Tarot is a deck of cards with artwork representing life. Unlike oracle decks, which can have any structure, Tarot decks have a specific structure of 78 cards split into two parts.  The first part is the Major Arcana (22 cards — also called Keys or Trumps) and the second part is the Minor Arcana (56 cards, split into four suits — also called Pips).

Arcana means Secrets, so the Tarot deck is made up of big secrets and little secrets.  The Major Arcana represents the human spiritual journey and development, and the Minor Arcana represents day-to-day life.

Tarot evolved from a card game played by royalty in Italy called Tarrochi (TAIR-oh-key) during the 1400s. Most modern Tarot decks are based on the deck designed by Arthur Waite and painted by Pamela Coleman Smith in 1909, called the Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) deck.  It was designed as a tool for spiritual development.

When a Tarot deck is depicted on a television show or a movie, chances are the cards shown will be the “scary” cards: Devil, Tower, Death, or Hanged Man.  But there are no “good” or “bad” cards in Tarot.  Every image in Tarot is a metaphor.  The Devil card can represent self-destructive habits like addiction or possibly issues with setting boundaries.  The Tower card can be about sudden change – the kind that makes you feel like you are falling and don’t know where you will land.  The Death card is usually about transitions or changes in life.  Every card in Tarot represents some part of the human experience.

YES, if the reading is done with INTENTION.  Dr. Jane English, a PhD Physicist, did a three-year study on whether Tarot card drawings were random or not.  When she applied statistical analysis to Tarot cards drawn over a three-year period by Tarot readers, she found that there was a 99.97% chance the Tarot cards drawn were NOT random.  Using control groups, she found that the key to a meaningful Tarot card reading is INTENTION.  The cards need to be shuffled and drawn after a period of centering and quieting the mind, focusing on a specific situation or question.  Dr. English’s study has been duplicated by others with similar results. As you work with the Tarot, you will see for yourself that cards come up in ways that are eerily accurate and clearly not by chance.

Your future is up to YOU. An intentional Tarot reading can give you insight into what is happening right now and what past choices or occurrences are influencing your experience.  Also, it can give you insight into helpful ways to move forward.  The Tarot is a tool for seeing things clearly and empowering yourself to choose wisely.

Symbols and images are a universal human language. Just as dreams can communicate with images and symbols, so too does the Tarot. The Universe is full of inexplicable mysteries, and the non-random nature of intentional Tarot readings is one of those mysteries.

Generally we avoid asking the Tarot yes and no or when and where questions, and we want to avoid asking for health, legal, financial advice or winning lottery numbers. We also want to steer clear of asking questions about what someone else is thinking, feeling or doing -- questions like those can be and unethical invasion of privacy, and putting the focus of your Tarot reading is more productive if the focus is on the Seeker. After all, we only have  control over ourselves.

Effective Tarot Questions are phrased in an open-ended format, have a specific topic, and put the focus on the Seeker:  What do I need to know about... How can I... What can I do to improve...What am I not seeing?

A Tarot spread is a layout of Tarot cards where each card has a predetermined position and meaning. For example, a three-card spread could be past-present-future, or it could be issue, advice, outcome, or any variety of position meanings. When you decide ahead of time where you will lay the cards and assign a position meaning, you are creating an intentional framework that facilitates a meaningful Tarot reading.

There are two parts to reading the Tarot. The first is learning the structure and the accepted basic meanings of Tarot cards, and the second is applying your intuition to make sense of how the cards drawn relate to the question. Both are important.  Like learning anything, regular practice is what improves ability. Get your cards out as often as you can, and practice with others whenever possible to develop both your skills and intuition,  making your Tarot readings flow.

Everyone who reads Tarot has their own reasons, but here are some benefits of learning to read Tarot:

Reading Tarot helps Strengthen Intuition.  Everything improves with practice, and reading Tarot as a regular practice helps flex our intuition “muscle,” which otherwise isn’t used much in our modern world.

Reading Tarot helps us Gain Insights. Many times, a Tarot reading can reveal aspects of situations which we otherwise don’t see.  I call these “Aha! Moments.” You may have had this experience. For example, you read a deep book and suddenly stop and think to yourself, “YES! That makes so much sense!” It is as if someone told you something you knew on an unconscious level but you didn’t realize until it was brought to your attention, and the truth of it resonates deeply. These types of insights can happen often when reading Tarot.

Another reason to read Tarot is that it Deepens our Understanding of People and Life.  Tarot cards represent life and the people we encounter — including ourselves and our own Shadow parts. Those who delve into the Tarot deeply see the world differently. The study of Tarot gives a framework to help discern cycles in life and recognize  patterns in daily choices. Knowledge is power, and once we begin to see these underlying themes and energies, we’re better able to reflect on life and life’s events with more of a “big picture” understanding.

Reading Tarot can actually Improve Relationships. The most commonly asked questions of Tarot are about relationships: romantic, parent-child, co-worker, friends. Tarot readings can help spark insights into aspects of our relationships that we may not have consciously seen or admitted: underlying beliefs, resentments, fears, and more.  Bringing these to light helps us make more conscious choices in our interactions with  people, so we can avoid operating from entrenched patterns and begin to at things from fresh paradigms.

There are nearly an infinite number of benefits to learning to read Tarot, and they will vary from person to person depending on their reasons for using Tarot and their experiences with it along the way.

I see Tarot as a practical tool to spark insights that help make better life decisions. Whether viewed as a communication tool between self and Universe or self and our own Superconscious, Tarot is an invaluable tool for a better life. I like to think of it as a navigator in the passenger seat. We are the drivers in our own lives, and ultimately the choices we make on our path are up to us.   It is immensely helpful in making proactive life choices to have the aid of a navigator who has a map and can see where our current path might lead us, and where there may be alternate routes for a more pleasant, beautiful journey.