woman who brought this magic into my life was some kind of a gypsy whom I will probably never forget. I recall my first experience as I was getting my first tarot reading done from her. She was as mystical as Tarot itself. She brought this interesting aura to Tarot which lured me into getting the reading done rather than the tarot cards themselves. Somehow the whole gypsy presentation was fascinating to me, exciting.
I am certain you too have a similar impression about Tarot, at least before you read this book. A lot of myths go into the making of Tarot. These myths are both interesting and fascinating and I would like to dispel them one by one by giving you the true essence of the reader and the Tarot Cards.
Myth: Tarot is done only/mostly by Gypsies. It is Gypsies who created Tarot.
Fact: Tarot is, was, and can be practised by any normal person who has a heightened sense of intuition and has mastered the art of reading tarot cards through practice and meditation. Tarot is neither limited to Gypsies nor was it created by them. The myth developed because in the olden times, Tarot was very often seen with Gypsies. Gypsies used the tarot decks as playing cards and were responsible for bringing them into Europe. It travelled with them from place to place and thus became associated with gypsy lives. Tarot was used by gypsies but mainly for playing games. Its occultism emerged after it travelled down from them to various other parts of the world. Although today Tarot is used by everyone, we tend to see and remember the most impressionable of our experiences, one like mine. Gypsies provide a dark and mystical presentation of Tarot, which makes it easy perhaps to associate Tarot with them.
Myth: Tarot is Black magic
Fact: Tarot is the prediction of one’s life through plain aura reading. Over the years, due to its association with gypsies, magic, dark energy and negative elements, it came to be identified with black magic. Throughout history, various religious institutions have wanted to keep the power and control of human life in their own hands. This caused them to banish tarot and create negative speculation about it, thus discouraging people from using Tarot for predictions and using it instead only as a plaything. Powerful religious institutions didn’t want the power of the future and positive belief to be handed over to the common man as they feared loss of trust and control. Tarot gives you the power to change your destiny by foretelling what’s in store for you and this shall be revealed in the forthcoming chapters of this book. From this it is evident that Tarot is no black magic but simple intuition and aura reading which gives it a certain magical quality due to its predictive quotient.
Myth: Tarot is Witchcraft
Fact: Tarot is purely energy and aura reading. In keeping with the tradition of condemning anything that was not in line with their religious beliefs, powerful institutions down the ages tarnished Tarot’s name by calling it negative, black magic and dark energy so as to dissuade the common man from knowing its true power and potential, the potential which gives one control and mastery over one’s destiny. These religious institutions successfully banished tarot by calling it Witchcraft, devilish and occultist, and thus people were discouraged from relying on these mediums for guidance, depending completely instead on religious and dogmatic practices.
Myth: Tarot connects you with spirits, the supernatural.
Fact: Tarot is not a medium through which one can connect to the spirits of the dead or the supernatural. Planchet is the known technique used to call upon the spirits and is largely criticised by sceptics and critics. Tarot cards do not have the power to connect with spirits or the supernatural. It may finally boil down to the Tarot reader’s ability, the psychic’s power to perform such an action but most definitely not of Tarot per se.
Some people are gifted and have the skill or power to do the impossible; calling upon spirits may be one such skill. Tarot has no such power to call upon spirits whether from the underworld or from heaven. Tarot is associated with this myth due to its connection with the wicca, occult practitioners and other experts who use it as a medium to reveal the unknown in their own expert ways. The reader’s power will eventually transcend into the cards and turn them into a tool in the expert’s hands.
Myth: Tarot is dark, negative and devilish
Fact: How one uses any given tool makes it negative or devilish. If the power of Tarot is used to foretell your destiny and manifest the change needed, it is unarguably positive. On the other hand, when it is misused to harm people through incorrect practices and wrong ethics of the reader, these Tarot cards can become devilish and dark. It ultimately boils down to the charioteer who rides the chariot; the chariot is in his control and doesn’t have a mind of its own. It will turn right or left depending on where the charioteer wishes to take the chariot. Similarly, Tarot can be positive or negative depending on how the tarot reader wishes to use it. Tarot by itself is magnificent, beautiful and powerful.
Myth: Tarot is Magic
Fact: I like this last myth. It is true yet not so. Tarot is magical when the reader uses his/her powers accurately and predicts correctly. It is magical when the Tarot’s powers are tapped by the reader for the good of the querent (one who questions the reader). The power and intuition which the reader possesses makes these cards magical. Without the reader, these cards are simple playing cards and nothing else. The underlying power of tarot comes from the reader’s abilities to perform the right readings. Tarot is the magic which the reader creates.
All of these myths and facts make Tarot intriguing and fascinating. I am certain you have a lot of questions about Tarot, how it is done, whether it is safe, et al. After unravelling the myths surrounding it, it is time I answered your more practical and generic questions regarding Tarot. We will begin with FAQs about Tarot and then move on to what Tarot is, its history and of course its multiple benefits for you.
Over the years, I have come across various questions regarding Tarot from clients, friends, family, and from my immediate and larger social circle. Some are funny, some make you ponder and some are simply ridiculous, but all of them raise different kinds of issues and express various doubts and fears. I have listed some of them here for you.
Q: What does the word Tarot mean?
A: It does not have a specific meaning but over the years attempts have been made to find its meaning and origin. However the closest one can get is to the Italian derivative for Tarot, Tarocchi, which was the name given to Tarot when it was used as playing cards.
Q: Are the predictions 100 % accurate?
A: Mostly. Yes. I get asked this question very often from almost every patron with whom I interact and from every other individual to whom I introduce myself as a Tarot Reader and Psychotherapist. Most readings do turn out to be true unless of course you, the querent (the one who questions the reader), decide to change your actions to achieve a desired result. In such cases your predictions turn out to be different from the previous ones. The extent to which difference is created in the querent’s life from what was earlier predicted depends entirely on the querent’s efforts in changing his/her life for the better.
Q: Is it scientific?
A: No. It isn’t scientific but can form part of the Metaphysical branch of Philosophy which undertakes the study of subjects which are less easily explainable. You can read more about this in the next chapter.
Q: Is it similar to Astrology?
A: No. Astrology has a scientific base, Tarot doesn’t. Tarot is more of Aura reading, it is energy oriented. However, I have discussed this in detail in the next chapter.
Q: Is it better than Numerology, Astrology, Palmistry, Fortune telling etc?
A: This question