Tarot is like a highly sophisticated, interactive "picture book" of life experiences. It is a finely tuned communication system, employing symbolism, mythology and universal motifs and this system is not restricted by time, culture or semantics. But to understand what it has to say, one needs to attend to the visual images of the cards and listen to the voice of one's heart. Once you have chosen your own deck and a system that you find compatible, the Tarot "speaks" to you. What's more, it speaks to you in your own language. Tarot imagery translates itself for you into whatever philosophical or religious viewpoint you need in order to understand and use your deck. Your personal interpretations depend on the purpose for which you use your deck. If you only want to use the Tarot to read fortunes, then all you need to do is find an already existing system that gives you intelligible answers and follow it. But the Tarot, especially the Major Arcana, can also be used as a path to your personal spiritual development. If you make an intense study of the Tarot for that purpose, you will eventually develop your own interpretations of the visual images on the cards.