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

未來－或至少娛樂派對上的賓客。你需要一副塔羅牌以及練習

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

步驟 1. 買一副塔羅牌。市面上有許多不同種類的，不過建議初學者使用廣受歡迎的

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

萊德偉特塔羅牌。步驟 2. 閱讀在牌卡裡的

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

小冊子以學習每一張卡片的標準含義。塔羅牌分為大

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

阿爾克那或「大密儀」以及小阿爾克那，代表小奧秘。大阿爾克那牌代表

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

不受我們控制的力量，而小阿爾克那則代表我們有能力去

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

改變。大阿爾克那牌通常有羅馬數字做記號；小阿卡納牌被

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

分為四種花色：權杖、聖杯、寶劍和錢幣。步驟 3. 將牌仔細洗好；

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

接著，當問卜者詢問第一個問題時切牌

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

步驟 4. 將四張牌依菱形圖案擺放。最上面那張卡代表愛情；順時鐘方向

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

的下一張牌代表財務，接著是健康和快樂，最後

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

是事業牌。隨著你經驗值的增加，需要更多的卡片來擺放不同的

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

牌陣。步驟 5. 翻牌並注意圖片裡的方向。如果它是

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

正位面向問卜者，就是一張正向的卡片，代表著好的事情。如果圖片是顛倒

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

或是逆位，就是一張負面的卡片，代表著衝突。步驟 6. 解釋牌卡。不能

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

只是個別分析卡片上的意思，而是考慮整體所要傳達的

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

訊息。大阿爾克那牌比小阿爾克那牌俱有更大的影響力，是為了要表達

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

整體概況。步驟 7. 記錄你的占卜。透過記錄下正確的占卜以及

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

錯誤的解讀，能夠精進你的技巧

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

你知道塔羅牌源自於 15 世紀的義大利，當時它們被當作

as playing cards.

撲克牌