ASTROLOGY Laid out in the cards, tarot tells all

Peace of mind can be found in many outlets-a hot bath, coffee with a friend or a faded night at the favorite bar. But for others, insight lays in something more complex, a meditative tool that touches into the subconscious: tarot cards.

It is a common misconception that tarot card reading is fortune telling-it’s not. The 78-card deck may be a form of divination, but its purpose focuses more on guidance and personal growth than revealing the future. Each card bears an elaborate picture, a symbolic representation of a spiritual truth or energy. The arrangement and selection of the cards are distinctive to the individual, and therefore provide a keen insight to the problem or situation in question.

Technically, anyone can learn to read tarot cards but some individuals possess greater experience and talent than others. I recently visited two psychics. Each was unique, in pricing and atmosphere to style and individual attention.

My first psychic worked at the 9th Chakra, an intimate shop located on Lincoln Road that offers card readings, and an array of incense, candles and yoga products. For $30, I scheduled a 15-minute reading. We met in a small room in the back of the shop and the psychic performed several spreads (various card layouts) in response to my question. Despite my objective attitude, the outcome of the cards mirrored my current circumstances. However, I asked for her advice, the psychic replied that she was simply a translator and guide, as my answers lay in my cards. She also informed me that for her, tarot card reading was a job, not a lifestyle. Although she saw the practice as useful and insightful, at home she is merely a mother and gardener.

My second tarot experience was performed by a woman named Virginia at the kitchen table of her apartment. Although the price was higher, $50, Virginia placed no time restriction and her reading was of much greater depth and detail. She also possessed a genuine warmness that made the unusual situation surprisingly comfortable and gratifying.

To students seeking to explore the possibilities of tarot card reading, whether it be for a rainy Saturday afternoon or recurrent guidance, I would recommend either of these women. Tarot readings can be both entertaining and revealing and, when taken with a grain of salt, may actually provide peace of mind. And as every great psychic will tell you, destiny lies not in the cards, but in the person.

Nicky Zalickas can be contacted at n.zalickas@umiami.edu.

Card/Palm Reading on Miami Beach

9th Chakra

530 Lincoln Road

305-538-0671

Psychic Virginia

1428A Alton Road

305-532-9499