Mysterious Tarot Cards

The origin of the tarot card deck is still unknown and debated to this day. Some have presumed it originated in Egypt; believing tarot cards are a derivative of the Book of Enoch or Thoth (Tarot). Still others believe Gypsies were responsible for the widespread use of the tarot, and in all likelihood, the reason why tarot readers are often portrayed as Gypsies on television or in movies to this day.

What we do know is tarot decks first appeared in early fifteenth century Europe, and one that still exists, originated from Italy. During the Italian Renaissance period, the tarot deck was used for the card game Tarocchi (similar to the game of Bridge), and its use for divination or fortune telling purposes didn't occur until three centuries later.

This is the history of tarot cards in synopsis form, but the truth lies in the mystery of the tarot.

In the late 1700's, Antoine Court de Gebelin believed the tarot deck contained secret meanings veiled within its symbolism and drew a parallel between the Hebrew alphabet, which contains twenty-two letters, to the twenty-two cards comprising the Major Arcanum. During this same era, a man named Etteilla (his actual name Alliette spelled backward) began to divine information from the cards, which eventually led to his publishing a book on these interpretations.

In the nineteenth century, Alphonse Louis Constant (aka Eliphas Levi), was convinced the true origin of the tarot was far earlier than the fifteenth century. Levi took what de Gébelin had surmised; adding his belief that the ancient teachings found in the Hebrew mysticism or esoteric teachings of the Kaballah / Qaballah / Kabala; specifically the ten globes of the Sephiroth and twenty-two Hebrew letters, when combined, form the thirty-two Paths of Wisdom as the Tree of Life. In turn, this correlated to the symbolism contained within the twenty-two major Arcana and the ten minor Arcana.

What can tarot cards do?

Hidden in the symbolism of the seventy-eight cards that comprise a tarot card deck are secrets of the Universe, the evolution of humankind, the mythological and psychological archetypes of every human being, spiritual enlightenment, and so much more. More? Isn't that enough?

Perhaps no one in their right mind wants to know this much information; after all, our lives are complicated enough. However, as an added bonus, tarot cards tell us our future, and who doesn't want to know that? Thus, the irony is two-fold. Associated with our wanting to know the future, the tarot deliciously entices us to feed, and we are satiated, albeit temporarily, all the while veiling our greater need to "know thyself," which is the perfect and eternal nourishment for our mind, body, and soul-spirit.

For many, the tarot is those mysterious cards that people use to tell one's past, present, and future. For many others, they are those wondrous cards that guide one to a greater understanding of the self. In fact, the tarot is both of these. One does not exist without the other, as a greater understanding of one's self is achieved through the experiences of one's past, present, and what one creates as their future.

Asking questions of the tarot cards

Questions come in myriad forms. Although a question is usually simple and straightforward, sometimes, like an onion, there are layers. A good example of this is "Will I find true love?" "Will I get this job or that?" "Will I make a lot of money?" However, if we look at the underlying layer of these same questions, we see "Why haven't I found true love?" "What type of work would I love to do?" or "Will making a lot of money really make me happy?"

Many who seek a tarot card reading do so in order to receive answers to the first set of questions. This is all well and good; however, these answers are often a band-aid for a gaping wound. Often, we go from one relationship to another or job-to-job- experiencing the same result every time: We are still not happy and the wound continues to grow in size and intensity of pain or discomfort. At some stage the band-aid will not work anymore, and with any luck, we become aware of a pattern in our lives; one that repeats itself by experiencing the same pain, hurt, disappointment, or anger. The reason for this unhappiness and repetitive life pattern is that we are not getting to the root of the problem; the underlying layer, as demonstrated in the second set of questions.

Pain and suffering has a way of getting our attention. Once we decide to accept responsibility for our decisions and conscious choices in life and turn our focus to "how can I improve or change myself" and less on, "it happened to me again" or "they did this or that to me," we can begin to live a happier life.

When we ask a question of the tarot, we may receive an answer that we most need to hear, and not necessarily the one we want to hear. The specific purpose of tarot cards is to get us to the root of our being and bring the enlightenment of greater self-awareness. Once self-discovery is achieved, attaining the goals as laid out in the first set of questions will become more apparent, and we hope, less painful while in process and with a more joyous outcome.

The beauty of the Tarot is that it can and does answer both types of questions. Being open to receive its wisdom is the key.

It is entirely possible that one can re-direct their behavior, thereby avoiding an unpleasant event. However, there are also occasions in which we ostensibly have no control or an event is "fated" to happen.

Less experienced tarot card readers

A majority of tarot card readers make the mistake of attempting to read/interpret tarot cards as if they were reciting words from a dictionary page. In other words, these readers provide an arbitrary list of meanings associated to a card (s), which in context is not accurate, detailed, or specific to one's issues and/or current-future life events.

For example, if one's concern is, "My boyfriend/girlfriend and I are having a very rough time right now, and I think he/she is seeing someone else. Are my feelings correct?" In this case, let us say the tarot card "Death" comes up in this reading. The "Death" tarot card has several meanings, two of which are "change" and "ending." Then, this reader/interpreter's one-line answer is, "your relationship is either changing or ending".

Neither this statement, nor these meanings give an accurate description or answer to this concern, as they both mean completely different things. Is the relationship undergoing a change, or is it ending? Which one is it, or is it neither?

In truth, each tarot card has multiple meanings attributed to it, which in turn, is applicable to numerous events, situations, people, feelings, thoughts, one's spirituality-spiritual path, the evolution of one's soul, occupations, locations, parts of the body, etc-therefore, a myriad ways in which to interpret it.

Timing with tarot cards

We are a society run by time, and it makes sense that nearly everyone who receives a tarot reading wants to know "when."

Time is a relative term, and similarly, it is so in the tarot. Stating emphatically something will happen in June or July does two things: It creates hope and expectation, or conversely, fears and dread. The tarot doesn't care about time; it cares about the value of time. Therefore, the time it refers to can be June or July this year, June or July two years from now, or the event may happen tomorrow. It could also never happen; we simply do not know. There are too many factors involved in the grand scheme of our life's enfoldment, as well as those with which we come into contact. Try to remain open and use timing as a guidepost, not a rule.

About Sophie King http://www.psychicsophie.com/

I have been a professional psychic / intuitive and reader / teacher of tarot cards for over 17 years, as well as the author of several books on the Tarot and others. Clients have ranged from famous celebrities and adult stars, FBI agents and folks from every walk of life, to business owners and executives who have sought my services before hiring key personnel or making radical business changes.

Spirituality, astrology, Reiki, natural healing, meditation, metaphysics in general, new age philosophy, psychology, human behavior, quantum physics, ancient history, philosophy, Kabala/Kabbalah, writing, jewelry making, reading (Manly P. Hall, Madame Helena P. Blavatsky, Alice Bailey, and James Hillman are of special appeal), music, music, music!, and creativity in all forms are passions and interests of mine.

Psychic Sophie Sophie King

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Tarot The History of an Art

The Tarot holds a particular allure for many, and is one of the most popular practices utilized in determining events pertaining to an individuals past, present and future.

Originally, popular theory credited the Romany people with the creation of Tarot cards and their introduction into society, preceding regular playing cards. However, further studies have proven that Tarot cards were present in Italy and ancient Egypt centuries before being utilized by the Romany to tell fortunes.

The exact origin of the Tarot is unknown, though several theories persist to this day. A French theologian by the name of Antoine Court de Gebelin believes that the Tarot were originally part of the Book of Thoth, an ancient Egyptian book of divine wisdom. Another theorist, Eliphas Levi, believes that the Tarot is related to the paths to stages of consciousness described in the Qabalah. Additional studies have also found that the Tarot correlates with the Hebrew Alphabet.

The Tarot itself is divided into two specific sections: The Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. The Minor Arcana is made up of four suits. These suits may vary, as there are many variations of Tarot decks, but typically they are swords, pentacles, cups, and wands (or staves). Each suit numbers 1 through 10, and also include a King, Queen, Knight and a Page. Again, some of these names might vary from deck to deck.

The Major Arcana is made up of 21 additional cards, each card depicting a figure, figures, or a symbol. These include The Sun, The Hanged Man, The Hermit, The Empress, The Lovers, and The Wheel of Fortune, to name a few.

The most popular and well known of the many varieties of Tarot decks is the "Rider" deck, created by A. E. Waite, a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. This order was comprised of magicians who believed that the cards of the Major Arcana symbolized pathways into the mind, related to the tree of life.

Using the Tarot cards as a means of divination has become somewhat of a standard practice amongst would-be "psychics", somewhat diminishing the seriousness of the practice. In fact, Tarot readings have become an opportunistic business throughout the nation.

However, only a practiced individual with years of experience and an innate talent for mastery of the Tarot can truly understand and accurately interpret the cards drawn for any particular reading. Because each card drawn is relative to one another, and all the cards drawn are relative to the individual who has drawn them, each reading is unique. Divining the meanings of the cards is an ancient tradition, and a professional Tarot reading should never be considered lightly.

Considered a Gythia (Asatru High Priestess) among her Coven, Julia Roslyn Antle is a master of divination and dream interpretation. Her wisdom is sought-after by her peers, her colleagues as well as the public. http://www.7witches.net

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Why Learn to Use the Thoth Tarot

Learning to read the Thoth deck
Why read with the Thoth tarot deck? Often the deck we chose to read with is just a personal choice of what we are drawn to and this is reason enough, if you are drawn to the Thoth then it can work for you as a deck. It may be it is the beautiful imagery, the knowledge that it has been designed with many layers of correspondences or the reputation that this deck will give you very direct readings that appeals to you, or perhaps it is just a feeling it wants to work with you that has brought you to consider owning this wonderful deck.
I feel this deck is indeed a very powerful tool, there are so many systems of thought represented in the deck in so many ways that it can tap into our collective unconscious very easily and bring us to intuitive meanings easily particularly if you are focused on your inner world and how we can better manifest our potential in this lifetime. The deck is balanced with its depictions of the happiest times of our lives and also the hardest times of our lives. So you can build a trust in this deck that it will tell you the truth of a situation. When it is difficult it won't pull the punches however it also shows the way to work through and overcome the difficulties through working on ourselves. Every situation we experience externally brings with it a lesson we can learn from and by using the Thoth tarot to help us work through these lessons it opens the doors to our inner wisdom and healing.
So it is balanced, beautiful, multi-layered, direct and has no taboos - all topics can be expressed through this powerful deck. Crowley, I feel, was an excellent scholar of so many esoteric pathways, he also practiced all he learned and, though he had his own issues, throughout his life he was strong enough to follow his own heart and direction searching for the truth in all things despite being bedeviled. By using the Thoth we are given his study in correspondences through so many systems as a starting point and we then begin our own journey into our inner worlds to find our personal connection with the realms beyond the mundane.
Many people however, despite the attraction of the Thoth - find that they don't know where to start once they have the deck in their hands, that somehow there is a resistance to working with it. It might be you have tried to read with it and have been put off by the direct keywords on some of the cards and the feeling of darkness that may be alongside these words. It might be you have read some of the books about the deck and have found the information from so many systems of thought coming together in one deck just seems overwhelming, how will you learn all these things and be able to use the deck. Perhaps you have heard of the reputation of Crowley and are nervous to be associated with some of the darker sides of his life. So the first place to start with reading with this deck is to look at your associations with it in the beginning and see which of these are really true for you and which are just getting in the way from someone else's viewpoints that you have taken on as true.
Once you have acknowledged your misgivings and possible blocks to using the deck you can then move forward. You can start working with the Thoth from wherever you are at the time. You bring to it your current knowledge even if incomplete and allow your intuition to grow from your current place. You may know some astrology, or be familiar with the Kabbalah and these can help you access the cards intuitively as well as your own life experience. When you see an image on a card you can allow yourself to free associate with it, this loosens up any tendency to censor our intuitive thoughts and though many freely associated images my be relevant only to ourselves initially, in amongst this you very often find something close to an intended meaning for the card. With practice and continual self awareness you can come to know the sense of true intuition in you as opposed to wishful thinking or projected meanings.
The depth of information included in this deck doesn't have to be known fully and intellectually to use the deck well - the images are universal, though we may know nothing of the connection of venus to love, or what the symbol is for venus we can know the keyword love, we understand the colours are soft and bring a feeling of love in the 2 cups for example, we see two sides to a water feature perhaps in the card, each necessary for the balance of it yet each is both separate and connected. Already we have gained much meaning from the associations on the image as well as with the keyword and the feeling from the colours. We have a start to the energy of the card. When we add the association of water with emotions and the number two for partnerships, the meaning develops further.
Self awareness if important though I feel, through self awareness we gain access to the fullness of ourself. Our shadow side - the parts of us we would like to deny - often hold the greatest 'gold' for us. As we get in touch with these, the anger, rage, jealousy, we would rather not have, acknowledging their existence, it makes us whole and shows us how we can be more of who we are - for every part of us we lock away and declare is not good enough, we also lock away some gold of our true nature which to be balanced we need. As we lock away anger we also lock away our ability to stand up for ourselves in the face of a bully for example. As we access our own shadows we are less likely to see them - or project them into others and thus we will see our clients more for who they are rather than who we are projecting onto them.
Another method of accessing your intuition is to journey into the card using a guided visualisation technique and to meet and converse with the characters and elements depicted in the card. People often experience the card landscape changing as they do this and additional images and messages come to them through the cards journey. This technique is good to open out your intuition in a general sense as well as when connected to a specific card image. It is also excellent to use to develop ourselves and our lives, clearing out issues and projections in our outer worlds, and also making our intuitive channelling for others clearer and more accurate.
Often when we are using our intuition we are tapping into what Jung called the collective unconscious and here lies the archetypal energies that the tarot embodies in itself. These energies are also represented by astrology and also the Kabbalah and consequently when the images on the Thoth were created the symbols associated with these archetypes were represented on the cards. This is the case to a greater and lesser extent with all tarot as each card can be said to be an archetypal energy - however with the Thoth the correspondences are well worked out and can be seen in so many different systems that there are many different access points to the cards energies. We just have to allow our thinking minds to step back enough to access the collective and so be shown the meanings needed.
When I work with the Thoth I start from the Jungian approach suggested by Gerd Zeigler in his books on the Thoth, this gives a good starting to point to understanding the depth of process that goes on within us and also how the tarot relates to this - it also shows us how to gain the healing potential from the most difficult of the cards. Sometimes if we work with the tarot for ourselves it is very hard to see how a card which on the surface is very negative is not actually gloom and doom for us - whilst it is telling the truth of a difficult time it is also pointing the way to work with this within ourselves to create healing and thereby bring peace within us.
I feel to work with the Thoth in this way on your own personal journey also adds to the ability to have to work with others in their lives and be able to stand alongside another and indicate the way forward when you have covered the terrain yourself - for you to 'know' the card on a deep level and how it acted within your own life you are then able to have a deeper knowledge of it when it is active for another in a reading you may be doing.
Using all these techniques you can then form a truly personal relationship with the deck, no longer solely based upon someone else's meaning or an accepted meaning of a card, you have your own library of experience to draw upon as well as your intuitive access to the card and its archetypes.
From this stage of development you can then gather your own associations for cards from others use of them and how they work for them in their lives - you can add to your system of knowledge information from traditional sources - taking a deeper looking into the astrological correspondences and understanding how the astrology on a card can add another layer of meaning to it. Here too additional practical situations, issues, people, places, careers etc can be linked to cards through the astrological association. Similarly with the Kabbalah, Hebrew etc. Each system you are drawn to learn and use adds yet more information you can intuitively draw upon in a reading. By coming from this intuitive approach you can prevent yourself being blocked by the intellectual systems as you approach a reading, allowing the things you have learned intellectually to spring up from within you when they are needed rather than feeling overwhelmed about what a card could possibly mean from your intellectual mind.
So get out your decks and have a go, ask yourself about your blocks to the deck (perhaps even ask the Thoth itself too through a reading) and allow yourself to get to know your deck intuitively.
If you are interested in an online course to do this within then take a look at my website for details of what we offer and how to apply for a place. http://www.tarot-training.co.uk
http://www.tarot-training.co.uk
Emma works as an intuitive psychic tarot reader and runs training courses on reading with the Thoth tarot deck using a unique blend of intuition and psychological techniques. She also mentors other professional and non-professional tarot readers and has published articles in magazines for the Tarot Association for the British Isles and the Tarot Professionals' magazine - Tarosophist International. She is currently working on a book about developing techniques for accessing the Tarot intuitively.
Emma has a Bsc in Psychology and is a trained counsellor, counselling supervisor and trainer. She integrates this experience in her Tarot work, and in her self-written training courses for personal development, Tarot, and Tarot mentoring.
Emma lives in the mountains of Snowdonia, in North Wales, with her husband and son.
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The Thoth Tarot Deck and the Creative Force Vibrations

The Thoth Tarot Deck is a tool of intricate design, a tremendously powerful tool, that operates internally, externally, inter-dimensionally, multi-dimensionally, simultaneously, with Creative Force Energy Vibrations. Thoth Tarot Cards can, and do, create changes in those who use, attune and handle them. If you experience any aches or pains anywhere in your body while reading and using this information, along with either the Thoth Deck or Rider Pack, realize a psychic or karmic block is attracting your attention, seeking release and emancipation. Your freedom from such will bring rewards of better health, improved creativity, increased sensitivity and wholistic mind awareness.

The Tarot deck, especially the Thoth Deck, to the degree of the user's adeptness, enables one to communicate with other realities, other portions of the universe, inner portions of one's being, inner planes of consciousness and the Creative Forces of the cosmos. It helps enhance internal and external mind communications and serves as a sort of psychic and spiritual "tuning fork" that resonates with all frequency levels of the psyche and the Creative Forces. It functions much like a vibrating crystal in a crystal radio set, as a vibratory energy pack designed to link communications and promote harmonic resonance with cosmic creative forces and energy patterns.

The current Thoth tarot Deck has been consolidated from three different original Egyptian decks. As a result, original Egyptian inspiration is placed in a more conventional and contemporary context. This Thoth Tarot mediumship is of a very pure from, uses a structure that did not exist in Egypt, but is most appropriate for people living on Earth at the present time. The imagery is similar and very befitting to that existing in the original deck. The fact the symbology, astro-logic, colortones and energy matrixes of the Thoth Cards have been designed to precisely resonate with the Creative Forces Vibrations greatly empowers the Thoth Deck to gather and provide information from realms of very high spiritual nature in consciousness.

This Thoth Deck has extreme power, is capable of focusing and radiating energy vibrations that result in manifesting constructive creative changes in the lives of people. It serves as a bonafide conveyor of cosmic energy vibrations as these Forces move through the energy matrix of each card to harmonize with structural realities existing in 3rd dimensional consciousness.

A primary purpose of the Thoth Tarot Deck is to provide a means for the Creative Forces to flow to remove restrictions and allow certain processes to occur until the time a new deck is created. The Thoth Deck will not become obsolete for quite some time. It does represent pure Egyptian energies which did exist at one time and is thus clearly focused and oriented toward the purpose of this planet and its inhabitants. This Thoth Tarot deck can provide incredibly clear insights whereby people can become quite capable of perceiving the highest and best of very valid and appropriate normal and paranormal information.

Copyright 2006: Len Hascall - Vibration Science Thoth Tarot [http://www.vibration-science.com/vibration_tarot.htm] - Creative Force Zodiac Tarot SpreadAlternative Science [http://www.vibration-science.com/] - news, articles and newsletter.

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An Introduction To The History Of Tarot

Tarot cards have experienced a renewal in popularity over the last few decades, and especially so in the last few years with the increase in internet based divination services. Today, there are literally dozens of different decks that can be used, with themes as diverse as Egyptian gods, and Celtic deities. It is believed that the earliest deck of tarot cards that is still in use today comes from the mid-nineteenth century, and were painted by the Italian artist Bonifacio Bembo for the erstwhile Duke of Milan.

There are numerous theories the exist relating to the origins of this form of psychic reading. At various times in the last few centuries, occult knowledge (meaning hidden knowledge) has been freely available or kept deeply secret, depending upon the prevailing beliefs of the time.

There is a theory which suggests that modern Tarot cards originated out of a belief system initiated by the famous female Scholar Hypatia of Alexandria, who you may know of from the Hollywood movie of 2009, Agora. The great library of Alexandria was a hotbed of learning and wisdom, and contained ancient scrolls, or books, of wisdom.

One scroll, still famous today, was the now legendary Book of Thoth. Contained within its text was secret teachings relating to personal development. This esoteric knowledge was presented in what at first appeared as innocent pictures.

It has been suggested that travelers of antiquity carried these images to Europe, which then slowly evolved into a set of cards, similarly in concept to today's Tarot. Unfortunately, due to the power of the catholic church during the middle ages, those caught in possession of what were deemed ungodly images were condemned and prosecuted.

In all honesty, we can never find conclusive evidence of the origin of Tarot cards, but what we can be sure of is their inherent connection to human spiritual and psychological experiences. The more time we spend studying them, the deeper our understanding of the mystical world becomes. Today, tarot is used primarily for self discovery and enlightenment.

Many people now have an interest in finding hidden messages through divination and psychic arts. Tarot cars can tell us all a powerful story. There is amazing value in the use of such symbolism and techniques in the modern world. No matter how many new technological innovations arise, basic human emotions and spiritual beliefs are still an area in which we turn to traditional practices for guidance.

Get the low down on important facts to keep in mind about psychic readers now in our complete guide to types of psychics on http://www.askrealpsychics.com/psychic-articles/the-many-types-of-psychic-readers

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A Brief History of Tarot Cards Unlocking the Mystery

When trying to create a history of Tarot cards, there are many holes in the available facts and much of what remains is guesswork. In terms of the history of Tarot, Tarot cards likely evolved as secretive way of passing along hidden teachings. A common idea put forth is that Tarot cards evolved as a way for teachers and students from a variety of countries and cultures to share universal knowledge. With different languages and levels of literacy, a pictorial guide was necessary in order to share spiritual truths.

The earliest remnants of a Tarot deck date back to the 1390's; from the original deck, only 17 cards still remain. In around 1420, an Italian artist, Bonifacio Bembo, painted what is the only full deck that has survived to modern times. Commissioned originally by the Duke of Milan, this early deck is now known as the Visconti deck, named after the Duke's family.

While it is unlikely that Tarot cards were in existence prior to this time, the concepts illustrated in Tarot pictures are universal and have been around for thousands of years, in common knowledge as well as in myth and legend. While many of the images in Tarot decks are common to the Medieval period (the Fool, The Pope and Judgment), many of the other archetypes present including the High Priestess point to a pre-Christian system with roots in far older times. The need for secretive spiritual practice has been necessary for survival for thousands of years. The fact that the Major Arcana presents symbols that show powerful men and women highly suggest that it significantly predates Christianity.

To be labeled a religious heretic in Medieval Europe meant torture or death. Recording alternate beliefs through a pictorial key allowed these teachings to survive and created a safer way to pass this information -with less chance of retribution.

In the Renaissance period, a practice was developed based on ancient Greek teachings which was a pictorial memory system. Working with this became integral to occult teachings at this time and was commonly used to assist in meditation.

In later periods, astrology, gnosticism, Kaballah and magick have all been attached to the history of Tarot cards. These practices, along with modern psychology, have played a role in developing the meanings of each Tarot card. Many of the the Tarot spreads and individual card meanings were reinterpreted during the occult revival that occurred during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

The Order of the Golden Dawn, a short-lived group of esoteric magicians, played a particularly powerful role in this regard. One member, A.E. Waite, created a pictorial key to the Tarot and worked with another member, Pamela Colman Smith to create a new Tarot deck, the Colman-Rider-Waite deck (AKA Rider-Waite Tarot deck). Another prominent member, Aleister Crowley, also created a Tarot guide and worked with a notable artist, Lady Frieda Harris, to design and create the Thoth Tarot deck. Crowley believed that the Major Arcana was based on images from the Egyptian Book of Thoth -hence his deck's name.

Current history of Tarot cards will sometimes claim the cards to be created for evil purpose or make them much older than they are. While Tarot cards have been connected with various religions and occult movements, there is nothing inherently evil or negative about them. Working through the Tarot cards in the Major Arcana is like moving through all the main phases of life, both internal and external. This brief history of Tarot cards should clear up some mystery about their past and give you the opportunity of connecting with them in the present.

Copyright 2008 http://www.discover-the-meaning-of-tarot.com

Lucy Barnett

For everything you need to know about Tarot reading, the meaning of each Tarot card, Tarot spreads, Tarot layouts - resources to be a better Tarot reader, go to...

http://www.Discover-the-Meaning-of-Tarot.com

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Which Tarot Deck to Choose and How to Choose It That Will Work For a Beginner

Whenever any person thinks of using tarot cards he will definitely go for the best tarot cards available in the market. But the term best cannot be used for any of the cards because it is a relative term. Any deck of cards can be best for one tarot reader and the same deck can be worst for another reader. It can also be said that one deck of cards are easier to understand than the others or may be more popular than the other one.

Generally a beginner goes for any random deck of cards and sees that they work for him but that can be a difficult task for anybody. Every person has got his own preferences for choosing a tarot deck. On an average some are decks are believed to be easy for a novice to start the tarot card reading. The most easy tarot deck considered nowadays is Rider Waite Tarot Deck. This tarot deck is not very old and was designed for the purpose of creating a deck of cards which is simpler to understand for the beginners. The symbols, colors present on this deck of cards are easy to understand and interpret. The second most important thing about using these decks of cards is that there is so much literature available for these decks of cards that learning to use this deck for a new reader becomes quite easy. The other two decks of cards that can be used at the start are Llewellyn deck and Aleister Crowley Thoth Tarot. Although the former one is believed to be easy to understand but the drawback is that for understanding this tarot deck there is not much literature available and latter one is considered to be very difficult to understand. You need to have deep knowledge to interpret the meaning of symbols present on the cards of this deck. But this is a very popular deck among the tarot card readers.

Apart from choosing this deck of cards any other deck can be chosen by a beginner but certain things should be kept in mind. With a so much variety of tarot decks present one has got lot of choices to go for the type of artwork present on the cards which they like. One can go for different colors, pastels he likes or which suits his personality and style. If anyone has got special admiration for artists he can go for the deck of cards inspired by his artwork. It completely depends on one's choice to go for the deck of tarot cards because if we have got the cards of our choice it will definitely inspire us to make best efforts to understand what is actually a tarot card reading is. There are small to big differences between different deck of cards available in terms of symbols present on them, in their meanings, in the names of cards and in the positions of cards present in the deck. But a beginner should not go in these types of details but he should understand the meaning of cards present in the deck. It is also important to understand that the meaning of same card varies from reading to reading. So a beginner should be very careful while giving any interpretation for a particular situation. It has also been found that the same card from different deck has different meaning depending on the type of deck of cards chosen. The tarot deck one has chosen should get synchronize with the mind of a person and if it starts working with it the tarot reading becomes quite easier. Sometimes people after choosing the deck of cards still come to know that it is not working for them there is still a choice to go for another deck. One should ask the experienced people to ask for any special recommendations for choosing deck of cards. One can also go for reviews on the internet. It can take little effort to find the perfect deck but don't stop till you succeed.

Calvert recommend for information on other popular topics go to his site http://www.livepsyche.com, which features a variety of information about Astrology, Tarot and Tarot Reading plus you can send a mail to experts to clear your queries and also have a word with them by chat.

Manuez Marbo is a professional psychic of tarot cards for over 25 years, as well as the author of several books on the tarot and others. For more information about Tarot cards and their meanings visit http://www.livepsyche.com.

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Reading Tarot Cards Basic Concepts

Tarot card readings have been around ever since the concept of divination has, they have been used primarily used for divination purposes. Divination is said to be the art of accessing information which is not usually available to people using only our five senses. Tarot cards have also been used in different ways such as: working the tree of life, divination and even spell work.

For those who are starting to learn more about reading tarot cards it is often recommended to use a Waite-Rider deck because it is the easiest one to read and work with. There are other two decks of cards which can also be used toward peace three main purposes, these are called Morgan-Greer and Thoth decks.

Before you use your deck of cards it is very important to personalize them for your own use, this process is also known as "keying the cards" -- this process is what ultimately allows tarot spells to work because after such a process that cards are linked to concepts and elements in the universe. Because tarot cards are said to be linked to physical things in the universe after keying and rearranging the cards you are also rearranging things in the physical universe. A tarot deck which hasn't been personalized will work just fine however, those which had been keyed will obviously be more accurate.

You can also use what is called a signifier, this is a card which stands for a question or a person, it often signifies the question we want to have answered. According to recent findings regarding signifier cards, most of the people who use tarot cards for divination purposes do not use these signifier cards which represent a problem to those who want to have an accurate answer to the question, not using this card will make the reading less accurate because the answer will be given in a more holistic way instead of referring to the specific question being asked or about giving specific information about the person who resorts to this reading.

When it comes to interpreting the meaning of the cards you can acquire books which I will provide the meaning to each and every card, giving a meaning to each card is something that can't be explained briefly however, you can study the cards themselves which have been printed with specific symbols that provide a concept, for instance in the Waite-Rider deck to four of spades shows a man resting over a sword, a sword often represents problems or issues a person has, the demand who rests over the sword means that the person should let to his or her issues come to rest instead of dwelling on the past. Just like this card the rest of the cards can also be interpreted if you pay special attention to the objects and figures each one has, acquiring the book which provides basic information about the deck of cards you possess is a basic tool which will help you understand what the cards are trying to tell you.

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The Tarot A Gateway Between Worlds

Towards the end of his remarkable life, Aleister Crowley published a seminal work on the Tarot of the Egyptians. The title of the work was The Book of Thoth and it comprised an analysis of the Tarot deck painted by Lady Frieda Harris to Crowley's design.

The seventy eight cards of this deck, made up of twenty two Key Cards, or Atu, forty numbered cards in four suits, and sixteen Court Cards, each contain a compendium of symbols derived from Astrology, Kabbalah, Alchemy, myth and history. Together, the symbols on each card make up a coherent personality, an entity rooted in the reality of the cosmos. This is critical, because without a solid metaphysical substructure, the Tarot would be no more than a set of pretty picture cards; which is exactly what a great many of the available decks are. In contrast, Crowley's deck was designed from the start as a representation of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life.

The small cards, numbered one to ten in suits of Pantacles, Swords, Staves and Cups, reside on the ten Sephiroth (emanations) of the Tree. The royalty of the Tarot, the sixteen Court Cards, The Knight, The Queen, The Prince and the Princess, reside on the Sephiroth of the Middle Pillar of the Tree of Life. The quaternity of suits and of Court Cards corresponds to the Yod Heh Vav Heh of the Tetragrammaton and the metaphysical quaternities of Air, Fire, Earth and Water, and also of the fourfold Kabbalistic worlds of Atziluth, Beriah, Yetzirah and Assiah.

The twenty two Atu reside on the paths between the Sephiroth, and may be identified with the anabolic and catabolic forces that define the stresses and relationships between the Sephiroth, which themselves may be considered as fundamental emanations of reality.

The Atu have names that may be considered glyphs of the combinations of the metaphysical powers that drive both subjectively and objectively perceived experience. For instance, when we look upon The Fool, we immerse ourselves in the innocence of spring, the mad creativity of unconstrained nature and the chaos of natural being. With The Magus, we feel the immense power that binds blind force into natural law and custom, without which the universe could not exist. And so it is with each of the Tarot's personalities.

As any metaphysician or magician will testify, when we meditate on these Tarot cards, when we use them in acts of divination, we are dealing with the very real but often subtle and abstruse powers of nature bound up in comprehensible living entities that speak directly to our minds and spirits. These personalities comprise a gateway between worlds; they are conduits of wisdom and folly, of reverence and mockery: it is up to us to know the difference within the course of our magickal discourse. Use these tools wisely then, and do not underestimate their power.

and the Thelema Trust

Keith Rowley is an engineer and practitioner of Kabballah and Magick. He is the author of The Aquarius Key - A Novel of the Occult and the architect of the Thelema Trust web site [http://www.magick.co.za] On the Thelema Trust web site a wide range of original and unique Occult Artwork by South African artist Hettie Rowley may be purchased, commissioned or simply viewed. There is also a selection of poetry and short stories by Keith Rowley and a range of pages containing insights into Magick, the life and work of Aleister Crowley and much else. A Blog for Tarot students and practitioners has recently been added, along with the first parts of deeper discourse on the Tarot for serious students. This begins on [http://www.magick.co.za/TheCrowleyTarot.html]

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History of Tarot Reading

Certain historians have reached the conclusion that in the past tarot cards were simply a gaming deck. Their sole use was to play a game known as 'tarocchi.' In course of time, occultists initiated the use of tarot cards for divination.

The history of tarot reading is incomplete without the mention of Court de Gebelen. He belonged to a clandestine society of occultists in the 1700s. He became the writer of 'Le Monde Primitif.' This is a treatise that has 9 volumes. In this, Gebelen has thrown light on the meanings of the tarot.

In 1783, Etteilla wrote a book that consisted of interpretations of tarot cards. Later, all through Europe, professional mystics observed the use of tarot. However, there was no consensus amongst all these mystics regarding the meaning of these cards.

The next phase in the history of tarot reading is the 19th century. It was during this era that Eliphas Levi Zahed (a.k.a. Alphonse Louis Constant), who was a famed mystic, developed a connection between the tarot and the Kabbalah i.e Hebrew mysticism. Zahed reached the following conclusions.

• Tarot is a key to life

• Tarot is a tool that if used by man/woman to grow as a human being can lead him/her to heaven

• There are 22 connections to the tarot major arcana. This is a tool on the route to enlightenment

The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn used certain tarot cards during the later 1800s. These cards made a major influence on the modern tarot deck. Three men in England established this Hermetic Order. It is believed that these men detected an ancient clandestine manuscript that had some code. They decoded it and concluded that it contained the by-laws of a secret society in Germany. Further, they took permission from Germany to initiate their own group in England.

In course of time, the group known as Golden Dawn developed as an influential group. The founders of this group in England had a protégé named Crowley. He wrote the 'Book of Thoth' related to this topic. The Golden Dawn had two active members named as Arthur Edward Waite and Aleister Crowley (mentioned above). The efforts of Waite resulted in the development of a tarot deck that is not much different from that used by currently.

The Golden Dawn had a member named as Paul Foster Case in the 1920s. He established a group named as BOTA (Builders of the Adytum) in Los Angeles. The tarot deck of the BOTA was in black and white. The aim was that the owner should be able to color the drawings.

In the 21st century, one can view innumerable adaptations of the Crowley/Waite Tarot. Out of these some might be less impressive, but quite a few have splendid artwork.

Jyotika provides detailed information about History of Tarot Reading. Know more about your fortune Free Online Tarot Card Reading.

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Tarot and Dream Symbols

There are people find that it is acceptable to work with dreams but they do not find that it is acceptable to work with the Tarot. However, truth be told, you can utilize the Tarot in order to help you with self-growth and understanding without ever doing any form of divination at all. This is because with both dreams and the tarot you will get a wide variety of images. These images will pique your unconscious in a very delightful way.

Some of the ways in which the tarot and dreams are both alike include:

1. Both dreams and the Tarot are ripe with symbols. This is especially true of the Rider Waite Smith and Thoth decks. These decks both have a symbolic vocabulary of their own. On the other hand, the symbolic vocabulary that is associated with dreams constantly changes based upon the person who is having the dreams.

2. Both dreams and the Tarot yield insight in many more ways than just with symbols. There are many factors that contribute to the meaning of a Tarot reading, including the question asked, the layout and positioning of cards, the meaning of a card and the connection between cards. On the other hand, the meaning of a dream depends upon its symbols, sequence and emotions. You can consult both the Tarot and your dreams in order to find answers to your questions though.

Now that you know how the tarot and dream interpretation are alike, you should know what the big differences are as well. These include:

1. The tarot is externally helpful. You do not have to go to sleep in order to have the symbols available to you, nor do you have to put a lot of effort into remembering them as you are sleeping since they are available on a set of cards that can be easily shuffled.

2. Dreams are only internal, meaning that they have to be brought from within. Nevertheless, dreams can be beneficial to the dreamer without being communicated because simply experiencing the dream can sometimes be enough.

It is nice to see how these two things do have a complimentary relationship though. This relationship lies in the fact that they stimulate one another. In other words, whenever you work with Tarot cards your dream source will perk up. On the other hand, working with dreams will in turn improve your ability to read Tarot in a more holistic manner.

KephriRa is the webmaster of SpiritualArticleDirectory.com and the Morning Star New Age Portal

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Little Known Facts About Tarot

Tarot as more than a psychic card game, really only started in and around the 1780's. This is when the study by a Swiss member of the clergy wrote 'Le Monde Primitif. This was where it was asserted that there was religious symbolism attached to the tarot de Marseille deck which related to Isis as well as Thoth.

Here too, was the first time that it was claimed that the word Tarot was derived from the words tar and ro. These were Egyptian words meaning royal road.

This was prior to the deciphering of the hieroglyphs and even prior to the discovery of the Rosette Stone. Even though his theory was discovered to be false the belief has lived on. Thus the supposition has lived on to this day that these cards are both magical and in some circles regarded as evil. In reality it's a means of making your mind concentrate to bring through your psychic self. Any tool will do the same thing if you concentrate hard enough. Tarot is a case of learning the various meanings of the deck you are using. Each one has various aspects to it from the zymology of the pictures presented to you by the artist to the number of the card which you will usually find in the top left hand corner. When you are leaning it is a good idea to first learn each separate card before trying to put them into pairs or threes. Once in pairs or threes they take on different meanings as the cards surrounding them influence the meanings. This is where a lot of people get a little lost. Cartomancy is to me far easier. Really this is where tarot itself originated.

Tarot cards were game cards right up until the 18th century. It was only then that it really started to be used by psychics as a tool. The best way to start is to start with a deck that you are drawn to. It is no matter whether it is the pretty pictures that draw you but you need to like your cards foremost. If you just choose any deck you will probably never be curious enough to look at each in turn until you commit them to memory. The feel of a deck is important to bring through your psychic abilities. Once you are totally comfortable with your deck try it out of a few friends. This is where the fun part starts. Do not try it on yourself and don't try reading for yourself unless you want to confuse yourself. People have to be totally analytical to read for themselves and be able to put your personal wants totally out of your mind. This is very, very hard to achieve. What I would suggest is that a group of friends buy cards and then practice on each other. No one ever truly knows another person to the level where you would be reading with all knowledge of everything and this is a good way of testing your psychic abilities.

Every time you read make little notes of the outcomes of the various pairings and what they meant in the readings you give. Make sure you get and give honest feedback to your reader or as a querent. This is important for the growth of your psychic reading abilities.

Sarah Saxon works for the psychic & metaphysical arena and is a reiki master, promoting discovery of the personal spiritual pathway through the use of established and expert clairvoyants, tarot readers and mediums.

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