Enjoying Tarot Cards - Computer Software
by Rosemary West
Any good country fair has its fortune teller, modeled on the image of a mysterious gypsy woman swathed in colorful scarves and dripping with earrings. In the candlelit tent, shadows flicker and her bracelets softly jingle as she shuffles the cards. "Concentrate," she whispers, as you stare at the colorful pictures, the Empress, the Knight of Cups, the Lovers, the Ace of Swords. What do they mean? Can they really predict the future?
The origin of the Tarot cards is unknown. They have been with us for hundreds of years, and are the ancestors of today's standard playing cards. Some scholars believe they originated in Egypt, and there are many symbols from Egyptian mythology pictured in the cards, as well as concepts from Europe's Middle Ages. The philosophies expressed in the lore and literature surrounding the Tarot can be found in many religious traditions, and also include material from astrology, numerology, and other metaphysical practices. C.G. Jung and other psychoanalysts have seen in the Tarot archetypical symbols of the subconscious, and many practitioners today use them as a stimulus for meditation, contemplation, and exploration of the inner mind. However, their most common use is and always has been for fortune telling.
As the Tarot traveled through history, it was adopted and adapted by many different cultures. Today, there are many variations on the physical appearance of the cards, and in some cases these different appearances include slightly altered meanings of the images presented by the cards. If you walk into a metaphysical book store, you may find hundreds of different Tarot decks and many books about the Tarot. The continuing popularity of the Tarot has led to the development of many other kinds of fortune-telling cards, including cards based on astrology, runestones, and Native American traditions.
The traditional Tarot deck consists of 78 cards. Fifty-six of these are divided into four suits: Cups, Wands, Swords and Pentacles. Each suit has fourteen cards: Ace through Ten, Page, Knight, Queen, King. This group of 56 is also referred to as the Minor Arcana. The remaining 22 cards are known as the Major Arcana, and each one portrays a scene or character symbolizing important truths about the world and human behavior.
For example, the first card in the deck is the Fool. Usually portrayed as a young man in jester's garb, carrying a backpack, the Fool represents the spirit of adventure that propels each person on the journey through life. At its best, this spirit makes us creative, independent, and adaptable. At its worst, it leads to impatient, impulsive or rebellious behavior. The card's underlying message is the importance of developing a balance between intellect and emotion, and of pursuing goals that include spiritual growth.
People are sometimes frightened by the Death card, which usually portrays a scythe-wielding skeleton garbed in black, riding a horse through the countryside. Tradition dictates that a Tarot reader may never predict a death, so the Death card symbolizes a tragedy followed by recovery, or a powerful, life-changing event.
Can cards really foretell the future? We don't know for sure. Many folks are convinced that, in the hands of the right person, the Tarot can at least help provide insight into personality and future trends. Successful fortune telling of any kind seems tied to the skill and talent of the fortune teller. When a reading is right on target, it certainly stimulates some thought. And a lot of people simply enjoy the beauty of the cards and the history behind them.
Learning to read Tarot cards can be both challenging and fun. A good Tarot reader usually has studied the interpretations of various scholars or teachers, but also adds her own experience and intuition to each reading. This is accomplished by practice.
The computer program "Personal Tarot" was designed to help both beginners and experts develop a personalized approach to reading the cards. The program's author chose not to display pictures of Tarot cards on screen, because her selection would limit the user's choices. It is important that the Tarot reader select a deck with personal appeal, and spend time practicing with it, based on the instructions in the program. For this reason, the original card descriptions which come with the program can be changed by the user, so that the program will conform to the deck he or she is actually using. This will also be useful to highly creative people who design their own cards, since they can personalize the program to match their imaginations.
"Personal Tarot" shows three different ways to lay out the cards for a reading, displaying an outline on screen for each method. The position of each card affects its meaning, and these positions are described as part of the program.
The program provides a brief interpretation for each card. This interpretation is intended to be used as the foundation for the user's own interpretation, and can, of course, be edited and expanded. The experienced reader will immediately begin making changes and adding details. The beginner will proceed more slowly. Eventually, the program will become a highly personalized reference tool.
Many users like to do readings for other people, so each reading can be printed or saved as a disk file. Once saved, the files can be edited and formatted with a word processor. Add some fancy fonts, and you'll have an entertaining and unusual gift. Some folks charge a small fee for the readings at fund-raising bazaars. Apparently the gypsy at the country fair now has a computer in her tent!
"Personal Tarot" and its printed manual can be ordered from R.K. West Consulting, P.O. Box 8059, Mission Hills CA 91346, USA. The price is $29.00 US (add $6.00 for shipping outside the USA, all checks drawn on and payable through a US bank).
R.K. West Consulting publishes a number of unusual programs on topics ranging from fortune telling to creative writing to mailing lists. For a free catalog, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the address listed above.
