If Tarot cards don't tell the future what do they do and how do they work?

Answer 1

No, they don't tell the future -- nothing can except God, and he's not telling.

Several answers already given have basically the right idea. Tarot is a complex set of symbols -- in fact each card contains numerous symbols -- and by meditating on the images it is possible to gain access to aspects of oneself that are normally hidden. Thus it's possible to use Tarot to gain in self-knowledge. Tarot isn't the only way to do this; it probably isn't even the best way; but for some people it works and may in practice be the only thing that does work.

I saw an Irish monk on telly recently describing his own use of Tarot cards. He said that what Tarot can do for people is similar to what liturgy and scripture meditation are intended to do (at least in part) but in fact do not do for most people. He claimed that the origins of the Tarot are Christian and that the system of symbols in the Tarot is Christian -- that is, it reflects a traditional Christian worldview. By using the cards to enter into this vision of the world it's possible actually to deepen one's faith. (I know the hardcore rightwingers will blow a gasket if they read that!)

This only scratches the surface of what the Tarot is about. The books below discuss it further.

Answer 2

Tarot cards give you answers to questions. Like...Should I take the job in Denver?

The cards will tell you past experiences that brought up the change to come, influences that can hinder the move, possible future experiences that may occur due to the move.

These will not be cut and dry and are basically like advice NOT yes or no.

It is a guide like dream interpretation. You can either heed the cards or not.

I personally adore my Tarot, but they are not for everyone, but the history of the Tarot is interesting and they are a form of art if nothing else.

Answer 3

The many different tarot decks available will all portray symbolic imagery which must then pass through your psychic senses and, given the context of the questions asked, bring forth a tarot card meaning that significantly answers your question.

You can use this four minute video as a brief meditation on the tarot that, repeatedly viewed, will help you learn how to read tarot cards psychically. http://www.psychic-junkie.com/tarotvision.html

Answer 4

Tarot cards are random - just like your regular deck of 52 cards.

They don't do anything - they turn up just randomly as your fortune cookies do. What's more important is what the *tarot* reader does.

Tarot reading (and horoscopes for that matter) rely on one basic psychological trick: The Forer Effect ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forer_effect )

The Forer effect is amazingly simple to observe. For instance, if I tell you "You will be successful" - I never specify exactly WHAT you'll be successful at. But, later on, you'll experience some kind of success (doesn't everyone?) and attribute what I told you to be factually descriptive of you. While this may be true, I didn't actually do anything special - I named an attribute that generally applies to everyone. I can do the same for basically any topic too - you will be lucky in love, you will joke with your friends, you will ...

See? Simple. It's not the cards - it's the reader. Now go demand your $50 back. ;)

Answer 5

Tarot is a old and popular French card game similar to Rook. Anything else you do with the cards is useless. Yes, it's the same deck, but the card version has numbers on it.

Answer 6

They don't, it's how you interpret them. All they are are normal playing cards (which is what they started off being) with some added cards (the major arcana). You can pull out a set of poker cards and do the same thing as you can with tarot cards.

Answer 7

Tarot cards are very real if done by a true Witch not just anybody can deal Tarot cards for answers, it must be doen by a Witch and I had mine doen and it showed love and money all over. The devil card was far from me. It has been true.

Answer 8

I have a neighbor who is a tarot card reader. She uses them as a type of Jungian device for self-exploration.
I guess it could work, but most people are probably not that introspective.

Answer 9

I believe tarot cards are simply a tool to help the medium put their intuitive feelings and insight into coherant sentences and thoughts. As a medium, I can tell you that insight doesn't often come to me as words or even pictures. It comes to me in feelings. The cards simply help me put those feelings into words so I can communicate those intuitive feelings.

My husband (who is an atheist) and I have often wondered exactly how the ability to read cards works. Let's just say that with some readings I'm so dead on (and can tell people ages, dates, relationship of individuals, etc...) when I do readings, it scares people. One gal refused to come back to our house. So my husband suggested that maybe I'm a "receiver" and the people I read for are somehow projecting their thoughts? As if it's some form of slightly developed telepathy?

Answer 10

The cards themselves do not tell the future.

They work because your subconscious mind IS connected to your super conscious mind via an aka cord, and your super conscious mind ('aumakua to the Hawaiians, Neshamah for Kabbalists, Tunkashila for Lakota Indians), and your superconscious mind IS aware of the future. When you mix up the cards; your subconscious mind stacks the deck that will fortell future events.