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1993-02-26
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ENJOYING TAROT CARDS
by Rosemary West
Any good country fair has its fortune teller, modeled on the image
of a mysterious gypsy woman swathed in colorful scarves and
dripping with earrings. In the candlelit tent, shadows flicker and
her bracelets softly jingle as she shuffles the cards.
"Concentrate," she whispers, as you stare at the colorful pictures,
the Empress, the Knight of Cups, the Lovers, the Ace of Swords.
What do they mean? Can they really predict the future?
The origin of the Tarot cards is unknown. They have been with us
for hundreds of years, and are the ancestors of today's standard
playing cards. Some scholars believe they originated in Egypt, and
there are many symbols from Egyptian mythology pictured in the
cards, as well as concepts from Europe's Middle Ages. The
philosophies expressed in the lore and literature surrounding the
Tarot can be found in many religious traditions, and also include
material from astrology, numerology, and other metaphysical
practices. C.G. Jung and other psychoanalysts have seen in the
Tarot archetypical symbols of the subconscious, and many
practitioners today use them as a stimulus for meditation,
contemplation, and exploration of the inner mind. However, their
most common use is and always has been for fortune telling.
As the Tarot traveled through history, it was adopted and adapted
by many different cultures. Today, there are many variations on
the physical appearance of the cards, and in some cases these
different appearances include slightly altered meanings of the
images presented by the cards. If you walk into a metaphysical
book store, you may find hundreds of different Tarot decks and many
books about the Tarot. The continuing popularity of the Tarot has
led to the development of many other kinds of fortune-telling
cards, including cards based on astrology, runestones, and Native
American traditions.
The traditional Tarot deck consists of 78 cards. Fifty-six of
these are divided into four suits: Cups, Wands, Swords and
Pentacles. Each suit has fourteen cards: Ace through Ten, Page,
Knight, Queen, King. This group of 56 is also referred to as the
Minor Arcana. The remaining 22 cards are known as the Major
Arcana, and each one portrays a scene or character symbolizing
important truths about the world and human behavior.
For example, the first card in the deck is the Fool. Usually
portrayed as a young man in jester's garb, carrying a backpack, the
Fool represents the spirit of adventure that propels each person on
the journey through life. At its best, this spirit makes us
creative, independent, and adaptable. At its worst, it leads to
impatient, impulsive or rebellious behavior. The card's underlying
message is the importance of developing a balance between intellect
and emotion, and of pursuing goals that include spiritual growth.
People are sometimes frightened by the Death card, which usually
portrays a scythe-wielding skeleton garbed in black, riding a horse
through the countryside. Tradition dictates that a Tarot reader
may never predict a death, so the Death card symbolizes a tragedy
followed by recovery, or a powerful, life-changing event.
Can cards really foretell the future? We don't know for sure.
Many folks are convinced that, in the hands of the right person,
the Tarot can at least help provide insight into personality and
future trends. Successful fortune telling of any kind seems tied
to the skill and talent of the fortune teller. When a reading is
right on target, it certainly stimulates some thought. And a lot
of people simply enjoy the beauty of the cards and the history
behind them.
Learning to read Tarot cards can be both challenging and fun. A
good Tarot reader usually has studied the interpretations of
various scholars or teachers, but also adds her own experience and
intuition to each reading. This is accomplished by practice.
The computer program "Personal Tarot" was designed to help both
beginners and experts develop a personalized approach to reading
the cards. The program's author chose not to display pictures of
Tarot cards on screen, because her selection would limit the user's
choices. It is important that the Tarot reader select a deck with
personal appeal, and spend time practicing with it, based on the
instructions in the program. For this reason, the original card
descriptions which come with the program can be changed by the
user, so that the program will conform to the deck he or she is
actually using. This will also be useful to highly creative people
who design their own cards, since they can personalize the program
to match their imaginations.
"Personal Tarot" shows three different ways to lay out the cards
for a reading, displaying an outline on screen for each method.
The position of each card affects its meaning, and these positions
are described as part of the program.
The program provides a brief interpretation for each card. This
interpretation is intended to be used as the foundation for the
user's own interpretation, and can, of course, be edited and
expanded. The experienced reader will immediately begin making
changes and adding details. The beginner will proceed more slowly.
Eventually, the program will become a highly personalized reference
tool.
Many users like to do readings for other people, so each reading
can be printed or saved as a disk file. Once saved, the files can
be edited and formatted with a word processor. Add some fancy
fonts, and you'll have an entertaining and unusual gift. Some
folks charge a small fee for the readings at fund-raising bazaars.
Apparently the gypsy at the country fair now has a computer in her
tent!
"Personal Tarot" and its printed manual can be ordered from R.K.
West Consulting, P.O. Box 8059, Mission Hills CA 91346, USA. The
price is $29.00 US (add $6.00 for shipping outside the USA, all
checks drawn on and payable through a US bank).
R.K. West Consulting publishes a number of unusual programs on
topics ranging from fortune telling to creative writing to mailing
lists. For a free catalog, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope
to the address listed above.