Reading tarot cards is something that tickles the curiosity of many, especially when they are looking for answers to some of life's more important questions. And while some people use them to get guidance for the future, some have a distrustful attitude towards the mysticism of tarot cards.

It is interesting that more and more young people are showing an interest in the tarot, and content about this way of predicting the future is often published on social media. If earlier the first association for this was an older clairvoyant, who interprets the meaning of the cards in a foggy room, now young and urban girls organize tarot events in several bars in Skopje, and the interest is so great that people wait for hours for an "appointment".

We are talking about this topic Tatiana, a 28-year-old girl who interprets tarot cards every week in a cafe in Skopje. She describes herself as a person with multiple interests, starting with literature, art and programming, continuing with the undefined limits of human curiosity.

Tatiana, what attracted you to the world of tarot cards?

– The rich symbols of the tarot cards and their ability to connect with people and their stories in a very interesting and unusual way. Each card shares a story that, connected to each other person, carries a magical interpretation and direction for their life.

My first encounter with tarot cards was very accidental, at a friend's New Year's party a few years ago. They were very striking and attractive, starting that day, even though I didn't even know any tarot card meanings, it was as if they had chosen me to do this.

How would you explain tarot cards to someone new to them?

– We are talking about maps that originally came from Italy and from the distant year 1430, but France at the end of the 19th century is especially responsible for the way they are used today.

The tarot consists of 78 cards divided between the same as major and minor arcana. The major arcana are 22 in number and have a greater and more complex meaning than the minor arcana. Thanks to the great arcana, we get a reflection of many important parts of human life. However, it must be noted that the cards also appear in their transposed form, in which they have a completely different meaning. While 56 minor arcana are related to aspects of everyday life and they represent a transient energy or influence in our life.

Very often people at tarot readings are upset by symbols like swords and "pentacles", their meanings such as swords are associated with the thought process and actions of a person, while "pentacles" are associated with finances and career.

How did you get your first deck of tarot cards? Is it true that we should not buy tarot cards for ourselves, but that someone should give them to us?

– I got my first tarot deck in a completely unusual way. Inspired by the idea of ​​having my own tarot deck, I posted a photo of a beautiful deck of tarot cards on social media. Of course, I forgot about it, until I was contacted by a completely unknown male person who wanted to see me to give me something. It was our first meeting and the gift was a very specific tarot deck which is inspired by steampunk culture and is a very difficult deck for a beginner.

The real way to enter the world of tarot cards is to receive them as a gift, because that is how the cards travel to us meeting our good purpose which, enriched with intuition, can lead to successful tarot interpretations.

Tarot card reading has become a trend on social media and platforms like YouTube. Why do you think this prediction of the future has become so popular among young people?

- I am especially glad that tarot cards have become popular and there is no negative attitude towards them that they are an occult instrument for some dark purposes. Tarot cards have become a part of pop culture, especially in recent years, tarot readings on the topic of love have become more common across platforms such as YouTube and TikTok.

Man's uncertainty, but also his fear of the future, directs him to alternative predictions of the future. But one should choose the tarot interpreter very carefully and not forget that the tarot cards give directions and not complete predictions, although that also happens.

How relevant are such general "draw the map" interpretations of YouTube?

- For the tarot readings to be relevant and close to the individual, it is necessary to connect them live with a person. That's why the general interpretations of YouTube can, by a game of chance, guess some part of what happens in human life, but not completely, and at least relevantly. Everyone who has had a reading on YouTube is amazed at the accuracy of the cards when it comes to live interpretation, precisely because of the connection of the cards with a person. Every person is different and carries a different story, or what our elders would say destiny, so it's no wonder that the general readings on YouTube are completely different and incorrect every time.

Every week you have a tarot reading in a bar in Skopje and the interest is very high, so you wait for hours for an appointment. What does a tarot session with Tatiana look like?

- I am very grateful and satisfied with our cooperation with "Javna Soba", the idea started with them and with my friend, and then with the fantastic manager Natalia. I am pleased that the interest is really great and that I have people who come several times with more energy and more enthusiasm than the first time. That was exactly my goal, I know that people who come to tarot readings are often in a bad mood, their change for the better and the security they feel while being with me at the event makes me especially happy.

A tarot session consists of a welcoming and pleasant atmosphere, everyone who comes is greeted with three decks of tarot cards to choose from, contrary to the belief about the occult and dark use of tarot cards, our space arrangement is bright colors and flowers.

People often get confused at tarot readings, because they expect a dark atmosphere, and I'm glad we break their preconceptions. Everyone who comes to the tarot chooses his own topic on which he wants the reading to be, questions to which he wants to be answered, as well as directions for a certain situation. It makes me happy that despite the fact that this is the first event of this kind in our country, people leave after the tarot readings with a pleasant energy, despite the fact that they are amazed by the readings and their accuracy.

Is there a topic that you never cover while interpreting the cards? And are there good and bad cards?

- Yes, the topic that I never discuss is health, although it is the interest of most people, I think that it is not grateful to learn about the same from the tarot. It's like an unwritten rule of the tarot, ask about anything you want, preferably with good intentions, but don't ask about health. There are good and bad cards in the tarot, but it all depends on their placement.

Very often people are horrified when they see the Death card, expecting something bad to happen related to someone's death. On the contrary, it does not mean the end of one's life, that card is associated with the end of a stage, the beginning of something better, some great change and transformation.

Another card that is very mournful to most is The Tower, the symbols are very chaotic, especially with the tower collapsing and two falling from it. The tower represents our ambitions and goals that are not set on solid foundations. Thunder symbolizes a sudden and unexpected change. However, if it appears the other way around, the card has a completely different meaning and is associated with the fear of change, as well as avoiding a major accident.

How often should someone seek tarot advice? Does it exist too often or can it be, for example, every day?

– As with most things in a person's life, so with tarot cards, consultation with them should be moderate and caused by a good intention or motivation. Consulting advice from the tarot too often does not bring anything good, but on the contrary, all the telling symbols of the cards are implanted in our underworld and influence free will and decision-making further.

It is very true that it is difficult to be patient in order not to often ask for an interpretation of the cards, because they are very contagious and attractive from the first reading. However, one must be patient and not look for answers every day.

And do you use tarot cards as a guide for your life?

– Unfortunately, anyone who interprets tarot cards is incapable of using them as a guide for themselves. Although, I have tried, I do not resonate with my cards when it comes to my life. Often people think that tarot card readers spend their day shuffling cards and asking questions, and unfortunately or fortunately, that's not the case.

What is your advice for all tarot beginners?

- My advice for all tarot beginners is to enter that world very responsibly and with good intentions. Tarot cards must be handled with particular care and careful with their use, it must not be very often!

Although there are many tarot card manuals and tutorials, my most sincere advice is to stick to the intuitive interpretation of the tarot cards. Yes, they need to know what the symbols and elements in the tarot cards mean, and what it means when a major arcana is reversed, they should still be guided by the energy of the tarot cards.