Now we’ll address Tarot. That’s right, those cards often used in fortunetelling. Originating in 15th century Europe as normal playing cards, tarot cards evolved into tools of divination. A variety of versions of tarot
card decks exist, including the Marseille and Rider decks… But in
respect of the great magician Crowley, we will be using the Thoth deck.

First, let’s talk about the composition of the deck… The modern 78-
card tarot deck is divided into two parts. There are 22 Major Arcana –
the face cards – and 56 Minor Arcana, or number cards…

The Minor Arcana are also sometimes called pips. The Major Arcana
feature a variety of illustrations on their faces. Beginning with “The
Fool” and ending with “The World”… they tell a story in numerical order
that is a metaphor of an individual’s journey through life.

Each Major Arcana represents a stage on that journey… an experience
that the individual must incorporate to realize his oneness. They are all
important, so let’s take a look at each of the 22 cards, one by one.
The first card, numbered 0, is The Fool. It represents the beginning and
suggests infinite possibilities.

The next card, The Magician, represents action and initiative… but also
immaturity.

The Priestess represents contemplation and inner knowledge.

The Empress represents motherhood and the life it brings forth.

The Emperor is an opposing card. It represents fathering and relates to
leadership and decision-making skills.

The Hierophant represents formality and knowledge, and stands for
religion.

The Lovers card represents choice. Here, the individual’s
consciousness has finally surfaced.

The Chariot represents victory for the individual, but only a momentary
one.

Justice represents the knowledge of what is right, and what is wrong.

The Hermit represents the individual’s search for answers by looking
inward deep inside his heart.

Fortune represents fate, and the opportunities that come with it.
Strength represents both passion and self-control. It is depicted as
power with reason.

The Hanged Man reflects the individual’s inability to take action.
Spiritual death awaits the individual with the 13th card, which is aptly
named Death. Death is considered a transitional card… The old ends,
and the new begins. Now let us continue along the path, following the
transition.

Temperance is the balancing of opposites. Opening his eyes to the
world allows the individual to grow…

And as The Devil represents, he then faces temptation…

At The Tower, his values collapse on him. It seems as if he no longer
has anything to believe in, but…

… He then finds a glimmer of hope, represented by The Star; and he is
suffused with a serene calm.

This bliss makes him vulnerable to the illusions of The Moon. Fears
arise, and he follow the dim path in his heart with trepidation…

But he is rewarded with a bright future, represented by The Sun, which
signifies true achievement.

Judgement awaits the individual at the end of his journey, as he looks
back on the path he has travelled.

The final card is The World, which represents the individual’s full
awareness of his place in the world.

That is the growth of an individual as explained by the tarot cards.
Now, you can use all the 78 cards to divine the future in detail… but
most people only use the 22 Major Arcana.

Okay. Next, let’s talk about how to tell fortunes using the Major
Arcana. First, you will need to shuffle the cards. If a card is reversed, its
meaning will change, so it’s important…