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Our knowledge about the origin of tarot cards is incomplete.
We do know that they were developed in 15th-century in northern Italy, although we don't know by whom. The oldest known decks appeared in connection with certain wealthy Italian families, and were originally used for playing a parlour game called Tarocchi, a trick-taking game with trumps, or Triumphs. The mystical and divination practices associated with Tarot are widely believed to have originated in the 18th century. The study of tarot took a significant step forward in the 19th century, with the formation of a mystical society called the Golden Dawn, whose members reorganized the tarot decks into a format that was more internally consistent, drew from the magickal and qabalistic traditions of western mysticism, and integrated astrological and numerological concepts into the symbolism of the cards. These decks are known as the Rider-Waite-Smith decks collectively, and are the basis for most traditional decks you see in use today.
In more recent years, various authors and artists have developed decks in other traditions, including Pagan, Shamanistic,
Wiccan, Native American, African, and decks developed by and for women (most of the early decks were developed by men, and they have a decidedly different focus and feel to them).
These decks provide a variety of multicultural alternatives to the largely European Rider-Waite decks, and examples of many of these approaches, both traditional and multicultural, can be found on the Decks page.
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There are hundreds of tarot decks, no two alike. Examples of some can be seen on the Decks
page, and many others can be reviewed by visiting some of the sites on the Links
page. In addition to the "traditional" 19th and early 20th century decks, there are decks with every possible flavor and orientation, and quite a few that focus on specific types of artwork, mythology and legends, nature, even science fiction and fantasy. Each author, through their artwork, is expressing his or her "vision" for the tarot, and as a result, the card meanings and interpretations can vary significantly from one deck to another. It is a good idea to review the decks and choose one that feels right to you, or one where you are particularly drawn to the artwork. Choosing the right deck will result in readings that are more personally meaningful and enjoyable to receive.
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I use a wide variety of layouts, many of which I developed myself to answer questions that come up frequently. You can
view the layouts that I use most frequently on the Readings
page, and see examples of each type of reading. However, each question is unique, and I often design custom spreads for clients so that they can get a very focused and helpful reading for their particular situation.
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You can ask almost any type of question, covering any area of life or personal development. The question can be about
the past, present, or future, about your life, relationships, business, career, finances, or personal development.
If you ask about the future, please be aware that your future is not predetermined, and many things may affect or change it, including your actions and decisions and those of others, and random events. The future you will see is only what can be predicted based on events and energies that are already in motion, and represents the most likely future based on the path you are on now. You can always change what you see, and so can others.
Because tarot is designed to represent all aspects of life, there is really no question you cannot ask.
However, there are a few questions we cannot answer, for ethical and liability reasons. Because I am not a trained doctor, lawyer, or investment counselor, I cannot answer questions of a medical, legal, or
investment nature. For these questions, I recommend you seek the assistance of a professional. So for example, I am ethically and legally required not to answer questions such as whether you are pregnant, what
stock you should invest in, or whether you should sue your employer. However, I can help you with other aspects of these situations, including emotional and personal issues, coping strategies, general courses of
action or alternatives analysis. Please read my Code of Ethics below for more information.
Finally, the question you ask should be about you and your relationships with others. Doing readings that are solely
focused on another person is considered unethical and may invade their privacy. So for example, it is OK to ask "How can I improve my marriage?" but not "Is my husband having an affair?" If you would
like a reading that deeply involves another person, such as couples counseling or a joint past life reading, please obtain their permission and provide it to me as part of the reading request.
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You may phrase it any way you like, but some ways may provide you with a more useful reading than others. It is
recommended that you avoid yes/no questions. Receiving a yes or no answer does not provide you with very much information about the situation, and may not accurately reflect all the complexities involved in
the answer.
If you ask it differently you may receive a great deal more to work with. For example, instead of asking "Will my new business be successful?" you might ask "What do I need to know to make my new business as successful as possible?" This latter reading will tell about all the factors working for and against you, and gives you specific tools and advice to improve your situation – rather than being a passive observer of events. In general, try asking questions that empower you to improve the situation, that begin with how, why, what do I need to know, or other approaches that provide you with more insight into the situation.
I also recommend that you limit your reading to one topic – it may be a very complex topic, but try to avoid
asking for a reading on more than one unrelated area. It helps if you can ask your question in a fairly concise manner, then add any supporting information in your additional comments. Supporting
information is very useful for the tarot reading, but is not required.
Every tarot card is intended to represent abstract phases of life, and can have a wide variety of meanings depending on the question, the client's situation, and the type of reading being conducted. For example, court cards can represent aspects of your own mind and personality, or they can represent other people. If I know a little about who is involved in your situation, I can more easily determine whether a court card represents you or someone else. While I trust the Universe to give me the cards that are right for you, I am not infallible in interpreting them and I do not consider myself a psychic channeler. So, just as you would with any professional you were asking to help you solve a problem, providing background information is helpful.
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What is your Code of Ethics?
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Writing a personal code of ethics is one of the steps required to obtain professional certification from the American Tarot
Association, and is intended to protect both you, the client, and me, the reader. Here is my code of ethics:
Code of Ethics
1. I will honestly report what I see in the reading, and will do my best to provide helpful interpretations of any card
that may come up, good or bad.
2. I will ensure that my clients are aware that their actions may affect the outcome of any reading and that they know
they have free will and the responsibility to exercise it.
3. I will not give legal, medical, or investment advice, nor any other professional advice for which I am not qualified.
4. I will not conduct readings on anyone other than the client, or any other reading which violates my personal ethics
or those of the American Tarot Association.
5. I will do readings in such a way that they provide help and assistance to all involved.
Readings will be compassionate and responsible, and will offer solutions to problems. If it is not possible to answer a question without actual or potential harm to the client or others, the question will be rephrased or the reading declined.
6. I will be prompt, honest, friendly and respectful in all communications and transactions with my clients.
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What does it mean if I get reversed cards?
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A "reversed" card is a card that comes up upside-down in the reading. Many tarot books you will find have assigned
some pretty negative meanings to reversed cards, but most tarot readers don't read them that way.
Every card has positive and negative aspects, although there are some cards that are mostly positive or mostly negative regardless of whether they are upright or reversed. The meaning of a reversed card varies quite a bit with the situation, but can include any of the following:
- an area in which you are having difficulty or problems
- an energy, resource, or path forward which is available but temporarily blocked
- something which is not likely to happen (requires several reversed cards)
- something that is hidden or deceptive
- something that needs to be released or let go of
- a negative influence or unhelpful person
- negative aspects of a personality (court cards)
- something that is very far in the future or which is not ready to happen yet
- any alternative meaning assigned by the reader before the reading
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Can tarot readings predict the future?
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Reading tarot is a bit like reading weather charts – you can look at things that have already happened and historical
patterns, what is happening now, what energies are forming, and the natural consequences of these trends into the future. However, the future is affected by your free will and that of others, and every action
you take and decision you make changes it. The future, like the weather, is also affected by random and unpredictable events. Tarot can show you an extension of the path you are already on or events that
are a probable result of things that are already happening, and hence a likely future.
But it may not be able to show you things that are very far out in the future, things that are strongly dependent on the future actions of others or decisions that have not yet been made, or outcomes that are strongly influenced by random factors – such as gambling. Any attempt to "predict" events that cannot reasonably be considered a natural outcome of a current trend is considered fortune-telling, which is strongly discouraged by most ethical readers and is illegal in some states.
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Can I change the outcome of my reading?
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Always. Your future is not predetermined, and you have free will, along with the right and responsibility to exercise
it.
A tarot reading should never be accepted as an absolute prediction of things to come, but rather an encouragement if you are on the right path, or a warning of what may come if you continue down a destructive path. Tarot readings should be considered tools for making positive changes in your own life and for understanding the influences at work in any situation. Clients have the ultimate responsibility for using this information and making their own decisions.
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What if I have questions about the reading afterwards?
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Please feel free to e-mail me with your questions at Thrysse@tarotmoon.com. I
will usually respond within a day or so.
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I don't have a personal e-mail account. Can I have the reading sent by mail?
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Yes, you can. There is a place on the order form to designate how you would like your readings sent. This is
also a good approach if your e-mail account does not easily accept graphics files, as I usually send an attachment showing the cards you receive in your reading. For mailed readings, I can print out a color
copy of the cards you receive.
You may also order readings through the website for someone who does not have access to a computer. Please make sure you let me know where to send the reading and a little bit about that person and their situation.
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Is it possible to have a reading over the telephone or in person?
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At this time, to protect my privacy and that of my family, I do not do in-person readings.
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How soon will I receive my reading?
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Following receipt of your payment, the time required to conduct your reading depends on the size of the reading.
Readings up to 10 cards are likely to be done within a day, larger readings within 2-3 days, depending on my workload. On rare occasions (such as vacations, illness, or business travel) it may take longer. I will always acknowledge receipt of your payment with an e-mail, and will let you know when to expect your reading at that time.
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What do you do with my personal information?
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Your personal information is only used to conduct the reading and to communicate with you about your reading.
It will never be given, sold, or otherwise provided to anyone. I need your birthdate to ensure that you are at least 18 years of age, and it is also helpful for numerological and astrological aspects of the reading. Your gender is important for an accurate reading. Your contact information is only used to communicate about and send you your readings.
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How do I use PayPal to make an on-line payment?
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