! In the simple act of shuffling and cutting the cards, we are inviting order from the universe. What we perceive to be a random act is in fact sorting the cards into where they need to be. Our inner wisdom, our intent and subconscious all work together to bring forth these answers. Order from chaos? We connect in ways that transcend our normal material lives, and at some point , if you wish to learn the Tarot, you must simply accept that. The proof is before you, give it a chance and let it work its magic. Be open and allow yourself to join with the energy.
If the cards are approached with thought, application and dedication, the results are always more impressive than without. The art of tarot reading is based on interpretation and psychic insight. Simply turning the cards over and reading the face value could lead to the wrong information being given. Once we have put the cards in order, we call upon out psychic skills to lead us to the real problems that the cards may only hint at.
The results of a tarot reading are necessarily somewhat generalised, yet specific enough to home in on the problem or prediction. The reader can then further home in with his/her psychic intuition more closely. Our intuition of the dealt cards has a sufficient impact on the results of the reading. It has been said, that tarot cards can help focus the psychic's own abilities and help them tune-in to the events around the person who the reading is for. We may never know the exact reasons why they work, but the results speak for them selves.
Each of the cards may have up to five different meanings depending on the context of what is being read. It's therefore important to able to 'feel' which meaning is correct. The meaning of the card is also based on the chosen layout of the spread. The meaning can also be altered if
the client lays a card face down or upside down. (Not all readers allow the client to lay the cards, personal choice.)
Respect:
Genuine card readers treat their cards with great respect, when not in use many choose to wrap them in a square of silk, even a special draw or wooden container is used to house the cards when not in use. Most readers won't allow the cards to be touched by anyone else, except those who ask their clients to 'cut' the cards during a reading. It is strongly believed that a bond or link exists between the card owner and his or her personal deck, allowing someone to handle the cards could interrupt and or destroy this link.
Conclusion:
A
Tarot reading given by an experienced reader, can be a remarkable accurate and
revealing experience.