An ad for a free Tarot reading is enticing, but is it really worth clicking there? If it’s only costing your time then it may not seem like it’s a big risk, but what about the price of wrong information? Most people want to know that circumstances in their lives are about to improve, so what happens if they receive an bogus hint from a Tarot reading that their dreams are about to come true?

• What if the person with money problems ignores their budget and spends up big to make themselves feel better?
• What if the person who’s desperate for a relationship latches onto the first person who shows interest in them because they believe he/she is their destiny?
• What if the person who hates their career quits their job because they believe a new one is about to be offered?

Free Tarot readings on websites are usually computer-generated and they use randomly selected cards that are devoid of any real input from the person asking the question. It may appear that you are selecting certain cards from the computer screen, but how can you possibly know?

The brief, generic interpretation for each card is often vague and too concise for a meaningful reading of any value. To have a good reading means being able to link the images and see the conjunctions of cards as they fall next to each other. For example, the meaning of the Three of Cups is going to be very positive if it’s in conjunction with the card called The Star. In this situation it’s probably going to represent a celebration because of good news and promises for good times ahead. But if this same card is surrounded by The Devil and The Tower…it can indicate that the people you think of as your friends have been lying to you and that trouble is not only brewing, it’s about to boil over and cause a lot of conflict.

Even when a card turns up in a different position within a spread, the meaning changes. The Fool is one of the most joyful characters in the whole deck, revealing a carefree and optimistic attitude — and yet if he turns up in the position of a spread revealing the challenges ahead, it means you have to avoid complacency and start being a responsible individual. When a website gives you the same interpretation regardless of the position of the card in a spread and despite the surrounding cards, you can be sure that their ‘free’ reading is simply a way to tempt you into their website so they can bombard you with advertising, or to get you to pay for an expensive fortune telling session with one of their readers to gain more information about the situation.

The big question is this: What is your connection to a website in cyberspace? Does that website have empathy with you? Can it feel your needs? Does it have consciousness? When you have a reading with a Tarot professional they are connecting with you: your story, your needs, your dreams, your fears, and your future.

In a personalised Tarot session, the reader will give their interpretation based on what they see in the cards, not from stock keywords they are repeating from a book they have memorised. A professional reader can also suggest the timing of when particular events are likely to occur — you can’t get that from a robotic card reader. In an online Tarot reading you have computer-generated spreads with overly-simplistic interpretations. These websites can only give basic generalisations that you have to try and fit into your circumstances. You have to pick and choose which part of the text is relevant to your question, and that means there is the potential for your objective mind to link wishful thinking into the outcome.

When you are in need of guidance, find a professional reader who will listen to your question and offer specific information that will help you make informed decisions about important areas of your life. Or buy a good Tarot book and learn the art of divination so you can do insightful, free Tarot readings for yourself at any time!