Example Of Essay On Tarot Fortune Telling

Fortune telling is an appealing concept. Wouldn’t it be nice to know what lies in store for you so that you can prepare for it and deal with it appropriately? Many people are drawn to the idea, having their palms read, seeing fortunetellers, and even using magic eight balls. One interesting method of fortune telling is Tarot.
A Tarot card reader is a type of fortune teller, but the practitioner is limited by what the cards tell him. The deck consists of seventy-eight cards, split into two groups: the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana consists of fourteen “face” cards. These cards tend to be the ones depicted most in popular culture, because they symbolize characters: the Hanged Man, the High Priestess, the Magician, etc. The fifty-six cards of the Minor Arcana are split up into four different suits: swords, wands, coins, and cups. Each card has a specific meaning, and based on these meanings, proximity to other cards and position in the spread, the tarot reader can form a narrative, to guide the person who is having the reading done, in interpreting the meaning of the cards in the overall reading.
In order to learn more about Tarot, I decided, as the basis of my interview, to undergo a reading. I thought, “What better way to learn about it than to actually do it and ask questions along the way?” I found a local woman who reads Tarot cards.
After climbing up many stairs, I arrived in a café that had a vague air of secrecy. A bell rang as I went in. The walls were light purple, the light was very warm, and the music playing was very relaxing; the melody was slow and soft. Behind the white door, there was a room that had many fabrics with many symbols on them, hanging on the walls. On the right side of the room, there was a table that covered with black fabric. On the table sat a plant, a candle, a crystal ball, and seventy-eight Tarot cards. To the left side of the table, there was a bookshelf containing many books about Tarot, colored candles, and a few black stones. “Welcome!” said a woman between thirty to forty years old. She had natural, black hair, red glasses, and a dress made from silk, printed with an abstract pattern. Her name was Betty, and a professional Tarot reader.
Then, she had me draw six cards, one at a time. She placed them upside down in a specific order on the table, with the first card covering the “significator”. Betty told me that the order is very important, because the meaning changes depending on the placement of the card in the reading. Then, we got started.
I was, of course, shocked and frightened when the first card covering the significator was turned upward, and I saw it had the devil on it; however, Betty quickly assured me that I did not need to worry, as the card can mean several things. She said it signified my general environment, and that it probably meant that I was surrounded by extraordinary challenges at the moment. She suggested I needed a more positive day-to-day environment.
The second card represents obstacles. The tarot reader turned it up for me and revealed the two of pentacles, which she said represented recreation and the ability to relax and enjoy myself. She told me I needed to take the time to do this more often in order to overcome the obstacle, meaning that I needed to find a balance in my life. From the Devil card showing I was bound by a negative environment, I needed to balance my challenges by not getting distracted by outside influences and concentrate on living positively.
The third card represents the best that can be achieved. This card turned out to be the six of wands, which she said was very good, as it represents triumph, victory, and royalty. Within victory, this means I have the ability to overcome anything negative in my life if I set my mind to it, and positive changes will help me, especially with the Ace of Wands, helping me feel inspired to do so.
The fourth card is laid below the “significator”. Betty told me it represented the tools at my disposal for achievement. This card was Temperance, which she told me basically symbolized exactly what you would think temperance would. She said the best resources I had at my disposal were economy, moderation, and frugality. The Temperance card is illustrated with a winged angel. For me, this card meant I needed to think before I act, not rush into anything and make sound judgment in the changes that were going to happen in my life.
The fifth card symbolizes what is in the past and being moved away from. For this card, I had drawn a Five of Cups, which she told me indicated loss, perhaps the death of a loved one. This can also be represented as personal disappointment. Not necessarily, physical loss, but letting myself down.
The sixth card symbolizes what is to come. For this card, I drew the Chariot. She said this symbolized eventual victory, even though it could also indicate a struggle to get there because of its association with war. For me, this card meant the coming together of my negative and positive; there would be a balance of both. I would overcome the loss and find inspiration to empower a balance in my life.
We then discussed what the spread could mean in terms of what is currently happening in my life. It almost felt as if I was at a counselor’s office rather than at a fortune teller’s table. After that, there were four more cards to be drawn and placed upside down on the left. These all had specific meanings too, and she said they would shed more light on how I should proceed going forward. The first symbolized my attitude about things, the second symbolized my surroundings, the third represented my hopes and fears, and the final card, she said, showed what the outcome will be. We went over these one by one as they were turned up, and then discussed the whole spread in relation to my life. It really was a mind-opening experience. She was very informative about the process and answered all of my questions throughout.
“Tarot reading does not actually tell fortunes, it just helps us view ourselves,” Betty said. “It is like brain-storming; it helps you to find out what you really think in your unconscious, find out what is good for you, so you can make a better decision for yourself.” She said this confidently, with a smile. During the Tarot reading, I was really interested in the crystal ball that was on Betty’s table; it reminded me of some rules about Tarot that I found online. For example, after you buy the cards, you should put the deck under your pillow and sleep with it for a week, or before doing the Tarot reading, one should feel the cards for ten minutes, in order to build some kind of connection with the cards. Betty explained, “It’s up to you to do it or not. Of course, it is better to do it, if you really want to learn about Tarot, not out of interest. Because in your mind, you will think that there is a strong connection between you and your cards. When you do the Tarot reading, you will translate it with confidence.”
I asked Betty what she thought about her job. “I feel great when I’m doing this!” She said, with smile, and seemed pleased, “I can help people through the Tarot, solving the problems that they are struggling with, giving them direction for what they should do, and releasing their pressure from work, school, etc.” Suddenly, I could see a white and warm light surrounding Betty. Her aura, she seemed pure and full of good energy, or according to the internet, she would be pregnant soon.
While I think a lot of the insights that she drew about me were perhaps gleaned from pieces of information I gave her freely, through my body language, or the way I responded with my eyes to a card and its meaning, it really surprised me how fulfilling the experience was. There was a sense of spirituality in it all, not clinical like a doctor’s office. I did not feel like it was a “scam” at all; rather, it was more of a strange way of advising people how they should approach difficult matters in their lives. This was definitely an eye-opening experience, and one I would welcome again.