SOUTH PORTLAND – Jeanne Fiorini, a South Portland resident who has been working as a Tarot card reader and teacher for the past 20 years, has just had her latest book on to the craft, “Tarot Spreads and Layouts,” published by Schiffer Publishing.

Fiorini, the founder of Tarot Works, a locally based company devoted to teaching the craft, will be appearing at Nonesuch Books at the Mill Creek Shopping Center in South Portland on Wednesday, March 2, at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the book and Tarot card reading in general.

The Current recently caught up with Fiorini to discuss her latest book, the myth of seeing the future, and how to read Tarot cards over the Internet.

Q: How did you get interested in tarot reading? How long did it take you to master the reading?

A: I like to say that the Tarot is like the board game “Othello” in that it takes “a minute to learn and a lifetime to master.” A person can learn the basic tenets of the Tarot system in a few months; to really have a working knowledge of the system takes longer. But something that is true about the Tarot, and what drew me to the system in the first place, is that useful information can be had -whether you’re a beginner or an advanced student – if you’re using effective methods. The new “Tarot Spreads and Layouts” book is chocked full of effective methods!

Q: How accurate is a tarot reading? Can it really predict the future?

A: The “telling the future” aspect of Tarot is part of the misinformation that swirls around the deck and how it is used. The Tarot is nothing more than an extension of our own consciousness. There is nothing magical or mystical or otherworldly about it. The cards themselves are nothing more than pieces of paper with pictures on them. But in the same way that a straw helps us draw water from a glass, the Tarot allows us to access parts of consciousness of which we are not necessarily aware.

The quantum reality of the 21st century is the fact that the world – and our experience of it – is in a constant state of flux and change. We no longer have the luxury (or the curse) of a future that is written in stone. Using the Tarot can help clarify current situations, confirm a person’s intuitive thoughts and knowing, validate a person’s self-awareness, support a person in the attainment of goals and other matters of personal development, as yes, can put forth a “most-likely outcome.” But these projected outcomes are more about percentages and “waves of probability” than fortune telling, and shouldn’t be taken as absolute truths in any way, shape, or form.

Q: On your website, tarotworks.com, the catchphrase of TarotWorks is “Tarot as a tool for authentic living.” What does that mean?

A: The best use of the Tarot helps people become creatively involved in their own unfolding process: to build a future of their own making, to become the hero in their own story, to manifest a life in which they can be fully invested and true to themselves. This doesn’t mean that we can have everything that we want, but it does mean that we can use all available tools and abilities to be as fully present in our life as possible. Working with the Tarot can help us accomplish this by expanding our conscious awareness, allowing us to see our options more clearly, and by validating thoughts and feelings thereby giving voice to our hopes, dreams, and visions for the future.

Q: You do tarot readings through telephone calls and Skype sessions. How do this differ than in person readings?

A: The Internet has changed the face of many businesses and this includes Tarot reading. Many of my clients live out-of-state, which makes face-to-face readings impossible. With telephone readings, it used to be the case that the client was not able to get a visual impression of the cards. But now with Skype technology that problem is erased. So, if a client in Minnesota- or Sweden-wants an in-person session, if we can work out the time zones we can make it happen! People don’t need to share the same physical space in order for a Tarot reading to work. The energy and information of the reading happens without physical proximity being an issue- another example of quantum principles in action. The science of the 21st century supports what metaphysical systems throughout the ages have consistently displayed: that the universe and everything in it exists within a web of physical and energetic connections. The Tarot is simply one way to access our intrinsic connections to other parts of the web of life.

Q: Who is the target audience for your book and what do you hope readers take from reading it?

A: The new book is exactly what the title indicates: a user’s guide for beginning and intermediate students of the Tarot. There are many, many books available about Tarot card meanings, but there are very few good books containing simple and effective methods for using the cards. Each year millions of people buy Tarot card decks and companion books, and are left with the question, “Now what do I do? How do I get helpful and useful information from these cards?” This would be like buying a generator with a complete description of all the component parts but not being given any directions for how to hook it up. My book is the one to read after learning some basic Tarot card meanings.

Q: You are speaking on March 2 at Nonesuch Books in South Portland. What will this appearance include?

A: The presentation at Nonesuch will be an interactive discussion of the major points of the book, and will take real-life questions from the audience to demonstrate some of the simple cards methods described therein. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and for signing.

Q: Are you presenting the book anywhere else in the next few weeks or months?

A: I’m going to be doing a very similar presentation at the Maine Mall Borders bookstore on March 15 at 7 p.m.

Jeanne Fiorini