For those of us curious about ~the unknown,~ astrology and tarot cards are probably familiar. But there's a new trend beginning to emerge among the more mystical circles: Tarotscopes. So what are tarotscopes? They're a blend of astrology and tarotology, and they are soon to be your new obsession.
The astrology with which we are most familiar today, Western Astrology, was established over 2,000 years ago by the Babylonians. It was then refined by the Greeks and preserved by the Arab Empire, until its re-emergence in Medieval Europe. "As above, so below" became the mantra, and remains thus today.
Western Astrology uses The Zodiac — the belt of constellations through which the Sun appears to move over the course of a calendar year — as the basis for the Tropical Zodiac signs. There 12 constellations, and 12 corresponding zodiac signs. Each person has a chart that mirrors the sky the minute they were born. Astrologists utilize your chart, as well as the ever-shifting sky (and a lot of math) to determine personality characteristics and to suss out the future.
Tarot cards, on the other hand, have a less scientific beginning. The tarot card deck first emerged in 14th century Europe as the basis for a number of card games; by the early 18th century, tarot cards were being used almost exclusively for divination purposes.
A tarot deck contains 78 cards in total, a combination of the Major Arcana (22 cards with symbolic meanings regarding the material world, the intuitive mind, and the possibility for change), and the Minor Arcana, divided into four suits: Swords, Pentacles, Wands and Cups. Each suit revolves around a general theme. Cups deal with emotions, for example, while Swords tend to signal conflict or moral issues.
Reading tarot cards supposedly taps into your own intuition. You ask the cards, and the cards, in the order that you draw them, reveal the answer.
Very spooky, very cool.
Tarotscopes, in case you couldn't tell by the name, marry these two divination practices, and involve the reading of cosmic energy around the sun signs. (You know the age-old question, "What's your sign?" Your answer is your sun sign — what we usually think of when we think of the zodiac.)
One card is pulled for each sign, and that card is interpreted within the month's charts. With tarotscopes, you get a two-fold reading: The direct reading of the card, as well as the interpretation of the signs. As with many horoscope readings, a number of tarotscopes are conducted on a monthly basis.
What's particularly magical about tarotology is its use as a therapeutic tool, as a way of gaining clarity about corners of your life you may be neglecting. And with any divination method, the onus, ultimately, is placed on you. You have the ability to change your future. You have the ability to alter the cards.
So go ahead and make what you want happen.
Images: photology1971/Fotolia; Giphy (2)
