It seems to fit in with the New Age Movement where people try to get in touch with their 'Inner Spirit'. They believe a Tarot card reading can be used by them to channel their thoughts and connect somehow with the 'Oneness of the Universe'.

To others it can become a practice or activity to which they are completely devoted, and eventually it becomes part of their way of life.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT TAROT CARDS

* The Tarot is the most practised art of divination in the world. The cards are sometimes called 'The Book of Divination of the Gypsies'. They have been used for hundreds of years to reveal hidden truths and to foresee the future of the person receiving the card reading.

* Some psychologists even use Tarot cards to identify how a client views himself by asking the patient to select a card that he or she identifies with.

* The origins of Tarot are steeped in mystery and it is impossible to be certain where they first came from. Some people claim that they may have come from as far back as the 11th century. However the most commonly held belief suggests Tarot originated in 15th century Italy by adding to a normal set of cards 21 trump cards, a fool and 4 queens of each suit. This eventually evolved into the traditional 78 card deck used today.

* The traditionally deck of 78 cards has various symbolic pictures on them. A standard pack is made up of 22 cards called the Major Arcana and four suits of 14 cards similar to playing cards. These are called the Minor Arcana. The word Arcana simply means 'mysteries' or 'secrets'. The Major Arcana consists of:-

THE FOOL

THE MAGICIAN

THE HIGH PRISTESS

THE EMPRESS

THE EMPEROR

THE HIEROPHANT

THE LOVERS

THE CHARIOT

STRENGTH

THE HERMIT

WHEEL OF FORTUNE

JUSTICE

THE HANGED MAN

DEATH

THE TOWER

THE STAR

THE MOON

THE SUN

JUDGEMENT

THE WORLD

* There are thousands of different decks available catering to many diverse interests from baseball to voodoo. An influential deck in English speaking countries is the Rider-Waite deck. However many people will buy a set of cards with an art work and style which is compatible with their own tastes.

* Different readers interpret the cards in different ways, each adding their own perspective. A client will consult a Tarot reader over a particular situation in their lives. Readers of Tarot will lay the cards out in special combinations called spreads. A traditional ten card spread is called the Celtic Cross. In these spreads it is claimed that the reader can see a detailed, pictorial representation of the client's situation. The reader can see what has caused the situation and how it is most likely to affect their future.

* No one knows how Tarot works. One expert believes that when the cards are shuffled the reader gets a kind of 'psychic photograph' of the client's situation. The reader can suggest various pathways which a client may take to deal with the situation. If the client is aware of these potential pathways they can then select the one most appropriate to their circumstances. If the theory is correct the future is not set in stone and people are masters of our own destiny.

* Because of the association of Tarot cards with fortune telling, some religious groups oppose the use of Tarot cards. In some societies divination is forbidden based on religious or traditional teachings. As with many similar debates regarding lifestyles or religious practices, plenty of people can be found on both sides of the debate, supporting or condemning the use of Tarot cards.