I recently saw numerous Tarot card readers at a visit I had at Atlantic City, New Jersey. Every block or two on the board walk there was either a palm reader, fortune teller, or Tarot card reader. This prompted me to do a little research. Where did they come from? When did they originate? Are they realistic or just fun?

The actual date and place of origin is not known. There are a few theories. One theory goes back to about 1420, when someone associated with the Milanese court, most likely not a member of the family, was inspired to create a new form of entertainment with cards. Theory has it that his inspiration is to put the allegorical figures of the triumphs on to cards, so that the game table becomes like the world. The table is the battleground where great rulers, passions, virtues, angels, devils, and the stars and planets all contend in an endless dance.

Another popular theory about Tarot cards tells that the cards have been known as "the book of divination of the gypsies". There is quite a number of theories on the origin of Tarot. Evidence seems to indicate that the first decks were created sometime between 1410 and 1430 in Italy. The tarot card deck is made up of essentially two parts. The first part contains 56 pictorial cards that are surprisingly similar to a regular deck of playing cards. The second part is made of 22 additional cards, which are called the major arcane. These cards include pictures with names such as the Fool, the Devil, Temperance, the Hermit, the Sun, the Lovers, the Juggler, the Hanged Man, and Death.

I stopped into a Tarot reader shop and asked, what made Tarot reading special to people. I was informed that Tarot reading revolves around the belief that the cards can be used to gain insight into the current and possible future situations. Some believe they are guided by a spiritual force, such as Gaia. Others believe the cards help them tap into a collective unconscious or their own creative, brainstorming subconscious. A person waiting in the shop, who I will call Phil told me, he believe in tarot and feels that having the cards read regularly helps him to prepare for the future by revealing the truths about their lives. It also helps him learn by divulging secrets about people all around them.

Tarot card reading can take on cultish or occult like aspects. In fact, there are many people who place tarot cards in the same category as other occult fortune-telling techniques such as the Ouija board, astrology, crystal balls, palmistry, and tea leaves. Of course, tarot cards are just harmless fun.

Many people regard the presidency of Ronald Reagan as one of the strongest of the 20th century. It is amazing to think that he and his wife sought the advice of an astrologer on many occasions - even on matters of world importance. I remember an article from the New York Times back in 1988 that told of Nancy Reagan turning President Ronald Reagan into a "slave to the zodiac". According to the article First Lady Reagan, relied on the stars to help schedule Air Force One takeoffs, foreign trips, surgeries, State of the Union addresses and summit meetings. For many years thousands of people worldwide, including Fortune 500 executives, Hollywood celebrities, Congressmen and U.S. Presidents, have sought out world psychic guidance and powerful insights to enrich their careers and personal lives.

Learn more about this author, James Hewitt.
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