Tarot is a divination system that uses a set of cards to gain insight and achieve greater control over issues involving relationships, opportunities, and life changes.

The Tarot deck is over 500 years old. With archetypal roots that go back almost 2000 years, Tarot has become a repository of ancient wisdom. Interestingly, our modern playing cards are a subset of the Tarot.

The history of Tarot symbolism is shrouded in mystery. Some of the Tarot symbols are thought to have originated in China, India or Egypt. Tarot cards date back to 15th century Spain, Italy and France.

The person who is having the reading draws to him /herself, on an unconscious level, the card(s) with the information or answers which are needed. During an in-person reading, the client is asked to shuffle the cards and to focus on their concerns while doing so. This allows an exchange of energy between the client and the cards.

A tarot deck consists of 78 cards that you lay out in any one of a number of spreads. Each card is symbolic of an energy or spiritual truth, its relevance depending upon its position in the spread. There are so many possible outcomes that tarot readers spend decades mastering the meanings of all the cards in all the different combinations. Books are one resource, but can only help so much.

Using the power of Synchronicity, Tarot taps both the subconscious and the super-conscious Mind, the center of our psychic abilities. Anyone can become a good tarot reader. But a gifted reader of Tarot is far more than someone exercising innate psychic abilities. An appreciation of the power of the archetypes contained in the images on the cards demands a classical understanding.

A large enough Tarot spread can give you a very keen sense of the probabilities inherent in a situation, but the specific way that things turn out are, in the final analysis, up to you -- how well you adapt to the ever-changing conditions that your Tarot reading reflects.

A Tarot reading gives a snapshot of what is going on in the Present, the time you are picking the cards. It can help you see aspects of a situation that have been invisible to your ego. In contrast to popular opinion, Tarot is a valuable form of meditation on the Present moment that returns insight and advice. Although it does reflect probabilities, it is NOT a form of fortune-telling.

Consult the Tarot as if you were asking the advice of a wise friend or teacher.

The underlying symbol and concepts found in the Tarot go back thousands of years. For instance, in the early Christian Church, around 600 AD, the priests had little memo cards with pictures on them.

The gypsies also used similar cards. The old emerald tablets in Egypt also had pictures of plates and discs. These concepts are very old but they are at the root of modern day tarot card meanings.

However, the modern Tarot is brand new, revised by the Order of the Golden Dawn to work more intimately with the Tree of Life and for spell work. It ís a development of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and is, in our estimation, the major advance in magical practice within the last 2,000 years.

The word Tarot is a disguised word. It was originally spelled ìRota, I which means wheel, because the deck represents all phenomenal experience, the wheel of life. We use the Tarot as a living form that is tied into the existing Universe. In essence, the Tarot is a simulacrum of the Universe.

Tarot is excellent for receiving clarity on problems or issues that logic by itself simply can't handle (most of the important ones in life!). Relationships, negotiations, work dynamics, office politics, family matters, spiritual well-being.

There are hundreds of Tarot decks and Tarot spreads. A spread is a layout of the Tarot cards, with a range of meanings associated with each position.

There are certain points to be noted when you arrive for your reading, please keep these in mind whenever you embark for a reading to get the maximum benefit out of the same:

1. Have an open mind and leave the skepticism behind.
2. Prepare your questions on which you need guidance And get them along with you. Writing them down is a good Option.
3. Be calm. There is nothing in the reading which would effect you negatively. The Tarot gives you only answers which you are ready for. Meditate if you are feeling anxious/nervous.
4. Understand that specifics will not be given to you like date/time/place, but trends will be revealed.
5. Do not ask the same question before 6 months are up.
6. Write down the guidance given for future reference and Practice any meditative techniques provided.
7. You may ask for another person even if they are not present for the reading.
8. Accept the guidance with gratitude, as something coming from the Source.

It is better to not ask a "yes or no" question, unless a quick one card reading is being done. It is more productive to ask "What do I need to focus on in order to find a job?" rather than "Will I get a job?".

The first way of approaching it allows for more information and insight and implies that the person asking the question has power over the situation and is not sitting around idly waiting for the right job to find him/ her. There may be aspects of a job search which have been neglected or steps to be taken which have not been considered, or a different approach may be needed.

No, tarot is mainly a divine tool used for guidance and it does not answer specific questions of When, who, where.

Yes, you can. But do respect the privacy of the other person and ask questions that can be helpful for both you and other person if answered.

I use the traditional 'Rider Waite Tarot' deck. At times, I use the 'Wisdom of the Oracle' deck too.

Yes. Oracle cards are highly intuitive cards and the Oracle reading has less structure and rules compared to a tarot reading. While Oracle reading can also bring in clarity and give guidance for questions, Tarot reading offers a more holistic perspective of a situation.