Background
Tarot cards were used for card games from at least the mid-15th century; their use for divination grew from 18th-century French occultists such as Court de Gébelin (1781) and Etteilla. The Rider–Waite–Smith deck (1909), drawn by Pamela Colman Smith, became the most widely used reading deck.
How it works
You hold a question in mind, the deck is shuffled and cards are laid in a spread whose positions mean things like past, present and advice. Each card is read from its traditional meaning and its position.
Notes and limits
Safety: A reading is a prompt for reflection, not a prediction. Do not make medical, legal or financial decisions from cards.
Licensing: The original 1909 Rider–Waite–Smith artwork is in the public domain in the United States (and in countries with a life+70 term or shorter); later recoloured editions such as U.S. Games’ 1971 version claim copyright only on their new material. The Thoth deck artwork is still under copyright and is not used.
At a glance
- Also called
- Tarot card reading, Taromancy, Rider–Waite–Smith, RWS
- Traditions
- European esoteric, Golden Dawn
- Regions
- Europe, Worldwide / modern
- You need
- A question, A random draw
- Time
- About 5 min
- Price
- Free