Why Online Tarot Works: The Reasons Behind Its Effectiveness

Online Tarot Readings: Accuracy, Controversy, and Mechanics

After you finish reading this article, you will be able to know:

• What is online tarot and its mechanics
• Why is it so controversial and what message does tarot contain
• Why online tarot interpretation seems to be so accurate
• How to deal with time in tarot readings

What is Online Tarot?

The history of tarot cards dates back to several centuries ago and is rather mystical. Originally, they were used for playing card games and later for divination purposes. To get to know more about the history of tarot, check this page.

In this article, we will talk about online tarot which answers users' questions using tarot card spreads. This is either an application on your smartphone or a service online. How does it work? The user selects a spread depending on the life area (love, career, health) and the kind of question (about future, a decision between some variants of actions, etc.), asks the particular question and concentrates on it. Then, they draw virtual cards forming the selected spread and read the interpretations that give an answer to the question.

Skepticism is Great!

Allow me to say something surprising. Skepticism toward online tarot is far from being evil. In fact, it means that you think critically – and this is exactly what one should do before any tarot reading, digital or classical.

Here is what I have learned during the last 20 years of practicing both classic and online tarot reading. The material of cards does not matter. What really matters is your intention, the question you are asking and the willingness to hear the answers.

However, the issue is not the format itself, but the trust you can feel to the machine in order to interpret the very personal aspects of your life. Am I right?

Here is my sincere answer. The machine does not interpret. You do. A good online tarot tool offers you the symbols, spreads and exact interpretations, but the very final work is yours. The program is just a messenger. You are the one who feels which card touches you, which phrase hits home, which option opens up.

So, be skeptical, but do not take your skepticism as a closure. Allow yourself to try, see the results, and decide. This is not a blind faith; it is an experiment. And the only way to learn is experimenting.

Card readings: Controversies

In any form, tarot card reading may provoke controversy in some people for various reasons. One of them is that the major arcana cards represent development of an individual and origin and evolution of our civilization. The latter is based on some assumptions (the Magician card) that combine culture (the Emperor) and nature (the Empress) within it. The result should be the compromise, the unity (the Lovers card). Unfortunatelly, culture (anything created by humans) and nature, as opposites, are in conflict with one another.

Thus, the message of tarot is that the very idea of ideal civilization is flawed. Everything around us is RELATIVE and may be conceived differently. The freedom? Internal one is possible, but external is limited since there is always somebody who controls the situation (the Emperor). The justice? Laws (the Justice card) are imperfect since they are created by humans. Religion (the Hierophant)? A cultural product that varies among different ethnic groups. The Hierophant, the next card in the Major Arcana after the Emperor, whispers some advantageous solutions for himself into the latter's ear... Cultural norms differ widely — what is acceptable in one place may be forbidden in another, negating absolute notions of good or evil (the Chariot).

No wonder tarot, revealing the truth about human-made order, might not be favored by those thriving in the chaos and benefiting from it. It's easier to manipulate someone who sees the surrounding reality as the only and unquestionable truth.

Online Tarot Readings

Online tarot readings spark heated debates among tarot readers themselves. Arguments against include the necessity of an experienced person handling the cards, the ritualistic nature of card spreads, and the inability to read for oneself. I'll address these points, starting with the last.

Over the years, I've noticed that reading online tarot for oneself paradoxically ensures the safety of the process. Traditional readings often reflect the querent's deepest fears when emotionally charged. This has never happened in my online readings. Why emotions are sublimated in this context is unclear, but indeed they are.

Tarot reading follows a ritualistic scheme, present in tools like Advanced Tarot Online. Cards are shuffled, chosen, and the accompanying music aids in calming and focusing the mind. I see no significant differences from traditional readings.

When it comes to experience and knowledge, both should be included in a well-designed application. The user then synthesizes and extends the message using their intuition and understanding of the queried topic. Besides, nothing prevents consulting a seasoned advisor — self-readings can just clarify the issue. And I highly recommend this approach.

Timing in Tarot Readings

Often, questions posed to the tarot concern the future. We want to know what awaits us, how our problems will be resolved, how the fate of our relationships will unfold. The tarot is excellent at answering questions about the past and present, and it captures the emotions and attitudes of the people around us very well. However, we are always intrigued by the question of what the outcome of a particular matter will be and how long we have to wait for it. We demand specific information set in a concrete time frame, as if we were looking at past events a bit.

Unfortunately, to put it humorously, time in tarot is a bit like the time described in Einstein's theory of relativity. There, the passage of time depends on the frame of reference, and for example, for an object moving close to the speed of light, time will pass more slowly than for another object in a different frame of reference. Simply put, universal time does not exist; it can speed up or slow down.

When reading Tarot, we usually try to place events in time. For example, the Advanced Tarot Online application suggests that if the time frame is not included in the question, the described future events will materialize within a few months, up to half a year. However, mistakes are not uncommon; remember that humans have free will and can speed up or slow down certain processes (but only some). Sometimes, when asking about a few months, the margin of error is... a whole year.

Keep this in mind when drawing cards and reading interpretations. Be patient and record events without jumping to conclusions.

Intuition: Your Inner Compass

Intuition, as a subconscious process, is possessed by every person; one may have it more developed, another less so, and sometimes it is simply drowned out. Information from our subconscious cannot be controlled, and nearly everyone experiences such flashes.

Online Tarot allows one to exercise these flashes, better understand oneself and the surrounding world. It is an excellent tool to complement professional tarot card readings. Moreover, it is a safe tool. By developing online tarot interpretations using our own intuition, we are able to delve into a given issue enough to be prepared for what we might hear during a traditional card reading with a tarot reader, if we decide to have one. Sometimes, we are simply not ready for certain information, even if it is not necessarily unfavorable to us, and it is easier to interpret it in the comfort of our own home.

A tool for automated card readings, such as Advanced Tarot Online, is worth recommending to all those who want to get answers to their questions, as well as to those tarot adepts who wish to better understand the meanings and interpretations of individual cards. Tens of thousands of description combinations have been prepared over the years based on the experiences of many renowned tarot readers, making this application an endless source of knowledge about tarot.