The origins of the Tarot, and what does it have to do with gypsies?

The origins of the Tarot are mysterious. We can be sure that in Italy in the fifteenth century, tarot was a popular card game. The rich paid for the production of beautiful cards, some of which have survived to this day. The Visconti-Sforza, which appeared in 1450 or a little earlier, is one of the earliest tarots and is very complete.

Later, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a number of well-known scholars of the occult (the study of astrology, alchemy, and other knowledge) discovered the Tarot. These people were fascinated by the Tarot and realized that the pictures on the cards held great power, and were by no means simply a card trick. They revealed (or envisioned!) the They revealed (or envisioned!) the "real" history of the Tarot, linking the cards to secret religious rituals, esoteric philosophies, magic, alchemy, and other mysteries of ancient Egypt. They trace it all the way back to the early twelfth century, when the Tarot was combined in the practices of several secret societies, including the Order of the Golden Dawn (Note: See Simon, Schuster, The Tarot: History, Mystery and Lore ----Simon & Schuster, The Tarot: History, Mystery and Lore, 1992. Mystery and Lore, 1992).

Despite the Tarot's roots in the ancient occult, interest in the Tarot has continued to evolve in recent decades in many different directions. Many new tarot decks have been created to reflect these new perspectives. Examples include the Native American Tarot (Native American), the Herbal Tarot (herbal), the Dragon Tarot (dragon), and the Japanese Tarot (Japanese).

Tarot cards are primarily viewed as a divination tool. In traditional tarot divination, the interpretation of the cards is done by two people***: one is called the "questioner" ---- who has a personal problem and wants to find an answer, and the other is called the "interpreter" ---- who knows how to interpret the meaning of the cards. After the questioner shuffles and cuts the cards, the solver arranges the selected cards in a certain pattern, known as a spread. Each position in the spread has a specific meaning, and each card has its own specific meaning. The reader combines these two meanings to reveal the question of the questioner.

The process is simple, but it is seldom demonstrated in a simple way. In movies, we often see tarot card readings performed in shabby living rooms or inner rooms. An old woman, sitting in the shadows, reads the cards of a nervous young girl. The shriveled, skinny old woman raises a finger and shakes it, pointing it at a Death card. The girl fell backwards, terrified of this sign of bad luck.

To this day, a dark glow surrounds the Tarot. Some religions shun it, while the scientific community proclaims it an absurd symbol, a remnant of a dumbed-down, backward culture. Now let's put aside all these illusions and just consider it for what it is ---- It's a deck of cards with pictures. The question arises: what can we do with it?

The answer involves the subconscious ---- It exists in the depths of each of our memories and consciousness, yet manifests itself in everyday experiences. Although most of the time we ignore the activities of the subconscious mind, it profoundly influences our behavior. Sigmund Freud focused on the irrational and primitive nature of the subconscious mind in his writings. He argued that the subconscious mind is the source of the desires and demands we are most reluctant to recognize. His contemporary Carl Jung emphasized the positive and creative nature of the subconscious mind. He tried to show that the subconscious mind is a collection of those ****commonly good virtues of human nature.

Perhaps we will never know the full extent and capabilities of the subconscious mind, but there are ways to reveal it. Many methods ---- psychology, dream interpretation, visualization and meditation have been developed for this purpose. Tarot cards are also one of such tools.

Take a moment to consider a typical card from the Tarot: the Five of Swords. This card depicts a man holding three swords and looking at two other men in the distance. There are also two swords on the ground. As I looked at this card, I began to create a story around this picture. I saw a man winning a battle, content. He is complacent and happy to have captured all the swords. The other two men were defeated, frustrated and lost.

(Hey, join the Five of Swords, everyone

)