| The Tarot is a specialized set of cards that has a | | | | reversed meanings showing the positive and the |
| very long history. Some have even claimed that they | | | | negative effects of the cards. |
| derive from the ancient Egyptian civilization, but it is | | | | Before attempting to read the Tarots, it is important |
| more likely that they are European in origin and date | | | | to understand the meaning of every card. How they |
| from the various mystical traditions some time | | | | are laid can affect the interpretation. Beginners often |
| around the period of the Crusades. The Tarot deck | | | | only use the upright interpretation, as the reversed |
| is similar to an ordinary pack of playing cards. Both | | | | interpretation can be too hard to learn. The |
| have four suits numbered from ace to ten. In a | | | | experienced Tarot reader, will have studied the cards |
| Tarot deck these are known as the Minor Arcana, | | | | for years, and will understand the different |
| and instead of Clubs, Hearts, Spades and Diamonds, | | | | combinations of the lay-outs, all the upright and |
| the Tarot suits are Wands, Cups, Swords and | | | | reversed interpretations. No only does this take many |
| Pentacles. | | | | years to learn, it also requires a great deal of skill. |
| Unlike an ordinary pack of cards, each suit has four | | | | Many Tarot readers have the added advantage of |
| court cards rather than three: King, Queen, Knight | | | | being psychic, and they use this skill when they do a |
| and Page, making fifty-six cards in the Minor Arcana. | | | | reading. |
| In addition to the Minor cards, the Tarot deck has | | | | How or why Tarot cards work, is a mystery, but for |
| twenty-two "extra" cards known as the Major | | | | hundreds of years they have been used with |
| Arcana. These do not belong to any suit, but have | | | | surprisingly accurate results. One does not have to be |
| their own numbers (with the exception of the fool), | | | | a believer to have a reading, a lot of people have a |
| a symbolic image and a title. | | | | reading "for a bit of fun", but quite often the laugh is |
| If, when doing a reading, more Minor cards occur | | | | on them when the reading proves accurate. Maybe it |
| than Major, then your destiny is in your own hands. If | | | | is coincidental, or maybe all our ancestors knew what |
| it is the other way around, fate governs your future. | | | | they were doing, and we have all become too |
| All cards have individual meanings, and there are | | | | skeptical. Whatever the truth, we need to find out |
| different combinations of laying them to create a | | | | for ourselves and make our own judgments. |
| reading. Each interpretation is divided into upright and | | | | |