There is much myth and hoopla around the concept of Tarot Cards. Much of it is based in the belief that they are linked to the 'occult' and are somehow 'negative' or even 'evil'.

That, in my opinion, is nonsense. No offence to those of you who might think that this is true, however they are CARDS with pictures on them - about as negative as a pack of 52 on a poker table.

So, what ARE tarot cards? What do we use them for?

For us, Tarot is a means of looking at ones self. Of looking at what unconscious blocks or conscious behaviour that COULD really use some scrutiny.

We use them as a way of considering the yet-unconsidered. The 'what might I be missing' that I haven't looked at.

Tarot has a way of exposing an invisible side of a situation, a personality trait, a state of being, that may have been left unexamined.

Tarot is NOT the occult, mystical, para-normal thing the religious minds make it out to be.

Looking inward is not something negative. Motivations, states of being, impulses, drives , etc. are easy to see, ONLY if you're looking.

And let's face it, looking inward was not something I was taught at school! How about you? Did your schooling teach you how to manage your emotions? How about sensible diet and nutrition?

Looking inward is a means of healing ones-self, one's inner-self, mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually. ((All the great 'thinkers' were ponderers. They THOUGHT about things. They MEDITATED on them. They gained insight, saw something 'beyond' what the masses believed to be true. How about you?))

And for me, Tarot is a way to see what you might not have considered.

There are many types of tarot cards, many artists, many interpretation. To me, the only interpretation that matters is mine. I see what I see, I leave the rest.

Here's and example:

The figures on the cards each represent an aspect of human experience. Some are positive in nature, some are negative in nature. Some may need to be meditated upon, pondered over.

IE: This card (the star) is a representation of the story of Pandora opening 'Pandora's Box".

In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman on earth. Zeus ordered the god of craftsmanship, to create her and he did, using water and earth. The gods endowed her with many talents; Aphrodite gave her beauty, Apollo music, Hermes persuasion, and so forth. Hence her name: Pandora, "all-gifted".

Pandora had a jar which she was not to open under any circumstance. Impelled by her natural curiosity, Pandora opened the jar, and all evil contained escaped and spread over the earth. She hastened to close the lid, but the whole contents of the jar had escaped, except for one thing which lay at the bottom, and that was Hope.

This card could represent many things. That is up to the person who draws it, looking for inspiration or clarity. It might tell you to keep HOPE close to your heart in times of distress, it might tell you NOT to open that can of worms... It's all interpretation.

Isn't that what life is after all, a personal interpretation?