The Tarot...

Many people think that the Tarot is evil, a tool of the "devil" because it supposedly predicts the future, and that what is revealed in a Tarot reading is what is actually going to happen. This is not true at all -  we do have free will, and as the old saying goes, forewarned is forearmed. As the cards can only reveal what the most likely outcome will be if things continue their present course, we have the ability to change parts of our lives to effect a more favourable outcome. The future is not written in stone - you can change the future by altering what you are doing, or the way that you're doing it. The cards are simply a tool to allow us to see what, if anything, needs to be changed in our lives for us to achieve our goals.

When requesting a reading from someone, or having a go yourself, don't ask stupid questions like "When will I meet the love of my life?", or "What will my boyfriend be like?" because this is not what the cards are about. The cards can tell you in general what to expect in the future - they may be able to indicate to you if someone is lying to you, or will lie to you in the future. They may show that your future holds a happy and harmonious home life... but only because past and present aspects of your life indicate that this will be the most likely outcome! Change just one aspect of your life, and you change that possible future!

A word or three of advice for anyone who would like to learn about, or try their hand at reading the Tarot... The first one is that the myth about the ideal Tarot deck being one that you've been given as a gift is just that - a myth! The best Tarot deck for you is the one that you instinctively feel an attraction to, not necessarily the deck that's been given to you, nor the so-called "beginners" Rider-Waite deck, nor the Thoth or any other well known "favourite" deck.  Hie thee to thy nearest New Age type shoppe or Occult Bookstore and browse through their Tarot selection, also remember that Google is your friend and do a search for "Tarot decks" - you'll be surprised at how many beautiful and unusual decks you'll find!  Most online places do mail orders too, so you're sure to find the deck that seems to speak loudest to you, personally.

Secondly, handle the cards as much as possible. Shuffle them. Look at the pictures on the cards and try to decide for yourself what the images portray without refering to the ubiquitous information booklet that comes with the new deck, or to any of the "recommended reading" books that you may have purchased. You decide what the images mean. Start off the way you mean to go one. If you're going to be a reader, you must interpret the cards, not the book. So open your mind and concentrate on the picture - your first impression will probably be the correct one. Do this for at least a week. Familiarise yourself with the cards first, then just for fun, have a look in the book(s) and see if the traditional meaning of the cards is close to what they tell you. Surprise surprise, you'll be pretty close to the mark most of the time! Next, try some simple spreads.

My third word to you is, don't be locked down to any particular spread. The classic of course is the Celtic Cross, but there are many different spreads and many different methods of placing the cards, and in which order. When it all boils down to it there is really no "right" or "wrong" spread or order in which to place the cards, so place them in the spread and order that feels comfortable to you - you're the one doing the reading, right? Don't begin by interpreting from the traditional book meanings of the cards, instead read the cards! Look deep inside yourself to read the message your cards are sending you - it is your job is put put those messages into words. If there doesn't seem to be much of a message there, don't worry or get discouraged - sometimes there simply isn't a message there anyway, and sometimes the cards won't feel like talking to you.

So good luck in your attempts, and remember... sometimes you can try too hard! Relax, and just enjoy your cards!