TarotMap

My brother found an old set of Tarot cards when he was visiting a market in Austin, Texas recently. He (correctly) thought I'd love the designs and gifted them to me on his return.

I've never really been into card readings or associated practices, but decided to have a go.

The problem

On first use I was quickly frustrated by the need to continuously refer to a tiny double-sided booklet for each step of the process, and to understand the meaning of each card. Beyond being time consuming, this detracted from the flow of the experience.

I pressed on.

After delivering a few 'readings' for friends, it became clear that everyone wound up being quite moved by the experience. Each claimed the reading had challenged their perspective or provided clarity on a matter. However, beyond taking a photo of the cards in their final positions and hoping they'd recall the meaning of each, there was no way to capture the details of the experience for further reflection.

One evening, as yet another friend asked me to send her a photo of the cards and the notes I'd written down, I thought "I could probably build an app to do this."

The solution

I built TarotMap to achieve two main outcomes:

1. to guide Tarot readers through the process of 3 different Tarot card readings.

• Where to place cards on the table
• What each step means (and then when the physical card has been selected and placed on the table)
• The meaning of each Tarot card. This completely removes the need to flip back and forth through the little white booklet finding steps, step meanings, positions on the table, and the meaning of cards.

2. to capture each reading's specific details for reflection after the event.

• The question asked by the subject (person receiving the reading)
• The meaning of each step, its place on the table, the card that was drawn for that step, its meaning, and any notes raised in that step

Unlike other Tarot reading apps, TarotMap does not negate the need for a physical reading, with a physical set of cards. Rather, it assists the new reader, and adds a valuable new element to the experience in the resulting map.

A lot of tech solutions erode the authenticity of experiences they claim to promote. TarotMap recognises and preserves the physical elements and interactions of divination which have been practised from at least the mid-15th century. You could say this is a tool for purist tarot readers.

Instead of taking away from the art of Tarot reading, TarotMap enhances its value via the map artifact. Like a carbon copy of the user's new understanding and how they arrived there, a TarotMap can be held onto and revisited.

Try TarotMap for yourself here.