Tarot Cards and 'Love Tarot'

Young Will Shakespeare got it right when he said that “The course of true love never did run smooth”. Millions of unhappy or frustrated romantics would agree. They can’t meet the right person or, if they do, all sorts of problems arise.

What’s the answer? For many people it’s a session with a reader and some tarot cards. But how does it work and, more importantly, does it work? The short answer is that we are all on life’s journey and as we travel we need to make certain decisions.

A tarot card reading is designed to help us make wise decisions. If you want the dictionary term it is taromancy which means divining information through the reading of tarot cards.

Firstly, what exactly are tarot cards?

Most people accept that it’s a pack of 78 cards [some say 72] with a variety of pictures and symbols. The cards were first used in Europe in the 1400s but for card games and not for the readings as they are today. Today the tarot card reader uses the cards to discover information about a particular person or situation. One common misunderstanding is that tarot cards are used to tell someone’s future or fortune. This is not exactly correct. The main purpose and a major benefit of a tarot reading is that they can show you the path to take in order to achieve your goals. They are more for guidance than prediction. It is less of ‘You will meet a handsome stranger’ and more of, ‘Do the following in order to increase your chances of finding true love’.

The cards are used in one of two different readings.

• A Question reading or an
• Open reading

Many believe love tarot readings shouldn’t have specific yes or no answers but rather should be used to guide a person in their quest for love, career advice or whatever. A Question reading will allow for just that to happen. A Question reading discovers information by asking questions. The following actions or recommendations apply to a love tarot session using a Question reading.

• Discover how much detail the person requires
• Remain upbeat and positive
• Stay neutral in your questions and
• Remain open-minded

An Open reading is where general advice is sought. This could be when you are getting married or starting a new relationship or it could be when you are considering a change in your career. You want general guidance.

Some good advice

To get the most from your tarot card reading, don’t have the answer in mind before you start. Remain open-minded and prepared to accept what is revealed. Don’t ask leading questions such as, “Why can’t I find the perfect partner?” but instead ask open-ended questions such as, “What more can I do to meet the right person?” Always look on the bright side and only reveal as much information as you feel happy to do.

The actual tarot cards

They are not like the traditional playing cards used in such games as poker, Solitaire and Black Jack. Tarot cards are grouped in different collections with illustrations of various people and objects.

Four common cards are the King, Queen, Page and Knight. But each is different depending on their suit. There’s the Suit of Cups, of Wands, of Swords and of Coins.

But the suit known as The Major Arcana has a wonderful array of characters including the Fool, Magician, High Priestess, Empress, Lovers, Chariot, Hermit, Emperor, Judgment, Star, Moon, Sun and World.

How does it work?

In a tarot card session there is the person seeking information, usually about some personal issue, and the reader, the person who knows how to interpret the tarot cards. In a typical session the seeker will shuffle the cards, place them face down on the table and then select a number of cards.

The reader turns these selected cards over and places them on the table in what is known as the spread. Now there are different types of spreads or layouts. A general query usually has a Celtic cross spread and there are different shapes to the spread for a session on love or money or relationships, etc.

Myths abound

There are many myths about tarot cards and perhaps the most common is associated with the card of Death. Many believe it means just that, that the person is soon to die. This is not the case and usually means the end of an event which could be a business or a relationship.

Love Tarot Cards Interpretation

As the reader studies the cards chosen by the seeker two things happen simultaneously. The reader calls on their knowledge of the cards and their meanings and mixes that knowledge with thoughts and feelings they are experiencing at the time. It’s this combination of knowledge and impressions which make up the reading.

One of the main outcomes of a tarot card reading is that of the ‘alternatives’. A seeker may believe something is likely to happen but not know that there are alternative possibilities. A session may reveal now information such as alternatives or new possible outcomes.

People who act as readers do not declare that their divining is the sole or definite possible outcome. They see tarot readings as just one way of divining possible outcomes and advise that their reading is as likely as the next to provide valuable information.

So what about me?

Like so many things in life, tarot card reading is optional. If you’d like someone to give you details about your past, present and future, about possible dates, relationships or other personal matters, then a tarot card reading for the open-minded may prove highly beneficial. So popular have tarot readings become that you can now take place online.

Some people believe the cards actually hold some power and that the reader should only use their own pack to maintain this power. Others take whatever reading is given as an explanation of universal truths and a help in making decisions.

The choice is yours and the reading may be the answer in your search for the special person with whom you can form a loving and lasting relationship.