Explore future of life, love and luck in a tarot deck

By Maria Sprow

Daily Arts Writer

No one worries more about the future than students. Stories are told about the 4th year engineering student who suddenly decides he wants to be an English major. Why didn't the poor fool come to this realization earlier, before he took all those impossible chemical engineering classes?

Then there are the simple questions that plague students. Does studying ever pay off? Is it possible to pass the class without reading? Is it safe to drink just one more beer (and 3 more shots...)?

Well, here it is, folks, the answers we've been looking for-all in a gypsy's card trick. The Tarot deck consists of four suits (cups, pentacles, swords and wands) ace through king (plus an extra card called the "page"), and 22 character cards.

Each of the 78 cards has a special significance, which depends on what order the card is drawn, as well as the cards that surround it. There are also various spreads that can be used depending on what question is being asked and a person's preference.

Drawing one card can tell a person what to expect from the day; using a Celtic cross spread (10 cards) answers a question about the future by looking at all aspects of the question.

Of course, cards like Death, Hanged Man, Judgment and Devil might strike fear into the hearts of novice tarot card users, but any experienced gypsy knows that these cards are not necessarily bad. One might think that drawing a card like Death is pretty bad luck.

Yeah, we're all going to die someday.

In reality, none of the tarot cards are bad. Death (like half the other cards) only symbolizes a transformation or transition. It could mean there's a funeral coming up. It could also mean it's time for a hair cut.

The Devil does not mean you, or your child, is the spawn of Satan. But rather it signifies a strong, negative force attacking from within yourself. A symbol of having chaos in your life, meaning you have to shape up, take control, and rid yourself of restrictions.

Another interesting card is the Page of Cups, which represents totally free, childlike imagination. It might mean a new friendship is starting, but if it is paired with the Page of Wands, lookout buddy, and go see a doctor: You're pregnant.

When some massive catastrophe hits, don't go psycho and attack your roomate, instead consult the cards.

The cards are not 100 percent accurate of the time. But one of the best things about tarot is that if the answer is not desirable, it's most likely just a mistake. Give the cards a little shuffle and deal a whole new, hopefully more positive spread. Eventually, it'll all work out.