Welcome to Tarot Mania. You are about to embark on an exciting journey into the world of Tarot.

Learning to read the Tarot will help you to:

• fine tune your intuitive abilities
• discover your own psychic ability
• become more confident when dealing with others
• feel empowered when reading for others
• understand the importance of tarot in your daily life

HISTORY OF TAROT

The history of tarot has been widely documented over the years, but no one really knows how or where it originated. Reports have been documented that it originated in Italy around 1392. Bringing the Tarot images to life was an unknown Parisian painter who was commissioned by a wealthy Italian aristocratic family who wanted them painted for decoration around their mansion. The wife of the family had overheard talk in the local village about a game that the peasants played called “Le Tarote”. Intrigued, she set out to find out more about “Le Tarote” and subsequently she discovered the hidden meaning behind the cards and was determined to transfer those meanings into images.

Many historical writings about ancient cultures contain hidden references to the tarot, some even dating as early as 2000BC. The term Gypsy, is derived from the word Egypt, where egyptian nomads travelled to Europe and popularised the term “fortune telling”, using tarot cards and crystal balls to see into the future.

Modern society is now accepting and beginning to understand the role of tarot and how it can be used as a tool for self development, self empowerment and the opportunity to discover more about yourself. Sit back, grab your cards, and get ready to learn the secrets of the ancients hidden in the tarot.

  

TAROT TIP FOR THE WEEK Try this visualization to help you understand the energy of the Chariot. Imagine yourself standing at the bottom of a mountain and you look up and see the top. At the top there is a treasure chest waiting to be opened. You take a deep breath and prepare yourself to climb to the very top. Halfway up the mountain, you pause to take a deep breath. Your lungs are bursting, your legs are tired and there is doubt in your mind as to whether you will make it to the top. You have a choice, you can either keep going, or descend to the bottom. You decide to keep going and eventually reach the top, feeling the thrill of achievement flowing through your veins. This is the power of the Chariot, encouraging you to move forward, never giving up. The Tarot is made up of 78 cards and divided into two sections - the Major arcana (22 cards), and the Minor arcana (56 cards). This week we look at the next card in the Tarot Journey – the Chariot.

7 The Chariot – Victory, Control, Resolution

The underlying theme behind the Chariot is one of victory and achievement. The Chariot helps you to understand the conflicts and struggles that lay within our hearts and our power to overcome those difficulties through action and strength. The element of struggle can be a positive thing in our life because it forces us to make decisions and release our inner strength which can propel us forward. We make decisions each day, from the moment we open our eyes in the morning, to the time we put our head on the pillow at night. Each time we make a decision our inner critic is constantly forcing us to review those choices and take action. Our inner turmoil represents various parts of our personality which continually challenge us to make the right decisions and maintain control. All these elements are the basis of the Chariot, the card that represents the thrill of victory and personal achievement.  
  
The image of the Chariot forces us to look at our choices without judgement and criticism. Guilt is a result of being torn between two paths, your inner desires battling to make a decision. Sometimes we are torn in two directions, our minds unable to make a decision to satisfy the hidden desires of our psyche. When we do make a decision, we have a choice to either accept it with an open heart and move forward with strength and pride, or allow regret and sorrow to cloud our soul. This is when we realise the questions “what if”. Without it though, we would never learn the true meaning of courage and conviction, our souls would never learn. If there were no conflict, our will would never know how to assert itself. We would never be able to find our true desires or allow ourselves to take action, because we would always be sitting around thinking about what to do.  
  
The Chariot asks you to face those inner conflicts and learn to take control. The sense of purpose and success arise only when we have been in a struggle and have learned to overcome our fears. For without conflict, there is no progress and the individual’s identity remains hidden. The Chariot represents movement and resolution, a sense of going forward and leaving the past behind. The parts our of personality that fight for dominance are the very things that spark our passion for success and victory. The struggle is internal, the outcome is success. For when you decide to take charge of your affairs, the opportunities will present themselves.  
  
Allow the power of the Chariot to flow into your life when you draw this card. You are ready to leave the past behind, you have arrived at a time when you know you will be faced with more choices, but it is the very act of actually doing something which marks the beginning of your new journey. You are being challenged to find new solutions, open up new doors, be receptive to new opportunities. You will still encounter distractions along the way, but you have the power and determination to keep on course. This is what the Chariot wants you to feel. It is okay to accept the opposites forces of your personality, for they bring to you the gift of compromise and help you learn to accept your own personal power. The Chariot offers you the chance to overcome obstacles, face your fears and ride into the future with the feeling of victory in your heart.  
  

TAROT VIBE Think about a time in your past when you felt you had taken a wrong turn in your life. Did those decisions change the course of your life and have you ever thought “what if”, and what would have happened if you had taken another route? Go back to the time you made the choice, and visualize yourself taking the other road. You have the opportunity in your heart to change those experiences and transform them into a positive for your future. The key to this exercise is to help you resolve those decisions and create an energy of healing surrounding that choice.

  

Inpsyche Recommended Reading and Tarot Decks

Books:	The Power of Now – A GUIDE TO SPIRITUAL ENLIGHTENMENT    Eckhart Tolle
	Crossing Over – THE STORIES BEHIND THE STORIES    John Edward
	The Four Agreements – A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO PERSONAL FREEDOM    Don Miguel Ruiz

  

Tarot Decks:	The Mythic Tarot
	The Rider Waite Tarot
	Osho Zen Tarot