future – or at least amuse party guests. You will need A set of tarot cards and practice.

Step 1. Get a deck of tarot cards. There are many different kinds, but the popular Rider-Waite

tarot deck is the one recommended for beginners. Step 2. Read the booklet that comes with a

new deck to learn the standard meaning of each card. Tarot cards are divided into major

arcana or "greater secrets" and minor arcana, meaning lesser secrets. Major arcana represent

forces outside our control, while minor arcana represent that which we have the power to

change. Major arcana cards are usually marked with Roman numerals; minor arcana cards are

divided into four suits: wands, cups, swords, and pentacles. Step 3. Shuffle the cards well;

then cut the deck as the person whose fortune you are about to read asks the first question.

Step 4. Lay down four cards in a diamond pattern. The top card represents romance; moving clockwise,

the next card relates to finances, followed by the card for health and happiness and finally

the career card. Different spreads involving more cards can be used as you become more

experienced. Step 5. Turn over the cards and note the direction of the picture. If it's

facing the reader, it's a positive card, representing good things. If the design is upside down

or reversed, it's a negative card, representing conflict. Step 6. Interpret the cards. Don't

just analyze what the cards mean individually, but what message they convey when viewed as

a whole. Major arcana cards carry more weight than minor arcana, which are meant to clarify

the bigger picture. Step 7. Keep a record of your readings. It helps you refine your

craft by keeping tabs on when you were right and when you might have misinterpreted the

cards. Did you know Tarot cards originated in 15th-century Italy, where they were used

as playing cards.