The tarot is a wonderful tool to help us unlock the answers to life that we are seeking. It has been used for hundreds of years by people all over the world as a guide to the past, present and future. The tarot can help us see things in a different light, provide answers to dilemmas and problems, and can help us get in touch with ourselves on a deeper, spiritual level.

I remember my first introduction to the tarot. I knew nothing about the cards, the artwork, or their meaning, and the history was foreign to me. I learned the art of tarot reading from my mother. I recall how overwhelmed I felt about the entire process—shuffling, cutting, and reading the deck. I was so scared I would do something wrong and even more frightened that I may misinterpret the meanings of the seventy-eight cards and give someone a bad reading! A few years and thousands of consultations later, giving a tarot reading is now like riding a bicycle. The deck feels natural in my hands and my words flow easily when I meet with a client. I have taught many people to read their own cards. Still to this day I am asked, "Is it hard to learn? Did the tarot take a long time to understand? How can anyone memorize all the meanings?" Studying the tarot seems so overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be.

I wrote Maria Shaw's Tarot Kit for Teens with my once-novice self in mind, and for all of those beginners who may see learning the tarot as something impossible. If you follow the steps in my guide book, you'll find the tarot is easy to understand. The book covers everything from how to pick your deck to tarot spreads to card care. My book gives you many details you won't find in many tarot books for beginners: from the history of this ancient art to what type of box you should store your cards in, and the best time of the month to give a reading. Thanks to my four planets in Virgo, the tarot student will get a lot of little known facts. You'll probably be an expert reader by the time you've finished this guide.

Did you know there are hundreds of different types of decks on the market these days? It can be very difficult to choose which deck suits you best, but my guide helps make the process simple. There are also lots of different layouts to choose from. You can start with a simple layout with just a few cards and work up to a detailed, thorough spread. Ancient spreads used by gypsies and readers hundreds of years ago are included, as well as a few teen-oriented layouts geared toward love, friends, and much more.

Maria Shaw's Tarot Kit for Teens gives you a complete and detailed description of each card, including the upright and reverse positions. Some beginners still believe that the Death Card means someone is going to die. This is a myth. The Death Card is actually a good card and means re-birth or change. Another fact many people may not know is that the tarot can also tell time. A reading should be able to give you a season, month, or even a day when things are likely to happen.

The Universal Tarot deck is included with the kit. I am very pleased with the cards from this collection; they have beautiful images. They are appropriate for teens and beginners of all ages because they are not scary or frightening.

The tarot is not meant to be frightening. It is meant to be a helpful guide. I always say a tarot reading is a like a flashlight. It can light your way, but you still have a choice to walk the path it has laid out before you. It can guide, but it won't decide. You still have power of free will to make your own decisions. The tarot is most helpful in giving us choices and alerting us of upcoming challenges and opportunities.

My goal in producing this kit is that anyone who wants to learn to read the tarot for themselves, family and friends, or wants to become a professional reader, will find the tarot delightful, fun, informative, and easier to understand than they've ever imagined!