When I first began experimenting with tarot cards, I resolved not to read any books on the subject. My goal was to communicate with the images unhindered by preconceptions. As such, I learned a great deal about tarot direct from the source. I also, however, developed a hunger for more information. I wanted to understand the history and the philosophy that led to the creation of the tarot, and I...

Arrange for some time to be alone and undisturbed; an hour would be about right. If you have music available, put on something that is calm, serene, and meditative. Take a relaxing bath, imagining strongly that you are cleansing not only your body, but also your soul and spirit as well. Dress in costume, or wear jewelry that has a particularly “magical” feel for you. You will need a clean,...

Many people like to gather with others who share their interests. They join, for example, book clubs, sports leagues, knitting groups, political action committees, or neighborhood associations. They take classes. They network and participate in online forums. In this sense, tarot is like any other interest. Tarotists, whether professionals, amateurs, novices, or collectors, gather all over the...

Do you believe you’ve lived before? At a party I attended in 2006, I met a middle-aged man who claimed to have recovered memories of a past life. After dinner, he pushed back his plate of bread pudding and announced, “In a former life, I was a black woman. I clearly recall giving birth to a baby in the middle of a cotton field behind the railroad tracks.” Earlier the same year, I met a woman...

Precis: After suffering a personal tragedy, the author discovers a way back to wholeness by using the Tarot. Healing With the Tarot By Claudia Ravenscraft My mother died three month ago. She was in her eighties, but she had been ...