| The story of tarot cards started around the 15th | | | | card. |
| century, one century after cards were introduced in | | | | Along with the evolving interpretations to the |
| Europe starting with the newly rising towns in Italy | | | | meaning of tarot cards come new methods for card |
| like Milan, Ferrera, and Bologna. The evolution of | | | | readers to express the message to the average Joe. |
| Tarot as we know it today has a variety of stories | | | | Today, face-to-face card readings are being replaced |
| and legends. The mystical quality of tarot cards | | | | by phone and online readings. However, for full |
| intrigues historians, scholars, spiritualists, and | | | | impact and experience, face-to-face card readings still |
| hobbyists. Tarot cards were first used as game | | | | trump other methods. Face-to-face tarot readings |
| pieces much like regular decks, far different from | | | | allow the person to choose his face-down card, |
| what we think of tarot cards today, although a | | | | giving him a semblance of control to his fortunes. |
| reference to Tarot as a set of devil cards was made | | | | Face-to-face readings are common in community |
| as early as 1450. The culture of tarot cards started in | | | | fairs, parties, and in the streets. The price of a tarot |
| Egypt, which is the same civilization that championed | | | | card reading varies depending on the popularity of |
| astrology. | | | | the reader and how much detail the person wants to |
| A typical tarot deck contains 78 cards consisting of | | | | know about his future. |
| the four suits seen in regular card games, which are | | | | Alternative tarot card reading methods include phone |
| hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs. The Latin | | | | and online readings. While there are free Internet |
| version of the tarot deck has a different set of suits. | | | | sites to read your fortunes, they are only for show |
| They are swords, batons, cups, and coins. Like a | | | | or offered as a gimmick. On the other hand, |
| regular deck, tarot cards are numbered from one to | | | | professional tarot card readers offering their services |
| ten plus the four court cards; jack, queen, king, and | | | | over the phone can cost about £5.00 per reading. |
| ace. | | | | Card reading over the phone offers a different |
| The difference between a tarot deck and the regular | | | | approach to commercial tarot card reading, since the |
| deck is the twenty-one divinity cards known as | | | | customer can have a hotline to know his fortunes on |
| Major Arcana. A joker equivalent in the tarot deck is | | | | demand. Card reading allows people to have their |
| called the Fool, or the excuse. The Fool can take all | | | | fortunes checked every morning, which is both |
| four suits and acts as the strongest trump card. | | | | convenient and lifestyle altering. |
| Meaning is assigned to each card in a tarot deck; | | | | Tarot card divination may not be a real science; it |
| however, the specifics of interpretation are impacted | | | | may not be as accurate as some people would like |
| by the layout of the cards, whether they are upright | | | | to believe, but the market for tarot is ever growing |
| or reversed, and the interpreter’s own reading. | | | | through the availability of readings online and in other |
| Many of the cards in the major arcana, the trump | | | | similar mediums. While this is so, there is still a large |
| cards, are fairly logical. The Lovers represent love, in | | | | demand for face-to-face tarot reading because of |
| some capacity, while Strength is symbolic of courage | | | | the mystique and interactivity. A fair judgment of the |
| and drive. Each of the cards in the minor arcana also | | | | industry is that it is growing in its different aspects - |
| carries meaning when used for divination, based on | | | | whether it is face to face, on the phone, or by some |
| both the numeric value of the card and which suit it | | | | other medium. While society drives itself into a more |
| is. Meanings of each card can be found online, in | | | | scientific future, the appeal of astrology, especially in |
| books, or simply by interpreting the images on the | | | | tarot cards, is still growing fast. |