Tarot reading

The tarot (first known as trionfi, and later as tarocchi or tarock) is a deck of cards, used since the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe for games such as the Italian tarochinni, the French tarot, and the Austrian Konigrufen. Many of these tarot card games are still played today. Around the end of the 18th century, some tarot card decks began to be used in parallel for divination in the form of tarotology and cartomancy, and later special ones were developed in occultism.

Like other common cards, tarot cards have 4 suits (these vary by region: French suits in Northern Europe, Latin suits in Southern Europe, and German suits in Central Europe). Each suit has 14 cards, 10 numbered cards and 4 court cards (King, Queen, Knight, and Jack). The tarot has a 21st trump card and a single card called the Fool. Depending on the game, the Fool can act as a top trump or can be used to avoid the next suit. These tarot cards, without occult symbolism, are still used in much of Europe for card games.

In English-speaking countries, where these games are not commonly played, tarot cards are used primarily for divination purposes, usually using specific sets of cards. These cards are believed to have originated in ancient Egypt, created by occult authors, or in the Kabbalah, but there is no concrete evidence of these origins or of the use of tarot for divination before the 18th century.

A session lasts between 30 minutes and 2 hours.