The Tarot may be one of the most versatile, portable, and illuminating tools available to the inquiring mind. Its history and its depth are rich and abundant. Being skilled in the use of these cards is a gift worth pursuing, and will give you a lifetime of wisdom, insight, and guidance.

History

As with so much of occult wisdom and techniques, the history is clouded by hearsay, protection, and misinformation. Because for so many centuries it was dangerous to practice such arts, those who were in the know maintained strict secrecy. Meanwhile, those who persecuted such activities were active in misleading citizens about these traditional ways.

Therefore, there are many stories surrounding the history of the Tarot. One that makes sense to me is that the Major Arcana derived from ritual and wisdom traditions from the Egyptian high priests and priestesses. When members of those tribes were exiled from Egypt, their knowledge was passed on only through oral traditions. Only later were they marked on cards. As the Egyptians moved westward into Europe, they were referred to as "gypsies", a derivative word of "Egyptian".

We know there was a large population of Moors in Spain. It may be that they were then introduced to the Spanish card deck, which we know now as a Pinochle or Poker deck. It is true that a great number of present day gypsies only read the playing cards, rather than the Tarot cards.

At any rate, it is the Spanish deck that is the basis for the present day Minor Arcana of the Tarot deck. While the Minor Arcana consists of 56 cards, having 4 face cards in each of four suits, the Poker deck has 52 cards, with 3 face cards in each of four suits. By studying the cards, you will begin to witness other comparisons between the suits of each of the decks.

For Good or For Evil?

A frequent question is whether the cards are on the side of good or evil. We could ask the same question of a knife. Is a knife good or evil?

A knife can be used to cut wood for a fire, cut meat for your dinner, or help a doctor perform surgery. On the other hand, a knife can be used to commit crimes and cause grief and pain. So is it good or evil?

The answer lies in the hands of the person holding it. It is the same with the Tarot cards. Whether a person holds a stick, a knife, a contract, or cards, the value, purpose, and intent are all determined by the person wielding them.

Using the Cards

Having used the Tarot cards for over 30 years (should I really be admitting that?), I have found them to be a tool beyond conceivable value. The Tarot can be used to connect us to our inner wisdom and can serve as a tool to increase intuition. They provide powerful insights leading to self-discovery and transformation. What do you imagine you could discover if you were to acquire this powerful skill?

Through Awareness Engineering, you have the opportunity to learn to read Tarot cards in a rapid and grounded manner, gaining immediate recognition of the significance and meaning of each card at the end of just one day. Combining the ancient meanings with modern applications, the traditional layouts with cutting edge philosophy and counseling techniques, the Awareness Engineering approach to reading Tarot cards is unique, applicable, and accessible.

Author Mary Lee LaBay, Ph.D., has a doctorate in Behavioral Psychology, offers private hypnosis sessions, products, workshops and certification training focusing on hypnosis, self-discovery and alignment with your unique purpose and path. Visit http://awarenessengineering.com or contact her at MaryLee@MaryLeeLaBay.com

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By Frederick Gimino

The dream world full of symbols and imagery has long been a place of mysterious revelations. Many people use Tarot cards to decipher the meanings of their dreams. It is a very basic technique that can enlighten us and provide insight into this mystical realm of our psyche.

Dreams form the foundation of our conscious minds. Dreams depict the subconscious symbolic and pre-symbolic imagery that defines who we are as human beings. Dreams, in essence, are formed from the very essence of who we are. That is to say the subconscious defines our personalities like the silhouette of a peach defines a peach.

Keeping a dream journal can be an invaluable step in understanding your dreams. Although we dream every time we go to bed we often times forget what we dream about. Writing these dreams down while they are fresh in our minds keeps the imagery from slipping back into our subconscious minds and is essential in order to convert your dream images into Tarot images.

Some suggest using a hardbound notebook or journal to keep your dreams stored in. Others feel using a loose-leaf binder with pockets is a better medium to keep your dreams stored in. Many go as far to keep a personal digital tape recorder to record their dreams on so that if they recall a dream during the day they can easily record them onto the voice recorder. Whatever method you choose is entirely up to you and your personal preference.

When writing your journal try separating your dreams in to parts or sections. These sections should outline the imagery found in your dreams. Be sure to note any unusual environmental factors as well as these may hold keys to the overall meaning of your dream.

The Tarot cards come complete with a predefined corollary to decipher their encrypted meanings but dreams do not. So, in order to decipher your dreams using Tarot cards you must first separate your dream into parts. These parts consisting of dream imagery can then be transposed into Tarot imagery that can be deciphered.

The Final step in interpreting your dreams using Tarot cards is to correlate our separated dream images to corresponding Tarot cards. So, after identifying all the dream imagery and isolating them into parts select the corresponding Tarot cards whose imagery seems to correlate with the overall images in your dream. Then you can form an interpretation form these cards as to what your dream really means to you.

Dreams hold a vast untapped potential to help us decipher what is really going on in our subconscious mind. Utilizing divinatory aids to uncover the true meaning of dreams provides a means to trigger memories and decipher imagery stored in our sleeping state. Utilizing these methods can benefit us by enabling us to see into the realm of subconscious thought we are not privy to in our waking state.

Harnessing the power of our dreams to empower us in our lives can be a rewarding experience. It is fortunate that Tarot cards provide a mystic key to these deepest of inner thoughts. As it is frustrating to have the answers to your deepest questions at your fingertips but have no means to derive relevant meaning from them.

If you are interested in getting a Tarot Reading then please visit Frederick Gimino's site Free Psychic Network. Many free cartomancy oracles are available including minchiate Deck, Rider, Lenromand, and Napoleanic. You may even like to get a psychic reading from a live psychic online. Enjoy!

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