Reading tarot cards is a form of Divination, using a deck of 78 Cards: 22 Trumps or Major Arcana, and 56 Minor Arcana. The first Tarot deck seems to have appeared in Mediaeval times, though there is one legend that it goes back to Ancient Egypt. Aside from its divinatory uses, the Tarot is used Occult orders such as the Golden Dawn where the cards are closely mapped onto the various concepts of the Qabalah, especially the Tree of Life, and even the Golden Dawn conceptions of Astrology and the Cosmos.

Reading tarot cards takes time, patience and practise - but quite rightly so, you don't want to give inaccurate information  to the person whose tarot cards you are reading! Whilst tarot tradition is secured within the Occult, there is nothing sinister about the practise of reading tarot cards, any more that the Death card actually resembles death! (In fact the Death card symbolises renewal, a new beginning - whether wanted or not!) This recommended selection of tarot card books will help you in your journey towards understanding tarot card meanings and the reading of tarot cards. We have come across some free downloads to help you in this process which you can access by clicking here.