Tarot cards have had a crucial and inseparable influence in mysticism and the occult. They first arrived sometime in fifteenth century Italy, but it was not until late 17th or 18th century that tarot cards began to be used in divination. The tarot cards that we know today have gone through a long and evolution, from the pictures, symbolisms, procedures, purposes, and meanings. It is interesting to note that tarot cards were originally used in a game, with 21 trump cards, four queens, and a fool added to a normal deck, which totals to 78 cards in all. But it is unclear exactly how tarot branched out from a simple mind-diverting game into the fragile business of looking back into past lives, foretelling the future, and answering questions.

Tarot cards however shouldn't be equated solely with fortune-telling as they have many other valuable uses.

Self-interrogation

Through tarot cards, we become honest with ourselves as we try to pose questions. In a typical tarot reading, we ask questions that help you understand the past or a current situation. Tarot cards offer an alternative language system through which we can access our Unconscious. Therefore, we do not just randomly pick tarot cards, or blindly entrust our lives to them. Every moment of our lives, we lay ourselves bare with the choices we make, even for something as papery as tarot cards.

Philosophy and Spirituality

Tarot cards can be used to support or develop a philosophy of life and spirituality. Tarot cards are not just a group of loosely unconnected cards. It represents the journey of the Fool (or each one of us) through life and all the things that are learned along with way, all the challenges faced and ways in overcoming them. Learning the subtle art o tarot cards helps you understand the way of life and combat your demons.

Tarot as Counselor

Tarot cards can be used for counseling. What we see in a card that is rich in archetypal and meaningful content reflects in large part how we are responding to a situation that is on our minds. The highly-respected psychologist Carl Jung has always considered tarot as an alternative psychotherapy. For him, the rich imagery inherent in every tarot card represents archetypes of human personality and situations. Tarot cards help draw out these ideas and understand how they reflect inner thoughts and feelings. Tarot cards are especially useful in helping children tell difficult stories in a language they may have not yet acquired.

Positivity

Tarot can be used for meditation. You meditate on a card that represents a quality you want to acquire and imbibe for your life. Perhaps, it could be Strength, Justice, or the Star (which represents acceptance and trust in the universe). Place it where you can see it and meditate on the image all day. It will help you boost positive thoughts within yourself, and thus help you behave in a way you want.

Tarot as Inspiration

The rich symbolism and characters in tarot cards can be used to develop inspiration and plotlines in stories, poems, songs, artwork.

Tarot for Games

Originally known as tarocchi or tarock, tarot cards was born in Europe and started its days there as a recreational game. Tarock is a trick-taking game with a permanent trump suit. Aside from being a parlour game, tarot cards were also used in inspiring poems or amusing refrains about popular or public figures.