Reading tarot cards is a pastime that has been done centuries ago, which determines possible outcomes and predictions of the future. A tarot deck can come in different themes but is basically made up of the twenty-two major arcana cards and the fifty six minor arcana. Since the early Christian European era, tarot reading was already being done and is still being practiced by aspiring and professional tarot readers today.



I personally have a Pythagorean deck, which differs from other decks as it has mathematical backgrounds incorporated with the cards' meanings. Each card has its own meaning depending on how the tarot reader interprets the formation of the cards. But despite the difference in deck, reading tarot cards is done by interpreting the images or pictures that dominate the entire body of the card. In reading tarot cards, the cards are placed in a formation called "spreads" which will allow the reader to predict a certain aspect of a person's life. Commonly used spreads include the Celtic spread, the horseshoe spread, 3-card spread, 1-card spread, the astrological spread, and the teractycs wherein ten cards are arranged in a four-rowed pyramid. There are many other spreads aside from these which the tarot reader can use and arrange his cards the way he sees it fit.

Tarot reading is done to answer questions about anything to do with the person. Whether it would be about love or the future, the cards will either tell you directly the answer or give you a situation which discreetly answers the question. Some tarot decks require you to delve yourself into a spiritual aura and perform certain rituals in order to get an accurate reading. For my Pythagorean deck, the cards need to always be purified by the moonlight, arranged and placed in an acceptable box or bag to keep bad spirits from affecting the cards, and to offer praise to the gods in order to be able to read the tarot spread correctly and accurately. Reading tarot cards doesn't necessarily mean denouncing your faith or anything of the sort, but a way to know what may be in store for you just as Chinese and love horoscopes do.

Tarot cards can also be used for other purposes. During the 16th century in Europe, tarot cards were used to compose poetry, also called "tarocchi appropriate", to describe ladies of the court. Psychologists also use tarot cards in representing archetypes or are interpreted as pictorial representations of human development from infancy to adulthood. Some occult schools that specialize in symbolic study use tarot cards as a textbook in their teachings as well. Reading tarot cards does not only have to be for predictions or answering questions regarding future instances, but can also be a way of understanding human beings in general and the way things act and react in this world.

Reading tarot cards can be done if you're dedicated in learning the basic interpretations of each card. Though it may take some practice and a few trials, reading tarot cards can enhance your ability in interpretation and analysis in certain trivial circumstances.