I have been reading tarot cards for over 20 years and each time I give a reading its undoubted power convinces me more and more of its validity as a tool of deep communication between two people, the reader and person having the reading.

To me there is little mysticism involved with the tarot beyond the suggestive nature of the ancient images on most Tarot cards. Tarot cards after all are nothing more than the original playing cards that date back to the 15th century, but what they have become over time in my view is a medium to regain a connection with one's true feelings, instincts and talents, a connection that is rapidly being lost due to the artificial pressures of modern life.

I first encountered Tarot cards back in 1982 whilst living and working in Australia when I met the renown Tarot reader and Herbalist Daniela Di Marchi. I was at the time producing and directing music video and TV commercials and therefore had a lifestyle that was on the whole creative, financially rewarding, decadent but highly stressful. The stress was by then effecting my health to the point where I had just been diagnosed as having a duodenal ulcer and Daniela was recommended to me by a friend who had been successfully treated by her using herbal remedies.

To my surprise when I arrived for my appointment she sat me down and gave me a pack of cards to shuffle. "There must be some mistake." I said. " I've come to see you because of stress."

"I know." She said, and smiled.

Having had a long fascination with the undeniable and often dismissed power of ancient divinal techniques I was immediately intrigued by the powerful experience of the Tarot reading she gave me. Beyond the uncanny insight she had of my personality, my place in the world and where life was taking me, it was the magic of being able to communicate with a perfect stranger to such a deep level in such a short space of time that interested me. I had investigated the techniques of hypnosis before this experience and so I could see a similarity in the process, that being, tapping into the subconscious, and it was the power of the cards' images rather than inducing of an hypnotic state that enabled it to happen. That reading, frankly, changed my life.

I soon discovered that a Tarot reading is not just a case of someone sitting opposite another person with a pack of strange cards, listening to them give a foresight into their future. A Tarot card reading is, in the right hands, a golden opportunity to make a two way contact with normally unvisited areas of the unconscious and expose qualities, instincts, and talents that have, up until that point, laid dormant. That contact can stimulate instincts rarely used and launch one onto a journey of discovery and fulfillment.

After a short time Daniela and I became firm friends and she told me that I too possessed the gift to read the Tarot and she presented me with my first pack of Tarot cards. Since then I have read the Tarot in many ways with numerous people all over the world and am constantly amazed by the power that readings can evoke in anybody that chooses to listen to them and discover the treasures they can unlock.

I have had many often strange experiences reading Tarot cards and instigated severe changes in peoples' lives as a consequences of my readings but all, gratefully, have led to positive results.

When I give you have a tarot card reading I will ask you to sit opposite me at a table and relax. I will then give you a pack of Tarot cards to hold and shuffle and ask you to think to about the question you wish to address. This question can take any form. You maybe completely confused about your place in the world or you may just need a second opinion on a decision you are about to make or at least want to make, or whatever, it doesn't matter, it will all come out during the reading.

When you are ready I will then ask you to place the cards on the table and ask you to cut the pack whilst still thinking about your question.

I will then begin the reading by laying out ten of your cards one by one in a formation known as the Celtic Cross. There are many other spreads but I have found over time that this is the most powerful.

As I lay the cards down I will explain their position and the basic meaning of the card to you. I will then ask you to take a good look at all the cards. You can ask me any questions you like.

When you are ready I will take you through in detail of what the reading is telling me about you and what is going on in your life. This is an intense experience that will possibly expose issues you have been reluctant to deal with before. Believe me it is not frightening, quite the opposite, it will be enlightening and liberating. By the time we reach the end of the reading you will have found answers to issues that have made you want a reading in the first place.

My fee:

I do not charge a fixed fee although I do ask you for a contribution. I will ask you to pay what you can afford. Most people give me anything from 20-50 Euros. I leave that up to you.

Home visits.

If you wish I can give you a tarot card reading in your home. Some people prefer this as they are on home ground and therefore more relaxed. I can only do readings on the Algarve at the moment and have to charge a minimum of 50 Euros due to travel.

If you wish to make a booking please click here.

A Brief History of Tarot Cards

The origin of the tarot is a mystery. We do know for sure that the cards were used in Italy in the fifteenth century as a popular card game. Wealthy patrons commissioned beautiful decks, some of which have survived. The Visconti-Sforza, created in 1450 or shortly thereafter, is one of the earliest and most complete.
Later in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the cards were discovered by a number of influential scholars of the occult. These gentleman were fascinated by the tarot and recognized that the images on the cards were more powerful than a simple game would suggest. They revealed (or created!) the "true" history of the tarot by connecting the cards to Egyptian mysteries, Hermetic philosophy, the Kabbalah, alchemy, and other mystical systems. These pursuits continued into the early part of the twentieth century when the tarot was incorporated into the practices of several secret societies, including the Order of the Golden Dawn.
Although the roots of the tarot are in the occult tradition, interest in the cards has expanded in the last few decades to include many different perspectives. New decks have been created that reflect these interests. There are Native American, herbal, dragon and Japanese decks, among others.
The tarot is most commonly viewed as a tool for divination. A traditional tarot reading involves a seeker - someone who is looking for answers to personal questions - and a reader - someone who knows how to interpret the cards. After the seeker has shuffled and cut the deck, the reader lays out the chosen cards in a pattern called a spread. Each position in the spread has a meaning, and each card has a meaning as well. The reader combines these two meanings to shed light on the seeker's question.

An aura of darkness clings to the tarot cards, even now. Some religions shun the cards, and the scientific establishment condemns them as symbols of unreason, a holdover from an unenlightened past. Let us set aside these shadowy images for now and consider the tarot simply for what it is - a deck of picture cards. The question becomes - what can we do with them?
The answer lies with the unconscious - that deep level of memory and awareness that resides within each of us, but outside our everyday experience. Even though we ignore the action of the unconscious most of the time, it profoundly affects everything we do. In his writings, Sigmund Freud stressed the irrational, primitive aspect of the unconscious. He thought that it was the home of our most unacceptable desires and urges. His contemporary Carl Jung emphasized the positive, creative aspect of the unconscious. He tried to show that it has a collective component that touches universal qualities.
We may never know the full range and power of the unconscious, but there are ways to explore its landscape. Many techniques have been developed for this purpose - psychotherapy, dream interpretation, visualization and meditation. The tarot is another such tool.

The images on Tarot cards are the reason why the tarot cards are so valuable. Their intriguing pictures and patterns are effective in tapping the unconscious. This is the personal aspect of the tarot, but the cards also have a collective component. As humans, we all have certain common needs and experiences. The images on the tarot cards capture these universal moments and draw them out consistently. People tend to react to the cards in similar ways because they represent archetypes. Over many centuries, the tarot has evolved into a collection of the most basic patterns of human thought and emotion.
Consider the Empress. She stands for the Mother Principle - life in all its abundance. Notice how her image conjures up feelings of luxuriance. She is seated on soft, lush pillows, and her robe flows in folds around her. In the Empress, we sense the bounty and sensual richness of Nature.
The power of the tarot comes from this combination of the personal and the universal. You can see each card in your own way, but, at the same time, you are supported by understandings that others have found meaningful. The tarot is a mirror that reflects back to you the hidden aspects of your own unique awareness.
When we do a tarot reading, we select certain cards by shuffling, cutting and dealing the deck. Although this process seems random, we still assume the cards we pick are special. This is the point of a tarot reading after all - to choose the cards we are meant to see. Now, common sense tells us that cards chosen by chance can't hold any special meaning, or can they?
To answer this question, let's look at randomness more closely. Usually we say that an event is random when it appears to be the result of the chance interaction of mechanical forces. From a set of possible outcomes - all equally likely - one occurs, but for no particular reason.
This definition includes two key assumptions about random events: they are the result of mechanical forces, and they have no meaning. First, no tarot reading is solely the product of mechanical forces. It is the result of a long series of conscious actions. We decide to study the tarot. We buy a deck and learn how to use it. We shuffle and cut the cards in a certain way at a certain point. Finally, we use our perceptions to interpret the cards.
At every step, we are actively involved. Why then are we tempted to say a reading is "the chance interaction of mechanical forces?" Because we can't explain just how our consciousness is involved. We know our card choices aren't deliberate, so we call them random. In fact, could there be a deeper mechanism at work, one connected to the power of our unconscious? Could our inner states be tied to outer events in a way that we don't yet fully understand? I hold this possibility out to you.

Meaning is a truly mysterious quality that arises at the juncture of inner and outer realities. There is a message in everything...trees, songs, even trash...but only when we are open to perceiving it. The tarot cards convey many messages because of the richness of their images and connections. More importantly, tarot readings communicate meaning because we bring to them our sincere desire to discover deeper truths about our lives. By seeking meaning in this way, we honor its reality and give it a chance to be revealed.
If there is a meaning in a reading, where does it come from? I believe it comes from that part of ourselves that is aware of the divine source of meaning. This is an aspect of the unconscious, yet it is much more. It acts as a wise advisor who knows us well. It understands what we need and leads us in the direction we need to go. Some people call this advisor the soul, the super conscious, or the higher self. I call it the Inner Guide because that is the role it plays in connection with the tarot.
Each of us has an Inner Guide that serves as a fountain of meaning for us. Your Inner Guide is always with you because it is a part of you. You can't destroy this connection, but you can ignore it. When you reach for your tarot deck, you signal to your Inner Guide that you are open to its wisdom. This simple act of faith allows you to become aware of the guidance that was always there for you.
We are meant by nature to rely on the wisdom of our Inner Guide, but somehow we have forgotten how to access it. We trust our conscious minds instead, and forget to look deeper. Our conscious minds are clever, but unfortunately, they just don't have the full awareness we need to make appropriate choices day by day.
When we are operating from our conscious minds, we often feel as if events are forced upon us by chance. Life seems to have little purpose, and we suffer because we do not really understand who we are and what we want. When we know how to access our Inner Guide, we experience life differently. We have the certainty and peace that comes from aligning our conscious will with our inner purpose. Our path becomes more joyous, and we see more clearly how we bring together the scattered elements of our lives to fulfill our destinies.
I use the tarot because it is one of the best tools I have found to make the whispers of my Inner Guide more available consciously. The ideas, images and feelings that emerge as I work through a reading are a message from my Inner Guide. How do I know there is a message, and it's not just my imagination? I don't, really. I can only trust my experience and see what happens.