THE LANGUAGE OF THE TAROT

Origins:
Just as ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs represent complete concepts rather than individual words, the numerology and symbolism of the Tarot does the same. The Tarot has a fragmented history that intrigues historians, scholars, hobbyists, and spiritualists alike. Nobody knows for sure exactly where or when the Tarot came into being, but in examining the symbolism of the earliest decks, it has been concluded that there is a strong Kabalistic influence both in the design and interpretation technique associated with Tarot.

Until recently, this observation supported the theory that the origin of the tarot lies within the ancient Hebrew culture. The facts we know for sure put documented references to Tarot at approximately the mid 1400′s in Italy, where one of the oldest intact decks we have today was designed by the Visconti and Sforza families. Today’s Tarot is a standardized deck of 78 pictorial cards that is divided into two main sections: the Major Arcana, which provides a broad overview, and the Minor Arcana, which fills in the blanks with detailed information.

How does Tarot work?
Many ask me “How does Tarot work?” I haven’t a clue as to “how” it works, but from the follow up calls I get from my clients, I am sure that it works. I’ve never tried to analyze the mechanism of just how this divination tool reveals information. Instead, I trust my training implicitly and rely on the meanings of the numerology and symbols on the cards. Then, I “quiet myself and listen”. Thats when my intuition kicks in, and I experience two phenomena known as “clairvoyance” and “clairaudience”. These faculties are respectively derived from the French clair (clear) + voir (to see), and clair (clear) + audience (hearing).

  • Clairvoyance is defined as “the supposed faculty of perceiving things or events in the future beyond normal sensory contact”. To be clear, I don’t see ‘visions’ as if they were real people or places as I would in real time. Rather, it is akin to remembering a movie; a clear, detailed recollection of figures and circumstances in motion depicting specific events.
  • Clairaudience is defined as “the supposed faculty of perceiving, as if by hearing, what is inaudible”. Do I hear voices? Absolutely not. Rather, it is more akin to remembering a conversation in detail.

How did you learn to read Tarot?
When I was taught to read the Tarot, my mentor gave me just one card every twenty eight days. In that time, I was to carry the card with me everywhere I went, and expected to first look at it and then gaze at it several times a day. I was also instructed to sleep with it under my pillow, so any energy and meanings it contained could be assimilated on an unconscious level as well as consciously. The entire process took about six years to complete, but when I was finished, I could hold my own with the best of readers.
I’ve been reading the Tarot ever since, and have retained many clients for more than twenty five years. I am based in New York City, and now have an office in Montclair, N.J. as well. My telephone clients call from more than thirty states in the U.S, and four countries on three continents.

Can anyone learn to read the Tarot?
Absolutely. I teach a course called “TarotXtreme”, which I offer at least once per year. Rather than put my students through the long and arduous task of learning to read in the traditional manner that my mentor used, I’ve developed a method of teaching the Tarot as a second language in eight weeks.
First, you learn to ‘write’ with the cards; then you learn to read them. By week 4, you will be performing live Tarot readings for guests under supervision. Throughout the course, there are exercises to identify and develop your intuitive ability, which is necessary to establish your own unique style of reading.

Will you be an expert reader at the end of eight weeks?
That's up to you, and how much effort you wish to apply into honing your new skill. But I can promise that you will know the meaning of each of these 78 messengers intimately, and be able to decipher their patterns as well as any seasoned reader.
Your responsibility is to develop your confidence by reading as often as you can. As with any skill, practice makes perfect and hard work manifests great reward. With the foundation you will receive in this workshop series, there’s no reason you won’t be able to read as well as any top notch professional in record time.

Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Anthony