Tarot card reading is a form of divination known as cartomancy, in which practitioners use a deck of special cards to make future predictions and answer questions. Tarot cards have been around for centuries, first recorded as far back as the 15th century.
Tarot card reading is still a widely popular practice today. The cards are used across cultures and countries by a diverse range of people and are famed for their spiritual and historical significance. Just how accurate is tarot reading? Can it really be relied upon to deliver us trustworthy messages about the future? Let’s find out.
What are tarot cards?
A tarot deck consists of 78 cards; they are often beautifully designed with unique imagery and powerful imagery. The most well known of these cards the Major Arcana; these are 22 unique cards, each represented by a different character, symbol, or meaning.
We won’t list all of the Major Arcana here, but they include cards like The Chariot, The Fool, The Hanged Man, Strength, Justice, and Death. Some of these sound more ominous than the others, but a Tarot card’s meaning is determined by its orientation when pulled from the deck. For example, the Strength card drawn upright can mean strength and courage, while drawn upside down it can mean weakness and insecurity.
As well as the Major Arcana, a tarot deck contains 56 Minor Arcana cards. These are much more like traditional playing cards, and are composed of four suits, Cups, Pentacles, Swords, and Wands. Minor Arcana cards are used to contextualise meanings and messages conveyed by the Major Arcana. For example, Pentacles represent issues with finances and careers.
It’s important to learn what a tarot deck is and what the cards signify before looking for the best tarot reading online.
How does a reading work?
There are various ways to approach a tarot reading, but they all begin with asking the cards a question. This can be said out loud or simply visualised mentally. The deck is then shuffled, and cards are drawn to begin formulating an answer. The number of cards you draw depends on the depth of answer you are looking for. Drawing three cards, known as a three card spread, can be used for a relatively quick and simple answer, while a five card spread can be used to gain more insight and detail.
How accurate is tarot reading?
Tarot reading, like all forms of divination, is an ancient practice that has its roots in mysticism and the occult. The accuracy of the practice depends entirely on who you ask, some people swear by it and use tarot as a guide to life, while others brush it off as useless.
Tarot cards are open to interpretation, their meanings can be construed and absorbed in various different ways. What this means is that a tarot reading will affect everyone differently, and its efficacy will be determined by the reader’s emotional state of mind. Readings are highly personal, which makes tarot cards as accurate as the reader wants them to be.
