Tarot Technique
The tarot deck consists of 78 illustrated cards divided into four suits similar to the suits in a deck of playing cards. There are also "court cards" (queen, king, etc.), and a group of cards called the Major Arcana (symbolic figures or forces such as the devil, the moon, the star, the hanged man, etc.). Based in a tradition going back at least a thousand years, each card bears a symbolic meaning.

Despite that tradition, tarot card readings are highly varied. The reader can consult a single card, or lay a number of cards out in a traditional "spread," or pattern. Any given card can take on a variety of meanings depending upon its placement in the spread, its position (facing right side up or "reversed"), and the reader's interpretation of the card's symbolism. Some readers forgo the traditional meaning of the card altogether to focus on tiny details in the illustrations. Others look for resonances among the cards within the spread.

When he first started out, Chris' readings were much more mechanical. "I was about 12 years old then, so of course, I simply memorized the handbook. I created flashcards for myself and learned what each card meant. When I read the cards, I simply repeated those textbook meanings."

He's since learned that is not how one reads tarot cards. "Doing a reading is a bit like visiting an art gallery," he explains. "A painting says something to you, but you're also constructing the meaning. In a different situation on a different day, the painting might say something different." It works the same way with cards. "You look at the card, you consider its traditional meaning, you analyze the person and what you know of their situation, and you let the card speak to you."