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Myth: Tarot connects you with spirits, the supernatural.
Fact: Tarot is not a medium through which one can connect to the spirits of the dead or the supernatural. Planchet is the known technique used to call upon the spirits and is largely criticised by sceptics and critics. Tarot cards do not have the power to connect with spirits or the supernatural. It may finally boil down to the Tarot reader’s ability, the psychic’s power to perform such an action but most definitely not of Tarot per se.
Some people are gifted and have the skill or power to do the impossible; calling upon spirits may be one such skill. Tarot has no such power to call upon spirits whether from the underworld or from heaven. Tarot is associated with this myth due to its connection with the wicca, occult practitioners and other experts who use it as a medium to reveal the unknown in their own expert ways. The reader’s power will eventually transcend into the cards and turn them into a tool in the expert’s hands.
Myth: Tarot is dark, negative and devilish
Fact: How one uses any given tool makes it negative or devilish. If the power of Tarot is used to foretell your destiny and manifest the change needed, it is unarguably positive. On the other hand, when it is misused to harm people through incorrect practices and wrong ethics of the reader, these Tarot cards can become devilish and dark. It ultimately boils down to the charioteer who rides the chariot; the chariot is in his control and doesn’t have a mind of its own. It will turn right or left depending on where the charioteer wishes to take the chariot. Similarly, Tarot can be positive or negative depending on how the tarot reader wishes to use it. Tarot by itself is magnificent, beautiful and powerful.
Myth: Tarot is Magic
Fact: I like this last myth. It is true yet not so. Tarot is magical when the reader uses his/her powers accurately and predicts correctly. It is magical when the Tarot’s powers are tapped by the reader for the good of the querent (one who questions the reader). The power and intuition which the reader possesses makes these cards magical. Without the reader, these cards are simple playing cards and nothing else. The underlying power of tarot comes from the reader’s abilities to perform the right readings. Tarot is the magic which the reader creates.
All of these myths and facts make Tarot intriguing and fascinating. I am certain you have a lot of questions about Tarot, how it is done, whether it is safe, et al. After unravelling the myths surrounding it, it is time I answered your more practical and generic questions regarding Tarot. We will begin with FAQs about Tarot and then move on to what Tarot is, its history and of course its multiple benefits for you.
Tarot FAQs
Over the years, I have come across various questions regarding Tarot from clients, friends, family, and from my immediate and larger social circle. Some are funny, some make you ponder and some are simply ridiculous, but all of them raise different kinds of issues and express various doubts and fears. I have listed some of them here for you.
Q: What does the word Tarot mean?
A: It does not have a specific meaning but over the years attempts have been made to find its meaning and origin. However the closest one can get is to the Italian derivative for Tarot, Tarocchi, which was the name given to Tarot when it was used as playing cards.
Q: Are the predictions 100 % accurate?
A: Mostly. Yes. I get asked this question very often from almost every patron with whom I interact and from every other individual to whom I introduce myself as a Tarot Reader and Psychotherapist. Most readings do turn out to be true unless of course you, the querent (the one who questions the reader), decide to change your actions to achieve a desired result. In such cases your predictions turn out to be different from the previous ones. The extent to which difference is created in the querent’s life from what was earlier predicted depends entirely on the querent’s efforts in changing his/her life for the better.
Q: Is it scientific?
A: No. It isn’t scientific but can form part of the Metaphysical branch of Philosophy which undertakes the study of subjects which are less easily explainable. You can read more about this in the next chapter.
Q: Is it similar to Astrology?
A: No. Astrology has a scientific base, Tarot doesn’t. Tarot is more of Aura reading, it is energy oriented. However, I have discussed this in detail in the next chapter.
Q: Is it better than Numerology, Astrology, Palmistry, Fortune telling etc?
A: This question is like asking a mother which of her children she loves more. All forms of foretelling the future are accurate. It entirely depends upon the experience and suitability you derive from the above mentioned mediums.
Q: Can it answer questions related to stocks, World Cup matches, sex of the foetus, life and death?
A: Yes. Tarot can answer all such questions. It just depends to what extent the Tarot Reader chooses to use this tool and in what manner.
Q: Can Tarot predict the past, present and future?
A: Yes.
Q: Did Tarot originate in India?
A: No.
Q: Where did Tarot originate?
A: Europe. It is believed to have travelled from Egypt to Europe and found its occult base in France and Italy. More on it in the forthcoming chapters.
Q: Can Tarot be learnt?
A: Yes. Learning Tarot is simple. You can do this in as short a time as 10 days, but to predict accurately, one requires to develop the intuition. This requires years of practice and patience. You may start this very moment.
Q: Can Tarot be done for people of all ages?
A: Yes. It can be done for people of all age groups but preferably 18 and above. Not that you need a license, but it’s better to have a strong heart to withstand what unfolds in your reading.
Q: How often should I do a Tarot Reading?
A: The lesser the better. By ‘lesser’, I mean that you are in control of your life and not the external factors. But usually a minimum gap of 45 days should be good between two readings.
Q: Can my Readings change?
A: Yes. You have the power to change your reading by changing your efforts and actions. This is what makes Tarot so beneficial for you. It shows you what’s in store for you and also guides you to change it if you are displeased with the reading.
Q: Does Tarot give remedies?
A: No. A Tarot reader will never give you remedies like rituals to be performed, gem stones to be worn or other objects to be kept close to heart. It’s in this sense that Tarot cannot be termed as a medium which gives remedies. It purely predicts your future and serves as a guideline.
These are usually the questions that I am often asked. As you read further your understanding about Tarot will get better.
What is Tarot
Tarot and its History
Tarot is a set of 78 cards which is believed to have predictive powers. Tarot cards form a set of cards which in contact with the reader’s psychic powers becomes a tool that can reveal your past and present and predict your future. In the olden days Tarot was not used as a tool to foretell one’s destiny; it got its occult value much later.
Tarot has a strange history, full of speculations regarding its present form and use. To the average onlooker it may appear to be a deck of normal playing cards, which it was in the past. It was only around 1520 A.D that the French and the Italians invested these cards with their occult value. Before this time, these cards were used like all other playing decks, for games and entertainment. Many people believe that Tarot travelled to Europe first from Egypt. It’s also believed that during the great fire in Egypt, which burned down most of the ancient libraries, these cards were the only ones to survive as part of the ancient Egyptian culture and history. It then travelled to Europe where it was used as playing cards. There are various speculations about the history of Tarot, some believable, some not, some exciting and some sceptical. I’ll tell you about some that sound credible to me. I leave it to you to form your derivative of Tarot’s history from what you read here.
Tarot cards became popularly used as play cards somewhere in the 14th century in China. The Chinese used these cards merely to play or even to gamble. Tarot was also believed to be used as a source of money to bet on other types of card games. Around this time these cards were just the normal 56 cards with pictorial representation and used for playing card games. The 22 major Arcanas (main cards that predict the distant future) were added much later. From here it travelled down to the Islamic countries and is believed to have moved from here to Europe where, somewhere around the 15th century, it got its full form of 78 cards as well as its occult bearing. No one knows how these 22 major Arcanas came into being, who made them or when they made their first appearance.
In Europe, according to speculation, the Duke of Italy once wrote to a respected statesman asking about the trump cards of tarot. These trump cards are the court cards like the King, Queen and the Knight, along with the 22 major Arcanas. This is the only evidence in history which confirms the existence of the entire 78 cards as one deck. By this time the deck was formed and was still used for playing purposes. As the cards reached Italy, they started using local Latin suits of swords, cups, batons and coins. However, in other places, this deck still comprised of the normal suits of spades, hearts, diamond and clubs. Italy is the place where Tarot went through its major transformation and also received its occult value. Until then, the cards were being used to play a game called Triumph, known today as Bridge.
The history of Tarot and its occult value raises many questions and much speculation. This deck gained huge popularity across Europe and its use was widespread, but still used only as playing cards. No one knows how it got its occult symbolism; there is a lot of speculation around it, but it is generally accepted that in time the Italians discovered its magical powers and called it the Tarocchi, later translated into French as Tarot. This deck had a royal bearing as the duchess and dukes exchanged letters referring to the Tarot deck for entertainment and play.
It is also believed that somewhere around the 17th Century, Tarot found its occult value in France and England. Here the followers of occult discovered in Tarot a medium to predict the future. They developed divinatory meanings for the pictorial representation of tarot cards and thus invested it with occult significance. These cards were used by occult writers and thus it became part of the occult philosophy. As time passed, Tarot graduated from being used as playing cards to being used for occult purposes. As of today, Tarot is used by the occult, the pagan, Wicca and the common man as a tool to predict the future, know the unknown, and help achieve a certain change or balance needed in life to arrive at the desired outcome.
What is a Tarot Deck
A normal deck of cards has four suits—Club, Heart, Spade, Diamond and Court cards, a total of 56 cards. Tarot also has four suits—Cups (signifies emotions), Pentacles (signifies health and wealth), Swords (signifies thoughts and deeds) and Wands (signifies career or ambition) along with Court cards like the King, Queen, Knights and Pages; it has an additional 22 trump cards, a total of 78 cards. The total of four suits and four court cards for each suit make a total of 56 cards. These 56 cards are called the Minor Arcana. The Minor Arcana are cards that predict one’s future or reveal one’s past or present for a short period. The Minor Arcanas have ten cards in each suit starting from Aces to the Ten and each denotes a certain stage of your life. The 22 trump cards are called the Major Arcanas which predict one’s characteristics and the distant future ranging from over one to five years or more at times. The combination of these big and small cards, both the major and minor arcana form the Tarot deck, a total of 78 cards that go towards predicting your future. The Major Arcana starts with the Fool cards which marks the beginning of one’s life’s journey and ends with the World card that stands for completion and accomplishments of desired goals.
Major Arcanas are also widely used to predict personality type and characteristic features. I too have used Major Arcanas to describe you in correlation to your zodiac sign in this book. This will give you an interesting perspective of how Tarot perceives you at its best. The 56 Minor cards and 22 major cards can also be segregated into four elements namely Earth, Fire, Water and Air that form our existence in this Universe. In the four suits, Cups stands for WATER, Wands denotes FIRE, Swords signifies AIR and Pentacles EARTH. Similarly the 22 trump major arcanas too can be divided into these 4 categories. I have divided the 12 zodiac signs into the 12 tarot trump cards associated with them under these four elements:
Aries- The Emperor (fire)
Taurus- The Hierophant (earth)
Gemini- the Lovers (air)
Cancer- The Chariot (water)
Leo- The Strength (fire)
Virgo- The Hermit (earth)
Libra- The Justice (air)
Scorpio- The Death (water)
Sagittarius- The Temperance (fire)
Capricorn- The Devil (earth)
Aquarius- The Star (air)
Pisces- The Moon (water)
Each of these 78 cards is numbered. These numbers have a bearing on the person’s readings as and how these cards appear. The numbers especially on the 12 major Arcanas mentioned above delve into the individuals’ characteristic traits and other qualities associated with their personality.
How is Tarot Reading done?
Tarot reading involves two key elements:
The Tarot card Reader
The querent (one who questions the reader)
The process of tarot reading is an exchange of energy levels and aura which travels from the querent to the reader and then to the tarot cards which finally reveal the answers to your questions. Much of the occult and magical powers that tarot exhibits come from the Tarot Reader’s psychic ability. The stronger a psychic’s ability, the more accurately does the Tarot perform as a tool to predict the past, present and future. So it eventually boils down to how a Reader uses her skills to interpret your destiny from these cards, thus giving them their occult touch.
The querent may start by asking a few questions or giving a brief of concerns for which the querent seeks guidance from the reader. On the basis of the keys concern areas, the reader will formulate precise and direct questions with the querent’s consent and get the answers to them through the querent’s cards. The precision and clarity of the querent’s questions will determine the precision and clarity of the reader’s questions and thus, the response from the cards. It is thus the responsibility of both the reader and querent to be clear and distinct about the nature of queries put forth to the cards. If the querent is clear in her queries, the reader will be in a position to ask pointed or accurate questions and thus arrive at accurate and certain responses from the cards.
Tarot works primarily through the Aura one brings at the time of reading. Aura can be better explained as the energy frequency that the mind and body exude at a given time. This frequency can be happy, sad or simply confused. The energy that you emit is your aura. When you sit for a reading, Tarot predicts your fate on the basis of this energy frequency. This is Tarot’s most important benchmark. So in simple terms, Tarot is nothing more than a reading of your Aura or Energy level. On the basis of your present state of mind, your past, present and future are predicted. Tarot has no scientific base but a strong metaphysical essence. It is like this; you may not have seen god but you believe in divine power and presence. This strong belief system gives life to an unseen, unknown subject. Similarly, Tarot’s powers are unscientific and unexplainable, yet seductively convincing and real. When your readings come true, this fact is reaffirmed.
Tarot derives its power of unravelling fate through the Reader. The Reader is the one who pulls the cards that addresses your questions, concerns and doubts. The reader’s intuitive abilities give tarot the power to transform its projections into reality. Tarot’s success rests with the Reader’s intuitive psychic ability. The more a reader is in close contact with his/her psychic powers, the more accurate the reading. We all have intuitive abilities, what we generally call the sixth sense, but only a few are able to develop the power and the potential to use them constructively. One needs to harness this sixth sense through dedication and perseverance; to explore the realms of the subconscious (mind) and at times even use the powers bestowed upon one through their super conscious being (soul/spirit). To reach this level we need to dedicate our life to the study of aura through constant meditation and the practice of spirituality. This is the only way for a psychic to tap her full psychic ability. A reading or a prediction may go right or wrong depending upon the psychic ability of the Tarot reader to interpret the cards’ outcome in the context of the seeker’s questions. If the reader interprets the cards’ outcome correctly, the predictions will be right; else they will falter.
Tarot Reading is thus the process of foretelling the future, looking into the past or revealing the present through a series of 78 cards. These cards turn bewitching and mystical through the intuitive and psychic ability of the Tarot reader. A good reader holds the key to your life and I would like to thank you for believing in me and giving me this opportunity to read your future for you.
What kind of questions does Tarot answer?
Tarot can answer just about anything that you wish to ask the cards. However, in my experience, most questions revolve around the five important aspects of life: Love, Health, Wealth, Career and Spirituality. These five aspects form the crux of your future in this book of Tarot. You will get a detailed understanding of where you stand in the year to come vis-à-vis these five areas. However, I would like to share a few of the popular questions my patrons often ask in their readings. These questions may be of concern to you too at this moment. If so, then this book could be the answer to these questions:
When will I get married?
Will my relationship last?
Will my marriage last? Do you see divorce or any other such setbacks?
Will peace be restored in my love life?
Would I get the house that I wish to buy?
Will I be successful in my career?
Will I get the desired promotion, incentive or bonus?
Will my return on investments be as planned?
Will my health be good? Do you see any serious worries?
Will my stocks shoot or fall?
Will my finances be good in the year ahead?
Will my job last?
Will I get my dream job and would I be successful at it?
Where am I headed spiritually?
What is the purpose of my life?
What was I in the last birth?
Where do you see me five years hence?
Tarot has answers to all of the above. It can predict your future, reveal your past and present with respect to anything that you may ask. You have to be clear in your mind about your concerns and accurate in your questions.
The next chapter focuses on how tarot can help you. It is not just the predictions that can make a difference to you, but also the overall change that Tarot can bring about that will help you in shaping your life ahead.
How Can You Benefit From Tarot
In my long practice and experience of reading people’s future, I have come upon three important ways in which Tarot can help you. This book of future is based upon these three aspects of Tarot. Let us begin to unfold the potential of Tarot with the first and most popular benefit.
I. Tarot as a medium for prediction
This is the first and most important aspect of Tarot, also its most attractive. Based on the reader’s potential, Tarot can predict your entire future life in a single sitting. Clients typically come to me with their problems, issues or confusions and Tarot offers them a sneak peek into what awaits them with respect to their questions. This prepares them for the better or for worse. To explain this better let me tell you about a few real life examples.
I had a client who visited me just once. It’s difficult to forget her because of the condition she was in when she met me to ask about her marriage. She was 36 years old, had a string of failed relationships and had lost faith in finding the right match for herself. Her parents were desperately seeking a bridegroom for her through various arranged marriage portals. She was convinced that because of her age her chances at marriage were bleak. When she came to me she was dejected, lost and tired; the process of making her past relationships last and the ongoing process of finding a bridegroom had drained her completely. She wanted to know if she could ever get married and live happily ever after.
My reading of her cards showed marriage within six months. Unbelievable as it sounded to her at that time, she took the reading with a pinch of salt. A few months later, I received an e-mail from her. She was getting married and that too, within the stipulated time I had predicted.
In this instance, Tarot served purely as a tool to predict the client’s future.
In another case, I was often visited by a client who had just one question; he wished to buy an apartment of his own in Mumbai. His salary was meagre and this was his only dream and vision for the future. On reading his cards, I told him it would be another two years before he could fulfil his desire. To my dismay, he wouldn’t believe me. He often visited me to cross check this probability and Tarot’s accuracy as his finances dipped or improved. Given his current financial position, this seemed a far cry. Believe it or not, two years later he succeeded in buying his dream apartment on his own merit. The prediction was as true as his home.
Tarot can thus work as a tool purely for future predictions. However, its benefits are not limited to this.
II. Tarot gives you the power to change your reading to achieve the desired results
Tarot’s potential is not limited to merely predicting your future life or reading the past. It goes beyond that. When a prediction is made by the Reader, there is a possibility that the prediction may undergo change and thus become the opposite of what was predicted. This primarily happens because tarot is the only form of occult or a medium which gives you the flexibility to change what you don’t like about your reading. When you see something negative predicted for you, you have the time to invest efforts and energy to bring about a change in the reading and achieve the desired results. Tarot thus gives you the power to change your life and shape it the way you want to. It will show you where you stand at the present moment and what your future looks like considering your present actions and aura. If you like it, keep it the way it is; if not, change it by changing your actions before the predictions manifest themselves.