An abundance of psychological research has suggested a strong link to the time we devote to a person and the quality of the ensuing relationship. This time is the same whether we are talking about familial, friendly, or romantic relationships. There is something almost magical about two hours of devoted time per week. It works for other activities too (such as learning and practicing a skill or task, exercising, or improving health and well-being in nature), and it is especia

Over the years, I have worked with many clients on resolving numerous troubles, hardships, and addictions. Perhaps the most pernicious and dangerous of these bad habits is drinking alcohol. Plenty of people admit that they wish to stop drinking. The reasons for wanting to quit alcohol are numerous. When drunk, obviously people do stupid things. Although they can still recognize risks, they tend not to care about either the risks or the associated consequences. Yes, drinking c

Visit countless Tarot websites, blogs, and shops and you will see the same disclaimer posted everywhere: "For entertainment only!" If you are a client hoping for a serious Tarot reading, whenever you see this disclaimer...run in the other direction. If you were to visit a therapist's or doctor's office and see a big sign that read "For entertainment only!"...wouldn't you turn and run the other way? Of course! Then why would you risk your psychological, emotional, physical, an

A well-crafted, traditional Tarot reading is able to clear away anxiety and worry, as well as provide actionable advice for dealing with and moving on from catastrophe and trauma. Thus it is little wonder that many people seek out a Tarot reading when they have encountered hardship, reached a life milestone, and struggled with love and romance. Many people with some familiarity with Tarot will try to perform a self-reading for themselves in times of trouble. This makes sense;

Is it necessary to be "gifted" your first Tarot deck? The short answer is no, but continue reading if you wish for more explanation. This is a question asked frequently by newcomers to Tarot who have done a little research online or through word-of-mouth. Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about Tarot, making public word-of-mouth near useless. The internet is not much better, because sources must be analyzed and considered carefully. This is a difficult thing for so

People have different opinions regarding Tarot reading, based on their own spiritual beliefs (or lack thereof) about the supernatural and its existence (or nonexistence). In this article, we will explore the three basic "types" of Tarot readers, so you can decide which path to follow (if you wish to perform Tarot readings) or, if you are a client, find the right Tarot reader for you. Many in the Wiccan or New Age community, and newer/inexperienced Tarot readers, will claim al

When you are traveling, you may enjoy taking your Tarot cards with you. After all, you may need to perform a reading for a client along the way, or you may wish to perform a daily reading for yourself. In this article, we will discuss various ways you can transport your Tarot cards safely. In the Deck Box This is often the simplest method. Many Tarot decks now come in small boxes which are suitable for carrying the deck around. However, this depends on the deck in question. S

Many beginning Tarot readers use and learn from premade Tarot spreads. While these can be helpful in some respects, they can also be extremely confusing and self-defeating when misunderstood. In this article, you will learn how best to use premade Tarot spreads, and when to custom-design a Tarot spread instead. Purposes of Premade Tarot Spreads Premade Tarot spreads are intended for only these purposes: 1. Teaching Tarot to new readers 2. Answering common questions 3. Providi

On the path to spiritual and personal development, every day is an opportunity for growth, advancement, and progression. But sometimes the path is not so clear. Sometimes it is obscured and even blocked. Many times complacency in self-improvement can set in, simply because we lack the clarity to understand what we ought to focus upon at any given time. This problem can be resolved via a daily one-card Tarot reading. The single card drawn will show the theme and concept which

The best way to answer your question is to understand what Tarot is (in a traditional sense): it is a series of images which feature symbols that have relevant meaning for human life and existence. ​ Let us look at that statement again, a little closer: Tarot is a series of images which feature symbols that have relevant meaning for human life and existence. ​ Therefore, when we consider Tarot cards---especially for professional readings and consultations---we need cards that

In this article, you will learn how to avoid one of the most common errors in performing a Tarot reading, which is using multiple Tarot cards in a single position. Imagine that you are performing a reading to answer this question: "Should I be in this relationship?" This is a yes/no question, and requires a straightforward yet precise answer. See my article on how to perform a Yes/No reading correctly. The mistake would be to do something along these lines: in the first posit

Sometimes, people want to "redo" or "repeat" their Tarot reading with the same question or about the same situation. In this article, you will discover whether this is a wise thing to do. The answer depends on whether we are talking about people performing self-readings or clients who desire readings. SELF-READINGS ​ If you are performing a self-reading, then these are the three most common reasons why you may ask the same question multiple times: Your situation has changed n

Because Tarot reading is such a broad and disparate field, with readers of vastly different styles and quality, narrowing down how much is reasonable for a Tarot reading is difficult to do. In this article, I will show you how much reasonably to expect to pay, or charge, for a quality Tarot reading. Perhaps you are looking for a Tarot reader, and want to find out what the "going rate" for a reading is. You do not want to get ripped off or to waste your money, but at the same

The most common kind of question to ask the Tarot is one which seeks a straightforward "yes" or "no" response. Let us address this, first: this type of question is often not the most effective. Rather, the best questions for depth of thought, serious advice, and meditative purposes are open-ended questions. That having been said, sometimes the client (or the Tarot reader performing a self-reading) does not have time, focus, or need for a lengthy, detailed, open-ended reading.

Honesty is important for everyone, not only Tarot readers, of course. But in an industry with an unfortunate but well-deserved reputation for liars and con artists, with so-called psychics who hope to scam gullible and naive victims out of hundreds if not thousands of dollars, honesty can go a long way to distinguishing your Tarot reading business from countless others. One of the reasons why I have always referred to myself as a "professional consultant", first and foremost,

In the 14th century, the first playing cards for gaming and gambling entered Europe via the Near East. These cards featured the basic suits we still see in Tarot decks: Batons (now "Wands"), Coins (now "Disks" or "Pentacles"), Swords, and Cups. At first, people merely used these cards to play various games or to gamble, no different from how we use simple playing cards today. Within a couple of decades, new Tarot decks arrived, which included "trump cards" featuring images de

Before we can know Tarot's place in history, we have to understand the history of symbolism itself. "A picture is worth a thousand words," as the saying goes; pictures of creatures, events, and even metaphysical concepts can transmit ideas oftentimes more quickly and effectively than the spoken or written word. Pictures---symbols---are especially valuable for possessing less ambiguity, in many cases, than words, which can be twisted and misunderstood due to all kinds of facto