An old woman sits in front of a young man with a scarf around her head. There is a mist in the room, and she is telling him how the woman of his dreams is right around the corner (Weinstein). This is a common cliché surrounding the Tarot. But what exactly is this oracle surrounded in mystery? The Tarot is a tool that has been used for centuries. Although knowledge of its history is not certain, there are several theories as to where it came from. There are also questions about how the Cards should be used. Should people use them strictly as a fortune telling device, or should they be used for meditation and self-growth? One thing is for certain though, the Tarot is an ancient tool that has evolved through the years and is still used today.

There are many theories that dance around the Tarot. One theory concerning why the Tarot works the way it does is given by Kurt Seligmann in his book "The History of Magic & the Occult" (271). The theory states that, "In nature there is no accident-that every happening in nature is caused by a pre-established law…Cards mixed at random do not yield haphazard results but a suit of figures bound magically to the diviner and the inquirer." This explanation sheds light on the whole process of reading the Cards from the occultists' point of view. He also believed that in order to read the Cards, one must use clairvoyance, as the occultist calls it, or hyperaesthesia, as the science community calls it. He believed that the Cards stimulate the mind to go into a phase of autohypnosis. Then the mind can interpret the Cards' symbols. However, there is another theory that is more commonly accepted by non-magically affiliated persons. Other readers believe that the Tarot speaks to them through the Cards' placement.

But, where did these symbols come from? Nobody really knows. There are theories that they originated in Egypt, Italy, and India. One theory is that Gypsies brought them to Egypt from India. They were safely traced back to the 15th century. However, there is evidence that Cartomancy (the art of using Tarot Cards) was being practiced long before the ancient Egyptians' time. The Egyptians called them the Tarog. This comes from the Egyptian words Tar (meaning "way") and Rog (meaning "Kingly"). Thus, the Egyptians called them "The Kingly Way." It's from this word, and the French word Tareau, that we derived their current name in our society. In his 18th volume of Primitive World, Court de Géblin stated that the Tarot came out of Egypt only because it was hidden in the costume of a game. He said that they were created by the mythic God of magic, language, writing & figuration, Thoth (known by the Greeks as Hermes). De Géblin believed that Thoth drew the likenesses of the gods in his book A-Rosh (Doctrine of Beginning). It was this book that inspired the creation of the Cards according to his theory.

The Cards had many uses in their early years. They were used as game cards for the nobility in Ferrara, Italy around 1442. Around this time, it was the Renaissance period in Europe. There was a growing interest in mystic practices. Among the most popular subjects were the Qabbalah, I Ching, and the Tarot Cards. The Italians called them Trionfi, or Triumphi, Cards. In 1510, their name was changed to Tarocchi, but a game quickly evolved, using them, that took on the same name. The two were called the same thing, Tarocchi, but references from letters and registries in Milan suggest that the Tarot Cards were once again called Triumphi, and the game was called Tarocchi, not many years later. While the Cards were well known, and used, for their game, their most significant use was as an oracle. In ancient Egypt, priests would paint the symbols of the Cards on their temple walls. Whenever they needed to consult the gods, they would throw stick at the walls. Depending on which way the sticks pointed when they fell, they would interpret the gods' will. The Cards came in use for them whenever they needed to travel. They copied the symbols on the walls of their temples to smaller leaves of paper. They would then carry their pack of Tarog Cards with them wherever they had to go. The deck was considered their conduit to the gods. It was the way they communicated with their guides on the road of life, and the deck was sacred to them.

Modern day playing cards evolved from these first Tarot Decks. A Tarot Deck is divided into two sections: one is called the Major Arcana, which represent major events on the journey of life; and the second section is called the Minor Arcana, which represents more common, mundane areas of life. The original decks were cut in half to only use the Minor Arcana. The Page of the original Tarog Deck was changed to the Jack of the modern playing card deck, and the Knight of the deck was abandoned. The suits of the Tarot Deck were retained in idea, but changed in form. Originally, the four suits were Cups, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles. These were changed by the common folk to the modern suits of our time: Hearts, Clubs, Spades, and Diamonds respectively.

The Cards were used for many things in the past, but today they have only a few especially common uses. The source of their modern day appeal is the lure of the unknown (Weinstein). The Tarot Cards are enjoying a time of rebirth and rediscovery. More and more people are using them now days than ever before. Stuart Kaplan, president of US Games Company, explained the phenomenon as "a whole new world [that's] fascinating to people." What do people use them for? There is no definite answer. They are used to "reveal hidden truths" (Bunning). They are an "ancient art" which are used to "help [one] understand [oneself] better and teach [one] how to tap [one's] inner resources more confidently" (Bunning). Still, some other people see the Tarot as a fortune telling device. While readers of the Cards will disagree with this notion, it is still a common misunderstanding. Readers say that the Cards are meant to be used "definitely more as a guidance aid in whatever area is of concern" to an individual (Tarot: the Four…). They are meant to be used to "guide [one] past the obstacles [one] may face, [stop] a destructive path, [warn], or [advise one on how to get] to the 'correct' path to obtain [one's] goal" (Tarot: the Four…). Spiritual growth is one of the most important uses of the Tarot today. Some other faculties that the Cards have been used for are psychotherapy, to free suppressed feelings and facilities (writer's block), and stimulate creative ideas.

The Cards answer whatever question they are asked by using a system of spreads and varying interpretations. The reader will determine, ahead of time, which spread, or method of laying out the Cards, that he'll use. There are many spreads, and therefore, can be used to answer nearly any question. Also, some readers will change a commonly used spread so that it reflects the current situation or area of concern. There are no set interpretations for the Cards either. Many people view the Cards in many different ways. What one individual sees in a Card isn't necessarily what a different individual will see. Readers of the Cards are not only free to interpret them by using their personal intuition, but they are encouraged to do so. This is one way that the Cards are said to "speak" to an individual.