The history of the tarot is first of all that of a game played for money. It is only later, towards the middle of the 19th century, that it was adopted by occultists, soothsayers and fortune-tellers. Today, we can say that there are three ways to use the tarot in divination. These three methods correspond with the three stages of a being’s progress on the path of knowledge.
1 – The tarot of events, or tarot of matter, that of “Madame Irma”
It responds to the four basic questions: those concerning love, health, money and travel. The tarot can answer these questions, but its answers depend on the human qualities of the person who interprets the cards.
For the most part, you will have to do with a more or less enlightened amateur whose commentaries can indeed be interesting. Know, however, that no one can fix precise dates, and that the events announced can be prone to interference.
As for a professional, he will tell you whatever, consciously or unconsciously, you wish to hear. You will get your money’s worth, neither more nor less.
2 – The psychological, or emotional tarot
Certain psychologists use the tarot somewhat effectively, with occasionally remarkable results. For them it is a support, an aid to finding the right words and, even if they don’t admit it, sometimes a door to “perception” and clairvoyance.
It will be a question of your emotions, and how you live with them.
3 – The tarot of energies, or initiatory tarot, or tarot of knowledge
Beyond emotions, where these have been re-directed, you enter into the world of raw energy. This approach, practiced by people who are hard to identify, is the most successful expression of the tarot. It deals with wisdom, and the way each of us, less and less blindly, must advance.
Meeting such tarot specialists is an adventure in itself. Often-radical transformations of the being generally accompany these encounters. For them to occur, it is necessary to practice together the following traditional qualities: courage, perseverance, generosity, obedience, humility and a sense of responsibility.
They are the basic minimum required for following the path to knowledge.