About Tarot Card Readings
Tarot card readings, also known as divination by tarot, are a popular mystical method for answering questions. People may seek a reading for help in making a decision or understanding a quandary and, to a lesser extent, for gaining insight about the future. The history and evolution of tarot card readings is long and colorful.
Other People Are Reading
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Identification
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While tarot cards are often used for parlor games in Europe, in the United States, they are primarily a divination tool. Readers use tarot card decks comprised of the major acana (trump cards and the Fool) and the minor arcana. Among the most powerful cards in the deck are Death, the Emperor and the four Aces: the Ace of Cups, the Ace of Swords, the Ace of Pentacles and the Ace of Wands. However, these cards have distinctly different meanings depending upon their position when they are dealt, known as the spread.
History
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One of the first popular uses of tarot cards for readings was by a French student of the occult named Alliette, who worked under the reverse spelling of his name (Etteilla). Before the French revolution, he used tarot cards to divine people's fortunes. In 1770, he wrote a book on his studies, which involved using a 32-card deck. In the following decade, Etteilla created a new deck of cards which featured Egyptian symbology and astrological references. Each card featured text describing its divinatory meaning.
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Features
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Tarot card readings depend on the deck being used and can vary widely, but a typical reading begins with someone other than the primary reader shuffling the deck. The reader lays out the cards in a pattern, called a spread. One common spread is the Celtic cross, with ten cards used, and another is the Horseshoe, with seven cards involved. The reader uses the sequence, position and the direction of the cards to interpret aspects of a person's life and desires.
Effects
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The popularity of tarot card readings has made online versions available. Sites such as Facade (see Resources below) allow you to enter name and a question. You select a deck and a preferred spread, and the site generates a set of cards paired with interpretations of each card.
Considerations
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Tarot card readers have different techniques that markedly affect their interpretations of the cards. One such example is the case of reversals. Some readers see a reverse card as signifying the opposite of the card's symbolic meaning. Other readers interpret a reversed card as a more intense version of the symbol on the card.
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