So Many Spreads So Little Time: The Celtic Cross, Three Card Spread, Five Card Spread, Six Month Spread, I can go on and on.  The Tarot has a number of different way in which the cards can be read.  Some decks have their own spread suggestions and some decks stick with the basic spreads.  When I first learned the Tarot as a teenager, I learned using the Celtic Cross Spread but as the years went on I slowly developed my own spread incorporating what I felt was coming naturally to me into the traditional Celtic Cross. When it comes to readings you have to go with what seems natural and…

Well here is an interesting tidbit of information.  I was reading recently that some people believe that the word Tarot might be derived from the word Torah.  The Torah is the Hebrew Holy book and is the name given to the five books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The word Torah basically means “Instructions” or “Law”. However, when looking at the Tarot you can clearly see that the images depicted in many of the early decks had a Catholic influence and cultural background and in according to scholars there is no evidence presented to date that shows any form of Jewish practice or influence on the creation…

I know I’ve spoken about the Magician’s card in the past but I wanted to talk about him yet again as we begin the new year. Why? Well the Magician is the first card of the deck symbolized by the number one.  The Magician is a representation of a higher power or as some would call him “God” when he is present during a reading the Magician reminds you that you have all the tools you need to forge ahead as in the story of his meeting with the fool the Magician forces you to look at your life and reminds you of how lucky you truly are.  He holds…

It’s that time of year when we all head out to the stores in search of the perfect holiday gift for that special someone.  If your looking for the perfect deck of cards to give as a gift or stocking stuffer I though I’d give you some suggestions. My favorite deck of course is the traditional Rider-Waite deck the art is classic and the cards are the most recognizable cards available.  I prefer the Rider deck because it makes the readings a bit simpler to explain to my clients when I’m reading them. Then there is the Deviant Moon Deck this Deck has amazing and gothic art work the deck…

As we enter into the month of “Thank Giving” I wanted to discuss two of the cards in the Tarot Deck that come about to remind us to give thanks for what we have.  A lot of the time as we coast through life we forget to keep mindful of how thankful we are. That being said I’m going to discuss The Sun.  The Sun cards in general means that things are going fairly well for you and even in it’s reversed state the Sun means good things however in the reverse state the card specifically reminds you that you have to be thankful of what you have no matter…

Now we all know what time of year is upon us….yes it’s our favorite holiday full of ghouls and ghost, candy and pumpkins Halloween! But did you know why else October is such a special time of year? It is believed that during this time of year the veil that separates the world of the living and the world of spirits is thin cumulating on October 31st when the veil is at it’s thinnest.  This belief goes way back to ancient times when the Celts believed that during this time the souls of the dead would come back.  October 31st was known as Samhain and was celebrated as the new…

The Magician The Magician is the first card of the tarot deck marked with the number one above the image. The image shows a man standing behind a table one arm stretched upwards holds a wand the other arm stretched downward points towards the ground.  Above his head floats a symbol of infinity around his waist a snake also a symbol of infinity. He is surrounded by a white halo and on his table are the four suits of the tarot the chalice, the sword, the staff and the pentacle. The magician is a spiritual being when I encounter the Magician while doing a reading he represents the all.  He…

So this month I wanted to share with you some important tips when reading card for a client.  Well, at least these are things that I do when I am reading for a person.  So I’m just going to go right into it. When I am reading for a person for the first time I remind myself that they might be just a tad anxious and frankly scared about the reading.  Some people show up thinking that you’re going to tell them the exact date and time of death or that you’re going to give them horrible news.  Now although it’s important not to sugar coat your reading and hide…

I was doing some shopping a few weeks ago and I came across a little deck of cards. Now these really aren’t tarot cards per say however I though that they merit mention and this will be my first deck review of the column. The deck is called Goddess on the Go by Amy Sophia Marashinsky with art by Melissa Harris.  Each card is 3.5 x 2 and the art work is beautiful with muted colors and soothing images.  The cards are described as love letters to women and they also come with a handy dandy booklet which is chockfull of affirmations. Each card has it’s own affirmation written on…

I’m very excited about being a part of Pagan Pages and being able to share my knowledge of the Tarot with readers.  Although I’m not an expert I have been reading cards for over 20 years and have also grown quite a collection of cards most of which I don’t use because I have a preference for the Traditional Rider-Waite cards myself however, the Tarot and its history have always interested me and so here I am to share a little of my knowledge with you. The Tarot is believed by some to be as old as ancient Egypt, but according to historians the tarot didn’t come about till much…