From the Fairground to the Screen: How Tarot Found Its New Caravan
Tarot has always been a traveler's art. In 1978, when I first held a deck as a boy, its journey was physical. The wisdom moved from town to town in horse-drawn carts and caravans, settling for a weekend at psychic fairs and gypsy gatherings. The reader and the seeker had to be in the same place, a fleeting moment of connection under a tent or in a candlelit booth. That was the old caravan. Today, the caravan is digital, and I've watched it transform—from those bustling fairs to the quiet focus of a Zoom screen. I am an old-style reader who has embraced the new wagon train: technology.
The Old Caravan: Learning at the Fairs
The fairs of the late 70s and 80s were universities of intuition. There was no theory to be read online, only practice to be witnessed. You learned by doing, by watching people's faces as the cards turned, by feeling the shift in the air when a truth was spoken. It was raw, immediate, and deeply human. The cards were passports, and every reader with their fold-up table was a stop on a vast, sprawling route of shared stories. We weren't corporate; we were a community of interpreters, each with our own style, united by the symbols in our hands.
The New Caravan: Tarot's Digital Passage
The internet didn't replace that magic; it extended its reach. What was once a local secret is now a global conversation. The horse-drawn cart has become a high-speed connection, carrying the same ancient symbols from my home to yours, wherever you are. This "corporate" world of websites and booking calendars isn't a dilution—it's the new infrastructure for an ancient practice. It allows for consistency, clarity, and a kind of sacred privacy that a noisy fairground never could. We now have the tools to build a virtual tent that anyone, anywhere, can step into.
Why This Blend Matters: The Soul in the Machine
I bring the depth of the fairground—the years of reading people, not just cards—into the modern age. This is the essence of my Harmony Reading, which blends traditional insight with a modern framework. It’s the same caravan, just on a new, endless road. Embracing Zoom and online booking doesn't make me less of an old-style reader; it makes the old style more accessible. The technology handles the logistics—the calendar, the payment, the video link—so that when we finally meet on screen, all that remains is the human part: the cards, your question, and a lifetime of interpretation.
Conclusion
The heart of tarot has never been about the location—the dusty fair or the polished app. It's about the connection it facilitates. My journey from then to now is a testament to the adaptability of this art. I invite you to experience this blend: the timeless insight of a reader who learned his craft decades ago, delivered through the clear, convenient window of modern technology. The caravan has come to your door. Book a session to experience a reading that bridges tradition and the present.
Giles Link