Tarot can be intimidating to learn. There are 78 cards that include four suits, numbered cards, court cards, and the major arcana. Each card represents a message or a lesson. There are themes that repeat in the deck, but each card has a unique origin and story.

Besides sheer overwhelm, beginners in tarot sometimes believe there are "bad" cards in the deck like Death, the Hanged Man, and the Fool. Although these cards mean transformation, surrender, and optimism, mainstream culture says that tarot cards are dangerous and evil. Churchgoers are taught to follow one true God, implying that everything else is not true. Anything that incites questions about the man-made church structure is labeled heretical. If we know ourselves and make our own decisions, the church will lose members. I know this because I threw my cards away fifteen years ago when I joined a church.

Backing up to my first introduction to tarot cards 28 years ago, I saw truth that I’d tucked deep inside. The cards reminded me of what I already knew, but had hidden from the world in order to fit in. Tarot let me set aside my fears, choose my own answers, and claim joy and magic once again. Now that I’ve left the church, tarot is my favorite tool for clarity and self-understanding.

In this book, you'll search for your own truth by starting with just one card a day. Doing this gives you more time in reflection, and makes it easy to memorize the feeling and meaning behind each card. You'll quickly learn to read intuitively, without your reference book. Feel free to launch into advanced layouts whenever you wish. If you're already comfortable with the deck, use this journal to further develop your intuition.

Break loose from what binds you, and allow yourself to think of a future of freedom. Listen to your heart, and let your cards find what's been sheltered inside you. Now is your time. Pick up your deck, and believe in yourself.

Clara Cooper