| ______It's Cartomancy, I'm afraid. | | | | So the bottom line is; until about 1780 in France, and |
| A Tarot reading is Cartomancy. The art of divining | | | | based upon the Venetian or the Piedmontese tarot, |
| (or prospecting) one's 'fortune' or some other | | | | tarot was a game. |
| situation, by means of apparently random selection | | | | ______I can't believe what I'm hearing |
| and array of cards in a pattern. | | | | I'll say it again - slower. Until just 230 years ago, the |
| Does it work? Some sceptics say absolutely not. | | | | tarot was played as a game, possibly by children, not |
| They claim it's completely fraudulent and cruelly preys | | | | that differently to say our gin rummy. It was never |
| upon the innocents, the susceptible and the gullible. | | | | intended to be a divinatory method, an oracle. It is |
| Now you would have to be less than three years of | | | | NOT a purpose-built tool!! Unquestionably! |
| age not to have heard of the Tarot. In which case it | | | | You can argue all you want about the mountains of |
| is highly unlikely you could be reading this. (unless | | | | volumes of literature written on the subject, |
| you're a child prodigy, in which case you'd probably | | | | however once compared the I-Ching, the Tarot's |
| already know the answer to this question) So I | | | | origins, genealogy and pedigree is in somewhat of a |
| would have to say most would be familiar with the | | | | shambles. |
| basics tenets of the Tarot. There is a shipload of | | | | The I-Ching is not a mere child of just 230, it is a |
| information out there and I won't bore you with the | | | | venerable white sage of some 6,000 years, probably |
| details here. | | | | the first transcribed document in history, created |
| ______So does it work, dude? | | | | wholly and soley for the purpose of functioning as an |
| You want your fortune told, right? You want your | | | | ORACLE. It is imbued with thousands, not merely a |
| future predicted, right? You want a little more control | | | | couple of hundred years of vibrational human |
| of your life, right? Seems everyone argues excitedly | | | | consciousness. It is truly an institutionalized timeless |
| as to exactly how the Tarot works, or if in fact it | | | | artefact. But wait, this article is about the wonder of |
| works at all. | | | | Tarot. |
| Does the system somehow stimulate latent intuitive | | | | So... |
| or psychic qualities in those so predisposed? Does the | | | | ______Yes, you still create your own reality |
| questioning arouse invisible outside intelligences; | | | | There is another explanation however, that I ascribe |
| angels, guides, discarnate souls, who directly or | | | | to. It refers to the principle that we are all the |
| indirectly intervene to influence the proceedings in an | | | | masters of our own fate. We create our lives for |
| unearthly way? Or is this a universe of 'no accidents' | | | | ourselves according to what we predominantly desire |
| where the purposeful process of querying creates a | | | | or believe. We are also egocentric, meaning the world |
| synchronous physical event beyond the chaos | | | | revolves around each of us. (for each of us) |
| theory? | | | | So that when a card reader suggests to us a |
| Considered by some to be a gateway to the | | | | possible situation depicted by the cards, our very |
| subconscious mind, the major arcane in particular, due | | | | powerful association 'reflex' kicks in full force, scans |
| somewhat to prototypical patterns, has been | | | | our life and makes every attempt to coordinate the |
| connected ideologically to the psychology of Carl | | | | broad-brush card situation with our 'real-life' situation. |
| Jung's collective unconscious. | | | | Therefore we discover what appears to be a trail of |
| Sorry, but to fully comprehend the ultimate truth to | | | | occurrences that seem to match. We, together with |
| the Tarot, we'll need to do a little backwards | | | | the certain authority we've given over to the reader, |
| time-travel. | | | | then trust the reading depicts an accurate portrayal |
| ______Maestro, a little History, if you please | | | | of our lifestyle. |
| The 4 suited playing card pack first appeared in | | | | With our now current atmosphere of near-perfect |
| Europe in the 1370's, probably in Italy or Spain. Then, | | | | trust, the psychic will bring down his/her final |
| in Italy in the 1430's, a 5th suit of 21 illuminated cards | | | | judgment. In our newly conditioned self, we believe |
| called trionfi ('triumphs') plus an odd card called matto | | | | this to be a reality; |
| ('the fool') were added to this pack. No, 'the fool' was | | | | ______Ladies and Gentlemen, I now give you a |
| NOT the precursor of the modern joker, which was | | | | S.F.P. |
| created separately in the late 19th century, as a | | | | Remember what I said about us being the master of |
| euchre game card, of a jack with no suit. | | | | our fate? Well, what we now do is to take the |
| Like in modern Mardi Gras, the illustrations in the | | | | powerful belief of the reading outcome and 'force' it |
| trionfi, most likely represented mascots in medieval | | | | to become a life reality. In other words, we actually |
| re-enactments of triumphal Roman processions. The | | | | create the reality as prophesied by the cards. |
| reason for the trionfi was to function as a higher suit, | | | | Incredible, no? This is what is known as a-guess |
| becoming 'trumps' or a suit of 'triumphs. Played by 3 | | | | what? A Self-Fulfilling Prophesy. |
| or 4, sometimes 5 players, these 'tarot games' | | | | So is this fraud? No, it's just another example of the |
| exhibited fluid alliances targeted toward the top | | | | amazing power of the mind. |
| player in each deal. | | | | |